Feeding a dog a raw diet need not be the same meal every day. It's important to include a variety of ingredients and supplements in your weekly raw dog food recipes to give your dog a balanced nutritional profile.
Creating Raw Dog Food Recipes
Most raw dog food feeders follow a simple ratio when creating recipes of 5:1:1. This means your recipe should have:
- Five portions meat with bone, either the full bone or ground up in with the meat
- One portion organ meats
- One portion vegetables and fruit
Some raw feeders will use a ratio of 8:1:1 that is known as the "prey model" and is:
- Eight portions meat
- One portion organ meats
- One portion bone
This diet may work with better with some dogs but may not be as balanced without the plant matter ingredients.
Typical Raw Dog Food Ingredients
When sourcing for ingredients for your 5:1:1 mixture, there's some common types of foods that you can use that are good options for a raw food diet.
Meat on the Bone
Meat can be fed on the bone as is, or ground up using a meat grinder. Don't trim the fat from the meat as this is beneficial for the dog's diet. If you decide to feed fish, they should be frozen first to kill any potential parasites.
Some commonly used meat-on-the-bone options are:
- Bison
- Chicken
- Duck
- Elk
- Goat
- Herring
- Lamb
- Mackerel
- Ostrich
- Pork
- Rabbit
- Quail
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Tripe (which is an organ but is primarily muscle)
- Turkey
- Venison
Bones
Raw meaty bones is a crucial part of the raw food diet. You can feed them to your dog whole if they're an appropriate size, or grind them down. Commonly fed bones include:
- Beef tail bones
- Chicken feet
- Chicken necks
- Chicken quarters
- Chicken wings
- Lamb breast
- Pork neck
- Rabbit bones
- Turkey necks
Organ Meats
Organ meats that can be fed in the raw diet include the following:
- Brains
- Eyes
- Hearts
- Kidneys
- Liver (limit due to high levels of vitamin A)
- Pancreas
- Spleen
Vegetables and Fruits
Any vegetable that is safe for dogs can be included, as well as fruit. Fruits that are high in sugar should be fed in limited amounts. Vegetables and fruit should be lightly cooked before fed in order to help break down their fibers for easier digestion. Commonly used vegetables and fruits in raw food diets are:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Beets and beet greens
- Blueberries
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Collard greens
- Cranberries (moderate amount)
- Cucumber
- Green beans
- Kale
- Leafy greens such as arugula, cilantro, dandelion, mustard, parsley, romaine
- Peas
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
- Squash
- Sweet potatoes (cooked by boiling or baking)
- Zucchini
- Yams
Extra Foods
In addition to the 5:1:1 items, you can also add in other foods that provide beneficial nutrients and protein such as
- Brown rice
- Cottage cheese (non-fat or low-fat)
- Eggs
- Oats, cooked
- Oils for fat such as coconut, cod liver, hemp, primrose, olive, flaxseed or fish oil
- Yogurt (non-fat or low-fat)
- Chickpeas
- Wheat germ
- Commercially made vitamin supplements and probiotics
- Powdered eggshell calcium
- Kelp powder
How to Calculate Raw Dog Food Recipe Ratios
While dogs really don't need variety for taste, mixing up their diet during the week can help provide nutritional benefits. These recipes use percentages for quantities, so all you need to do is determine what your dog's daily amount of food is by weight and use these percentages to determine the number of ounces.
- For example, a 50 pound dog needs one-and-a-half pounds of food a day, or three-quarters of a pound per meal (assuming the dog eats twice a day).
- A 5:1:1 ratio would then be 50% meat on the bone, or 12 ounces, and 10% bones and 10% organs, or about one-and-a-half ounces of each.
- If you want to make a large quantity at once and freeze, simply multiply the number of day's worth of food times the weights to arrive at your recipe ingredient measurements, and break the portions up by weight before packaging and freezing.
Chicken, Liver and Vegetable Medley
Try a chicken and liver medley for your dog.
Ingredients
- 50% Chicken on the bone such as chicken thighs or breasts with skin served whole, cut into chunks or ground up in a meat grinder
- 10% Chicken livers
- 10% Chicken bones such as wings, necks or backs (You can substitute sterilized, food grade bone meal for the chicken bones.)
