Homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs and those with medical issues aren't as difficult to make as I thought they would be. If you use my tips it doesn't even take that much time! Just a note - I am not a vet. This recipe was given to me by my vet to feed to my dog that has kidney failure. It is meant to be low protein. You should not feed this (or any new food) to your dog without talking to your vet first.
If you are following the Restless Chipotle Facebook page you already know that we had a serious issue with Cuddles, our pit bull (yes... Cuddles. If you have a pit you understand why that name, I'm sure).
We aren't sure how it happened but he got a bacterial infection and his kidneys began to shut down. He spent a week in doggie ICU -- refusing to eat.
When he got home he refused the special low-protein dog food and he just got thinner and thinner. It was time for some homemade dog food recipes!
I finally started making a dog food gruel that he would eat and he began to make a comeback.
It was a long, hard road! When I took him in for his check up and talked to the vet she gave me a recipe that she approved of. You see, although we have always fed our dogs premium dog food the protein was way too high for Cuddles now.
My vet explained that even our older dogs who were healthy should have less protein than before. She said dog food recipes for Cuddles had to be under 20 grams of protein but under 10 was better.
This recipe has 6.9% protein and Cuddles loves it. In fact, our older dog does, too. He is playing and jumping around like a puppy.
The other two (yes, we have four  -- 2 yorkies that moved in when my husband and I got married and my old dog which is a long haired chihuaha mix-up, and then Cuddles) like the food as well so I mix it in with their dog food.
Cuddles is a rescue dog - both of my dogs are.
We found him under our porch one day. When my son coaxed him out we saw that his chest and shoulders were basically shredded. He had been used as a bait dog -- thrown in with pit bulls being trained to fight.
I am horrified to say that there is a lot of that in my area. Anyway, my son had been wanting a pit bull and praying for one -- who am I to argue with God?
We found him on a Saturday so of course there were no vets open. I wasn't sure if he wasn't going to need his leg amputated it was so bad.
Shreds of flesh and muscle infested with maggots. I had my husband and son hold him so I could clean the wounds with cotton swabs and a copious amount of peroxide.
I was nervous because here I was digging into this dog's wounds and he was a big dog with big teeth -- even if he was skinny.
That dog never even snapped at me. He looked it me with those big eyes and pushed at my hand with his nose. That was all. I
cleaned those wounds a couple times a day all weekend long and then to my vet.They kept him overnight, put him out, scrubbed a couple of pounds of mud and dried blood off of him, then fixed him up.
Tip
When you make homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs, and those with kidney failure, it's important to use the fattiest, cheapest ground beef you can find. You want more fat and less protein.
Totally the opposite of what I do when I'm making meatballs for us, for example.
I get a big chub pack and cook all of it up at once with the eggs that go in the recipe. Then I divide in in portions and freeze it. When I need another batch of food I thaw it and add the rest of the ingredients. So easy!
The recipe calls for boiled eggs but I crack raw eggs into the nearly cooked ground beef and then cover the pan until everything is cooked and the yolks are cooked through. Then I chop them into the ground beef.
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It's very important that you use a kitchen scale to make this and to serve it. It must be done by weight.
This is similar to the kitchen scale I use and it works really well.
Escali Glass Digital Kitchen Scale is thin and accurate plus easy to clean. Just remember to put your dogs bowl on the scale and zero the scale out before measuring in the food.
Measure everything very accurately and be sure not to make any substitutions or changes. The food should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within three or four days.
Also - get a good canine multivitamin like (another affiliate link) Pet MD Multivitamin plus Minerals. This is extremely important because your food will not be enriched like the commercial foods are.
Update
I am sad to update this to say that Cuddles succumbed to his kidney disease but he lasted longer than the vet thought he would. His kidneys were just very weak.
We miss him terribly but within a few months two more pitties were at our kitchen door, starved and abused. We just couldn't resist Toby and Bisous.
Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs
Print Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¼ pound ground beef, (do not use lean)
- 2 cups cooked white rice, (no salt)
- 1 hard cooked egg, , peeled and chopped
- 3 slices white bread, , crumbled
- 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate, (blend a bottle of calcium carbonate in the blender until it's a powder then keep in a resealable plastic bag)
Instructions
- Cook the beef until it is cooked through.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix it well.
- Feed twice a day.
- Be sure to give your dog a vitamin supplement.
Notes
5 pounds feed ¼ pound
10 pounds feed ½ pound
20 pounds feed 1 pound
40 pounds feed 1 ½ pounds
60 pounds feed 2 pounds
80 pounds feed 2 ½ pounds
100 pounds feed 3 pounds
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Jody Dillon says
I am so grateful that you posted this recipe, thank you. We are looking after my Mum and Stepfathers dog, their baby. She has recently been diagnosed with kidney failure but I assured them that we could manage while they still had their holiday of a lifetime. So far 4 days of stress, she won't eat the tin or pouch food recommended by the vet. I just made this and she scoffed it and is now happily snoring next to me. What a relief. Cheers Jody
Marye Audet says
Glad it worked for you!!
Donna Darl says
Yeah my Molly is the same. Love them.
Jean says
Do you drain the grease off of the ground beef?
Marye Audet says
Nope.I just left it in there.
Doris says
My 8 year old mini schaunzer has been diagnosed with stage 3 renal failure. My vet gave me about 8 recipes to try on him. Renal failure dry food. He doesn't eat any of it. I saw your recipe, made it, offered it to my dog he refuses to eat it. He will eat any other scrapes or snacks. What can I try now.
Marye Audet says
Doris, I am not a vet so I can't really help. I'd suggest talking to your vet or getting another vet's opinion.
Jason says
Hi Marye
It's been two days and our dog is loving it. Many thanks for sharing your story and advice. Very much appreciated. All the best - Jason
Marye Audet says
I am so glad!
Carolyn says
Hi Marye,
Your recipe for renal failure dogs is much appreciated ... I have been a vet nurse for 28 years & have always been happy to acknowledge the commercial diets ... once they appeared !!
I am a bit of a dinosaur as commercial prescription & science diets DID NOT EXIST back 1988 ish ... instead we relied on people cooking stuff for various ailments.
Your diet really reflects what we dinosaurs were recommending way back then.
I now have a middle aged dog with renal failure ... still looking for answers as to why .... I thank you for posting your diet ... this rings a lot of bells from the old days ... THANKS heaps. I will look around a bit more at other diets as well, & check in with my vets as well.
I'm financially strained ... so need to resort to the kitchen 🙂
I also appreciate your efforts to steer away from being an expert on this & telling people they need to check in with their vets .... it's too easy too become a sudden expert.
Marye Audet says
Thanks Carolyn. I can only share what my vet told me ... and of course it could be different in other situations. I hope this helps!
Jann Wooldridge says
So glad to find your recipe. My 16 yr old mini doxie has early renal disease and your recipe is similar to the one my vet recommended. He currently loves ground meat and have been using high fat as well. Will try your recipe as soon as he heals from his dental today. Thanks.
Marye Audet says
🙂 I hope he's feels better!
Dev says
Hi u said feed two times daily..so 20 pound feed 1 pound means 1 pound per day or 1 pound per meal ? Tq
Marye Audet says
1 pound per day
Leah Devereaux says
I tried this out for my 6 pound yorkie who was just diagnosed, but the rice was too sticky and making him choke. It seems like there is wayyy too much rice, and very little meat. Not sure if I made a mistake or if this is how it's supposed to be? I tried adding a little broth but then he wanted nothing to do with it. Any advice?
Marye Audet says
The amount of meat to rice is correct - it has to be low protein and meat is protein. I got this recipe from my vet - as I am not a vet I really am not comfortable making any suggestions for changing the original recipe. Talk to your vet and see what he/she recommends.
Kelley Lackey says
I'very been using this diet for my 17yr old Jack Russell. My vet suggested adding water to make it more palatable. So I add a little warm water.
