Okay, so I’ve been messing around with making my own dog food lately. It’s been a bit of a journey, let me tell you! I started thinking about it because my pup, Buster, he’s a picky eater, and honestly, I wanted to know exactly what was going into his food. Plus, it seemed like it could be cheaper in the long run.
I stumbled upon this venison idea, which sounded kinda fancy, but it turns out it’s not that crazy. I did a little digging online, saw a bunch of folks talking about how good venison can be for dogs, especially if they have allergies or sensitivities to other meats.
Getting Started
First, I needed to get my hands on some venison. Luckily, I found a local butcher that sells it. I grabbed a couple of pounds, and I was good to go.
Ingredients I used:
- 2 pounds of ground venison (you could probably use chunks too, but ground is easier)
- 1 cup of brown rice (gotta have some carbs, right?)
- 2 cups of mixed veggies (I used carrots, peas, and green beans – all dog-safe, of course)
- A bit of water for cooking
Cooking Process
Step 1: Cook the rice. This is pretty straightforward, just followed the instructions on the package.
Step 2: Brown the venison. I just tossed it in a pan over medium heat and cooked it until it wasn’t pink anymore. Make sure to drain off any excess fat. Dogs don’t need all that extra grease.
Step 3: Steam or boil the veggies. I went with steaming because it seems to keep more of the nutrients in. Cook them until they’re soft but not mushy.
Step 4: Mix it all together. Once everything was cooked, I dumped the venison, rice, and veggies into a big bowl and mixed it up real good.
The Result
Honestly, it looked pretty good, even to me! I let it cool down completely, then portioned it out into containers. I figured out the right amount for Buster based on his weight and activity level. There are some guidelines online if you search a bit.
Buster absolutely loved it! He gobbled it down like there was no tomorrow. I was pretty stoked. I started by mixing it with his old food, you know, to transition him slowly, but he was picking out the venison mix and leaving the kibble behind!
It’s been a few weeks now, and he’s doing great on it. His coat looks shinier, he has tons of energy. I feel good knowing he’s eating something healthy and homemade. It’s a bit more work, yeah, but seeing him happy and healthy makes it totally worth it. I even think I’m saving a bit of money, which is a nice bonus.
If you’re thinking about trying homemade dog food, I’d say go for it! Just do your research, make sure you’re giving your pup a balanced diet. And who knows, maybe you’ll end up with a venison-loving dog like I did!
