homemade senior dog food

4 DIY Senior Dog Food Recipes

The dietary needs of canines change as they grow up and you need to make corresponding modifications to your recipes. The basic purpose of all these variations is to maintain the right balance of nutrients to keep your pup healthy. For this reason, we have compiled a list of homemade dog foods that are safe for senior pets. Not only are these recipes nutritious, but they also serve as scrumptious treats for your furry friend.

Chicken and Veggie Slow Cooker

The slow cooking process of this recipe extracts every bit offlavor from all the ingredients. Consequently, your dog gets a complete andhealthy meal that is too good to resist. You can also store this dog food inthe freezer for future use.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken thighs and breasts (3 lbs. each)
• 1 large-sized apple, cored and cubed (no seeds)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Place meat in thecrockpotand addwater so that it just covers the chicken. Then, add potato, carrots, kidneybeans, green beans, and apple.
2. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, when it is aboutfinished, add the frozen peas and cook for another 30 minutes.
3. When finished, drain off excess liquid, addolive oil, and stir to mash (or place in a food processor).
4. When cooled, scoop daily servings intoindividual Ziploc bags and freeze. Each night, remove one bag from the freezerand place it in the fridge to defrost overnight.

Thank you to The Dog Bakery for this recipe.

Chicken Gourmet Dog Food

Being carnivores, chicken is one of the favorite ingredientsof dogs in their diet. The following recipe is incredibly easy to cook andhardly takes around 30 minutes. In addition to that, it offers a lot ofnutritional value through brown rice and different vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Chicken (or Turkey)
• 5 cups of brown rice
• 4 cups of veggies Carrots, Broccoli, SweetPotatoes
• 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
• Daily Multivitamin in powdered form

Directions

1. Pour coconut oil in a pan.
2. Cut up Chicken and pan fry.
3. Place rice into a separate pan and boil.
4. Mix Rice and Veggies of your choice into the mixture.
5. Stir until mixed.
6. Add your powdered nutritional supplements.
7. Let it cool and then serve it to your dog.

Thank you to House that Barks for this recipe.

Beef Stew for Dogs

Looking for a nutritious combination of meat and vegetablesfor your senior dog? This homemade dog food will take care of all thenutritional requirements of your canine. Therefore, its an excellentalternative for commercial wet foods that are quite expensive.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. beef stew meat
• cup of diced carrots
• cup of diced green beans
• 1 small sweet potato
• cup of flour
• 1 tbsp organic vegetable oil
• cup of water

Directions

1. Microwave the sweet potato for five to eightminutes until tender but still firm.
2. Cut up the beef stew meat into nickel-sizedchunks.
3. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in alarge pan. Add the stew chunks and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or untilwell done.
4. Take the beef out of the pan but reserve thedrippings.
5. Dice the cooked sweet potato.
6. Turn the heat to medium-low and heat thedrippings. While whisking, slowly add the flour and water to the drippings tomake a thick gravy.
7. Add the sweet potato, meat, green beans, andcarrots to the gravy and mix to coat.
8. Cook about 10 minutes or until the carrots aretender.
9. Let the stew cool completely before serving toyour senior dog.
10. The leftovers will keep in the refrigerator forup to five days.

Thank you to Dog Quality for this recipe.

Homemade Food for Senior Dogs

The slowing down of a dogs metabolism can lead to severalhealth issues, like obesity. In these circumstances, it can become achallenging task to find the recipes that are safe for senior dogs. Thefollowing dog food provides your pet with all the essential nutrients withoutoffering too many calories.

NOTE: Its highly advisable to check with your vet beforeswitching to any homemade recipe.

