Cooking Up Healthier Fare for Your Furry Friend Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

Recipe: Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

Being overweight is just as dangerous for your dog as it is for people. If you're trying to help your dog slim down, thishomemade dog food for weight loss may be just what you need.

Did you know that many of the risks to overweight humans are the same for overweight pets? Diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and respiratory issues are all more commonly diagnosed in dogs who are obese.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, about 59% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese. That is the equivalent of more than 40 million dogs in this country alone that need to lose weight.

What you need to take away from this is thatan overweight dog is an unhealthy dog.If you want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible, you need to help him shed the extra weight.

Ask your veterinarian if this homemade dog food for weight loss would be a good solution for your dog's weight problems. They will evaluate your pup and this recipe to ensure it meets his unique nutritional needs.

Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

When your dog eats more calories in a day than he burns, it leads to weight gain. That's common sense, right?

The reason I mention this is because you may just need to adjust the portions you're serving your pooch or increase the amount of exercise he gets each day. Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet and help you make some lifestyle changes that will make your dog healthier.

Before you switch your dog to a homemade weight-loss dog food, you MUST consult your veterinarian. They can help you decide whether a change in diet is needed or if it's just a matter of portion control and an extra walk in the evening.

Recipe: Homemade Dog Food for Weight Loss

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This homemade dog food for weight loss recipe is made in a pressure cooker. You can see my review of the Cosori Pressure Cooker used in this video here.

You could also use a slow cooker or make this recipe on your stovetop. I prefer the pressure cooker, because it's fast and easy.

• Author: Samantha Randall
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: about 14 cups of food 1x
• Category: Cooked Food
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Dog Food
• Diet: Low Calorie

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (chopped)
• 1/2 cup carrots (chopped)
• 1 cup zucchini (chopped)
• 1 large or 2 small apples (cored and chopped)

With just four ingredients, this recipe would be a great choice for pups with sensitive stomachs or food allergies. It is as easy to make as it is healthy.

All you have to do is add the ingredients listed above to your pressure cooker. Set the pressure on high and allow the recipe to cook for 40 minutes.

Once it is safe to do so, open the pressure cooker and allow the food to cool completely before serving to your pet.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 67
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 27 mg
• Fat: 1.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 1.4 g
• Fiber: .3 g
• Protein: 11.8 g
• Cholesterol: 31 mg

Serving Size Recommendation

You can serve this food to your dog as soon as it has cooled. I recommend feeding about 1/2 cup of food for every 20-25 pounds of body weight.

This recommendation is for 2 servings per day. So, a 25-pound dog would eat about 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evening.

This is just a guideline.

The amount of weight your dog needs to lose, his activity level and health condition are all factors in determining how many calories he needs each day.

It's best to consult your veterinarian about the appropriate serving size for you dog. They will also help you evaluate the meal to make sure it will meet your pet's unique nutritional needs.

If necessary, they will assist you in choosing the best supplements and/or multivitamins to add.

How to store

You can store the leftover homemade dog food for weight loss in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze it, and itll keep for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that this recipe includes no preservatives, so it won't last nearly as long as commercial dog food.

For More Information

We publish many homemade dog food and treat recipes every month. For more recipes, pet food cooking tips, and advice, see our Recipes section.

If you're new to home-cooked dog food subject, I recommend you read more about How Much To Feed to understand serving sizes, What Supplements To Use to create well-balanced meals, and How To Store for tips on simple and easy homemade dog food storing in a fridge or a freezer.

Recipe: Homemade Weight Loss Dog Food

Being overweight is just as dangerous for your dog as it is for you. We know the risks of being overweight, but did you know that many of the risks to overweight humans are the same for overweight pets? If your dog needs to shed a few pounds, thishomemade weight loss dog food may help.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, about 54% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese. This equals about 41.9 million dogs in this country alone that need to lose weight.

New data released fromNationwide the largest provider of health insurance for pets in the United States shows that more than $50 million in pet insurance claims were filed in 2014 for diseases and health conditions related to pet obesity. That is a 10 percent growth since 2012!

