Dog Food Recipe

Going to be away from the computer starting tonight into Sunday night.  The SO, myself, our son and Kitsune are going on a camping trip to celebrate the SO's birthday.  (Happy Birthday!)

Just thought I'd toss up a recipe before I go, since I'm currently making a batch of Inu-Food for the Kitsune monster.

This batch was

1 15oz can of whole mackerel
1 3.9oz tub of Mott's Healthy Harvest Blueberry Delight applesauce
2 cups of long grain rice, uncooked
1/4 of a 15oz can of Libby's pure pumpkin puree
A tablespoon of ground ginger
A teaspoon of ground star anise

Cook the long grain rice.  I use a rice cooker.  It's easy.  You just dump in the rice, water, and push a button.  Presto.  Rice.  This'll make about 3 cups of cooked rice.

Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl.

*Usually, I grind up cleaned eggshells in a coffee grinder and add that, because of all the things the dogs need, calcium is IMPORTANT.  Since the mackerel is whole and whole includes bones, I didn't this time, but if you use any other kind of fish, you have to add the calcium some way.  The fish bones in the mackerel are softened by the canning process, so they are safe.  You can smoosh them with your finger.

Once the rice is done, put it in the large bowl and mix it all together.  It stinks, I know.  It smells like licorice-y fish.  That's why dogs love it.

I use a metal 1 cup measure and press the mixture into that and then pat it out into 1 cup patties.  Kitsune eats 1 or 2 of these patties per day.  This batch will make about a week's worth of food.  If you use this as a supplemental food, which I strongly recommend, it will last even longer.  If you have a smaller dog, use a metal half-cup measure.  If you have a teeny tiny dog, use a quarter-cup measure.

I freeze the patties in zip-loc baggies.  In the summer, I'll just give him the whole frozen patty and it's like his favorite ice-cube treat and dinner all in one.  In the winter, I let it thaw out overnight or during the day in the fridge.

**Once again, this is only for supplemental feeding.  It's great for getting a dog with diarrhea back to solid stool or for picky eaters, but you need to feed a can of commercial or dry at least every other feeding or so.

Soon, I'll post up a good recipe you can use for every day.