Ingredients:

• pound 75-80% lean ground beef
• 2 cups of COOKED brown rice
• cup of pureed pumpkin
• 1 hard-boiled egg (with shell)
• cup of blueberries

Directions

1. Brown the beef in a frying pan until cooked completelythrough.
2. Cook about -1 cup of brown rice to get 2 cups ofcooked rice.
3. Mash the boiled egg.
4. Combine the egg, cooked brown rice, cooked groundbeef, pureed pumpkin, and blueberries in a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix untilthoroughly blended.
5. Once the food has cooled, you can feed it to your dog.Therecommended serving size is about 1/2cup for every 25-30 pounds of body weight.This recommendation is for 2 servings per day.
6. You can store leftovers in an airtight container for3-5 days. You can also make this homemade senior dog food in bulk and freeze itin an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Thank you to Top Dog Tips for this recipe.

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9 Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs

If your dog is getting into their senior years its important that their diets are adjusted to fit their evolving needs.

There are so many benefits to feeding your senior dogs homemade dog food, including the ability to customize their diet specifically for their individual needs.

When making your pets food right in your own kitchen you have the advantage of knowing exactly what ingredients went into the recipe. This allows you to keep better track of your senior dogs health.

Are you turning away from commercial dog food and looking for homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs? Keep reading for 12 great recipes your older dog will love.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs

1. Brown Rice, Turkey, and Veggies

This recipe for brown rice, turkey, and veggies is a healthy, low-calorie, and low-fat homemade dog food that your senior dogs will love.

This recipe is especially great for overweight senior dogs because it uses lean meat with healthy carbohydrates and vegetables. This delicious combination is sure to help you keep your senior dog healthy and trim!

The recipe makes around 12 cups of homemade dog food for your senior dog that can be separated into single-serve containers and stored in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the single servings.

2. Homemade Dog Food Recipe for Sensitive Senior Dog Tummies

It can be difficult to find recipes for homemade dog food that are easy on your poochs sensitive tummy.

Some dogs are sensitive to fatty foods and can have food allergies, but regardless of the reason youll want to be thoughtful of your dogs specific nutritional needs.

This homemade dog food recipe for a sensitive senior dogs tummy is free of common allergens that plague pups, like soy, dairy, wheat, beef, and poultry.

In place of these ingredients, this recipe uses a lean novel protein which will reduce the risk of causing irritation for your senior pups stomach.

This homemade dog food recipe for senior dogs can be separated into individual servings and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or you can freeze the servings for later.

6. Chicken Casserole for Dogs

This chicken casserole for dogs recipe is great for senior dogs because its very easy to digest while providing many vitamins and minerals essential for senior dogs development.

This homemade dog food recipe for senior dogs helps provide a balanced diet for your dog, filled with natural antioxidants, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.

As a caution, this recipe does contain cabbage, which may cause gas in some older dogs, so it can be adjusted or removed if need be.

This chicken casserole can be separated into individual servings and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

7. Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Biscuits

This recipe for peanut butter and banana dog biscuits is a delicious treat for your senior pup. These dog biscuits are especially great treats for holidays!

What dog doesnt love peanut butter? This homemade dog food recipe for senior dogs is sure to be a hit for your four-legged friends, whether its a special occasion or not.

Even if youre watching your senior dogs weight, you can still give them the occasional treat, just be careful not to overdo it.

8. Grain-Free Recipe for Senior Dogs

This grain-free recipe is a fantastic homemade dog food recipe for your senior dog.

This homemade dog food includes all of the essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids an aging dog might need, without any grain ingredients.

Made with proteins including liver, poultry, and sunflower oil for linoleic acid, this grain-free dog food includes at least 10 essential amino acids for senior dogs.

You can separate this meal into individual servings to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in sealed containers or freeze each serving for later use.

9. Homemade Raw Dog Food

This recipe for homemade raw dog food is easy to prepare and make adjustments to for smaller or larger senior dogs.

This homemade dog food recipe for senior dogs consists mostly of meat with proportions of 80% meat with fat, 10% organs, 5% vegetables or fruits, and 5% dairy. This food provides complete nutrition for your senior dog and can be tweaked to their dietary needs easily.

For the easiest storage, form the raw food into meat patties and store them stacked with parchment paper between patties in the freezer.

To thaw, take the patties out of the freezer the day before you want to use them and put them in the refrigerator so they can thaw.

