Dog Food Recipes*


(All recipes are endorsed by "Chipper", who is an MNR dog & grandsire of Zach)
Photo of ZACH at 3mos: sire: Ch. BISS A*starz Special Effect, ROM x Ch. Perikees' Jardin at A*starz, CGC

This is part of the Modern Natural Rearing (MNR) regime for dogs.
* Note: All recipes and pictures are copyrighted. If you would like to use any part of this website, please contact me for approval first.

This page maintained by Donna Stekli, Last Updated: 09/02/2013

Index:

Puppy Milk Formula

This is used as a supplement if you have to hand-raise, given to the bitch during whelping process as well as given to puppies who are being weaned. I mix it with baby rice or oatmeal cereals as the first meal. I have also used it to boost milk production by cutting it 50/50 with water and giving it to the mom. This recipe was given to me by Lydia Laycook of Von Rhinegold Kees Kennels who obtained it from [I believe] Michigan State Veterinary University. It is suppose to be as close to bitch milk as possible and produce superior puppies. If you can find fresh goat's milk (not the powdered or canned versions), you can use that instead of the canned milk for the very best milk recipe. I have used this recipe since my first litter and continue to use it now. I can only say: my dogs have wonderful bone, I've had no sick puppies and my pups are vigorous!

MIX IN BLENDER:
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Whipping Cream
2 Egg Yolks (I break the egg under hot water into my hand and "wash off" the white part before adding the yolks into the mix)
1 Can PET (brand) Evaporated Milk

DISSOLVE ON STOVE:

2 Packages Knox (brand) unflavored gelatin
1 Can water

Combine all above together. Add one more can of water. Blend well. Refrigerate. The stuff turns to a "pudding" state, but melts when warmed. I like to use up a batch within four days, otherwise I worry about it spoiling.

NOTE: If you are concerned about the honey in this formula, don't be. Honey is only a problem for human children (as the botulinum spores can be absored into infant's immature digestive tract). A puppy's digestive system is much different than that of a human infant, and there is no risk feeding honey to a puppy.

Recipe for a Troubled Digestive System


This diet can be used for a few days instead of using any "ID" type dry food. I do not recommend using Hill's Science Diet ID food. There are other choices.

2 pieces of white bread
1 can of chicken & rice soup (low salt)
1/4 cup of instant potatoes
1/2 cup of minute rice

Heat up the can of soup, prepare the rice and potatoes with water. Mix all ingredients together & serve at room temperature. Give small portions & only give more if the dog is ravenous. Otherwise, put the mix away & heat for a later meal. Don't overtax the digestive system with a lot of food.
As with any problem, it is best to take your dog to a vet to ensure this is not the start of some serious illness.

Chipper's Favorite Cupcakes

This recipe was originally obtained from Peter & Holly Colcord of the infamous YanKee kees kennel of NH. It was used on "Chrissy" [Ch. YanKee Starkist, one of the top keeshond bitches in history] while she was being campaigned. It has since been adapted and changed according to what I have learned about nutrition. I have raised puppies on it, fed it to brood bitches, stud dogs and as road food for show dogs and any dogs we have traveling with us. It is highly digestible, leaving very little stool volume and no loose stools.

3# meat (chicken*, turkey* or beef*)
3 cups oatmeal (not cooked.. add into the mix)
2 cups brown rice (precooked amount)
4 eggs
1 cup sunflower oil
1 cup lentils (precooked amount)
2 cups cornmeal (not cooked.. add into the mix)
2 cups veggies (kale, carrots, parsley)
3 garlic cloves (I use minced garlic)
1/2 cup water, or sufficient to mix

Cook rice and lentils together before mixing into the batter. In a food processor, mulch up vegetables, garlic, eggs, meat. Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into lightly oiled oversized-cupcake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Freeze what you are not going to use in 5 days. This makes about 4 dozen larger-size cupcakes.

If making the cupcakes for puppies (under 6mos of age), I put the dry oatmeal into the food processor and make oatflour out of it before adding it into the mix. I put the cooked rice and lentils into the food processor and process well and then add it to the mix. This makes the cupcakes highly digestible for puppies.

