"Homemade and Happy: The DIY Dog Food Journey to a Healthier, Shinier Pup

Lately I’ve been into making my own things for myself and my family. So it only made sense to make food for my best girl! 🐶

I’ve been feeding her this ground chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice, chicken liver, peas, carrots and green beans since February 2024, and let me tell you—the results are wild! Within a week, she was bouncing off the walls with energy, and by the 4-week mark, her fur stopped shedding. And she’s a seriously fluffy girl! We’re talking hairballs everywhere, and one touch would leave your hand covered in fur. But now? Not anymore!!! 😍

Whenever I take her out, she gets showered with compliments on her fabulous fur! Makes me proud, especially since I’m the one behind the magic. 😆 Yep, I became a YouTube-certified groomer! Lol. And guess what? I’ve realized she doesn’t need a grooming session every 4-5 weeks anymore. We’re living wild and stretching it to 6-7 weeks now!

This food is helping her skin!

For me, this is a true testament-When you eat better, your skin is better! For animals and people!

I know, I know—it can be tough to squeeze in time to make yet another meal, but trust me, it's totally worth it! Let me share my no-fuss method that keeps cleanup to a minimum. I rely on my trusty Instant Pot and a cast iron pan to get the job done.

Here’s how it goes: First, I cook the sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot. Once they’re done, I take them out, leave the same water in there, and just add a bit more along with some brown rice. When the rice is ready, I toss in a family-size bag of thawed peas, carrots, and green beans (which I let thaw in the sink beforehand). While that's sitting, I peel the sweet potatoes and put them back in the pot.

Meanwhile, I’m over at the stove cooking up some ground turkey in the cast iron pan. Once it’s browned, I drain it and add it to the Instant Pot. Then, I blend everything together for 3-4 minutes to get the texture just right. After that, I let it cool for a couple of hours on the counter before dividing it into three containers, labeling them with the date. One goes in the fridge, and the other two head to the freezer. Voilà! Dog food prepped for 3.5 weeks.

And here’s the kicker—it only costs me $30 to make this healthy, homemade food for my fur baby. Just to compare, one week of The Farmer’s Dog brand costs the same $30! I did my homework. Plus, there are so many other recipes to try. I experimented with beef and beef liver, but she seems to thrive on chicken. Just a heads-up, though—I learned that too much chicken liver can cause a vitamin A toxicity, so I only add it every other batch. Definitely something to look into.

Now, I feel obligated to say, “ask your vet,” but honestly, I think you can figure this out yourself. You just need to educate yourself a bit, and you’ll be good to go!

So, do some research and play around to see what works best for your pup! And as for finding the time? I usually pick an early Sunday morning, and once I get going in the kitchen, I’m able to multitask while the Instant Pot does its thing. It’s easier than you think!

And to help keep your pet’s tummy free of parasites, sprinkle 1 TSP of pumpkin seeds over the food and feel free to give up to 4 TSP of pumpkin seeds a day!

And she gives me a hugs!💕