Lamb, Carrot and Brown Rice – Homemade Dog Food Recipe

The same lamb, in a version that lasts longer between meals. Brown rice keeps its bran, so this lamb carrot brown rice dog food recipe carries more fibre and sits more slowly than the sweet potato version. Useful for the dog who finishes dinner and immediately begins campaigning for more.

Lamb with brown rice and Chinese squash gives about 6.9 g fibre per 1000 kcal – filling without being greasy; brown rice keeps its bran layer for a richer micronutrient profile, making this a solid red-meat rotation choice.

Ingredients (standard batch)

Ingredient Amount Preparation
Lamb leg 1.8 kg diced, visible fat trimmed
Brown rice 400 g soaked 30 minutes
Carrot 300 g diced
Chinese squash (hairy gourd) 300 g peeled and diced
Olive oil 15 g (about 1.1 tbsp) stirred in off the heat

This batch yields about 3.0 kg of food (about 3,935 kcal), roughly 6 days for a 10 kg adult dog.

Method

  1. Rinse and soak the brown rice 30 minutes, then add to the rice cooker with about 700 ml of water.
  2. Layer the lamb, carrot and squash on top and run a normal cycle.
  3. Rest 10 minutes after it switches off and confirm the lamb is fully cooked.
  4. Stir in the olive oil, fluff and cool.
  5. Portion per the dosing table.

Estimated nutrient analysis (base recipe, before supplements)

Item Per 100 g Per 1000 kcal
Metabolisable energy 133 kcal
Crude protein 13.2 g 99 g
Fat 3.8 g 28 g
Carbohydrate 10.9 g 82 g
Dietary fibre 1 g 7.7 g
Calcium 10 mg 1.25 g
Phosphorus 134 mg 1.01 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 3.1 g per 1000 kcal for this recipe) and Daily Multi for Dogs (about 10.4 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 190 g about 16 days* 1.3 g 0.4 g (about 1/8 tsp)
5 kg 368 kcal about 280 g about 11 days 1.9 g 0.6 g (about 1/4 tsp)
10 kg 619 kcal about 470 g about 6 days 3.2 g 1.0 g (about 3/8 tsp)
20 kg 1,040 kcal about 780 g about 4 days 5.4 g 1.6 g (about 5/8 tsp)
30 kg 1,410 kcal about 1,060 g about 3 days 7.3 g 2.2 g (about 7/8 tsp)

*For small dogs one batch lasts beyond the 2-week freezer guideline – scale the batch down proportionally. 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

  • If stools soften, switch the next batch to white rice and observe for 3 to 5 days.
  • 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.

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More recipes: Homemade Dog Food Recipes hub | Beef, Pumpkin and Brown Rice | Turkey, Carrot and Oats

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