Tail Wagging Delicacies The Joy of Top Breed Dog Food
Tail-Wagging Goodness: Top 5 Farmers Dog Recipes
When it comes to feeding our furry friends, we all want the best for them. Thats why many pet owners have turned to Farmers dog recipes. These homemade meals are made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and are tailored to meet your dogs specific nutritional needs. Plus, theyre so delicious that your pup will be wagging their tail in excitement every time mealtime rolls around. In this blog post, well share the top 5 Farmers dog recipes that will have your four-legged companion licking their bowl clean. Get ready to take your dogs taste buds on a flavorful journey!
What Exactly is a Farmers Dog Recipe?
Ever wondered whats simmering in the pot of a Farmers Dog Recipe? Well, its nothing less than a hearty, balanced meal whipped up from scratch with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Unlike the run-of-the-mill, store-bought dog food loaded with artificial fillers, a Farmers Dog Recipe flips the script, embracing a more wholesome approach to canine cuisine.
Imagine a potpourri of real meat, crunchy vegetables, and wholesome grainsthe very same ingredients youd toss up for your two-legged family members. Thats the essence of a Farmers Dog Recipea nod to authenticity and a step towards improved canine health.
This diet is all about embracing real food that delights your dogs taste buds, nourishes their body, and aligns with their digestive system. So, the next time youre meal-prepping for your family, remember your four-legged buddy deserves nothing less!
The Benefits of Feeding Your Dog a Farmers Dog Recipe
Curious about why you should trade the usual kibble for a Farmers Dog Recipe? Lets dive into the array of benefits your furry friend can reap. To begin with, a Farmers Dog Recipe leads to a healthier lifestyle for your pup. Without the burden of artificial additives and preservatives, your dogs digestive system can function optimally, leading to fewer gastrointestinal issues.
But the goodness doesnt stop at digestion. Ever dreamt of your dog flaunting a glossy, envy-inducing coat? A Farmers Dog Recipe can help achieve that too! The fresh, quality ingredients in these recipes are a boon for your dogs coat, enhancing its sheen and softness. So, dont be surprised if your pooch turns into a head-turner during your daily walks!
Now, lets talk about weight. Managing your dogs weight can be a bit tricky, especially if they are on the heavier side. But fear not, the Farmers Dog Recipe is your ally in this journey. With its balanced ingredients and portion control, it helps you maintain your dogs weight, keeping obesity and related health issues at bay.
And what about energy? As a dog parent, youd love to see your four-legged buddy brimming with vitality, ready to join you for a game of fetch or a long walk. A Farmers Dog Recipe ensures that, offering high-quality nutrients that boost your dogs energy levels.
Finally, theres the joy of customization. Unlike store-bought dog food, a Farmers Dog Recipe allows you to have full control over what goes into your dogs meal. Do they have a favorite veggie or a particular meat they cant resist? Or maybe they have specific dietary needs or allergies? With a Farmers Dog Recipe, you can adjust ingredients accordingly, ensuring your pooch enjoys their meal while getting the nutrition they need.
In essence, a Farmers Dog Recipe isnt just a meal; its a gateway to a healthier, happier life for your precious canine. Why settle for less when your dog can have the best?
Top 5 Farmers Dog Recipes Your Pooch Will Love
Ready to take your dogs culinary experience to a whole new level? Brace yourself as we delve into the top five Farmers Dog Recipes that will surely have your doggie drooling!
1. Chicken Feast: Who can resist the juicy, succulent taste of chicken? This recipe uses chicken breast, coupled with nutritious veggies like carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes. The addition of brown rice amps up the health factor. This is one feast your furry friend wont get enough of!
2. Beef and Veggie Medley: This recipe takes lean ground beef and pairs it with an array of colorful vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and zucchini. Add a serving of quinoa, and youve got a high-protein, fiber-rich meal thats both delicious and nutritious.
3. Turkey Delight: If your pooch has a taste for turkey, they will love this recipe. Ground turkey, sweet potatoes, spinach, and cranberries come together for a tantalizing mix. The cranberries add a dash of sweetness and are also known to help prevent urinary tract infections in dogs.
4. Fishermens Catch: Heres one for the seafood-loving pups. This recipe combines white fish with a healthy mix of peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Dont forget the brown rice, which adds a wholesome touch to this delightful meal.
