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| Source: Michael McConnell |
As you may or may not already know, I make my own dog food. Not just occasionally, but all of it. The only time I ever step into a pet store, is for poo bags. I know, I know, I could reuse grocery bags, but there is nothing worse than picking up a steaming pile of dog poo only to find out that there is a hole in the bag and you just stuck your finger in it. Meanwhile, you are 2 miles away from home with nothing to wipe the poo on.....so you walk all the way home with your fingers outstretched making sure that you don't touch anything, trying not to think about the poo on your fingers (not to mention the hole in the bag, from which the poo could rub up against your pants). Store bought poo bags.......WORTH.......EVERY......PENNY......enough said!
Anyway, dog food. I make my own. From human grade food. My dog eats better than a lot of humans. I do not, however spend a lot of money on said homemade dog food. I buy whole chickens when they are around 69 cents per pound and I keep them in my freezer. I have various recipes, some use rice, some use barley and oats others use potatoes. A while ago, I read that if you cook a whole chicken in a pressure cooker, the bones turn to mush and the dog can eat them. This is a great source of nutrients and calcium. I had been wanting to try it for a while but I didn't have a pressure cooker.
Last weekend, we were out shopping and my Mum decided to buy me a pressure cooker. I got it home and decided to go online to do more research about making dog food in a pressure cooker. While looking, I stumbled upon a video on YouTube by a veterinarian who has written a book about cooking for dogs. I watched the video and to my surprise, you can can cook a dog food stew in your slow cooker, using a whole chicken and the bones break down. I couldn't wait to try it out, after all, I love my slow cooker. And, I didn't have to learn how to use a new piece of equipment.
This is what I put in my slow cooker:
1 Whole Chicken
Giblets from Whole Chicken
1 Large Sweet Potato, Scrubbed and Cut into Large Chunks
1 Large Russet Potato, Scrubbed and Cut into Large Chunks
1 Can of Green Beans with Liquid
2 Large Carrots Scrubbed and Cut into Chunks
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Corn
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Peas
1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
Water to Cover Ingredients
I put the slow cooker on low for 20 hours (that's not a typo, you need to cook for 12 -24 hours to break down the bones) and then I mashed the stew with a potato masher and voila.......
Healthy chicken stew packed with nutrients. I tested the bones just to make sure they were safe. The small bones just disintegrated into the stew and the larger bones are the consistency of a dog biscuit.
I switched up the recipe a bit based on what I have learned about the health benefits of various vegetables for dogs. Here is the original recipe by Dr. Greg:
I guess we will be returning that pressure cooker! View my other dog food recipes here.