Keren Ray says
This recipe is taken from the Hill's nutrition canine restricted protein diet. The original diet says to add a "balanced supplement which fulfills the canine MDR for all vitamins and trace minerals." Any idea what a good vitamins is? Thanks!
Marye Audet says
Keren - I don't know where my vet got it. As I said this is what was given to me by my vet. I did mention in the blog post that vitamins are needed. Did you not like the ones I recommended?
Sherry says
This diet is still too high in protein for serious kidney failure. I realize you stated moderate to severe but cooks/companions might need to have that stated again!
Marye Audet says
I can only say that this is what my vet suggested for Cuddles. I am not a vet, nor am I a dog specialist.
Keren Ray says
Sorry, I missed the part about the vitamin. Thanks!
Marye Audet says
🙂
Christy Wiltfang says
I need a recipe for my dog that was just diagnosed with high liver enzymes
It must be low in protein AND fat
Marye Audet says
Talk to your vet and see what they recommend.
Sari Swick says
Our 10 yr old English Bull Terrier was recently put on Purina NF Canine Formula for early stage renal failure. She eats this just fine, but she has a lot of awful gas, her poops are very soft, stinky and yellow like the kibbles.
If I give her the home mixed diet that you have listed, how would you think her digestive system would react?
Before this recent change, her poops were normal brown, dog poops and we seldom noticed her farting.
I have NEVER bought white bread in my life. Maybe sourdough will have less garbage in it. I'd rather just put more rice in it!
Marye Audet says
I am not a vet so I don't know about dogs' digestive systems, sorry. White bread has very little protein, that's why it works in this recipe. You don't have to eat it just give it to the dog. 🙂
Shannon says
My dog was diagnosed with high liver enzymes about 6 years ago and this is the recipe I make for him. (He is 17 years old this year)
3 lbs of chicken breast boiled
18 cups of cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups of steamed carrots
9 tbs of canola oil
9 tbs of wheat bran
I use my food processor and chop up the cooked chicken and carrots and add it to the cooked rice then add the oil and bran and mix it together. I then put 1 cup in plastic bags and freeze them. I feed my 12 lb jack russell 1/2 cup twice daily. I usually just add a bit of hot water and stir it up to warm it and make the rice a bit less sticky. I also give him 4 drops of milk thistle liquid (alcohol free) twice daily which is supposed to help healthy liver cells to regenerate. You can also give 200 mg of sam-E once daily to help protect the healthy liver cells that are present.
Gigi says
Hi Shannon
!y fur baby has the same condition. The prescription food is not helping. I am going to try your recipe. Did your vet recommend any other supplements?
Diane russo says
Going to try this recipe. My dog is not loving hills. Do u know the weight/food amount for larger dogs. She is 40 lbs
Marye Audet says
1 1/2 pounds per day. It's in the notes at the bottom of the recipe.
Mark Mohamed says
Thanks for the recipe.. I found that using oatmeal in place of the white bread a better choice tho as white bread is an artificial food. My dog loves this food. Thanks again!
Marye Audet says
While it is true that white bread is an artificial food the goal is to keep your dog's protein intake down as low as possible. Oatmeal has roughly double the amount of protein as the bread.Do check with your vet.
Jann Wooldridge says
I just tried this for my 17 yr old doxie who was just diagnosed as early kidney disease. Very similar to the recipe my vet gave me. Was worried he wouldn't eat it. Changed the protein to high fat pork, slow cooked in no salt beef broth with carrots and peas. Used bacon for some added flavor. Added the rice to a small amount of the protein mixture with lots of broth and he ate well including peas and carrots. He has been eating a lot of ground meat and refused it this morning so am trying a new protein.
Marye Audet says
I hope it works for you. 🙂
Carol says
Thank you so much for sharing you story and heart about Cuddles. As you can see his memory is helping so many of us and our pups.
My 18 year old Cardi was just diagnosed and I found your recipe. Quick question, can you use instant rice? My friend gave me some when I was sick and I never used it. My gut is telling me no because it is so over processed but maybe that doesn't make a difference. Your thoughts?
