Homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs and those with medical issues aren't as difficult to make as I thought they would be. If you use my tips it doesn't even take that much time! Just a note - I am not a vet. This recipe was given to me by my vet to feed to my dog that has kidney failure. It is meant to be low protein. You should not feed this (or any new food) to your dog without talking to your vet first.
If you are following the Restless Chipotle Facebook page you already know that we had a serious issue with Cuddles, our pit bull (yes... Cuddles. If you have a pit you understand why that name, I'm sure).
We aren't sure how it happened but he got a bacterial infection and his kidneys began to shut down. He spent a week in doggie ICU -- refusing to eat.
When he got home he refused the special low-protein dog food and he just got thinner and thinner. It was time for some homemade dog food recipes!
I finally started making a dog food gruel that he would eat and he began to make a comeback.
It was a long, hard road! When I took him in for his check up and talked to the vet she gave me a recipe that she approved of. You see, although we have always fed our dogs premium dog food the protein was way too high for Cuddles now.
My vet explained that even our older dogs who were healthy should have less protein than before. She said dog food recipes for Cuddles had to be under 20 grams of protein but under 10 was better.
This recipe has 6.9% protein and Cuddles loves it. In fact, our older dog does, too. He is playing and jumping around like a puppy.
The other two (yes, we have four -- 2 yorkies that moved in when my husband and I got married and my old dog which is a long haired chihuaha mix-up, and then Cuddles) like the food as well so I mix it in with their dog food.
Cuddles is a rescue dog - both of my dogs are.
We found him under our porch one day. When my son coaxed him out we saw that his chest and shoulders were basically shredded. He had been used as a bait dog -- thrown in with pit bulls being trained to fight.
I am horrified to say that there is a lot of that in my area. Anyway, my son had been wanting a pit bull and praying for one -- who am I to argue with God?
We found him on a Saturday so of course there were no vets open. I wasn't sure if he wasn't going to need his leg amputated it was so bad.
Shreds of flesh and muscle infested with maggots. I had my husband and son hold him so I could clean the wounds with cotton swabs and a copious amount of peroxide.
I was nervous because here I was digging into this dog's wounds and he was a big dog with big teeth -- even if he was skinny.
That dog never even snapped at me. He looked it me with those big eyes and pushed at my hand with his nose. That was all. I
cleaned those wounds a couple times a day all weekend long and then to my vet.They kept him overnight, put him out, scrubbed a couple of pounds of mud and dried blood off of him, then fixed him up.
Tip
When you make homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs, and those with kidney failure, it's important to use the fattiest, cheapest ground beef you can find. You want more fat and less protein.
Totally the opposite of what I do when I'm making meatballs for us, for example.
I get a big chub pack and cook all of it up at once with the eggs that go in the recipe. Then I divide in in portions and freeze it. When I need another batch of food I thaw it and add the rest of the ingredients. So easy!
The recipe calls for boiled eggs but I crack raw eggs into the nearly cooked ground beef and then cover the pan until everything is cooked and the yolks are cooked through. Then I chop them into the ground beef.
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It's very important that you use a kitchen scale to make this and to serve it. It must be done by weight.
This is similar to the kitchen scale I use and it works really well.
Escali Glass Digital Kitchen Scale is thin and accurate plus easy to clean. Just remember to put your dogs bowl on the scale and zero the scale out before measuring in the food.
Measure everything very accurately and be sure not to make any substitutions or changes. The food should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within three or four days.
Also - get a good canine multivitamin like (another affiliate link) Pet MD Multivitamin plus Minerals. This is extremely important because your food will not be enriched like the commercial foods are.
Update
I am sad to update this to say that Cuddles succumbed to his kidney disease but he lasted longer than the vet thought he would. His kidneys were just very weak.
We miss him terribly but within a few months two more pitties were at our kitchen door, starved and abused. We just couldn't resist Toby and Bisous.
Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs
Print Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¼ pound ground beef, (do not use lean)
- 2 cups cooked white rice, (no salt)
- 1 hard cooked egg, , peeled and chopped
- 3 slices white bread, , crumbled
- 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate, (blend a bottle of calcium carbonate in the blender until it's a powder then keep in a resealable plastic bag)
Instructions
- Cook the beef until it is cooked through.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix it well.
- Feed twice a day.
- Be sure to give your dog a vitamin supplement.
Notes
5 pounds feed ¼ pound
10 pounds feed ½ pound
20 pounds feed 1 pound
40 pounds feed 1 ½ pounds
60 pounds feed 2 pounds
80 pounds feed 2 ½ pounds
100 pounds feed 3 pounds
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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Leah Devereaux says
I tried this out for my 6 pound yorkie who was just diagnosed, but the rice was too sticky and making him choke. It seems like there is wayyy too much rice, and very little meat. Not sure if I made a mistake or if this is how it's supposed to be? I tried adding a little broth but then he wanted nothing to do with it. Any advice?
