How To Make Instant Pot Homemade Dog Food
Your dog is likely to be one of the most important things in your life. Your furry friend becomes a major part of the family, and just as you would any other member of it, you want to do the very best for them. Making sure that they have a healthy diet can be one way to do it, and making your own homemade dog food can be a great start.
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By doing this, you can ensure that you have complete control over the ingredients used. It is cheap to do, easy to make in your Instant Pot, and can be a great way to use leftovers in your home and reduce food waste at the same time.
But how do you do it and are there things you need to be aware of? This post should help you to make Instant Pot homemade dog food and be enlightened as to what you can and can’t do.
How to Make Instant Pot Homemade Dog Food
It is very simple to make dog food in your Instant Pot. You only require a few basic ingredients to get you started but once you have created your own recipe, you may find that you get more adventurous with what you add into it.
However, before you make the switch to homemade dog food make sure you discuss this with your vet to ensure that it is the right decision to make.
Also, it is worth noting that you shouldn’t make the switch straight away. Gradually introduce your dog to your homemade food so that their digestive system can get accustomed to it.
Ingredients
- Ground meat or chicken breast - Make frozen chicken or ground beef from frozen to use in food for your pooch.
- Bite-sized fresh or frozen vegetables
- Chicken or beef bone broth - Make sure to not use onions or garlic when making bone broth for dog food.
- Cooked white rice
- Coconut oil
How to Make
The first step would be to set your instant pot to saute and then cook the ground meat. Drain any oil that is created from cooking the meat and leave it to cool.
Then add it back into the pot along with the rice. Add your other ingredients and then set your instant pot to pressure cook on high for around seven minutes.
Once you have made this a few times, you can try different combinations of meat and vegetables. You can even add fruit to it if you want.
Foods to Avoid
There are, however, foods that you should never give your dog, because dogs can't eat some ingredients. These include:
- Onions, garlic, and chives
- Chocolate
- Macadamia nuts
- Avocado
- Grapes and raisins
Things to remember
Making your Instant Pot homemade dog food is a great way to ensure that you are giving your dog the best you possibly can. It can be reasonably cheap to make, and you know exactly what they are eating because you are adding the ingredients.
However, there are some additional things to remember:
- Don’t change your dog’s diet from store-bought dog food to homemade abruptly. Make the change gradually by mixing your homemade dog food with their usual food or kibble option. Do this for a few days so that they can get used to it.
- Discuss any changes you want to make with your dog’s vet before doing anything.
- Give your dog a variety of food in terms of the ingredients you use such as different combinations of fruit and vegetables. This ensures they get all of the right nutrients and vitamins from their food and also keeps them interested.
- Add some greek yogurt to your dog’s food before serving it to them. It isn’t a necessary addition but it includes probiotics that encourages healthy digestion.
FAQs
It is easy to make dog food in your Instant Pot, but it is understandable that you may have questions. Hopefully, some of the ones highlighted below will provide you with the answer you are looking for.
It doesn’t matter whether you choose to use fresh or frozen options. You can use most vegetables when it comes to making your own dog food, just avoid adding onions as these are bad for your dog.
Carrots, corn, green beans, and peas are all good. You will know what your dog likes though, and the more combinations you create, the more you will identify what your dog is enjoying. You can get some great mixed bags of frozen vegetables.
Fruit is another great addition to your homemade dog food and can be an excellent treat for your dog. You can add fresh or frozen fruit. Berries like blueberries or strawberries work really well.
However, be mindful that if you choose to cook the blueberries, rather than add them afterward, then the dog food will turn purple. However, avoid using grapes as these are also bad for your dog.
Traditionally adding cooked rice is the usual addition of grain to homemade dog food but you can use other grains if you haven’t got rice. Uncooked oats are ab alternative to rice. You can also add chopped sweet potato as an alternative to a grain.
Homemade dog food is an excellent way to use up any leftovers that you have. You can add many things to it including cooked chicken, duck, turkey, roast beef, and pork.
You don’t need to just go with the ground meat option as mentioned earlier. You can add different broth to it as well as eggs. They can all give your dog the relevant nutrients and vitamins you want them to gain out of their food.
Making your own Instant Pot homemade dog food is a cheap and easy alternative to buying dog food in the store. You know exactly what your dog is eating and it can be a healthier way to ensure that your dog is in good health.
Many people who make their own dog food say that their dog’s health, energy, and dental hygiene are all improved because of it. Why not give it a try yourself?