5. Lamb and Garden Veggie Fusion: This hearty meal packs in protein-rich lamb with nutrient-dense veggies like peas, carrots, and squash. A side of quinoa brings a finishing touch to this well-rounded meal.
These recipes represent the crme de la crme of Farmers Dog Recipes, offering a balance of proteins, veggies, and grains. So, don your chefs hat and whip up these meals, and witness your furry friends mealtime transform into an eagerly-awaited event! Remember, the secret ingredient is always love.
How to Prepare a Farmers Dog Recipe
Get ready to turn your kitchen into your dogs personal gourmet restaurant. Cooking a Farmers Dog Recipe is a fun, easy, and gratifying process. The first step is to gather all your ingredients. Choose fresh, locally-sourced produce and high-quality meat to ensure your furry friend is getting the best.
Next, its time to prep. Youll need to chop up the vegetables into bite-sized piecesmake sure theyre small enough for your dog to eat easily. For the meat, you can either cook it whole and then cut it into chunks or mince it, depending on what your dog prefers.
Then comes the cooking. Lightly steaming the vegetables helps to preserve their nutrients, while the meat can be cooked in a variety of ways. Whether you choose to bake, grill, or saut, remember that it should be cooked through completely to ensure its safe for your dog to eat. Grains, if youre using them, should be cooked according to the package instructions.
Now, the exciting partmixing everything together! The golden rule to follow here is: 40% meat, 50% vegetables, and 10% grains. This ratio ensures that your dog is getting a balanced meal thats packed with all the nutrients they need.
And voila! Your Farmers Dog Recipe is ready to serve. Make sure to let it cool down to a safe temperature before placing it in your dogs bowl. Enjoy the sight of your pups wagging tail and eager eyes as they savor the home-cooked goodness!
Remember, when cooking for your dog, safety is paramount. Avoid using ingredients that are toxic to dogs, such as onions, garlic, grapes, and chocolate. Also, be mindful of any specific food allergies your dog might have.
Cooking a Farmers Dog Recipe isnt just about feeding your dog; its about spending quality time with them and showing them how much you care. So, roll up your sleeves, tie on your apron, and get cookingyour dog is in for a treat!
Tailoring Farmers Dog Recipes to Your Dogs Needs
Just like us humans, our furry friends have their unique nutritional needs that vary according to factors such as age, breed, size, and activity levels. These variations play a key role when it comes to creating a Farmers Dog Recipe that meets their individual requirements. For example, your playful puppy or athletic canine companion might need a higher protein content to support their energy levels and growth, whereas your senior or less active dog could benefit from a diet lower in calories.
This is where the beauty of Farmers Dog Recipes truly shinesthrough customization! As youre crafting these homemade meals, you have the opportunity to adjust the ingredients and portions according to your dogs specific needs. Youre in control of their plate, making sure theyre not just eating but dining on a meal designed especially for them.
However, creating a custom diet for your canine companion is not just about intuition or guesswork; it calls for knowledge and guidance. If youre unsure about how to adjust your Farmers Dog Recipe or what your dogs nutritional needs might be, dont hesitate to seek the advice of a professional. A consultation with your vet can provide invaluable insights into tailoring the perfect diet for your four-legged family member.
Remember, every dog is unique and deserves a diet that reflects their individuality. With Farmers Dog Recipes, you can serve up meals that are not only tasty but also tailored to your dogs dietary needs. Because at the end of the day, we all want our pets to lead a healthy, happy, and long life, and the food they eat plays a crucial role in that journey.
10 Simple Raw Food Recipes for Dogs
Keep the Tail Wagging is supported by pet parents. I occasionally earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) when you click through an affiliate link to one of my favorite products. Thank you for your support. Read More
Lately, I've been getting a lot of emails from people who want a simple raw food recipe for their dog and I usually share a simple recipe that I use and direct them to contact a meal formulator for recipes that are tailored to their individual dog. But, the other day, I received a message from someone asking for simple raw food recipes and I cannot find the message to reply so if you sent me that message, I'm sorry for not responding. This blog post is for you.
Why create simple recipes when someone can buy them from Planet Paws or work with a meal formulator?
Not everyone has the funds for a meal formulator or to buy recipes online no judgment, this is a uncertain time for many of us. I hope that this blog post will help those folks get started on raw feeding.