10. Bacon Cornmeal Dog Biscuits

This recipe for bacon cornmeal dog biscuits makes a fantastic and flavorful treat for senior dogs. Its a breeze to make and you can make small or large biscuits based on your dogs size.

This homemade dog food recipe for senior dogs consists of flavors your pooch wont be able to get enough of!

You can adjust the serving size of these dog biscuits simply by making smaller biscuits for small dogs or larger biscuits for large dogs. The recipe makes around 12 medium-sized servings.

11. Homemade Dog Treats

These homemade dog treats are conveniently made using just 3 ingredients. Some of the senior dogs favorite flavors in these yummy treats are peanut butter and pumpkin.

This homemade dog food recipe for senior dogs is simple to make. Just mix the 3 ingredients, roll out the dough, cut it into shapes if you prefer, and then bake it!

Keep an eye on the bake time, since the thickness of the treats will determine how fast they bake. The longer they bake the crunchier they get so be careful not to overcook them.

These homemade dog treats can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks as long as they are stored in an air-tight container. They last up to 4 weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.

12. Low Protein Homemade Dog Food Recipe for Senior Dogs

Low-protein food should only be fed to your pet with the strict supervision of their veterinarian. Always consult with a veterinarian before changing your dogs diet.

This recipe for low-protein dog food is a fantastic homemade dog food for senior dogs with special care needs including a diet low in protein.

Make sure to use the fattiest ground beef you can find when making low-protein food because youll have more fat and less protein.

Store this homemade dog food for your senior pup in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days.

Diet Requirements for Senior Dogs

When planning out your senior dogs diet, its important to strictly follow the instructions and advice of the veterinarian who treats your pet.

As dogs age the way they digest food and use nutrients can change, so youll need to make changes to their diet to keep them happy and fit in their golden years.

Homemade dog food provides complete nutritional value for senior dogs and it can also help with some of the health issues seen in older dogs.

The most vital nutrients that should be present in homemade dog food for senior dogs include protein, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins A, B, D, E, and K. Other important nutrients for senior dogs include fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron.

Calorie Considerations for Senior Dogs

Obesity is a concern for dogs, especially for senior dogs, because their metabolism slows significantly as they age.

As a result, its easy for older dogs to pack on the pounds, but its quite a challenge for them to shed the extra weight. Since being overweight is rough on dogs joints, you should try to keep them as lean as possible.

To ensure your dog doesnt become overweight, be sure to feed them a low-carb diet. A low-carb diet is healthier for senior dogs pancreas as well.

Protein Considerations for Senior Dogs

Most senior dogs require more protein as they age because the loss of muscle tone is a common issue for older pets.

You should make sure the homemade dog food recipes for your senior dogs contain around 28 to 32 percent protein.

In rare cases, your dogs veterinarian may prescribe a low-protein diet. Usually, this only happens when your dog has an underlying medical condition.

Never feed your senior dogs a low-protein diet unless youve been instructed to by a licensed veterinarian.

Foods to Avoid

Some foods should not be fed to dogs because they can be hard to digest, even toxic and dangerous.

Avoid feeding your dogs onions, garlic, chives, and other members of the allium family because these foods can cause kidney failure in dogs.

You should also avoid grapes and raisins because they can also cause kidney failure and also severe liver damage.

Macadamia nuts should not be fed to pups because they contain a toxin that affects their nervous system, resulting in weakness, panting, and swollen limbs. Avocado also contains toxins that are toxic to dogs.

Avoid giving your dog any foods containing artificial sweeteners like xylitol because it can result in liver failure and blood-clotting disorders.

Try Out These Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs!

Homemade dog food recipes are generally easy and quick to make using healthy ingredients to support your aging dogs health and changing dietary needs.

Whether your senior dog likes savory dishes with vegetables or sweet treats like dog treats made with peanut butter and fruits, there is something for every aging pup to enjoy!

Are you looking for more homemade dog food ideas? Check out this list of 17 Homemade Dog Treats to find delicious treats for your senior dogs.