Why I make my dog's food... and how!

UPDATED: June 2023

I started making my food for Nolte and Zaza in May 2021. Za started having seizures about a year before and they were only getting more frequent. (Scariest thing ever to witness!) The vet told me that “it just happens” to some dogs. Even though that is probably true, I wasn’t willing to accept that as her reality. He also recommended she go on a certain medicine, but I am the queen of saying no thanks to drugs as often as possible. (I even hesitate taking advil for headaches. Just drink water - is what I tell myself instead.) I’m a BIG believer in using food to heal. Most of our body’s issues stem from poor nutrition/digestion… so, why not start there for Za?

I had been feeding my pups what I thought was great food their whole lives. Always opting for raw options or grain free… all the big buzz words that are there to tell you “your dog is safe with us!”. I still am a big supporter of Stella & Chewy’s raw food options. I give my pups their tiny treats daily! It was the dry kibble I was using where I really had to change things up. My research showed that some of the filler foods most dog food companies include in their recipes can cause allergic reactions or other random issues/disorders in dogs. Hot spots, itchy/flakey skin, ear infections, digestion troubles, and even seizures. I was sent an article by a friend that showed when allergies get severe enough, the swelling of the brain can cause seizures. Now, I am not a vet nor do a work in the medical field, but this article was enough to get me to make some changes.

So, here we are over two years later and the new diet is going great! They get this recipe as well as a variety of chews like bully sticks, cow tracheas, and other protein and calcium sources. It seems to be working because Za went from having a seizure every few weeks to now only having one every few months. So, clearly something good happened with this change.

UPDATE: As of January 2023, I started giving both Zaza and Nolte a CBD supplement. This has almost knocked out Za’s seizures completely. She has had ONE since January!!! This is a miracle considering her seizures had increased to 1-2/week at the end of last year… and she finally had seizures where she lost bladder control. That was devastating and the end of the road for me.

I went to PAWS on Chicon in Austin and they gave me an allergy test to administer to Za in order to figure out what may be causing these seizures. We figured out that she had a severe allergy to beef, eggs and a few other main proteins. So, there went the beef I used to add to their homemade diet!!! Now, we are on a strict ingredient list as mentioned below. They also take the Super Snouts ISOHEMP-150 CBD tincture as well as a variety of allergy-friendly treats. The CBD has definitely been the main helper for Za’s seizures, but it’s also been a big help with Nolte’s joints. He was having trouble walking around and I know it will only get worse the older he gets… after giving it to him for a week, he was a different boy!

NOLTE + ZAZA’S GOURMET MEAL

My recipe changes every time I make it because I like to switch it up a little each time for their interest/benefit. Plus, it’s nice to get new nutrients into their system every now and then. So, feel free to customize this to your pup’s needs!

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 pounds ground turkey

• Lots of veggies - carrots, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and spinach are all options I usually choose. Usually, I use eight or nine bags of frozen veggies (cut up small as I have two yorkies under eight pounds each.) and about 10 carrots

• Six cups of brown rice

• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. I use a 20 quart pot to create this beast of a recipe. I got this amazing one via Amazon. It’s also perfect for canning if you are that type of person. (I dream to become “that person” one day.) Put some olive oil in that pot and then throw in your ground protein. Cook it on Medium or a little cooler. Cooking meat at too high of a temperature can be harmful to pup’s digestive system. See details on that here.

2. While the meat is cooking, you can start to prep the veggies. I throw everything into a food processor for a quick job! Keep any carrots or sweet potatoes separate because you’ll want to cook those longer than everything else.

3. In a separate pot, prepare brown rice. Just follow the instructions on the packaging. Just don’t add any butter or salt.

4. When the meat is done, strain the fat and set the meat aside. (I also throw this in the food processor too to eliminate any chunks.)

5. In the big pot, throw in a couple table spoons of olive oil and then cook those carrots and sweet potatoes. You want to cook them first since they take a bit longer to soften. Add a bit of water as needed if the carrots are browning and sticking to the pan. Plus, it helps them soften faster to have a bit of moisture.

6. Once they are soft, throw in the rest of the veggies. Stir together and cook until all are warm and cooked through.

7. Add in the ground protein and rice and stir.

That’s it! It’s time consuming, but so simple. It usually takes me a few hours to do the whole thing, but that’s only because I have to chop up all the veggies for my pups. That’s the most tedious part.

I put the food into quart size freezer baggies and store for when we need them. This batch usually lasts me a month or so for two small yorkies.

The best part… I eat it too! I LOVE this stuff. On nights I don’t feel like cooking, I will tap into the dog food. Just add salt, pepper, and a touch of high quality olive oil and this stuff sings!

Check out my Instagram stories highlights to watch this happen in video form!