10 Simple Raw Dog Food Recipes
What You Should Know About These Recipes
- I'm not a veterinarian or an animal nutritionist. I've been feeding raw since 2013 to six dogs (over that time) and I'm self taught.
- Each recipe is based on what I feed to my dogs and this is just the food; not the whole food supplements like eggs, sardines, veggie mix, etc. You're more than welcome to adjust each recipe to meet your dog's needs.
- There isn't much of a difference between each recipe beyond the main protein because each recipe calls for a base mix from Dr. Harvey's (I'm not an affiliate) these are simple recipes, remember?
- Each of these recipes calls for bulk meal prep and they can be fed to any dog of any size; these recipes can all be fed to puppies with a few tweaks (noted below).
- I alternate between an organ blend created by GreenTripe.com and organs sourced from local farms (which are usually heart, liver, and kidneys).
Balance Over Time
I believe that my dogs' raw food diet reaches balance over time. This isn't the only way to feed a nutritious raw diet and there are great resources if you would like to balance by macro and micronutrients, using meal formulator software or the NRC guide to reach balance.
There are people who disagree with this manner of feeding raw and I completely understand. Sadly, there just isn't enough information out there to tell us EXACTLY how to feed our dogs a raw food diet if we're choosing DIY. So, each of us figures out what works best for our individual dogs Feed the Dog In Front of You.
Creating an Organ Blend for My Dogs
When I don't have access to GreenTripe.com's organ blend, I mix up my own with either pork or beef organs and there are times when it's a blend of pork and beef. My organ blend is a mixture of heart and liver. And, when I can get it, I'll also add pork kidneys as well. This is the only blend that I make; I don't buy poultry organs for my blend because they aren't as easy to source for me.
You may be tempted to ask me how much of each organ is added to my blend and I'm going to disappoint you by saying that I grind and mix up everything I receive. If four pigs were butchered, then my blend may have four hearts, four livers, and eight kidneys. I transfer my blend to freezer-safe containers and use it when needed.
1 Grass Fed Beef * Raw Dog Food Recipe
Does it have to be grass-fed beef? No. This is just what I feed to my dogs (on occasion) because I'm fortunate enough to have an affordable local source. The reason people push for grass-fed proteins is that it's believed that how the animals are fed contributes to the nutrient levels, with grass-fed equating to higher nutrient levels than grain-fed.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs Grass-fed beef (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
2 Duck * Raw Dog Food Recipe
I source my duck through a local raw food co-op. Duck can also be sourced in bulk from restaurant meat suppliers.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls. I prefer to grind the drummette of the duck wings (or the entire duck wing). Sometimes, I buy a case of the wing without the drummette and I leave those whole when feeding the dogs.
- 10 lbs duck wings
- 5 lbs duck necks
- 5 lbs duck gizzards
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
3 Rabbit * Raw Dog Food
I source my rabbit through a local raw food co-op. I only have three sources of rabbit and, at the moment, none have inventory as supply lines slow down.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs whole rabbit (ground or in chunks)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
4 Lamb * Raw Dog Food
I source my lamb through a local raw food co-op. Lamb can also be sourced in bulk from restaurant meat suppliers but it's crazy expensive where I live.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs lamb (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
5 Pork * Raw Dog Food
I source my pork through a local raw food co-op. Pork can also be sourced in bulk from restaurant meat suppliers and local farms. I usually order pork cushion meat and pork loin meat.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs pork (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
6 Venison * Raw Dog Food
I source my venison through a local raw food co-op. Venison can also be sourced from hunters; a friend of mine scores big time each year with bags of venison and moose. I only scored once on this protein.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs venison (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
7 Wild Goose * Raw Dog Food
I source my goose through a friend who hunts. This is a very nutritious protein, I feed it as red meat (it's crazy dark), and it's been a bonus for my dog that has food sensitivities (he does great on it).
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs wild goose (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
8 Emu * Raw Dog Food
I source my emu through a local raw food co-op. Emu isn't something I feed that often. I used to place an order for a couple of hundred pounds once a year but then restaurants clued in on this nutritious, lean protein and the price skyrocketed. And, now, the supplies are low due to the pandemic.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs emu (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
9 Goat * Raw Dog Food
I no longer have a source for goat; but when it pops up in our raw food co-op, then I'll pick up a bit. Another great source of goat, besides local farms, is Raw Paws Pet Food.
