Is JustFoodForDogs fully cooked

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Nutritionally Complete Homemade Dog Food Recipe Kits

At JustFoodForDogs, our goal is to increase the length and quality of life for as many pets as possible. We want every dog and cat to have the life-changing advantages that come with eating food made only from ingredients approved for human consumption. Thats why we gladly share our healthy DIY dog food recipes with pet parents who want to kick the kibble and make their own cooked dog food from vet-approved recipes. There's nothing like home-cooking human food, so why not do it for our pet's mealtime?

Our DIY dog food nutrient blends make it simple to share the love and provide healthy nutrition for that special dog in your life. Each recipe is balanced with high-quality proteins, veggies, carbohydrates, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals like omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and calcium your dog needs.

Each bag makes approximately 30 pounds of homemade dog food and includes:

Recipe for each of our daily meals
Shopping list
Feeding guidelines geared to your dogs ideal caloric intake
Specially formulated Nutrient Blend
Stovetop, Instant Pot, and Crock Pot slow cooker cooking instructions

Each of our propriety Do It Yourself Nutrient Blends is explicitly formulated for the homemade dog food recipe in the bag. Developed by our team of veterinarians and board-certified veterinary nutritionists, the Nutrient Blend is a compound of 100% human-edible ingredients and is designed to balance each JustFoodForDogs recipe for long-term feeding.

There are six different healthy dog food recipes to choose from: Ground Turkey & Whole Wheat Macaroni with zucchini, Ground Beef & Russet Potato, Venison & Butternut Squash, Lamb & Brown Rice, Chicken & White Rice, and Fish & Sweet Potato with green beans.

Each DIY dog food recipe is fully vetted, having been developed by a staff of specially trained veterinarians. All recipes are balanced to meet your doggies nutritional needs.* Ours are the only homemade dog food recipes available that are proven healthy in feeding trials.

In addition to our dog supplements for homemade diets and our fresh dog food daily meals, we also offer healthy cat food meals, dog treats, as well as whole-food vet support diets, and personalized pet food that addresses specific canine and feline health issues.

As leaders in dog nutrition, we partner with you in your dogs health by offering custom formulations to dog owners. We supply a custom DIY dog food blend for pets that require prescription food or for dogs with sensitive stomachs or allergies so they can enjoy human-grade, balanced homemade meals too.

*Each DIY Nutrient Blend creates a complete and balanced meal for an adult dog's diet when made following our recipe instructions. Estimate serving size/amount of food according to your dogs weight, activity level, and age. Cook time varies depending on method of cooking.

Raw vs. Cooked Dog Food

At JustFoodForDogs, we've known for some time that whole foods made with real ingredients care better for a dogs diet than commercially processed kibble in quality, digestibility, and bioavailability. Recent scientific research now seems to support this assessment. Since raw dog food diets are sometimes marketed as fresh or frozen, some dog owners ask us about the difference between cooked versus raw dog food, and why we prefer to lightly cook our food.

JustFoodForDogs makes all its nutrition decisions based on scientific research, as well as a commitment to quality control and premium ingredients. When all of these factors are considered together in the question of raw vs. cooked dog food, it is clear that balanced, freshly prepared, lightly cooked whole food is the best choice for our mission to make the best healthy dog food possible.

What Is Raw Dog Food?

Raw dog food diets usually include a combination of uncooked meat from animals, fish, or poultry. When commercially made, these diets typically use ingredients that are not USDA-certified fit for humans, which means they could include rejected carcasses or medicated animals (i.e., dead on-farm, sick, or removed from the human food chain).

You may be surprised to find out that even the most popular brands of dry food, which call themselves premium engage in these practices. Some manufacturers will hide the fact their meat is not fit for humans and say USA meat or meat from a USDA facility; none of these statements mean USDA-certified cooked meat, so beware of these claims. These ingredients usually include flesh (muscle), internal organs, blended body parts, and bones. They may also include untreated milk or uncooked eggs.

JustFoodForDogs uses only meat certified by the USDA for human consumption because it goes through rigorous tests of quality control at many levels. The result is cuts of meat commonly found on human plates; thus raw preparations, as defined above, are not practical in our kitchens.

