Everyone comments about how shiny Ivy and Zo are! The reason for their soft and shiny coats is what we feed the two boxers. We have been cooking homemade dog food we make in a crockpot since they were 6 months old. Here is the basic recipe we use, and then depending on your choice, your vet’s input, and your dog’s food issues, you can change it up. We change it up every few batches of food.
We are not vets or dieticians, so always discuss with your vet. This is just for sharing purposes.
3 – 4lbs of chicken quarters
6 cups of rice
3 cups of beans
1 cup flax seed (optional)
Rice and bean types can be of your choice. We always add in organ meat weighing 1-2 pounds: liver, hearts, or gizzards. And vegetables, either frozen, fresh, or canned.
1. Place chicken leg quarters (with bone) in the crockpot.
2. Fill the crockpot halfway with water.
3. Pour the 3 cups of beans into the crockpot.
4. Let the chicken and beans cook for 5-7 hours at a low temperature.
5. Add the 6 cups of rice. Add additional WARM water as needed to cover the rice.
6. Let all ingredients cook until the rice is done.
Once all the food is cooked, mix all the ingredients and store in the fridge for the next week.
The dogs also get half of the sweet potato each meal (breakfast and dinner).
You can use a site like balancedit or Verywell to check the nutritional value of your homemade dog food.
Ivy and Zo each weigh in the 80-pound range. They are fed breakfast and dinner. Each meal they get between 14 and 16 ounces of food. We use a food scale to measure the sweet potato, the Crockpot chicken, and the rice.
Good luck with your feeding journey!