Their findings were based on their database of more than 550,000 insured pets. They also released details on the top 10 canine obesity-related conditions in 2014, which were (in order):

1. Arthritis
2. Bladder problems/UTI
3. Low Thyroid Hormone Production
4. Liver Disease
5. Torn Ligaments in the Knee
6. Diabetes
7. Diseased Disc in the Spine
8. Fatty Growth
9. Chronic Kidney Disease
10. Heart Failure

The moral of this story is that an overweight dog is an unhealthy dog. If you want your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible, you need to help him shed the extra weight. Ask your veterinarian if this homemade weight loss dog food would be a good solution for your dog's weight problems.

MORE INFORMATION:Dog Gut Microbiome Study What Causes Obesity In Dogs?

Homemade Weight Loss Dog Food Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 pounds whole wheat macaroni
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 pound ground beef (at least 90% lean)
• 1/2 pound chicken liver
• 1/2 pound beef heart
• 1 egg white
• 3.5 ounces sardines in water
• 1 pound broccoli
• 6,000 mg calcium
• 1 tsp. kelp meal
• 200 IUs Vitamin E (about 10 drops)

Directions

When your dog eats more calories in a day than he burns, it leads to weight gain. That's common sense, right? The reason I mention this is because you may just need to adjust the portions you're serving your pooch or increase the amount of exercise he gets each day. You can use commercial weight loss dog foods, but homemade recipes are just as good (if not better in some instances).

Before you switch your dog to a homemade weight loss dog food, consult your vet. They can help you decide whether a change in diet is needed or it's just a matter of portion control and an extra walk in the evening.

There are about 4200 kcal in this recipe, and it has 24 grams of fat per 1000 kcal. Keep in mind that the serving sizes below are only an estimation. Your veterinarian can help you decide the proper serving size for your pet, as age, weight, activity level and metabolism are all factors in figuring out the right amount to feed your pet each day.

Serving sizesper day are as follows:

• 175 kcal for a 5-pound dog
• 600 kcal for a 25-pound dog
• 1000 kcal for a 50-pound dog
• 1700 kcal for a 100-pound dog

Making this homemade weight loss dog food is pretty simple. Start by boiling the macaroni according to the instructions on the package. You'll also need to chop and boil the broccoli. While that's cooking, cut the chicken thighs, chicken livers and beef heart into bite sized pieces for your pet.

Add the chopped protein sources to a large skillet with the ground beef. Cook on medium heat until all the meat is thoroughly cooked. When the meat is completely cooked, add the egg white to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes until the egg white is cooked through.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the cooked macaroni, cooked protein sources, sardines, cooked broccoli, calcium, kelp meal and vitamin E. Stir until all of the ingredients are equally mixed.

Store the leftover homemade weight loss dog food in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also make this food in bulk quantities and freeze it for up to 3 months.

READ NEXT:Ask A Vet How To Put An Overweight Dog On A Diet

Cooking for Your Dog: Dos & Donts of Homemade Dog Food

Dog nutrition can be tricky, especially when considering cooking for your pets. Which human foods are safe for dogs to eat? How can you ensure your homemade food will meet your dogs dietary requirements? There can be a lot of questions to answer. Additionally, there arent many sources that offer safe, healthy information on how to prepare meals for your dog at home.

Jennifer A. Larsen, DVM, MS, Ph.D., and Joe Bartges, DVM, Ph.D., board-certified veterinary nutritionists and diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Nutritiontouch on the pros and cons of cooking for your dog.

Should You Cook Your Dogs Food?

Is cooking dog food at home really better for your pup? While there may be claims made to that effect, theres no hard scientific evidence to support it. Owners are told by many sources that homemade food is superior to commercial products. However, there is no proof to support this claim, says Dr. Larsen.

