Okay, so, I decided to try making homemade dog food for my Golden Retriever, Max. Figured I’d share the whole process, from start to finish. It was a bit of an adventure, let me tell you.
First things first, I did a bunch of research online. I mean, you can’t just throw anything into a bowl and expect it to be good for your dog, right? I looked for recipes specifically for Goldens, since they can be prone to certain health issues. Found a few that seemed promising – focused on lean protein, healthy grains, and veggies.
Next up, shopping! I made a list and headed to the grocery store. Grabbed some ground turkey (lean protein, check!), brown rice (healthy grain, check!), carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes (veggies, check!). I also picked up some fish oil capsules, because I read they’re good for his coat.
Got home and started prepping everything. Chopped the carrots and sweet potatoes into small pieces. I mean, Max is a big dog, but I didn’t want him choking on anything. Cooked the ground turkey in a big pot on the stove. Drained off any excess fat. Then, I cooked the brown rice according to the package directions. Simple enough.
Once the turkey and rice were cooked, I added the chopped veggies to the pot with the turkey. Let them steam for a bit until they were tender, but still a little bit crunchy. I didn’t want them to turn to mush. After everything was cooked, I let it cool down completely. You don’t want to serve your dog hot food!
Then came the fun part: mixing everything together. I dumped the cooked turkey, rice, and veggies into a big bowl. Added a little bit of water to make it a bit more moist. Then, I cracked open a couple of the fish oil capsules and squeezed the oil into the mix. Mixed it all up really well with a big spoon.
Now, for portioning. I know Max needs a certain amount of food each day, so I measured it out into individual containers. That way, I can just grab a container from the fridge and know I’m giving him the right amount. Stored all the containers in the fridge to keep them fresh.
Finally, the taste test! I put a bowl of the homemade food in front of Max, and he went to town! Gobbled it up in minutes. I was so relieved. I’ve been feeding him the homemade food for a couple of weeks now, and he seems to be doing great. His coat is shiny, he’s got plenty of energy, and his poops are solid (important!).
Overall, making homemade dog food was a bit of work, but totally worth it. I know exactly what’s going into his food, and he loves it. I’ll definitely be sticking with this recipe for the foreseeable future. Maybe I’ll try some variations down the road, but for now, this is working great.
Just a heads up, it’s always a good idea to talk to your vet before switching your dog’s diet, especially if they have any health problems. They can help you make sure you’re meeting all their nutritional needs.
