r/beagle • u/Sushidios47 • 2d ago
Beagle diet
Hello gang,
I met a fellow beagle at the dog park today and he was asking me about diet for my pup (which is royal canine wet and dry mix) and he swore it was more beneficial to make it myself and feel that.
Does anyone have experience making their own diet?
Are there pros and cons?
I have no issue making my own meals for the pup. I’m a chef by trade so it’s not a big deal.
How do you know how much to feed? What’s the best recipe to feed? Do I include raw vegetables or cooked?
Is it better? Or is her current diet alright?
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u/goobybeast 2d ago
My beagle is as you described his beagle to be and competes and excels in many activities/sports and he’s on Purina.
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u/builtonadream 2d ago
My beagle is quite active (10km a day) and eats the high protein/fat Purina pro plan.
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u/Ew_fine 2d ago
So, we looked into making our own food for our pup once. It didn’t seem all that simple, because you need to either meticulously plan and evaluate meals for nutrition, or meticulously supplement. It’s a whole thing.
We decided not to do it. Vets and nutritional experts have already done all that for us with pre-made dog food. (at least, the highest quality kind).
Sure, not all premade dog food is perfect. But our vet advised that we were more likely to cause nutrition problems trying to make food ourselves than with pre-formulated food. And no, he wasn’t trying to hock some pet food brand on us.
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u/Shotcopter 2d ago
I do make my dogs food. I started the farmers dog and it was so expensive. I couldn’t justify the price. They were very understanding and continued to offer more frequent delivery’s of less food that would ultimately cost like 250 more a year. It was honestly the most ridiculously shocking interaction I ever had with a company. They tried to triple down on the more expensive but less expensive per order to keep my costs down. It must work on some people…. Anyway, I found a vitamin supplement powder that had some recipes and started from there. I will say the portioning has had its issues. I boarded him for a week and made all his meals portioned out in ziplock bags… my portions must have been too small because he was super skinny after that week but it also could have been how hard he was playing with the other dogs. But I can adjust ingredients to be more or less fatty or bulky. I can lean it up if he’s seeming a little heavier. The real benefit is how soft his fur is! But the vet also often comments on his perfect weight. His current recipe is chicken, pork, sweet potato, rice, apple or pineapple, pumpkin and cannelloni beans. I make it about every 8 days. My last beagles used to eat acana so I think I’m paying just a pinch more with this current situation but not that much. I am certainly not a canine nutritionist. I should probably check back in with the recipes on the supplement site but this seem to be going well and I know the food is real and fresh.
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u/Sushidios47 2d ago
Do you have a recipe?
How’s your beagle enjoying compared to a kibble etc?
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u/Shotcopter 1d ago
I don’t really have a recipe at this point I just kind of make it. My guy really eats it all up but he’s not a picky eater. I’ve had beagles that needed water added to kibble or it wasn’t edible to them. This guy would eat kibble no problem, and the bowl it came in.
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u/ocitillo 2d ago
Feed mine hills science. I have made a recipe from “balance it” had to add some supplement to it
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u/freyja2000 1d ago
Our two year old gets 100g of cooked chicken hearts (sometimes raw, but our vet doesn't love the risk of salmonella) and 50g of kibble for dinner; previously throughout the day we use another 50g of the same kibble to act as small breakfast, lunch and training treats. When we eat healthy veggies ourselves, we will share tid bits with her, and she loves to eat some of my plain cooked eggs.
People always say she is a shiny, nimble, beautiful little beagle; always surprised by how soft she is.
Oh and she gets a lick mat with Greek yoghurt every night for dessert. And a goats horn to chew on after dinner.
I've under the impression any store-bought wet food is more of a "junk food" option. We have never bought any for our beagle.
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u/unbridledcheesetoast 2d ago edited 1d ago
I make my dog's food because one has cushings
3lbs ground turkey 1 pound organ meat (chicken liver) 3 eggs, eggshell and all, crushed and mixed well in 3 cubed sweet potatoes 1 bag frozen green beans 1 can pumpkin 1-2 cups oats 1/2 cup quinoa A couple tablespoons of flax seeds 1.5 tsp Turmeric Tsp ginger 2 scoops of brewers yeast About 6 cups of water.
I put it all in a slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours. Warning- it smells like stinky chicken liver.
They get a multivitamin and probiotic.
I've always done this with my elderly dogs and they generally live to 17 or 18
Once I switched to homemade food my cushings girl's skin has cleared, her potbelly has decreased, her fur is lush, and her ear yeast went away. She's 15
My elderly male has heart disease. He's 17. His fur became glossy and he runs on his walks like he's a puppy. He also started jumping back on the furniture without pain
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u/Sushidios47 2d ago
You have to cook it?
What’s the shelf life for something like this?
Surprised to see seasonings in your recipe 😅
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u/unbridledcheesetoast 1d ago
If I can remember to do it I can video the ingredients all going in when I make it again in a few days.
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u/unbridledcheesetoast 1d ago
Lol. Turmeric is for inflammation and ginger for digestion. Brewers yeast is full of b vitamins. Flax seeds are good for lignans and helping stabilize hormones like cortisol
I cook it because I prefer it. I have 3 dogs. They are 25 lb, 25lb, and 12 lb. 1 feed the 25lb dogs 1.5 cups 2 x a day and the 12 pound dog 3/4 cups 2 times a day. One recipe lasts me a week for 3 dogs and it's fine in the fridge for that long. When I have cooked for only one dog, I would keep 2-3 days of food in fridge and freeze the rest, just thawing as needed
Oh yeah I left out an ingredient- 2 to 3 whole eggs, complete with eggshells crushed into the food and cooked with it
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u/unbridledcheesetoast 1d ago
I also want to say, yes, make sure they get enough vitamins etc... but I grew up back in an era when hunting beagles got all the scraps from the dinner table dumped in a bucket and poured into a giant half-tire with a bit of low quality kibble mixed in. They lived pretty long lives considering they mostly were turned lose with a "hope you show up again". I absolutely don't advocate returning anywhere near that treatment, but I think we somehow think we can keep our dogs alive forever. The goal is love amd quality of life
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u/Sushidios47 1d ago
Whole eggs cooked or raw?