Marye Audet says
I think it would be ok since it's mainly for bulk. 🙂
Andrea Hartley says
My friend was recently told by her vet not to use instant rice for dogs as the way it is processed makes it difficult tor them to digest. I had never heard this before, but thought I should mention it.
Michell says
We have a 35 pound Jindo who recently has been diagnosed with early state kidney failure. We have tried KD and Royal Canin. She does not like them. We wanted to try a homemake recipe. Your recipe sounds like something she would definitely eat. How much per day should we feed her?
Marye Audet says
It's according to body weight... 5 pounds feed ¼ pound
10 pounds feed ½ pound
20 pounds feed 1 pound
40 pounds feed 1½ pounds
60 pounds feed 2 pounds
80 pounds feed 2½ pounds
100 pounds feed 3 pounds
Ghazala says
I have 3 Shih Tuz, 1 age of 12 and 2 age of 10. My 2 Shih tzu have been diagnosed with early state kidney failure. I had total of 5, all one family. I lost 2 because of kidney failure. It was difficult to see them go through it. I did everything but was not able to succeeded. I am in the same situation and I am devastated of losing my kids. I always cooked do food for my dogs and mix it with Diet Science food. My Vet recommended Hills kidney care prescription diet for dogs K/D. I used this food for my other dogs and they lost so much wight. It really did not help much. I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me what food I can make at home and hope that it would help my dogs. The problem is I never cooked red meat, always cooked chicken Brest for them. Can I use Chicken rather then red meat for the HOMEMADE DOG FOOD RECIPES FOR SENIOR DOGS that you have mentioned? I want my babies to live a decent healthy life. I recently lost my husband and losing my dogs, well don't know what will happen to me. Please help.
The father was Zeus, Mother is Hera, oldest daughter is BulBul (nightingale), first son is Bachai (my son), and youngest son was Chomonai (the little one). Thank you so very much.
Marye Audet says
This is the recipe that my vet gave me. I don't have any others.
catrina says
hi marye I have 13 year old jack russel , he has a been gnosed with tstical cancer ,h only came into my care after the owner no longer wanted him he has skin alleries , I wanto domy own home cooked recie for him can you help me wth whatI will require for this recipe plse , Iwathinking lean beef mince rice & vegies
Marye Audet says
This recipe should work just fine. I developed this recipe for Cuddles when he was having kidney failure. Good luck!
Robin says
Thank you for this recipe...my little guy was just diagnosed stage 1 renal failure..not fond of science diet kidney care food...this sounds like a great food plan!
Thanks again..
Robin
Marye Audet says
🙂 I hope he does well!
Robin says
I'm going thru this right now with my 14 year old shih poo...stage 1 renal failure just diagnosed...he doesn't care for the science diet kidney care food..so I might go with this hamburger mixture...my poor boy...he is a happy fella..please keep me posted on your pup...blessings to you...
Marye Audet says
I am so sorry. I hope that he does well on this. 🙂
Brian Shorter says
Hi Marye. I'm a little confused about the portion size. Is it per meal or per day? Pollyanna asked you the same question and you replied, "per day, I believe"? I don't want to give my dog too much or too little. She loves the diet and eat well for the first time since coming home from the vet with canned low protein food. She just didn't like the canned food but loves this diet. Thanks for your help.
Marye Audet says
1/4 a pound of food per 5 pounds of body weight per day. You can split it in half and feed twice a day or feed the whole batch once a day. Hope this helps
Robin says
Yes I was thinking a lb at each feeding..so split up the lb twice a day??!!!
Marye Audet says
yes.
Paparazzi says
Hi. Is that 1/4 pound per day? Or per meal?
Marye Audet says
I see you've found the answer. 🙂
Jen says
My vet gave me this recipe, and of course I'm doing my internet searching before I cook it up. There are great tips in this article like the kitchen scale and freezing the beef/egg! Thank you for sharing! My pit is 14 years old and is in early stages of kidney disease. He's lost 6 lbs since he's been on the KD diet because he doesn't like the kibble very much so I talked to my vet about alternatives and this is what he suggested. I'm sorry to see Cuddles has passed on since you wrote this, he was very cute! Thank you for saving him!
