Pork is the most underrated protein in the wet market. It sits there at half the price of beef, digests as well as chicken, and most dogs are delighted by it. This pork potato dog food recipe is the everyday one: pork tenderloin, potato, carrot, peas, one pot, thirty minutes. The sort of thing you can cook without thinking about it, which is exactly what a Sunday calls for.
Pork matches chicken for amino acid profile and digestibility and is an underrated quality protein; using trimmed tenderloin keeps fat at about 37 g per 1000 kcal, a moderately high fat formulation. Potato supplies potassium and digestible starch, peas add plant protein and fibre, and the recipe is grain free.
Ingredients (standard batch)
| Ingredient | Amount | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Pork tenderloin | 1.8 kg | diced, visible fat trimmed |
| Potato | 1.2 kg | peeled and diced |
| Carrot | 300 g | diced |
| Frozen green peas | 200 g | no need to defrost |
| Olive oil | 25 g (about 1.9 tbsp) | stirred in off the heat |
This batch yields about 2.9 kg of food (about 3,259 kcal), roughly 5 days for a 10 kg adult dog.
Method
- Put the potato and carrot in a large pot, cover with water and boil for 12 minutes.
- Add the pork and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the olive oil and cool.
- Portion per the dosing table.
Estimated nutrient analysis (base recipe, before supplements)
| Item | Per 100 g | Per 1000 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolisable energy | 112 kcal | – |
| Crude protein | 12.4 g | 111 g |
| Fat | 2.5 g | 22 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9.6 g | 86 g |
| Dietary fibre | 1.4 g | 12.4 g |
| Calcium | 10 mg | 1.49 g |
| Phosphorus | 140 mg | 1.25 g |
On its own this recipe cannot meet an adult dog’s full requirement – calcium, copper, zinc and vitamin D all fall short. Adding Eggshell Calcium Powder (about 3.7 g per 1000 kcal for this recipe) and Daily Multi for Dogs (about 7.2 g per 1000 kcal), as tabled below, brings it up to every minimum in the AAFCO adult maintenance profile, with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of about 1.2:1. Both doses are calculated from this recipe’s own shortfalls, not from a generic chart.
Feeding and supplement dosing (two meals per day)
| Dog weight | Daily energy need | Daily food | Batch lasts | Daily Multi (per meal) | Eggshell Calcium (per meal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kg | 251 kcal | about 220 g | about 13 days | 0.9 g | 0.5 g (about 1/8 tsp) |
| 5 kg | 368 kcal | about 330 g | about 9 days | 1.3 g | 0.7 g (about 1/4 tsp) |
| 10 kg | 619 kcal | about 550 g | about 5 days | 2.2 g | 1.1 g (about 1/2 tsp) |
| 20 kg | 1,040 kcal | about 930 g | about 3 days | 3.7 g | 1.9 g (about 3/4 tsp) |
| 30 kg | 1,410 kcal | about 1,260 g | about 2 days | 5.1 g | 2.6 g (about 1 tsp) |
If you feed once daily, combine both meal portions of the supplements. Stir them in only after the food has cooled to just warm. Energy needs follow NRC (2006) MER = 110 kcal x BW(kg)^0.75 and vary about 15% with neuter status and activity; weigh your dog every 2 weeks and adjust to body condition.
Storage
Let it cool, then divide it into daily portions. Three days worth goes in the fridge (4°C) and the rest straight into the freezer, where it keeps for two weeks. Move tomorrow’s portion down to the fridge the night before, and warm it in a bowl of hot water before serving. Skip the microwave: it heats unevenly and leaves scalding pockets next to frozen ones.
Clinical notes
- Pork must always be fully cooked; dogs with a history of pancreatitis should use a low-fat recipe instead (see Steamed Seabass and Pumpkin Rice).
- Cook all meat and fish right through (core temperature above 75°C), and add no salt, sugar or seasoning at all. It will taste bland to you, which is exactly right for your dog.
- Onion, garlic, chives, grapes and chocolate are toxic to dogs. No amount is safe, and there is no exception to this one.
- Give your dog a week to change over, adding a little more of the new food each day, and keep an eye on stools, skin and appetite as you go. There is no prize for rushing it.
- These recipes are formulated for healthy adult dogs. For puppies, pregnant or nursing mothers, seniors, or any dog with a medical condition, talk to your vet before you start.
No time to cook? Check out Dogalicious Fresh Dog Food – nutritionist formulated, heat and serve, with a free trial for new customers.
More recipes: Homemade Dog Food Recipes hub | Minced Beef, Carrot and Potato | Chicken and Pumpkin Rice