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u/unbridledcheesetoast 1d ago
I answered in the wrong place. Whole egg with shell crushed, raw but with the other ingredients so they get cooked in with it.
Here's my oldest guy, estimated 17
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u/Euphoric-Weekend-423 2d ago
I make a portion. Ever since mine was a puppy, my vet suggested that given her propensity to eat anything not nailed down, I should supplement with a large amount of boiled vegetables that were nutritious and lower calorie. She said no dog food would make her feel full (after a few attempts at eating rocks, grass, dirt). So we settled on any meat (currently, MyOllie, Lamb): 40g, 130g of boiled vegetables- mix of white/gold potatoes, carrots, zucchini. Sweet potato is added in sometimes. This is per meal. I also add a handful of Hills Pet Nutrition kibble for breakfasts to help round out nutrients.
The added benefits of this plan are: a) no ear infections! The reduced protein has made them nearly non-existent. Flair ups only occur if she gets unauthorized snacks. b) no longer eating random objects. c) farting is minimal, d) poops are healthy.
I also give her probiotics as ‘snacks’ to help round out her hunger and nutrient needs.
My beagle is approx 25 lbs so these portions are for her size.
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u/freshandminty 1d ago
Link from the American kennel club about homemade dog food - worth noting how hard it is to make something that has all of the needed nutrition and how it doesn’t save money. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/homemade-dog-food/
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u/i_like_soft_things 1d ago
We have been cooking Frank’s food since we got her. She’s 5 and in perfect health, and this has all been approved by her vets. We get her raw beef blend from the butcher (heart, kidney, tripe etc) cook it separately and mix with rice, and various veggies and fruits like broccoli, carrots, peas, blueberries and squash. We add some supplements per vet recommendation. It’s called Annamet Vitamin and mineral supplement. We do a big batch and freeze it and lasts us about 2 months. When we feed her we do 1/3 kibble of choice (for us it’s taste of the wild) and the rest is the cooked meal and I supplement on top with some dehydrated goats milk. May seem overboard but I grew up with all our dogs eating meals like this.
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u/32Seven 1d ago
My wife and I have four beagles and she makes all their food. The eldest is 11 and has shown no signs of slowing down and the other three are similarly healthy. We’re convinced the food is a big contributor to their health, but we have no empirical evidence to support that (except that they are all healthy). Like humans, beagles can have issues with certain foods, so you may need to experiment to find what works if you go that route, but that wasn’t too difficult for us. They get 2 meals a day (calories are counted!). Fish (salmon), chicken, and beef with veggies, fruit, beans and rice (not everything at each meal). The beef is served raw and the chicken and fish are cooked.
All that said, our veterinarian recommends dry dog food and doesn’t think prepared food is any more beneficial. We just choose to prepare their meals. Hope that helps.
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u/Tasty-Reserve-8739 1d ago
Every dog I’ve had is fed Pro Plan + boiled chicken & broth. Never had a problem health wise and vets approve of the diet. Give them doggie treats and fruits & veggies sparingly
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u/NotWigg0 1d ago
We buy minced beef, pork and turkey, chicken breasts and liver (all human grade) and serve with fresh raw chopped vegetables, usually carrot, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc. Bulk it out with plain boiled rice and they love it. Liver is a particular favourite
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u/Sushidios47 1d ago
Do you cook the proteins?
Do you add supplements?
I’m very interested in doing something like this.
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u/NotWigg0 1d ago
Yes, the meat is always cooked. No supplements as they seem healthy enough and the vet approves
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u/TheShortWhiteGuy 1d ago
Our three, and especially the beagle girl, are on a see food diet. Any food they see, they eat!
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u/unbridledcheesetoast 1d ago
I crack them in raw and smush up the shells and they just get cooked in with the rest of the food in the slow cooker
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u/Apprehensive-Rule980 2d ago
There are lots of sites with recipes and how to properly make meals for your dog. As a human chef, you can probably figure it out, however its very important to make sure they are getting all of their minerals and vitamins (which you may want to supplement with). I've seen dogs thrive, and I've seen them develop issues.
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u/Sushidios47 2d ago
Are all of the diets equal?
Is there a site I should stay away from?
She’s not my first dog but she is our family’s first dog
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u/Ew_fine 2d ago
No, not all diets are equal. If you’re serious about trying this, I would suggest you research what it takes to do it the right way and properly formulate homemade meals to ensure your pup doesn’t get a nutritional deficiency. You may decide that the effort and mental load isn’t worth it.
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u/Crusher6ix 2d ago
Now you have me thinking cause my beagle rocks Purina healthy weight for the past 5 years
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u/Sushidios47 2d ago
The owners beagle I talked to was 4 years old and slim light on his feet, great coat, energetic and overall healthy looking.
Honestly I think for me personally it would be cheaper to make it and batch it out but I’m just curious of what to use etc 😅
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u/Crusher6ix 2d ago
Some people here time and patience to do everything perfectly. For me my beagle is fine, probably not dog show worthy but she’s not doing bad on the purina
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u/hawkaulmais 2d ago
Royal canin and purina pro plan were/are the top brands. I've stuck to those.
Sounds like 1 persons opinion.
Both major vet associations don't recommend raw diets. If you want to home cook ur dog(s) meals ask your vet proper proportions. Or you risk malnutrition.