Digestibility Research of Raw and Cooked vs. Kibble (Extruded)

Recent studies support that animals better digest whole food diets than kibble, however, the same studies have failed to show any difference in digestibility between the raw ingredients, and the same ingredients when they are cooked. [1]

Scientists found that raw and cooked diets both have significantly higher digestibility for proteins than kibble (extruded diets), which contain fillers and by-products.[2] Another study on domestic cats also found a significantly higher digestibility of raw diets, compared to kibble, and in the same study there was no significant difference in digestibility between the feeding of the raw ingredients before and after it was cooked. [3]

Risks & Dangers Associated With Raw Dog Food

Possible health risks that have been associated with raw diets include concerns for animals and public health:

Raw diets are not complete and balanced: A number of studies have revealed important concerns about nutritional imbalances when raw are not formulated properly. A notable one in 2001 showed improper Ca/Phos ratios, and deficiencies in various important dog vitamins, including vitamin E. [4] JustFoodForDogs diets are complete and balanced and have undergone feeding trials.
Contamination with pathogens. Raw meat can be contaminated with a variety of pathogens and harmful bacteria that can cause serious health issues in both animals and pet parents. [5] Most meats used in commercial raw diets may not be handled properly (ie: not USDA certified), thus they may acquire bacterial contamination from the hide, feathers, slaughter, evisceration, or processing and packing. [6] Salmonella spp, listeria, and E. coli are of particular concern. For this reason, the AVMA and the FDA have come out against the use of raw ingredients for commercial pet food, and JustFoodForDogs only uses lightly cooked ingredients in their homemade dog food recipes.
Possible GI injury. According to some nutritionists, raw diets can contain bones that have been implicated in hazards to the pets that eat them, including tooth fractures, injury, and perforation of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, or colon. [7-10]

Conclusion: Raw vs. Cooked Dog Food

Current research supports that there are benefits to real ingredients over extruded diets. There are no significant differences in digestibility between raw feeding and cooked diets for dogs, whereas there may be some potential hazards in feeding raw for both the dogs health and the pet owners.

Therefore, for all these reasons, to abide by FDA and AVMA guidelines, and for the safety of our own employees and customers, all JustFoodForDogs human-grade ingredients are USDA certified, carefully prepared, de-boned, and handled to avoid unwanted contamination and lightly cooked fresh daily in small batches.

All our fresh dog food is tested to meet NRC recommendations and periodically analyzed and researched by our team of scientists and veterinary nutritionists. We do it this way because it is simply the best way to make balanced diet dog food. Period. See our range of high-quality, lightly cooked, healthy daily meals and homemade diets.

References:

1 Crissey SD, Swanson JA, Lintzenich BA, et al. Use of a raw meat-based diet or a dry kibble diet for sand cats (Felis margarita). J Anim Sci 1997;75:21542160.

2 Vester BM, Burke SL, Liu KJ, et al. Influence of feeding raw or extruded feline diets on nutrient digestibility and nitrogen metabolism of African wildcats (Felis lybica). Zoo Biol 2010;29:676686.

3 Kerr KR, Vester Boler BM, Morris CL, et al. Apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility and fecal fermentative end-product concentrations of domestic cats fed extruded, raw beef-based, and cooked beef-based diets. J Anim Sci 2012;90:515522.

4 Freeman LM, Michel KE. Evaluation of raw food diets (Erratum published in J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:1716). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:705709.

5 KuKanich KS. Update on Salmonella spp contamination of pet food, treats, and nutritional products and safe feeding recommendations. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011;238:14301434.

6 LeJeune JT, Hancock DD. Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;219:12221225.

7 Rousseau A, Prittie J, Broussard JD, et al. Incidence and char- acterization of esophagitis following esophageal foreign body removal in dogs: 60 cases (19992003). J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2007;17:159163.

8 Gianella P, Pfammatter NS, Burgener IA. Oesophageal and gastric endoscopic foreign body removal: complications and follow up of 102 dogs. J Small Anim Pract 2009;50:649654.

