Dogs are omnivores, which means that much like humans or bears, they should eat a combination of meat and vegetable to stay healthy. The average dog food has a lot of grains, which some dogs have difficulty digesting. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans, which is the reason for the trouble in digesting grains. Natural dog foods tend to contain less grains than do the less expensive dog foods, but they are typically very expensive, especially for a large-breed dog.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds ground pork
- 5 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 11oz. boxes of quick cooking barley, cooked
- 16 cups water
- 1 egg
- 3 egg shells
- 4 beef bullion cubes
- 2 cups carrots, coarsely chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 small zucchini squash, coarsely chopped
- 1 yellow squash, coarsely chopped
Directions:
1. Brown the meat in a large skillet. Drain any grease from the meat.
2. In a large stock pot, bring 16 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the quick cooking barley and 4 beef bullion cubes. Add the chopped vegetable to the boiling barley and cook until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the whole egg and allow it to cook, while stirring.
3. Add the meat and crumbled egg shells to the cooked barley and vegetables off of the heat.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree the dog food mixture.
5. Allow the food to cool to room temperature. Put 8 cup servings into freezer-safe containers.
This recipe makes approximately 4 gallons of food, or 64 cups. For dogs that are 50 pounds or over, 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night, so an 8 cup container would last for 2 full days and can be stored in the refrigerator once it has been thawed.
If your dog is picky about eating dry dog food, this homemade wet food can also be mixed with the dry food to make the food more palatable to your finicky eater.