Ingredients
The following is split between three 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs goat (ground or in chunks)
- 6 lbs of organ blend (yes, this is a lot, but this is also an excellent source of nutrients)
- 3 lbs of duck wings (or green tripe)
- 3 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 3 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
10 Turkey * Raw Dog Food
I don't often feed turkey because Rodrigo struggles with this protein. But when I do order it (he can eat minimal amounts), I pick it up from a local farm, through a raw food co-op. It's a blend of ground turkey necks with turkey liver, heart, and gizzards.
Ingredients
The following is split between four 8-quart, stainless steel mixing bowls.
- 20 lbs turkey blend (ground or in chunks)
- 2 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm (dehydrated)
- 2 cans of boiled oysters (optional)
Duck Wings vs. Green Tripe
You may have noticed that I added green tripe as an alternative to duck wings in my simple recipes above. When I'm out of duck wings, which I use as my bone source (they're 60% meat, 40% bone), I use green tripe, which is a good source of calcium.
I don't make a habit of this, but I have learned that it's always a good idea to have a backup plan.
Additional Foods Added to Raw Dog Food
I do add supplements to each dog's dish that are specific to each dog, along with whole foods:
- raw egg (or cooked for Rodrigo) for choline and other important nutrients
- canned sardines (or ground) for Omega 3 fatty acids
- additional vegetables for fiber
When it comes to supplements, as I said, I give supplements based on each individual dog's needs. The following is a list of what I'm supporting through supplementation for each dog.
- Rodrigo: joint health/arthritis, aging, cognitive care, allergies, gut health, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
- Scout: cancer survivor, joint health, gut health
- Zoey: joint health, gut health, glandular support (for female dogs)
- Apollo: joint health, gut health
What About Fasting Day?
I fast my dogs once or twice a week depending on how the week is going. One fast is a raw goat's milk (or kefir) fast and the second one is a true fast (for about 20 hours). I recently wrote about our fasting routine. It's pretty easy to follow and not a requirement for all dogs. And definitely NOT something you should do with puppies.
While fasting offers many benefits, I fast my dogs to give my dogs' gut a break, while boosting gut health and their immune system.
DIY Raw Feeding for Puppies
I haven't fed a puppy in a couple of years; the last one being Apollo. When it comes to feeding puppies, I prefer to feed commercial raw because, despite my feelings on balance, I understand that puppies need a balanced diet because they're growing so quickly.
However, commercial raw is expensive and mixed breed puppies (we usually adopt) are fed three times daily at 10% of their body weight. So, I transtioned Scout and Zoey to DIY raw when they were around four or five months of age. And when Apollo came around, I transitioned him to DIY (cold turkey), feeding him the same as I feed the adult dogs with a few exceptions:
- I added more calcium to the diet to support growing bones.
- I prefer adding green tripe because it's a 50/50 balance of calcium and phosphorus.
- I make sure there are Omega 3 fatty acids in the bowl to support brain development.
- I go easy on the organs, building up over time (for younger puppies) because organs are rich.
- I limit the supplements I add to a puppy's meal, sticking to whole foods (sardines, eggs) and digestive enzymes, on occasion if needed.
This is a good start, but it's important to educate yourself, which is why I'm not sharing amounts every dog (and puppy) is different and the numbers would change based on the size of your puppy. It's also important to keep in mind that some breeds may require adjustments to their diet. Also, if you have a puppy (or dog) with health issues, that adds something more to consider when formulating their diet.
Nutritional Blueprint Testing for Raw Fed Dogs
You might wonder how I can share these basic recipes and feel confident that they work. Well, they work for my dogs. I've fed five dogs this way for years, successfully. I know this because I have them nutrient tested with ParsleyPet to confirm that they are receiving all of their nutrients. So far, so good.
Keep Educating Yourself
Raw feeding is a marathon, not a spring (unless you stick with commercial raw). Many things that I learned when I started feeding raw have been proven false. It can be tempting to panic, thinking that we're harming our dogs, but my dogs haven't been harmed as I taught myself about their nutritional needs. I believe that as long as you're committed to educating yourself, raw feeding can be easy to manage.