9 Frowde PE, Battersby IA, Whitley NT, et al. Oesophageal disease in 33 cats. J Feline Med Surg 2011;13:564596.

10 Thompson HC, Cortes Y, Gannon K, et al. Esophageal foreign bodies in dogs: 34 cases (20042009). J Vet Emerg

Complete & Balanced Homemade Lamb Dog Food Recipe

Welcome to our delicious and nutritious homemade dog food recipe featuring ground lamb and brown rice. This recipe is designed to provide your dog with a wholesome and balanced meal that you can prepare at home.

By following our step-by-step instructions, youll learn how to cook this lamb recipe for dogs that is packed with essential nutrients and free from by-products, fillers, and preservatives. Treat your beloved pet to a healthy homemade lamb meal today!

About This Homemade Lamb Dog Food Recipe

Our Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe is a great option for adult dogs, older dogs, and dogs with smaller appetites. With our Do It Yourself Nutrient Blend, you can make this nutritionally balanced recipe fresh from your kitchen.

This gluten-free, moderate protein recipe is made using ground lamb, long-grain brown rice, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, lamb liver, and blueberries. Its highly palatable and one of our higher-calorie diets, making it the ideal maintenance diet for active adult dogs or dogs with small appetites.

Ground lamb is a rich protein source and is an especially good source of zinc and iron, which are great for maintaining a healthy metabolism, healthy skin, and a shiny coat. It is also rich in B vitamins like niacin, which aid in digestion and provide energy.

Ground lamb is also one of the best sources of the amino acid derivative carnitine. Carnitine is essential for energy production and heart health.

Other ingredient health benefits

Long-grain brown rice has magnesium for healthy muscle and nerve function.
Lamb liver is a nutrient-dense food that contains a high concentration of vitamin B12 and vitamin A, which are great for energy, metabolism, and vision.
Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which is great for maintaining healthy vision. Carrots are also a great source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, which is an important electrolyte for hydration.
Spinach is also a great source of magnesium, manganese, and zinc, which aid in maintaining healthy hormones, bodily functions, and immune health.
Blueberries are chockfull of antioxidants that boost the immune system.
Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids in highly biologically available forms of EPA and DHA.

Our nutrient blend is made up of: Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Dried Seaweed Meal, Sodium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Oxide, Selenium Amino Acid Chelate, Cholecalciferol, Riboflavin.

Ingredients List

Makes approximately 13 lbs*

Note: As with any dog food recipe, it is essential that it is complete and balanced. This recipe is nothing without the DIY Nutrient Blend, which is formulated specifically for each recipe to meet AAFCO recommendations. The blend is compounded from 100% human-grade nutraceuticals regulated by the FDA. As such, it is vital that you follow this recipe exactly as it is written.

Lamb & Brown Rice Dog Food Serving Size

Lamb & Brown Rice For Dogs Vet Approved Recipe: Home Cooking Instructions

PREPARATION

Lets meal prep! Wash all fruits and veggies thoroughly. Use fresh vegetables whenever possible, but if one or two items are purchased frozen (may add as is), make sure there are no added ingredients such as salt or sugar.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a nonstick skillet, brown lamb and lamb liver over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add cauliflower, carrots, spinach, and blueberries while lamb is slightly pink. Continue to cook until lamb is fully cooked and vegetables are soft. Do not drain. Let the mixture cool until it is warm to the touch.

2. Cook brown rice according to package directions. Let cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, including the safflower and Omega Plus oils. Slowly sprinkle in DIY Nutrient Blend until fully incorporated.

4. Portion into individual serving sizes and store in freezer or refrigerator. Stored in the refrigerator, this recipe will stay fresh for up to 4 days. In the freezer, it can be stored for up to 3 months.

Approximate cook time: 40 mins

Conclusion

We hope you and your dog enjoy this homemade ground lamb and rice pet food recipe. By choosing to cook for your dog instead of feeding them kibble, you can provide them with a high-quality, wholesome, and customized diet at any life stage.

This lamb and brown rice recipe offer a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables, ensuring that your pet receives the nutrients they need for optimal health.

Remember to consult with your veterinarian before making any changes to your dogs diet, and feel free to explore our blog for more nutritious human-grade recipes.

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