When we consider a homemade dog food recipe for our dogs, we not only want to make sure it’s complete and balanced, but that it also meets our dog’s nutritional needs based on age, activity level, and medical conditions. Most dogs within the United States could likely benefit from something called an “Inactive Dog” food recipe – basically, these recipes are made for dogs a bit more prone to weight gain, or that get a limited amount of exercise.
A limited amount of activity, coupled with excessive calorie consumption is one of the main indicators that dogs will be more prone to weight gain. Many dogs fall into this category – with 87% of dogs getting less than an our of activity per day, and 60% of dogs being overweight to obese – a majority of the dog population could likely benefit from a weight management recipe.
Ideal Macronutrient Composition for Weight Management:
When we create homemade dog food recipes for dogs that require a lower amount of calories in order to maintain a healthy weight we have to be very particular about both the nutrient density and caloric density of the recipe. Ideally we look for recipes that are high in protein, lower in fat, higher in fiber, and lower in caloric density – this composition helps with overall diet satisfaction, making dog’s feel full with less calories consumed. Which in turn can make it easier for dogs to maintain a healthy weight.
| Nutrient | g / 1000 kcals |
| Protein: | 90g |
| Fat: | ~35g |
| Carbs: | 75-90g |
| Fiber: | 10-30g |
Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Inactive Dogs
Within this recipe book I’ve created five different recipes for inactive dogs that are simple and easy to cook. All the recipes are complete and balanced for adult dogs and use a multivitamin in order to provide all those trace vitamins and minerals that your dog needs. These recipes are designed to be cooked in one pot – such as a crockpot or a single pan. To keep the mess down, and keep the recipes easy – even for those who don’t love to cook!
Recipes Included in FREE eBook:
Chicken and Oats
- Chicken Breast
- Chicken Thigh
- Oats
- Butternut Squash
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Blueberries
- Walnut, Sunflower, Safflower, Corn or Canola Oil
- Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet
- BalanceIT Canine or BalanceIT Canine Plus
Beef and Quinoa
- 95% Lean Ground Beef
- Quinoa
- Zucchini
- Beet Greens
- Cauliflower
- Butternut Squash
- Blueberries
- Walnut, Sunflower, Safflower, Corn or Canola Oil
- Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet
- BalanceIT Canine or BalanceIT Canine Plus
Turkey and Millet
- 90% Lean Ground Turkey
- Turkey Breast
- Millet
- Zucchini
- Cabbage
- Butternut Squash
- Blueberries
- Apples
- Walnut, Sunflower, Safflower, Corn or Canola Oil
- Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet
- BalanceIT Canine or BalanceIT Canine Plus
Pork and Barley
- Pork Loin
- Barley
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Butternut Squash
- Apples
- Walnut, Sunflower, Safflower, Corn or Canola Oil
- Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet
- BalanceIT Canine or BalanceIT Canine Plus
WhiteFish and Whole Wheat Pasta
- Cod
- Catfish
- Whole Wheat Pasta
- Zucchini
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Butternut Squash
- Blueberries
- Walnut, Sunflower, Safflower, Corn or Canola Oil
- Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet
- BalanceIT Canine or BalanceIT Canine Plus
- NOW Calcium Carbonate
General Instructions:
Meats, Grains, Vegetables, and Water are added into a crockpot and cooked on high for about 2-4 hours. Once cooked through, add in fruit.
There are several ways to add supplements and oils to this recipe.
- If you plan to serve cold – you can add the BalanceIT Plus to the hot batch, then portion into daily containers. Then the day-of you add the oils prior to feeding.
- If you plan to serve cold – you can place the batch into the fridge for 45-60 minutes or the freezer for 15-30 minutes until cool to room temperature. After the meal is cooled, add the BalanceIT Plus or BalanceIT Regular Supplement and the Oils. Mix together and portion into daily containers.
- If you plan to serve hot – you can place the batch into the fridge for 45-60 minutes or the freezer for 15-30 minutes until cool to room temperature. After the meal is cooled, add the BalanceIT Plus, mixed well and portion into daily containers. Then the day of heat up the food, then add the oils per the daily amount.
- If you plan to serve hot – mix well, then portion into daily containers. The day of, heat. up the food, then add BalanceIT Plus or BalanceIT Regular, and oils.
Make sure if you plan to reheat the food you are only doing so that it is slightly warmed – not burning hot.
Storage:
If you are feeding this a sole diet – portion into daily containers, then you can store this in your fridge for 2-3 days, or in your freezer for up to a month in a freezer safe container.
For customized batch size and daily recipe – check out my recipe book which also contains a free download of an excel spreadsheet to help with these calculations.
Transition:
Make sure to transition your dog to this recipe – transitions are typically one to two weeks long, however some dogs may be able to tolerate a mini-transition between recipes with similar compositions.
So if you plan to cook several of the recipes from the Inactive Dog Simple Recipe Book -below- I’d recommend to first do a longer transition, then if you want to test a shorter one you can. It’s really individual to the dog as to what they tolerate vs. don’t tolerate.
I hope your dog enjoys the recipes!
About the Author: Nikki is a Registered Veterinary Technician (Veterinary Nurse) and Dog Mom with over a decade of experience with dogs and cats. Since graduation from college (BS Biology, Dip. Animal Nutrition, AS Animal Science) she has adopted two mixed breed dogs – Ranger and Ash, and has focused her time learning about pet food and nutrition.
Nikki shares information on a range of dog nutrition topics: from how to create a homemade complete and balanced dog food recipes, to how to choose a dog food. Nikki strives to give dog parents the information they need in order to make the best nutrition decisions for their pup!
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CONTACT ME:
thecaninehealthnut@gmail.com
