If you were wondering “What can I feed my puppy instead of canned dog food?” we have got something juicy for you. Our meatballs for puppies are a homemade dog food recipe full of nutrients easy to make, and they freeze well. So if you’re super-busy like most of us, feel free to prepare a larger batch. Plus you will have the time of your life watching your little pup destroy those meatballs.
These meatballs are prepared in the same way as the ones for humans but they have slightly different ingredients. It is not a good idea to give your pup homemade food for humans because it contains ingredients that can be toxic, like onions.
Here are some tips for successful meatballs for puppies. We recommend baking them in the oven and not giving them fresh.
Tip No.1
Use safe ingredients for your homemade food for puppies in the right dog food quantities for your dog’s weight and age. I use goat milk in these meatballs for puppies recipe because it is safe for dogs. You might be tempted to substitute the goat milk for cow milk. This is not recommended because some puppies are lactose intolerant and using cow’s milk might bloat their belly. Goat milk on the other hand is 100% safe. Also the breadcrumbs should not be seasoned but plain.
Tip No.2
Create uniform meatballs that will cook evenly in the oven. Once you mix the entire batch place it on a waxed sheet and roll it into a 12’’ X 8’’ square. Then cut the mixture into 48 little squares. Take each square into the palms of your hands and roll them into a ball.
- 2 lb (900g) lean ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs such as Panko (plain)
- ½ cup goat milk
- 6 medium carrots (shredded finely)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 large eggs (or 3 medium)
Step 1.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) or gasmark 6. Line a 18×26 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray on top. Alternatively you can grease the paper with coconut oil or olive oil, both will work fine.
Step 2.
Wash and shred the carrots and whisk the eggs.
Step 3.
Mix all ingredients until you get a uniform mixture. Divide the mixture into 48 meatballs. If desired use Tip No.2 described in our introduction to create evenly-sized meatballs that will bake well.
Place the meatballs in the prepared baking pan making sure you leave 1’’ of space between them.
Step 4.
Bake the meatballs in the oven for 20 minutes. They should reach 160°F (70°C) inside when they’re done. If you don’t have a meat thermometer take one meatball out, cut it in half and make sure it is no longer pink inside.
Step 5.
Allow the meatballs to cool down for 15-20 minutes then feed them to your dog. 1 cup of meatballs (4 meatballs or 130 g) is good for a single serving of a 20 lb dog.
Step 6.
You can freeze this homemade dog food recipe, meatballs for puppies, by placing them in individual plastic containers with lids.
The best part about these meatballs is that you can use them as pill pockets after they’re baked. To do this successfully cut the pill into ¼ and place each quarter inside a single meatball. If your vet recommended only ¼ of the pill to be given to the puppy, simply stick it inside the meatball and you’re good to go. The pup will eat the pill like a champ!
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