* NOTE: If you use ground chicken, turkey or beef, there is no need to precook the meat. If you use chicken or turkey parts, I do precook the meat and debone after it is cooked. If the recipe is for older kees (over 6mos) I hand shread the poultry parts. If it is for puppies (under 6mos of age) I will put the meat into a food processor and make a paste out of it before adding to the mix. If you use beef of any kind, there is no need to precook it. Just shread it by cutting it up with a sharp knife if it is not ground beef.

A*starz Dog Stew

This recipe was developed as a way to get away from canned dog food mixers. The first step away was Campbell's soups, of which "Chicken & Stars" was the A*starz dog's favorite flavor. Ha Ha.

3# meat (chicken, turkey cooked or lean beef)
1# raw organ meats (chicken/pork/beef livers, kidneys or hearts)
2 cups peas
2 cups brown rice (precooked amount)
1 cup lentils (precooked amount)
3 cups raw veggies (kale, carrots, parsley, tomatoes, sweet potatoes)
4 garlic cloves (I use minced garlic)

Bake the non-raw meats along with any dry vegetables, such as split peas. (If you are using beef, there is no need to cook, just use it raw.) Debone the meat and shred pieces by hand. In a food processor, mulch up raw meats. Cook the brown rice and lentils together. In a food processor, mulch up vegetables and garlic. Mix all together and spoon into containers for freezing.

Take concentrated stew, add some water and heat in microwave until warm. Mix in with dry dog food and serve.

A*starz Turkey & Yam Canine Treats


3# of ground turkey
1 large can of yams (drained) or boil or bake 2 large yams & cut up
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups brown rice (precooked amount)
4 eggs
1 cup sunflower oil
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup of lentils (precooked amount)
1 cup water, or sufficient to mix
2 cups of whole wheat flour (if your dog is allergic to wheat, use oat flour; you can make oatflour by putting oatmeal in a food processor)


Cook rice and lentils together. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the oil. Put the ground turkey, yams and eggs in a food processor and mulch. Add this to the bowl mixture. Add any remaining ingredients and enough water to make a thick batter. Spoon mixture into a lightly oiled loaf pan. (I use Pam cooking spray, the olive oil variety.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cut into slices and then cut these slices in half. Add to the top of your dog’s regular dry food, taking away a like amount of dry food. Freeze what you are not going to use in 5 days.

A*starz Canine Sourdough and Flax Breadsticks


Bread Ingredients:
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
2 tablespoons honey
1 (14-ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 (6-ounce) carton (3/4 cup) plain, whole fat yogurt
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons vinegar
Topping Ingredients:
1 egg white, slightly beaten
flaxseeds (you can use whole or mulch in a food processor)
grated parmesan cheese

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, honey, yeast and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
Combine water, yogurt and butter in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2 to 4 minutes. Butter may not melt completely. Add warm yogurt mixture and vinegar to flour mixture. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Invert large bowl over dough; let rise in warm place until almost double in size (30 to 60 minutes). Divide dough in half; roll each half into 10x8-inch rectangle. Cut each into 8 (1-inch wide) strips. Stretch each strip to about 12 inches long. Fold strip in half; twist several times. Pinch ends to seal. Place onto greased baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic food wrap; let rise in warm place until double in size (15 to 20 minutes). Heat oven to 375°F. Brush breadsticks with beaten egg white. Mix the flaxseeds and cheese together & sprinkle on top of breadsticks. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool (but not hot!)
If you are adding to the dog’s meal, take away a like amount of regular food. You may want to break up into pieces so as not to give your dog too much at one sitting. This is a treat and should not be given more than once a week (so it doesn’t become part of the diet as it is not a balanced meal.)

A*starz Liver and Parsley Canine Cupcake Treats


3# of beef liver (raw)
1 bunch of parsley
1 big handful of kale
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups brown rice (precooked amount)
4 eggs
1 cup sunflower oil
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup of lentils (precooked amount)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup water, or sufficient to mix
2 cups of whole wheat flour (if your dog is allergic to wheat, use oat flour; oatflour can be made by mulching oatmeal in a food processor)

Cook rice and lentils together. Put the liver, parsley, kale and eggs in a food processor and mulch well. Mix all ingredients together and add enough water to make a thick batter. Spoon into lightly oiled cupcake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Freeze what you are not going to use in 5 days. This makes about 3 dozen regular size cupcakes.

