Reviewed: Dec. 29, 2008

A very good base..and ratio of veggies, carbs and meat... Rachel Ray had a similar one...she gave me the idea of 1 bunch parsley, chopped, added at the end not cooked... My dog has cancer and I need to restrict carbs. I use lots of greens. My vet had me use pumpkin. But what I want to share is that it needs calcium and the vet said to give him 2 Tums. Heck with that.... I put it in a pressure cooker, the bones dissolved, no kidding. I add liver, at the end and change veggies as I find them. I will never use store dog food again...

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153 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Ilona

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Northridge, California, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2008

This was my first attempt at making dog food at home. It is a raving success. "Buster," our 7 year old Beagle mix rescue dog devoured it on the very first serving and continues to do so. After several days on it now, I can say that it treats him and his digestive system much better than the very expensive dry commercial dog food we were feeding him. This recipe is a bit time consuming and I will check this site for other dog recipes, but I will make this one again. The only other issue is that he would not eat the kidney beans, so I'll maybe double up on the rice. This recipe made 8 pints and he gets two of them a day. Checking on the calories, this falls within the requirements for a 28 1/2 pound dog, and allows for a milk bone or two a day. I'll do some checking on the need for any additives, but like one blogger said, "Yeah, and where do they come from?" Thanks for a great recipe from me and from Buster- his tail wags constantly while "dining" now!!

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119 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Joe G.

Reviewed: Jun. 12, 2009

My dogs started this in January, there is less waste and my beagle's ears are no longer full of wax/allergy ick ALL the time. I had tried all the no grain high end specialty foods and pre-packaged raw foods but the dogs responded better to this. I wish I had before and after videos of their energy and and health issues. Give it a try. Lastly, since I have three dogs I added Lentils to make the recipe more cost effective.

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104 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

wvhobos

Reviewed: May 22, 2010

This really tasted great, but after a few days of eating the leftovers, I hurt my back trying to lick myself. I'm doing much better now, and am getting more and more flexible. Maybe someday...

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60 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

showmealtoids

Reviewed: Mar. 2, 2009

This recipe is awesome! It's a bit of a bummer that it takes so long to make, but if that's what it takes to have a healthy puppy, I think I can sacrifice the time. I decided to make this after I had been feeding her top of the line store bought dog food; she started itching herself excessively (even though she gets advantage regularly) and her ears were getting smelly and funky (even though I clean them with a solution regularly). I'm losing faith in commercial dog food and with all of the recalls lately, I'd rather feed my dog something I know is safe! I used fresh broccoli and spinach and chopped them up into TINY pieces for my 4lb dog. She gobbled this down so quickly, it was amazing. I will update my review after I've been feeding this to her for a while, but definitely the prettiest and best smelling dog food I've ever seen.

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54 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Chantelle

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Brockport, New York, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2009

This is a great base recipe. The blue berries are a fantastic idea, I would also add some flax seeds and, if your pet is older, some glucosomine. I would leave out the beans. If you are looking for a dog food recipe because your dog does not respond well to store bought, (ie- skin problems, allergies, etc), you should try leaving out the beef and or chicken and trying alternate protiens like fish or venison. Also the pumpkin contains a LOT of fiber, which is great for a constipated dog, (in fact if your dog is ever constipated a can of pumpkin pie filling should do the trick), so a messier stool may result if you use too much. Also I would be very cautious with the cottage cheese as most dogs are lactose intolerant, but a tiny bit for texture would probably be alright. Thanks for this recipe!!!! One more thing-the fish oil would deffinately be better than olive oil!

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43 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

jbj675

Reviewed: Feb. 18, 2010

I have 2 dogs, an average sized male Doberman with typical skin allergies, and a donkey sized Mastiff. This food is great for them both, not to mention cheaper. My dogs love this food so much I have to watch them eat so they don't steal food from each others' bowls. When I fed them the food that costs $65 for a 35lb bag they would sit and stare at me, or leave food in the bottom of the bowl. Not anymore. My personal additives: pork roast since I have one dog with a beef allergy, but cook it VERY thoroughly, dogs can get trichinosis too. I've also added asparagus, and a tablespoon of plain yogurt with live cultures just before serving to cut down on the gas.

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38 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LOUDTISA

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Caseville, Michigan, USA

Living In: Bayside, California, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 24, 2010

This recipe is a miracle. My little Yorkie won't eat a thing. He was under weight and he would starve himself. I tried every dog food under the sun. The first time I made this recipe he gobbled it down plate after plate. He has been on a diet of this food only for about 4 months now and he is a completely different dog. He is happy, a good weight, energetic, basically everything you want for your little best friend. Now when his plate is empty and he is hungry he barks for me to fill it. Thanks so much for this amazing recipe. It's easy and 1 batch lasts me a few weeks. :)

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32 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Chef Nicci

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Living In: New York, New York, USA

Reviewed: Jun. 28, 2010

I decided to test this out on my two dogs before giving the recipe to my Mum (her dog is 14 years old and has some health issues). So far my two love this food. For my 10lb dog she gets it all by herself but the 40lb dog gets a half and half mixture with his regular food, just because he has a big appetite. Now that I have made it a few times I have switched up the ingredients a little, exchanging pretty much whatever meats and vegetables I have on hand but the rest stays pretty much the same. I also took another reviewers advice and give them a spoonful of regular yogurt with their dinner to cut down on their gas. I am happy that I found this recipe because my dogs literally dance around waiting for their dinner now.

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26 users found this review helpful