Sunday, February 19, 2012

Homemade Dog Food for Arthritis

So I'm finally posting this dog food recipe after being asked many times.
I can't tell you enough how happy I am that I finally started my dog on this recipe as I noticed changes in them immediately! 

I have a 7 tear old Rottweiler (Nikita shown below with our other guy Levi) that has had shoulder injuries and joint issues since she was 3. 


Nikita doesn't have hip displasia and the condition comes and goes so we have just tried to take the best care of her that we could. We have always fed our dogs the best food, top quality supplements and fish oils and tried to keep their weight down. We have always been super active so in the last year when her mobility really went down we were at a loss. Some days she was is so much pain and we hadn't even walked her!
 The Vet said Nikita has arthritis in her shoulder and she needs to lose weight. I was at a loss because she could barely walk at this point so I realized I needed to change the way we were feeding them.  
I then started doing some serious research online and hit my Natural Remedy Veterinarian Books. 
This recipe has been adapted from "The Veterinarians Guide To Natural Remedies For Dogs" by Martin Zucker, which is super easy to read and follow and has some great info.
I call this Dog Stew because that's what it looks like and tastes like! 
(I've even eaten it myself for lunch it's pretty good)

Original Recipe

8 cups of water
I lb of lamb or beef
1 cup of celery
2 cups of carrots
2 cups of spinach, kale or greens
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups of barley
1/2 cup of rice
1/2 cup of lentils
1 cup of parsley
1 cup of fresh/dried nettles
1/2 cup dried rosehips (seeds removed)


Updated Dog Stew Recipe
8 cups of water
1 cups of celery
2 cups of carrots
2 medium zucchini
2 sweet potatoes
2 cups of spinach/kale or greens
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups of pearl barley or quinoa
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup of fresh parsley
1 cup of fresh/dried nettles
1/2 cup dried rosehips or apples or cranberries


Combine carrots in a large pot with the water and bring to a boil, then add the barley or quinoa and simmer as you chop and add the rest of the ingredients. You can add more water if needed at the end but it should be quite thick when done.

next I usually add the sweet potatoes, squash or zucchini, whatever I have in the house



I let these simmer for 5 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients;
kale, apples, nettles, peas


I then turn off the burner and cover the pot with a lid and let the rest of the ingredients steam.
I don't want to boil all of the nutrients out of the food. I let cool on the stove then put into glass sealable bowls for freezing/refrigeration.

All of these ingredients are naturally alkaline and anti-inflammatory. I add the rosehips/cranberries/apples for Vitamin C and the Nettles for the minerals and nutrients and they are excellent for joint pain.

where to buy nettles and rosehips here: bulk herbs

This makes a lot of stew so I let this cool then freeze half at a time, I often even make 2 large pots and freeze them.
I mix and match with the ingredients with what I have in the house or garden but try to stay consistent with what I find is the "base" of the recipe, which is the barley, quinoa, minimum of 2 cups of fresh greens, vegetables and the parsley. 
Other than that I sometimes put in squash in place of carrots and I've used a variety of vegetables, such as, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, most cruciferous veggies are good for dogs.

Never feed dogs grapes, raisins, avocado, chocolate or macadamia nuts!


This is such a beautiful stew! I love giving this to my dogs knowing they are eating well.
Plus it makes it super easy to add medications to their food.


This whole pot costs around $14 if it's all organic and feeds both my dogs for a week, mixed with dry kibble. I give them 1/2 cup of dry kibble and 1 cup of stew 2X daily and they both look so good and have lost weight.
Nikita (Rottweiler) has a very sensitive digestion and usually a lot of gas but on this food her poop has never been so normal looking, solid and consistent and almost no gas. 
And they love the food! they can't wait for feeding time and it's easy for me to add their supplements to.
For Nikita I also add a glucosamine with MSM and a Calcium carbonate supplement. I recommend doing your own research and discussing any changes with your Vet. 
I would also suggest just starting your dog on the new food regime first then adding supplements one by one with a few weeks in-between so you can see what is working or not.  

Nikita now has more energy so I can walk her again because with her arthritis she needs to keep moving. 

Short daily walks keep her fit and keeps her mobile. We also gently stretch her out at home on the floor and give regular massages. When she's having a hard day like when it's extra damp and cold out we just play inside. I try to keep a close eye on her when we walk because she wants to go forever, she has no sense of when she needs to stop and if I overdo it she pays the price limping in pain for 2-5 days after. For these times I give her Arnica homeopathic pellets which seem to heal her up faster and help with the pain and inflammation.

I wish I had started all of my dogs on homemade food a long time ago but I always thought it was going to be labour intensive and expensive. It only takes me about 2 hours a week and saves me around $30 a month in food bills for them! (never mind the Vet bills) Plus they are healthier and happier than ever!

From now on this is how I will feed all of my dogs, unless I find an even better recipe! I'll keep you posted;)

UPDATE ON THIS RECIPE!!!


An Update on this recipe...

I am now feeding my dogs 3/4 wet homemade dog food to 1/4 dry kibble and make the food without meat so I can rotate different options of protein into each meal. I am using more fish, such as canned salmon and sardines, this helps to keep their weight down and supply omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA that are good for the skin and coat. In addition, they help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
I will also add one eggs a couple of times a week, my dogs are 80 and 100lbs so I will add a whole egg per dish of food. Yogurt is also a nice treat for them and good for digestion.

Keeping their weight down is always a challenge so I have decreased the barley and lentils to add more quinoa, squash, raw apples and carrots, fresh peas, blueberries and greens.


Try different things out on your dogs to see what they like. 

Never feed dogs grapes, rasins, chocolate, coffee, caffeine, avocado's or macadamia nuts
and try to limit fat scraps.



Here is a pic of the homeopathic pellets that I have my Rottweiler on that make the biggest difference in her mobility.



I started her on 2 pellets 2x day for a month and now keep her on 2 pellets once a day. I have tried to reduce to 3x a week and she started limping.
These pellets can be found at most health food stores or try looking online. I use rhus toxicodendron  30c and bryonia alba 30c
Remember she is a 100lb Rottweiler so consult your vet or health professional before giving your pet any medications for specific amounts.



That's all for now, good luck and keep me posted on any updates or great tips you may have as well.