A*starz Beef and Yam Canine Cupcake Treats


3# of ground beef (lean)
1 large can of yams (drained) or boil or bake 2 large yams & cut up
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups brown rice (precooked amount)
4 eggs
1 cup sunflower oil
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup of lentils (precooked amount)
1 cup water, or sufficient to mix
2 cups of whole wheat flour (if your dog is allergic to wheat, use oat flour; oatflour can be made by mulching oatmeal in a food processor)

Cook rice and lentils together. Cook & drain the ground beef if it is not at least 85% lean. If it is 85% or higher, put in the recipe raw. Put the ground beef, yams and eggs in a food processor and mix. Mix all ingredients together and add enough water to make a thick batter. Spoon into lightly oiled cupcake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Freeze what you are not going to use in 5 days. This makes about 3 dozen regular size cupcakes.

A*starz Pumpkin and Cranberry Canine Cupcake Treats


3 cups of mashed pumpkin (can use canned; pumpkin only not the pie mix)
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup brown rice (precooked amount) OR sub 1 cup oatmeal & 1 cup flax meal
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup of craisins (dried cranberries)
1 cup water, or sufficient to mix
1 tablespoon of vanilla
2 cups of whole wheat flour (if your dog is allergic to wheat, use oat flour; oatflour can be made by mulching oatmeal in a food processor)
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda

Cook rice (if you are using rice). Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into lightly oiled cupcake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Freeze what you are not going to use in 5 days. This makes about 3 dozen regular size cupcakes.

A*starz Catfish and Veggie Stew


This is a really quick meal you can make for your dog. I would not suggest feeding it more than once every two weeks. Catfish doesn't have the protein content sufficient for maintaining healthy coat and skin on a kees, but this meal is a nice switch from the ordinary.

2# of fresh catfish nuggets (usually cheaper than catfish fillets; they look like cut up catfish fillets)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 can of chicken broth (low salt)
2 cans of peas and carrots OR 1 bag frozen peas and carrots
*optional: 3 tablespoons parsley (fresh is best)

On the stove, lightly oil a frying pan then add the catfish nuggets. Add the can of chicken broth then sprinkle all with garlic, add parsley if you choose. Cook on medium heat, covered, until the fish is done (approx 20min). Add the peas and carrots. If frozen, cook for an additional 15min, if canned, cook for an additional 10minutes.
Freeze what you are not going to use in 5 days. You can pull this out of the freezer the day before or thaw in the microwave. I warm up the mixture in the microwave. Add to the dog's dry food, reducing the amount of dry by the amount of stew you are adding in. I usually give about 1/2 cup of stew to 1 cup of dry food. Mix well and serve.

Notes on Cooking, Mixing & Storing

When cooking for the dogs, a food processor is invaluable. I use mine for everything. It mulches the meat, purees the vegetables and mixes things together nicely and evenly.

I refrigerate all the raw ingredients, including flours. We have a spare refrigerator, so that comes in handy in holding all the stuff as you keep cooking naturally. Labels are very important to keep on stuff in progress in case you have a batch of batter and haven't had the time to cook it yet. It is helpful to know what it is and when it was prepared! Gee, what is that stuff in the orange tupperware with the green lid? Sometimes it seems like our fridge holds more dog food than people food. I guess the main thing to remember is "it ain't dog food until a dog eats it" so it is fair game for anyone.

Because I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen for the dogs, I will most often multiply the recipes and freeze the finish products in Zip Lock freezer bags (one of the greatest inventions of our time!) It is important to note that these recipes don't keep more than a week in the refrigerator, so freeze what you aren't going to use in that time and yank it out when you need it. It is a real chore trying to juggle the contents, cook the rice and bake the chicken, etc. They all may have different cooking times. I will have separate ingredients cooking when I have the time to and then use them when I put the batch together. It is a pain, but I feel I'm getting healthier dogs and the long term affects will be worth it. I have been cooking for the dogs since February 1991. We'll see who wins, the dogs or my perseverance and time. Maybe some will think I'm crazy, but that won't be a new observation! In the meantime, I'm always looking for easy AND good things to feed the dogs.

Bon Appetite! Bark Bark
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This page is maintained by Donna Stekli. Last updated 11/25/2015
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