Make Your Own Dog Food And Save Money

I love my dogs almost as much as I love my kids. I have a four year old Boston Terrier named Pig, and a twelve year old Dalmatian cross named Connor that live like kings at my house. We don't feed the boys table scraps, well, not very often, so we try to ensure they have good wet and dry dog dog food to keep them happy. But lately, due to inflation and the cost of fuel, we've seen the price of dog food rise.

After a bit of research and number crunching, we decided to stop buying dog food and make our own.

Good Food For Good Dogs

Our budget is tight. Between my wife, myself, the two year old Jack, and the never-ending garbage disposal that is the 11 year old Garson, and my two dogs, the food budget has to stretch. We were spending about $25 a month on a twenty pound bag of dry dog food, which honestly they didn't really care for (and my two year old steals and throws at us). They would snack on it but never finish the bowl.

Canned dog food, like Purina ONE Wholesome Beef & Brown Rice Entreé, was a luxury we didn't indulge in very often. Each can costs $1.39 at PetSmart, and at 13 ounces is just about two servings. That means if we were to feed the dogs canned dog food, we would need a case a week, and almost four cases a month for a cost of approximately $40.

Ingredients

But look at the ingredients label on the can: Rice, beef, oat meal, vegetables... what if we made our own? Would it be too expensive, or worth it?

Our homemade dog food consists of ground beef, rice, potatoes, and carrots. That's it. And that's nearly the exact same thing in the store bought canned food, minus the fillers and preservatives. So our food could be considered healthier, and even 'gourmet'!

Crunch The Numbers

And here's the math: the ingredients cost approximately $4, including the ground beef, and that makes enough to feed our dogs for nearly a week. That means each serving costs just about $0.40! So for basically the cost of two cans of the store bought food, you can feed your puppies for a week.

Prepare to write down the recipe!

Homemade Dog Food Recipe

Terry & Natalie Morgan

• 3 Potatos
• 3 Carrots
• 2 Cup of Rice
• 1 lb Ground Beef

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mince potatoes and carrots. Boil 3 cups of water in a big pot. Add potatoes, carrots, and rice. Let cook for about ten minutes on medium high or until vegetables are soft. Add more water if necessary. Add 2 cups of water and add ground beef. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken. This takes about twenty minutes. Season if the urge strikes you. Cook beef thoroughly.

Serve about a cup depending on the size of your dog. My dog is medium and can eat a cup to a cup and a half at a time. The food can be refrigerated and served cold as well.

That's it!

Both of my boys really like this food, and they always clean their bowls. I also think they like the fact that they're getting a meal off of the stove like we do. Maybe that's me over analyzing though. It take about 25 to 35 minutes to fully prepare and cook the food, but you really only have to do it once a week. That's basically your trip to the store and back home again.

It is possible to make your dog food at home, with very similar ingredients to the store bought kind, and save money.

--Bon appetit, doggies!

*A big thanks to my wife Natalie for helping me with this project and article. I came up with the idea, and she helped me make it a reality. I've never written a recipe for anything, so any mistakes are mine and not hers.