Marye Audet says
🙂 We miss him so much! Good luck with your pit. 🙂
Mike says
We have our 14 YO Terrier mix breedwith CRF on something very similar; Ground beef, boiled egged chopped up, white rice, and mixed veggies like carrtots, green beans, and peas which he eats up pretty well. We feed him this in the evening and he eats cheerios witrh milk in the morning. What additional supplements do we need for him? He will share a graham cracker with me sometimes. This diet has really helped him. He was first diagnosed in October 2015.
Marye Audet says
You should check with your vet. I know my vet said no milk as it is hard on the kidneys.
Jen says
Thank you Marye! He's already putting some weight back on with this new diet and he's sleeping through the night too! He used to bark at me all night, I just blamed it on him being a crazy old man lol
Marye Audet says
That's wonderful!
Chris Chaffee says
Mayre, sorry to hear Cuddles has passed on, I know the loss remains in the heart for a long time. I have a question regarding the food recipe. Shouldn't a fiber component be added? The recipe has none, unless you use brown rice. It seems this recipe would cause constipation.
I have a 14.5 yr old purebred male dachshund, Peanut, that I want to start making food for, since he just doesn't like crunching dry food. I'm considering adding to you recipe some omega-3 fats (salmon oil) and antioxidants such as small amounts of spinach leaf, and fiber through frozen peas, carrots and cauliflower. These additions would result in a mix of 2 senior dog recipes, yours here and another I found online from a Veternarian, who uses ground turkey instead of beef. I was thinking of rotating the meat for variety, ground beef as suggested, and also chicken breast and salmon.
Your thoughts? Anyone want to chime in?
Thank you,
Christopher
Marye Audet says
My vet gave me this recipe and so it's the one I use. 🙂 I'd talk to your vet if I was you to find out his/her suggestions.
Sharon says
We found out a month ago that our 9 year old chocolate lab is in kidney failure. He has been eating the kid canned food and I have been mixing the apakitin supplement and Pepcid into it twice a day. He did go to the pet hospital 2 weeks ago for IV fluids due to vomiting for 2 days but then he needed a blood transfusion because the fluids diluted his red blood count. He had his levels rechecked yesterday and his creatinine is 11 and BUN is 130. I am going to make this recipe tomorrow and am hoping it will make him feel better for a little while until it's time for us to say goodbye.
Marye Audet says
I hope he likes it. 🙂
Phat Tran says
Does the egg have to be boiled or can we fry the egg and mix it in with the rice??
Marye Audet says
I think frying would be fine.
Michelle says
Can coconut oil be added?
Marye Audet says
Please check with your vet about that. I really don't know. 🙂
Deb says
So thankful to have found your recipe! I have 2 dogs - 1 lab, 1 golden who both have kidney failure and don't like KD!! Tried mixing the dry kd with canned kd and a little unsalted beef broth - no thanks!! Just made this, mixed half their daily ration with 1/2 their kd, gobbled it up!!! Guess I am making dinner for the family and dinner for the dogs now!! Any ideas on how to big batch for the week?? And is ground pork ok to use with? We have grass fed beef and local farm raised pork in the freezer.
Marye Audet says
I used to use 5 pounds of beef and multiply everything accordingly. Then I'd package the beef/egg mixture in 1 pound bags and freeze it. When I needed food I'd make enough rice for the 1 pound bag (8 cups?) and add the bread for the 1 pound bag and keep it in the refrigerator. It will last a week just fine. I don't know if this makes sense.
Diane Fusco says
I know all these comments are from last year but my pom has stage 3 kidney diease and was looking for something for her to eat .she won't eat can or dry kidney food . I have everything in my house except the calcium. can i make it without for her till I buy it ( snowed in right now ;(
Marye Audet says
Yes Diane, you can do that. Don't let it go too long though.
