homemade dog food on a budget

5 Cheap Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Cooking homemade dog food can be a healthier way to feed your pet than store-bought dog foods. There are a number of well-balanced, healthy, delicious, and cheap homemade dog food recipes worth trying if you have the time. Some recipes err on the side of lower price and affordability, others prioritize the healthiest, most delicious, most premium ingredients.

While it's not smart to ditch all high-quality ingredients and go for the cheapest choice, balance is key. Using some common ingredients that you can buy in bulk, you can use these cheap homemade dog food recipes that will still be well-balanced and healthy. Some good examples are Samantha's raw recipe, cheap healthy recipe, and even this one.

If you're looking to start cooking for your dog and need more ideas, the below list of good cheap homemade dog food recipes that will satisfy your budget without depriving your dog of the must-have quality any good dog food should have. Remember to discuss them with a vet before you make these recipes part of your dog's regular diet.

ALSO SEE:8 Dangers of DIY Homemade Dog Food

5 Cheap Homemade Dog Food Recipes

1. Mutt Loaf for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 3 medium russet potatoes, cleaned of eyes and green spots, and grated
• 2 medium carrots, grated
• 1 (15-ounce) can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained*
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 pounds ground beef (85 percent lean)

Directions:

Preheat the oven and combine the potatoes and carrots into a large mixing bowl. Combine the kidney beans, the eggs, and rosemary in a food processor. Chop and mix everything. After that, combine the egg and bean mixture with the potatoes and the carrots. Add the beef as well and mix everything thoroughly. Place the mixture in as many loaves pans you need and bake until completion. Remove from the heat and allow the meatloaves to cool off. After that, let your dogs enjoy their delicious new meal.

Serving Sizes:

* Divide into two meals, or serve one-half the daily portion per day with one-half the normal amount of dry food.

• 10-pound dog: 2/3 to 1 cup
• 20-pound dog: 1 to 1 2/3 cups
• 40-pound dog: 2 1/3 to 3 cups
• 60-pound dog: 3 to 4 cups
• 80-pound dog: 4 to 5 cups

2. Cheap Chicken Stock for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 10 cups of water
• 1 skinned chicken carcass
• 2 chopped, medium-sized carrots
• 2 chopped stalks of celery
• 1 cored and chopped apple
• 1 cup of packed fresh spinach
• 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil

Directions:

Boil the water in a large stockpot at a high temperature. Add the chicken carcass, carrots, celery, apple, spinach, rosemary, and basil. Boil them as well. Skim the foam from the top and decrease the heat. Leave the eal to simmer with a lid for about 40 minutes. Once its ready, strain the stock and discard the bones. After that, you can refrigerate or freeze it for later consumption.

Serving Sizes:

• 10-pound dog: cup
• 20-pound dog: 1/3 cup
• 40-pound dog: cup
• 60-pound dog: 2/3 cup
• 80-pound dog: 1 cup

3. Fresh Kiss Dog Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of meat, be it beef, chicken, or fish stock
• 1 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup of finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 Tablespoons of canola oil
• 2 1/3 whole wheat flour, plus some extra for rolling out

Directions:

Preheat the oven and flour the baking sheet. Heat the stock in the microwave. Add the parsley, mint, and canola oil to the stock in a large bowl and stir them together. Stir the flour into the herb mixture. Knead the dough until smooth. Gather the dough into a ball and put it on the baking sheet. There, shape it into a square. Dust the top of the dough with additional flour and roll into a 10-inch square. Then cut with a pizza cutter into 1-inch squares.

Bake the whole thing like this for about 25 45 minutes (less for a softer cookie and more for a crunchier one). Once done, let the cookies cool down before you present them to your pooch.

Serving Sizes:

• 10-pound dog: 2 cookies
• 20-pound dog: 4 cookies
• 40-pound dog: 6 cookies
• 60-pound dog: 8 cookies
• 80-pound dog: 10 cookies

4. Sweet Potato Fries for Dogs

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• Half a teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions:

Preheat the oven. In the meantime, peel the sweet potato and cut it into strips a quarter of an inch square by 4 inches long. Combine the sweet potatoes, the olive oil, and oregano on a baking sheet and coat the potatoes evenly in the mixture. After that, spread out everything evenly on the baking sheet and place the fries in a parallel position to one another. This will make it easier to flip them. Once this is ready, bake for 15 minutes. Flip the fries and bake them for another 15 minutes.

Once they are done, allow them to cool off before serving them or putting them away for later. This is a treat and not a whole-day meal so dont give this to your dog in large quantities a fry here and a fry there as treats for after training is what this recipe is meant for.

Serving Sizes:

• 10-pound dog: 1 fry
• 20-pound dog: 2 fries
• 40-pound dog: 4 fries
• 60-pound dog: 6 fries
• 80-pound dog: 8 fries

5. Doggy's Tuna Special

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of whole-grain bread
• 1 6-ounce can of tuna, packed in water

Directions:

Place the bread in a small bowl and soak it into the tuna water. Let sit like this for 3 to 4 minutes, however long it takes for the liquid to be fully absorbed. After that, add one tablespoon of the tuna meat, blend it inside the bread with a fork, and serve it to your lucky pooch. This is another great treat for after a training session.

