MissKonstruction
A rustic bowl of homemade slow cooker dog food with turkey, brown rice, sweet potato, carrots, green beans, and peas
From the Kitchen
For the Pups — not for humans

made with love, for the pups 🐾

Slow Cooker Homemade Dog Food

A wholesome, vet-friendly bowl for the four-legged loves of my life — lean turkey or chicken slow-simmered with brown rice, sweet potato, and garden vegetables. No salt, no onions, no garlic — just real food that makes tails wag and bellies happy.

Prep

15 min

Cook

6–7 hr (low)

Makes

~1 week

For

Dogs 🐾

the method

Instructions

  1. 1

    Layer the slow cooker

    Add the ground turkey or chicken to the slow cooker, followed by the brown rice and all of the chopped vegetables.

  2. 2

    Add the liquid

    Pour in the water or unsalted chicken broth and stir everything together so the rice and vegetables are evenly distributed.

  3. 3

    Slow cook

    Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours, or on high for 3–4 hours, until the meat is fully cooked, the rice is tender, and the sweet potato is soft.

  4. 4

    Break it up

    Stir well, breaking up the ground meat with a spoon so there are no big clumps. Make sure everything is mixed evenly.

  5. 5

    Cool and finish

    Let the food cool completely before serving. Once cool, mix in the olive oil or fish oil and the ground eggshell powder for calcium.

  6. 6

    Portion and serve

    Serve based on your dog's size — small dogs ½–1 cup per meal, medium dogs 1–1½ cups, large dogs 2–3 cups. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days, or freeze portions for 2–3 months.

  7. 7

    Bonus: joint support gravy for seniors

    Warm 2 cups unsalted bone broth in a saucepan (don't boil). Mash in 1 small can of drained sardines in water, then stir in ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp plain pumpkin puree, and (optional) a pinch of black pepper to help turmeric absorption. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in 1 tsp fish oil. Blend smooth if you like. Spoon 2–4 tablespoons over your senior dog's food at mealtime — it keeps in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze in ice cube trays for easy portions.

cook's note

⚠️ Never season dog food with salt, onions, or garlic — those can be harmful. Senior dogs do best with two smaller meals a day and slightly fewer calories to ease the hips. Warming their bowl slightly and adding a splash of bone broth makes everything easier to eat and digest.

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wag, wag 🐾

Made with love for the pups who follow us from kitchen to porch and back again. As always — check with your vet before any big diet changes, especially for puppies, seniors, or dogs with health conditions.

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