Marye Audet says
The amount of meat to rice is correct - it has to be low protein and meat is protein. I got this recipe from my vet - as I am not a vet I really am not comfortable making any suggestions for changing the original recipe. Talk to your vet and see what he/she recommends.
Kelley Lackey says
I'very been using this diet for my 17yr old Jack Russell. My vet suggested adding water to make it more palatable. So I add a little warm water.
Keren Ray says
This recipe is taken from the Hill's nutrition canine restricted protein diet. The original diet says to add a "balanced supplement which fulfills the canine MDR for all vitamins and trace minerals." Any idea what a good vitamins is? Thanks!
Marye Audet says
Keren - I don't know where my vet got it. As I said this is what was given to me by my vet. I did mention in the blog post that vitamins are needed. Did you not like the ones I recommended?
Sherry says
This diet is still too high in protein for serious kidney failure. I realize you stated moderate to severe but cooks/companions might need to have that stated again!
Marye Audet says
I can only say that this is what my vet suggested for Cuddles. I am not a vet, nor am I a dog specialist.
Keren Ray says
Sorry, I missed the part about the vitamin. Thanks!
Marye Audet says
🙂
Christy Wiltfang says
I need a recipe for my dog that was just diagnosed with high liver enzymes
It must be low in protein AND fat
Marye Audet says
Talk to your vet and see what they recommend.
Sari Swick says
Our 10 yr old English Bull Terrier was recently put on Purina NF Canine Formula for early stage renal failure. She eats this just fine, but she has a lot of awful gas, her poops are very soft, stinky and yellow like the kibbles.
If I give her the home mixed diet that you have listed, how would you think her digestive system would react?
Before this recent change, her poops were normal brown, dog poops and we seldom noticed her farting.
I have NEVER bought white bread in my life. Maybe sourdough will have less garbage in it. I'd rather just put more rice in it!
Marye Audet says
I am not a vet so I don't know about dogs' digestive systems, sorry. White bread has very little protein, that's why it works in this recipe. You don't have to eat it just give it to the dog. 🙂
Shannon says
My dog was diagnosed with high liver enzymes about 6 years ago and this is the recipe I make for him. (He is 17 years old this year)
3 lbs of chicken breast boiled
18 cups of cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups of steamed carrots
9 tbs of canola oil
9 tbs of wheat bran
I use my food processor and chop up the cooked chicken and carrots and add it to the cooked rice then add the oil and bran and mix it together. I then put 1 cup in plastic bags and freeze them. I feed my 12 lb jack russell 1/2 cup twice daily. I usually just add a bit of hot water and stir it up to warm it and make the rice a bit less sticky. I also give him 4 drops of milk thistle liquid (alcohol free) twice daily which is supposed to help healthy liver cells to regenerate. You can also give 200 mg of sam-E once daily to help protect the healthy liver cells that are present.
Gigi says
Hi Shannon
!y fur baby has the same condition. The prescription food is not helping. I am going to try your recipe. Did your vet recommend any other supplements?
Diane russo says
Going to try this recipe. My dog is not loving hills. Do u know the weight/food amount for larger dogs. She is 40 lbs
Marye Audet says
1 1/2 pounds per day. It's in the notes at the bottom of the recipe.
Mark Mohamed says
Thanks for the recipe.. I found that using oatmeal in place of the white bread a better choice tho as white bread is an artificial food. My dog loves this food. Thanks again!
Marye Audet says
While it is true that white bread is an artificial food the goal is to keep your dog's protein intake down as low as possible. Oatmeal has roughly double the amount of protein as the bread.Do check with your vet.
Jann Wooldridge says
I just tried this for my 17 yr old doxie who was just diagnosed as early kidney disease. Very similar to the recipe my vet gave me. Was worried he wouldn't eat it. Changed the protein to high fat pork, slow cooked in no salt beef broth with carrots and peas. Used bacon for some added flavor. Added the rice to a small amount of the protein mixture with lots of broth and he ate well including peas and carrots. He has been eating a lot of ground meat and refused it this morning so am trying a new protein.
Marye Audet says
I hope it works for you. 🙂
Carol says
Thank you so much for sharing you story and heart about Cuddles. As you can see his memory is helping so many of us and our pups.
My 18 year old Cardi was just diagnosed and I found your recipe. Quick question, can you use instant rice? My friend gave me some when I was sick and I never used it. My gut is telling me no because it is so over processed but maybe that doesn't make a difference. Your thoughts?
Marye Audet says
I think it would be ok since it's mainly for bulk. 🙂
Andrea Hartley says
My friend was recently told by her vet not to use instant rice for dogs as the way it is processed makes it difficult tor them to digest. I had never heard this before, but thought I should mention it.