- 10% Oil, such as coconut, olive or flaxseed oil
- 10% Carrots
- 10% Brussels sprouts
Directions
- Wash your hands thoroughly and your kitchen counters, cutting boards and knives with soap and hot water prior to beginning.
- Wash meat and vegetables thoroughly.
- Wash your hands again after handling the meat.
- Chop the carrots and Brussels sprouts into small pieces.
- Boil the vegetables lightly or steam and allow to cool.
- You can serve the chicken whole or cut it into chunks or grind in a meat grinder.
- Cut the liver into smaller pieces. If you are grinding the chicken, you can add the livers in to that mix.
- Mix the meat and vegetables together in a bowl using a spoon or your hands. If you use your hands, it's best to wear gloves and to wash your hands thoroughly immediately before and after you mix the food.
- Stir in the bone meal and oil.
- Serve the food or freeze immediately.
- Make sure you do one more thorough cleaning of your counters, utensils, cutting boards and your hands.
- Wash your dog's bowls after they finish eating.
Grandma's Meatloaf Raw Dog Food Recipe
This recipe evokes the classic meatloaf dish that humans enjoy.
Ingredients
- 50% Ground beef or beef chuck if you want, do the grinding yourself
- 10% Beef hearts and livers
- 10% Chicken necks or you can use bone meal powder if you don't want to grind the bones
- 10% Oil, such as coconut, olive or flaxseed oil
- 10% Green beans
- 10% Peas
- One egg - if making a large amount of food, then add one egg per five meal portions
Directions
- Wash your hands thoroughly and your kitchen counters, cutting boards and knives with soap and hot water prior to beginning.
- Wash meat and vegetables thoroughly.
- Wash your hands again after handling the meat.
- Boil the vegetables lightly or steam and allow to cool.
- Chop up the hearts and livers into smaller pieces.
- If you are grinding the meat, use your grinder now and add in the hearts and livers.
- Grind the bones to make a mixture if you are not using the bone meal powder.
- Lightly cook the egg either by basting, poaching or on microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. Throw the shells into the grinder with the bone mixture.
- Mix the meat/organ mixture, vegetables, oil, bone meal or ground bone and egg together in a bowl.
- Serve the food or freeze immediately.
- Make sure you do one more thorough cleaning of your counters, utensils, cutting boards and your hands.
- Wash your dog's bowls after they finish eating.
Turkey Feast Raw Dog Food Recipe
Just like humans, dogs love a delicious Thanksgiving style meal. This recipe focuses on turkey as the main protein source.
Ingredients
- 50% Ground turkey
- 10% Chicken livers
- 10% Turkey necks, or chicken necks for smaller dogs
- 5% Oil, such as coconut, olive or flaxseed oil
- 10% Sweet potatoes
- 10% Green beans, fresh or frozen
- 5% Cranberries, fresh or frozen
Directions
- Wash your hands thoroughly and your kitchen counters, cutting boards and knives with soap and hot water prior to beginning.
- Wash meat and vegetables thoroughly.
- Wash your hands again after handling the meat.
- Boil the green beans lightly or steam and allow to cool.
- Put the cranberries in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds in a covered, vented dish. Allow to cool.
- Bake the sweet potatoes until soft and mash with the skin on. Allow to cool.
- Chop up the livers into smaller pieces.
- Mix the meat, livers, vegetables, fruit and oil together in a bowl.
- Serve the mixture with the turkey or chicken necks or freeze immediately if you're making a large amount for future use.
- Make sure you do one more thorough cleaning of your counters, utensils, cutting boards and your hands.
- Wash your dog's bowls after they finish eating.
Ground Raw Dog Food Recipe Videos
This video gives a good overview of how to prepare a raw dog food diet recipe in large portions. These can then be split into single meal portions in plastic containers and frozen.
Another video demonstrates mixing a ground raw dog food meal, with an explanation of the types of nutrients you can find in each type of food for your dog.
Feeding a Raw Dog Food Diet
Raw dog food recipes can provide helpful ideas for adding balanced nutrition and variety to a raw diet. Once you understand how to combine nutritious foods and learn your dog's preferences, it becomes easier to figure out new meal ideas. Experiment and see what works for your dog and keep an eye on their weight to be sure you're feeding the correct amount.