Larsen cautions dog owners to be aware of fearmongering within the pet food industry. This is often driven by myths about ingredient quality. While there are no scientifically-supported benefits to homemade diets, whole ingredient-based diets are better in the long term. Commercial foods are made to be complete and balanced, adds Dr. Bartges, albeit not the most exciting of meals. Think of it as eating the same highly processed food for every meal, day after day, for years, he affirms.

Put that way, feeding your dogs a variety of whole foods makes a lot of sense. In fact, there are a multitude of reasons why you might want to prepare homemade foods for your dog, according to Dr. Larsen and Dr. Bartges. These include gaining control over your dogs diet, appeasing picky eaters, combatting food intolerance issues, concern over food recalls, or simply for the bond-building joy of preparing a home-cooked meal for your dog.

Common Mistakes When Cooking for Your Dog

When it comes to cooking for your dog, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to sourcing recipes and ensuring that youre using dog-safe ingredients:

Not Using Trusted Sources

There are many inadequate, and sometimes dangerous recipes, available to owners, says Dr. Larsen. There are now many studies demonstrating that most of these are not balanced. Some of these may cause deficiencies in your dogs diet, while others may lead to an excess of certain nutrients. To avoid encountering unhealthy or dangerous options Dr. Larsen and Dr. Bartges recommend avoiding generic recipes from books or online sources. Some so-called nutrition experts are without proper training, and may do more harm than good.

Larsen and Bartges also suggest consulting BalanceIT.com, a site run by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, to help create a semi-individualized diet.

Not Preparing Balanced Meals

When you dont prepare balanced meals that are individualized to your pets needs, it can come at a cost. Nutrition deficiency (or excess) can lead to diseases, such as malnutrition or obesity, and can ultimately be fatal.

Each of the [approximately] 40 essential nutrients required by dogs has a specific role in the body. When they are provided in inadequate concentrations, the function is not optimal and suffering may result, explains Dr. Larsen. Similarly, nutrient excesses can also cause illness. While the impact of an unbalanced diet may be mild and not even noticed or attributed to the diet by the owner, these problems can also be very severe, and pets do not always survive.

Relying on Multiple Diets to Create Balance

Our study and my clinical experience has demonstrated that this approach is very unlikely to address problems since so many recipes share the same deficiencies, cautions Dr. Larsen.

Using Unsafe or Unhealthy Ingredients

There is a wide variety of unhealthy and unsafe foods to avoid when preparing meals for your dog. Potentially toxic ingredients are of special concern, including chocolate, xylitol, avocado, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, and macadamia nuts.

The above list isnt exhaustive and other potential issues can arise if youre not careful about ingredients. So make sure to always be aware of which foods are safe for dogs. Additionally, cites Dr. Bartes, a certain type of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy has recently been reported in dogs eating homemade diets that are grain-free, legume-based, and high-fiber.

Not Following Recipes

Most general recipes provide vague instructions for ingredients or preparation. This leaves the owner to interpret what type of meat to use, or which supplement product to buy, warns Dr. Larson, of the potential difficulty in following dog food recipes.

Rather than improvising, its important to run any questions by a veterinary nutritionist. That way, youll be able to understand the impact that alternative ingredients might have on your dog.

Understating the Impact of Dietary Changes

Ideally, when you go about creating a custom recipe for your dog, itll be under the guidance of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Factors like your dogs eating history, weight, and overall health should be considered. To make sure the food youre introducing is having the desired impact, youll want to monitor your pets health for changes over time.

An Alternative to Home Cooking

Home cooking isnt for everyone, though, and it doesnt have to be. Cooking for your pet is a process thats demanding on your time, labor, space, and finances, says Dr. Larsen. Another option to provide your dog with whole ingredients is to get carefully prepared ready-made meals. There are commercial foods that can be purchased that contain whole ingredients that are pre-cooked. Which is very close to cooking, notes Dr. Bartges.

So, while you might think that cooking for your dog is better for their health, it can be just as beneficial to purchase pre-prepared food thats made with the same principles in mind. Whichever method you choose, just to make sure you are always catering to your dogs individual health and nutrition needs.