Home made dog food.

[Merrilyn]

I'd appreciate some advice please.  I like to cook my own dog meat, and usually cook a kilo of meat in the jug at a time, and this fills the jug nicely without overloading it.  I add some vegetables and rice and usually cook these after the meat, using my second jug, with rice in the basket and veggies in the jug.  Everything is then combined in a big bowl.

I'm wondering if I could use the varoma for the veggies and rice, with veggies on one level and rice on the other.  Would this work?  Do you think the rice would cook?  I would need to have the jug on varoma temp and that would mean watching that the meat didn't catch and burn on the bottom, so I guess would need to keep it moving, like maybe speed 3 or something.  It would save me quite a bit of time if it could all be done at once.  Thoughts, suggestions please ladies.

Thankyou.

[Bonsai]

Hi merrilyn - I don't think the rice would cook if you put it in the varoma as it needs to absorb water quite a lot (not just steamed). I think it MIGHT cook if you pre soaked it then wrapped it in foil with extra liquid (rather like rice cooked in banana leaves) but I think the fiddling around isn't worth it. I make home-made dog food sometimes (because our gourmet yorkie expects to eat human food!) but I can't put my hand on the recipe right now. It is cooked as a meatloaf after processing in thermie but includes rolled oats instead of rice.

Another alternative is to cook the rice separately (or use family leftovers) then steam veges when cooking the meat.
You have a lucky dog!

[gertbysea]

Merrilyn I make dog food for my spoiled dog. I gave up using rice as it has no nutritional value. I now use rolled oats which I add raw to to hot food. He loves it. There are a few dog food recipes here somewhere. Also try raw and cooked eggs. I sometimes cook fresh veg but for  time saving add frozen mixed veg to the cooked meat or chicken while it is hot. I also mix raw meat or chicken to the big bowl and freeze in appropriate sized plastic bags. I often cook a whole large chicken and a large bunch of chunky veg make stock for me using the chook for the dog food and chopping the veg into it  then add the oats and a bit of the stock to mix.

If you want to use rice why not cook it in the microwave. Rice in an UNCOVERED bowl with water one inch above....13 minutes in high.

My dog also eats cous cous and quinoa but oats he likes best .

Hope that helps.

[Merrilyn]

Thanks for the suggestions ladies.  Gert I might give the oats a try.  Do you use instant oats, steel cut, or anything special, and you just stir it into the hot meat at the end of cooking.  Sounds easy enough     I guess I was really wondering if anyone had done rice in the varoma but obviously the steaming wouldn't be enough.  It was mainly a way to utilise my varoma more.  I don't use it enough, except for veggies.

Bonsai, I have several elderly rescue dogs with digestive issues.  Don't know much about their history, I rescued them when they around 8 - 10 years of age.  They don't do well on commercial food, so I like to keep things simple with a variety of human grade meats and chicken, their veggies, which need to be well cooked, or they just pass straight through if you know what I mean    then their vitamins mixed in.  Thermy makes their daily meal preparation so much easier.

[FlissPrideaux]

Hi Merrilyn .  Try raw ....  Yep, strangely dogs do much much much better on a raw diet please just google me Felicity Prideaux re my history and involvement in the dog world     I use my Thermie to blend fruits and vegs  to add to mince - which I also  have done in the Thermie ,  I strongly advise you to stay away from wheat.
Rolled Oates vegies, fruit, flax seed, coconut and fish oil, kelp powder cod liver oil if you can sneak it in, are great !  Remember 1/3 vegies and fruit vegs to mince or meat chopped