healthy homemade dog food for sensitive stomach
Homemade dog food for sensitive stomachs: 6 mouth-watering meals
Making your own homemade dog food for sensitive stomachs can be well worth the time and effort if you have a canine companion who suffers from regular digestive disturbances. While our guide to the best dog food for allergies is a great alternative to explore, one of the benefits of making your own food is that you know exactly whats going into your dogs tummy.
An upset stomach in dogs is a fairly common occurrence and one that most vets see on a regular basis. While often a virus or an ill-advised scavenging expedition are to blame, a small percentage of pups do suffer from food allergies and sensitivities that can cause uncomfortable symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
Food allergies in dogs often develop after prolonged exposure to one type of food. The most typical food allergens tend to be common proteins, such as beef and chicken, as well as ingredients such as wheat, milk, eggs, soybean, and corn. Your dog may have a single allergy, multiple allergies, or they may only be triggered when particular ingredients are combined together.
Because of this, weve included a range of different recipes below. All contain only one animal protein (these recipes are easier to digest) and while some have multiple vegetables, you can stick with one primary vegetable source if your dog finds dishes with more than that difficult to digest.
Before cooking up any of the below dishes and making changes to your dogs diet, we recommend you speak with your vet if you havent already done so. They will be able to run tests to check to see what your dog is allergic to and offer advice and guidance on an appropriate meal plan.
1. Venison and vegetable stew
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of ground venison (or other protein source of your choice)
- 4 cups of low sodium broth
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chopped green beans
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
Instructions:
- The first step is to brown the meat that you're using. You don't need to cook it all the way through, as you'll also be boiling the stew later. Cook the meat until it's about 3/4 done in a skillet. If you're using a lean meat, like venison, you'll want to add a bit of olive oil to the skillet to prevent sticking.
- While the meat is cooking you'll need to chop the vegetables. I chose broccoli, carrots and green beans because they are all readily available in our garden right now. You can substitute for any veggies that you may already have in your fridge or that you can get at your local farmer's market.
- Once your meat is cooked and the veggies are chopped, it's time to mix all the ingredients together in a large pot. Turn the burner to medium heat, and add the cooked meat, broth, vegetables and rolled oats to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You'll notice that the veggies and oats soak up the broth. As you'll see in my video, the mixture starts out very runny, but thickens as it cooks.
- Once the stew cools you can feed it to your pet immediately, or store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe via topdogtips.com
2. Easy homemade dog food crockpot recipe with ground chicken
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs lean ground chicken
- 1 cup butternut squash I use frozen, precut
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained
- 1 cup peas
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 cup carrots sliced or diced
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 4 cups of water
Instructions:
- Add 3 lbs lean ground chicken, 1 cup chopped butternut squash, 15 oz drained can of kidney beans, 1 cup peas, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1 uncooked white rice, and 4 cups of water to a crock pot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
- And voila, youre done!
Recipe via aforkstale.com
3. Beef and veggie dog food
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds ground beef 7 cups cooked crumbled ground beef
- 2 cups brown rice or swap white rice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 28 ounces beef stock (optional) + cup water 28 oz = 3.5 cups, add cup water for proper ratio to make rice
- 2 cups fresh carrots, shred or cut into small coins 2 large carrots
- 2 cups sweet potato, small cubes or shred 1 large sweet potato
- 2 cups fresh spinach (if your dog can tolerate three vegetables)
Instructions:
- Make your rice according to packet instructions
- Chop, shred, or process in a food processor all the veggies. My dog is a small dog and prefers the veggies finely shredded in a food processor.
- Brown and crumble 3 lbs of ground beef in a large skillet. Place in a large bowl.
- In a large cast iron pan or skillet, briefly saute carrots, broccoli, and sweet potato until just soft for a few minutes on medium.
- Into the large bowl with ground beef, add warm rice, warm sauteed veggies, and fresh spinach. Mix well with a large spatula.
- Portion 4-5 cups of Homemade Dog Food per zip lock back, and store in an airtight container or larger zip top bag in the freezer. Pull out one small bag per week, and reheat a serving for your dog in the microwave for 30 seconds. I sometimes sprinkle some dry dog food into the homemade food to stretch out my homemade dog food batch.
Recipe via delicioustable.com
4. Quick and easy limited ingredient dog food
Ingredients:
- 6 cups cooked organic brown rice (3 cups uncooked rice)
- 2 pounds ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained
- 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
- 3 medium sized carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
- cup minced curly parsley
- 3 tablespoons of olive or safflower oil
Instructions:
- Combine all of the ingredients together in a large container and stir to combine completely.
- Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator in-between feedings.
Recipe via thismessisours.com
5. Homemade hamburger meal
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of hamburger meat
- 1 tbsp. of canola oil
- cup of cooked oatmeal
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 tbsp. of cottage cheese
- 3 tbsp. of beans
- 3 tbsp. of carrots
Instructions:
- First, fry the hamburger meat in a skillet in canola oil.
- When the meat is fried, add finely chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- Add all the other ingredients to the mix and wait for it to cool down.
Note: Oats are a great addition to this meal because they are rich in nutrition. And while dogs dont usually care for them, they will gobble this meal up because of the hamburger meat.
Recipe via topdogtips.com
6. Chicken breasts with rice and pumpkin
Ingredients:
- 1 cups of white rice
- cup of chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
- cup of plain yogurt
- cup of canned pumpkin
- cup of vegetable mix (optional)
Instructions:
- Cook white rice according to the instructions on the box.
- Put the chicken breasts in a large pot, cover them with water, and boil over medium heat.
- Shred the chicken into pieces and mix it well with the rest of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
Note: This is a simple recipe for bland food which is easy to digest. Yogurt can soothe the inflamed stomach, while canned pumpkin can help make your dogs bowel movements regular and firm up his stool because it is rich in fiber.
Recipe via topdogtips.com
Homemade Dog Food for the Sensitive Stomach: 7 Easy Recipes
Dry kibbles and canned food products that you find lining the shelves of your local pet store are designed to appeal to the masses. Theyre convenient and formulated to provide dogs with a balanced diet.
Unfortunately, not all dogs can benefit from them.
All dogs are unique and respond to foods in different ways. Food allergies are quite common. While one popular ingredient may be fine for most dogs, it could also cause diarrhea and general stomach upsets for others.
If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you may be better off sticking to homemade meals.
By making food from scratch, you have full control over what your pup eats. You can easily avoid those offending ingredients and give your canine companion a delicious meal thats healthy for them.
Whether youre new to the world of homemade dog food or youre a seasoned chef looking for new recipes, we have you covered.
Here are some great recipes for homemade dog food thats great for dogs with a sensitive stomach.
#1. Rice and Chicken Meal
This is a simple recipe that only requires a single large pot. If your rice cooker can handle it, you may even be able to use that. The base of this homemade recipe is lean chicken and white rice.
Both ingredients are easy to digest. The chicken is also a nice source of pure protein to keep the muscles healthy.
For vegetables, we recommend sticking with a simple medley of peas and carrots. You can use fresh or frozen.
Just avoid any mix that has onions, garlic, or anything else thats harmful to dogs.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1+1/2 pounds of lean chicken
- 1+1/2 cups of vegetables
- 4 and a half cups of water
Directions
All you have to do is add all of the ingredients to a large pot and place it over medium heat. Bring the mixture up to a boil and cover the pot. Let the food simmer for about 15 minutes.
Make sure to stir it occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking. Once the rice is nice and fluffy, let the meal cool down completely before feeding it to your pup
#2. Tuna and Sweet Potato Mash
With only three ingredients, this recipe is very simple and easy on the stomach. It uses canned tuna, a protein source thats readily available and very good for your dog.
Its filled with omega fatty acids and has a ton of great protein.
Go with tuna thats unseasoned and oil-free. There are also sweet potatoes, which is a complex carb thats absorbed slowly for a full day of energy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of canned tuna in water
- Half a cup of sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Directions
Start by peeling the sweet potato and cutting it up into small squares. Measure out half a cup and boil the pieces in a large pot until they can be pierced with a fork. Then, drain them and let them cool.
Mash the potatoes up with a fork.
As your potatoes are boiling, you can prepare the tuna. All you need to do is drain the excess liquid.
Once your potatoes have cooled, simply mix in the tuna and add the oil.
#3.Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
This recipe uses simple ground chicken and potatoes to create a filling meal. You can use standard potatoes or sweet potatoes. The same goes for cottage cheese or yogurt.
Both are filled with probiotics to help keep your dogs gut in good shape.
Ingredients
- Half a pound of ground chicken
- 1 cup of potatoes
- 1 and a half tablespoons of cottage cheese or yogurt
- Half a cup of carrots
Directions
Begin by cutting up the potatoes in small chunks for easy boiling. Then, boil them up until they fall apart easily.
