Ah, dogs – the ever faithful furry companions. I’ve had at least one dog through out my entire life, save for my college years and the first few years of my IT career (and even then, my parents had dogs). My wife and I are avid dog lovers – we have a whole pack of them! We have some picky eaters, and we’ve had some with health issues when something besides the normally available dog food is available.
So what better place to start blogging than with a recipe that I can attribute to my old furry pal Bentley – because this one came about because of him. As ol’ Bentley got older, he started having pancreatitis issues – and let’s face it, prescription diets can get very expensive very quickly, so I set to work researching what I could do at home for him when he had those pancreatitis attacks.
Why This Homemade Dog Food Is Gentle and Effective
What’s great about this recipe is it’s very basic – a spin on the usual recommendation of chicken and rice – and gives them a good load of nutrition while staying gentle on their stomachs (or in Bentley’s case, his pancreas). It can also be added to, within reason (be cautious on what you add, since dogs cannot digest all things humans do).
While Bentley did crossed the rainbow bridge, this recipe has continued to serve us well for our picky eaters, or when dogs at our local shelter we volunteer at need a little something as well.
So without further ado, here is my spin on the old chicken and rice for dogs. Feel free to ask questions, give feedback, or even general comments in the comment section!
Turkey and spinach
Equipment
- 1 stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken
- 1 cup Frozen Spinach
- 2 cups Plain white rice
Instructions
- Crumble the ground turkey (or chicken) into the stockpot and add water (about 4 cups)
- Bring the water/meat to a boil, stirring periodically. Boil for about 15 minutes (until the meat is no longer pink)
- Add the 2 cups of rice. At this point some of the water will have boiled off and should be close to the 2:1 ratio typically needed for rice. Continue to boil and stir for another 15 – 20 minutes (until the rice is al dente. Be careful to not let it boil over.
- Reduce to a simmer, and add the 1 cup of frozen spinach. This will quickly cool off the mixture, so continue to stir while it returns to a simmer. Continue to simmer and stir until most of the water has evaporated off.
- Remove the mixture from heat, and allow it to rest/cool for about 10-20 minutes. Periodically stir it to allow any remaining excess water to be absorbed by the rice and to evaporate off
- Once cooled, place the mixture into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It can be stored for a week in the refrigerator (longer if frozen)
Notes
- The time frames are approximate – the important part is that the meat and rice is thoroughly cooked.
- Tip: As dogs do not always thoroughly digest rice, it helps to use a food processor to chop up the mixture to a bit finer texture.
- This recipe works well for both a mix-in for the dog’s regular food (for picky eaters), as well as for dogs needing something gentle for their stomach.
- Serving amount is approximate. It depends on the size of the dog/dogs, and how you are using it (full meal vs. food mixer)
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