Serving Sizes:

• 10-pound dog: 1/3 slice
• 20-pound dog: slice
• 40-pound dog: 2/3 slice
• 60-pound dog: slice
• 80-pound dog: 1 slice

These five cheap homemade dog food recipes include ingredients that won't break your bank and that you can buy in bulk and store long-term. As with any homemade dog food cooking, make sure to consult with your veterinarian or canine nutritionist before using any cheap homemade dog food recipes with your Fido. Discuss each recipe individually, and then you can continue serving it regularly, saving yourself some money.

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The Real Cost of Homemade Dog Food: How I Personally Budget

When I'm speaking with other pet owners about the benefits of homemade dog food, they always ask about the cost. How much does it cost to make homemade meals for your pet? Is it more expensive than purchasing commercial dog food? This guide to thereal cost of homemade dog food is just how I personally budget, but it will be a great starting point for any owner new to making homemade dog food.

When you're thinking about the expense of homemade dog food, you have to first think about the quality of the food you'll be making. You will be using whole foods and no artificial fillers, preservatives, dyes, or harmful ingredients.

Making your dog's meals also allows you to cater the food to his needs. If your dog has allergies or food sensitivities, you can make sure the food you create won't upset his stomach.

So, when you're considering a switch to a homemade diet you need to think about the quality of the commercial dog food you're currently feeding. Homemade dog food needs to be compared to a high-quality commercial diet made with natural, whole-food ingredients.

The Real Cost of Homemade Dog Foodhow I personally budget

The figures that I share in this guide on the real cost of homemade dog food are based on the recipes that I make for our Labrador, Saddie. She weighs 70-pounds, is 4-years old, and is an active dog.

When you're considering the cost for your pet(s), keep in mind their age, weight, and activity level. Puppies and young adult dogs will eat more than seniors. Likewise, larger breeds eat more than smaller pups. And, if your dog is active, he'll need more calories than a lazier dog of the same age and size.

As I mentioned, this is just a guide to get you started on budgeting for homemade dog food.

I start with the protein sourcebecause that's always the biggest part of the expense. I budget about $0.75 per serving for cheaper sources, like chicken and beef. If you choose (or need) to use a more expensive protein, like venison or bison, your cost could be upwards of $1.50 per serving.

For a 1 cup serving ofvegetables or fruit, I estimate about $0.50. As with protein, more common products that are in season will be your cheapest option. Apples, bananas, carrots, and green beans are usually fairly inexpensive all year round.

I estimate about $0.25 per serving forcarbohydrates. This works well for common carbohydrate sources including rice, oats, and pasta. If you're using a more expensive source like quinoa or barley, you'll have to increase this part of your budget.

Finally, vitamins and supplements must be included in your budget when figuring out the real cost of homemade dog food. Studies have shown that a vast majority of homemade dog food recipes are not nutritionally balanced. For this reason, it's crucial that you consult a veterinarian or canine nutritionist before switching your pooch to homemade food.

An expert in canine nutrition will help you evaluate the recipes that you're making for your dog to ensure they are nutritionally balanced for Fido's unique needs. They will likely recommend adding different supplements or multi-vitamins to each recipe based on the nutrients that are naturally included in the ingredients.

Vitamins and supplements are an expensive piece of the real cost of homemade dog food. Typically, I budget $0.25-$0.50 per day, depending on the number of supplements needed. This cost will vary greatly depending on your dog's needs.

Now, we need to total up all of these individual costs. If you do the math, the cost of feeding a large dog would be $2.00-$2.50 per serving. If you have a medium-sized breed, that cost would drop to $1.00-$1.25 per serving. And, of course, a meal for a small breed would cost just cents per serving.

Comparing this cost with cheap commercial kibble that costs less than $0.25 per serving seems like a huge expense. However, if you compare this cost with the cost per serving of high-quality commercial dog food, you'll see that it is roughly the same. If you look at the cost of commercial fresh dog food options, the cost for the commercial products is often much higher than the estimate that I've given here.

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Homemade Nutritious Dog Food on a Budget

1 part Brown rice, safe for dogs, rich in nutrients, make be too hard on some dogs, especially young ones, I suggest blending the rice into a pure2 parts water or chicken broth1 part of Any kind of meat, make sure to use small pieces and make sure it is safe for your dog: chicken, turkey, beef. I like using chicken bones, cutting them up - great for joints and older dogs1 part of vegetables, I like using carrots, squash, pumpkin, Brussels spouts, green beans. Make sure your dog likes it, some are very picky1 tbs turmeric, it is anti-inflammatory, helps with joint pain, cardiovascular health, helps with cancer, arthritis, helps intestine and bowels stay healthy, your dog should be having 1/2 tsp of turmeric daily2 tbs apple cider vinegar, Completely Safe for dogs, make sure the ingredients read apples and water. helps with digestion and gives your pooch a nice shiny coat. Some dogs may find it to have a bad taste, I like putting in just a bit and covering the smell with rice. My dog is very picky and he still eats his food which has apple cider vinegar And thats it