Use Your Food Processor To Make Homemade Dog Food

The melamine scare of 2007 has led many pet owners to seek out safer food sources. For those of you unfamiliar with the problem, basic ingredients used in pet food were found to be contaminated with melamine. Several animals were poisoned, leading to illness and even death. The source of the melamine was determined to be China. However, since the contaminated food was considered an ingredient, not the finished product, buying food produced elsewhere is not a guarantee of safety. A canned product stamped “made in the USA.” it can still include ingredients produced in another country. The problem is said to have been fixed, but I’m not sure it won’t happen again.

So what is a pet owner to do? I decided to make food for my dogs from scratch. Once I realized that the quality of the ingredients was suspect even in the best brands, the choice was easy. Mass-produced dog food contains foods that are not considered safe for human consumption. So why do you expect it to be safe for your pet?

There was an added bonus to switching to homebrew: it costs a lot less! I don’t buy organic meats for my dogs (too expensive), but I take comfort in knowing that the food is at least considered human grade. This is not true when purchasing mass produced pet food. I buy meat in bulk when it’s on sale and freeze it until it’s needed.

When people find out that I make my own dog food, they usually assume that I spend a lot of time doing it. Is not true! I have two large dogs (about 80 pounds each) and it takes me twenty minutes each week to prepare their food. This wouldn’t be possible without my favorite kitchen appliance: the food processor.

My dogs are on a completely raw diet. This has not only helped his health tremendously, but also makes preparation super fast. I cut the meat I’m using into large chunks and put them in the work bowl of my food processor fitted with the multi-purpose blade. Then pulse until almost ground. I use a small amount of vegetables for fiber, usually sweet potatoes. These are shredded with the shredding disc of my food processor. Then I mix the meat and vegetables with ground bone meal, raw eggs, and fish oil. My dogs love it!

I debated including actual recipes in this article, but ultimately decided against it for an important reason. All dogs are different and so are their dietary needs. I came up with a proper diet after talking with my vet and it works great for my dogs. I would hate for someone to try to duplicate my efforts just to harm their pet’s health. Talk to a professional to determine your pet’s exact needs. If your vet isn’t open to discussing this, find a new vet.