E says
Hi Diane,
I too have a 9 year old Pomeranian with only 25% Kidney function.
The vet gave him only a short live span after he was diagnosed.
It's now 5 years last November.
I have some recipes you can try.
All have been researched for years by me.
I have to go now. Have appointment.
If you want some help just let me know.
I have a lot to tell you and if your not really interested I don't want to go into all the detail.
Hope your sweet Pom is still with you.
Boh says
I'm interested!
Just found out my 16 year old dog's kidney numbers are through the roof..
Marye Audet says
Oh no! I am so sorry!
Debbie says
Hi E, my name is Debbie and I have a yorkie she is going to be 11 years old this March 25, 2016. I love her dearly and I am very interested in what you have to say, I want her ( Lacey ) to live as long as she can. She has been with my family since she was 3 months old . I am suppose to put her on a low Renil diet. She is a very picky eater, I need as much information you can give. Our hearts are breaking.
Marye Audet says
I am so sorry. I don't know much as I am not a vet. This is a recipe that my vet gave me
sherrie rietz says
I'm very interested in your recipes!. I had fed my dogs homemade food for years then got busy and switched to quality dry food. My 10 year old German Shepherd now has kidney issues. I appreciate any help you can give me.
Sherrie
Marye Audet says
Hi Sherrie, other than sharing this recipe given to my by my vet I can't really help. I am not a vet. :/ It's best to discuss your concerns with your vet.
haley says
Hi E. My lab was just diagnosed a few days ago. We're having a hard time getting him to eat or drink anything. Could you send me a message with some tips? Thank you, haleykallinen@gmail.com.
Gigi says
Hi E
I have an eight yr old shih Tzu with liver issues . vet prescribed low protein diet. It does not seem to be helping much (prescription kibble). I would be so grateful if you could email recipes and any info. E-mail: gigiawalker@gmail
Thank you so much
Bonnie McCall says
Can you send me your recipes? I have a 15 year old yorkie and my vet is just pushing the canned food which he doesn't like
Marye Audet says
Bonnie this is the only recipe I have. I'd suggest talking to your vet or another vet about more recipes. 🙂
Beth says
Our Cody is a Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix and is a diabetic. We just found out his BUN and creatinine levels are high. He has had a rough time recently. His glucose levels were going from extremely high to bottoming out which caused a seizure. Turns out he had tumors in his spleen and liver. He had surgery to remove his spleen, but they couldn't remove the one in the liver. We are thanking God that the one in the spleen was benign. After a 3 week vet stay he got to come home, but we have to go back 3 times a week for glucose, BUN and creatinine level checks. He is refusing to eat any of the kidney dog food our vet has tried. We have been feeding him bread and green beans. (The vet said he could have the bread and green beans but needed more) He also stated there was a homemade kidney diet online. I came across this recipe and do have a couple of questions. If we cook one pound of ground beef do we increase the ingredients by 4?
1 lb. ground beef
8 cups cooked rice
4 eggs
12 pieces of white bread
4 teaspoons of calcium carbonate (I ordered the powder online)
is this correct? If we cannot get him to eat to bring his levels down he will continue to have IV fluids every Monday and Friday. We don't want him to suffer through it, but will do what we have to. Cody is losing weight and we are desperate for a food he will eat. We would also feed this to our 18 year old cocker spaniel, Jack. Thank you for posting your story and this recipe. We are hoping this will literally be a life saver!
Marye Audet says
Yep! That's right. 🙂 Please let me know how it goes.
Lisa says
Why the bread?
Marye Audet says
I think it's for the bulk.
Phat Tran says
Read in a comment below that said its not reccommend that you use egg yolks. So is it ok to use 2 eggs instead of one but just the egg whites only? Throw away the egg yolk? Thank you in advance.
Marye Audet says
I would not throw away the egg yolk.
Denise says
Egg yolk is high in phosphorus...for kidney failure, it should not be used....definitely want to discard the yolk
Marye Audet says
Denise - I am just posting the recipe my vet gave me. I always suggest people check with their vets before feeding their dogs this recipe.