Once youve drained them, mash them up. Then, grate the carrots into fine pieces.
In a separate pan, cook the minced chicken and carrots. The chicken should be cooked thoroughly until there is no pink left.
With the heat off, incorporate the mashed potato into the chicken. Mix this up nicely to create a thick mash and let the meal cool off.
Once cooled, mix in your cottage cheese or yogurt and serve it up.
#4.Baked Treats
Want to make a rewarding treat from scratch? This recipe contains several ingredients. Theyre all healthy for dogs and can usually appease pups with sensitive stomachs.
The recipe uses peanut butter as a binder and grated carrots for an extra boost of vitamins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of rice flour
- 1 cup of oats
- 1/4 of a cup of low-sodium beef broth
- 3 ounces of organic peanut butter
- Half a cup of grated carrots
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions
Despite the long ingredient list, these treats are easy to make. Heat up your oven to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (about 175 degrees Celsius).
Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it with olive oil.
In one bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, and carrots. In a separate large bowl, combine the rest of the wet ingredients. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Mix the ingredients until you get a thick and smooth mixture. Then, plop them onto your baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes.
#5.Chicken and Pumpkin Mix
Heres another great recipe that uses chicken and white rice as its base. The unique thing about this food is that it uses plain canned pumpkin.
Pumpkin is a great ingredient for dogs with a sensitive stomach. It has plenty of vitamins, acts as a source of fiber, and absorbs slowly into the body.
Ingredients
- 1 and a half cups of white rice
- Half a cup of lean chicken chunks
- 1/4 of a cup of yogurt
- 1/4 of a cup of plain canned pumpkin
Directions
First things first, you should start by cooking the rice separately. Follow the instructions on the package or use a rice cooker. As the rice cooks, you can prepare your chicken.
The chicken should already be in manageable chunks. Just cook the chicken in a pot with a bit of water until its soft and opaque.
After transferring the chicken to a large bowl, shred it. Let everything cool down before adding the rest of the ingredients and the cooked rice.
#6.Ground Beef Meal
Nothing can get dogs salivating quite like ground beef. The ingredient is filled with high-quality protein. The recipe also calls for boiled eggs, which add even more protein into the mix.
You can substitute the cottage cheese for yogurt and use any plain beans you have. Make sure to soften them first if you are using dried beans.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of ground beef
- Half a cup of plain oatmeal
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoons of plain beans
- 3 tablespoons of grated carrots
Directions
The first thing you need to do is hardboil the eggs and prepare the oatmeal. Let the eggs cool and chop them up into small chunks. Then, cook off the beef.
Remove any excess oil and let the meat cool down. Once thats all done, just mix the ingredients up to create a mash.
#7.Turkey, Egg, and Rice Cakes
This recipe makes small cakes. You can easily portion out your dogs meals. It uses turkey as a base. Ground turkey is a great alternative to chicken or beef.
Its low on fat but high in protein. For plenty of vitamins and minerals, the recipe utilizes a nice collection of plant-based ingredients as well.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ground turkey
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups of white rice
- 3 diced carrots
- 1 diced apple
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (about 190 degrees Celsius).
As your oven is heating up, simply combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Then, use olive oil or coconut oil to grease up a muffin pan.
Pack the mixture into the muffin pan cups. Dont use cupcake liners. The grease will only cause them to disintegrate.
Pop the muffin pan into the oven and bake for about half an hour. Its a good idea to use a standard baking tray underneath the muffin tin just in case any oil seeps out.
Once the cakes have cooled off, theyre ready for munching.
What Food Ingredients Are Good For Dogs with Sensitive Stomaches?
The beauty of making your dogs meals at home is that youre free to experiment.
Heres a list of ingredients that are good for dogs with a sensitive stomach. As long as you stick with the basics and avoid any harmful ingredients, you should be good to go.
- Lean chicken
- Turkey breast
- Sweet potato
- Bone broth see recipe
- Boiled white potatoes
- Yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Canned tuna in water
- White rice
- Mashed pumpkin
- Season-free baby food
Conclusion
Making your dogs meals from scratch is a great way to keep their stomach upsets to a minimum. As always, consult with your vet before you make any major changes to your dogs diet.
With the right balance of wholesome ingredients, your dog will be able to enjoy delicious meals without the pain and diarrhea.
Also Read:Best Food Brands for Puppies with Sensitive Stomachs
