- 1 whole chicken (I also chop up the heart etc. and put that in) OR 10 chicken thighs. If using thighs, add a few chicken livers
- ¾ head of garlic (not one clove but a head)–( use 1 TBS. minced garlic)
- 1 handful of broccoli (cut up)–or ½ package frozen
- 4 carrots (cut up)–or ½ bag frozen, sliced
- 2 whole zucchini (cut up with skin on)
- 1 whole yellow squash (large, cut up with skin on)
- handful of green beans, fresh, (OR ½ bag frozen)
- 3 stalks of celery (chopped)
- 1 handful of peas (or canned or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 2 cups of oatmeal (put in the last ½ hour cooking time)
In a 10 qt stock pot (stainless steel ONLY) put 2-3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil, heat and add the chicken, bones, skin and all. Fill pot with water to cover chicken. Add veggies and more water to cover. Cook over low to low-med heat for 2 hours. Add oats at the end or they tend to stick. After the stew has finished cooking (carrots are soft), take the chicken out of the mix and let cool…when cool debone it and mix it back into the stew. I then use an electric mixer thing to mush all of it together.
Freeze what you don’t need immediately after it has cooled. (One batch makes about 30-34 cups of stew)
You will notice an improved dog. More energy, better coat, skin, ears and most of all, you will see them acting like a puppy again. Breakfast and dinner will be a fun event.
Our dogs actually watch us making this and their little noses twitch in delight all day long.
As a side note, if your dog doesn’t do well on chicken, you can substitute a different protein source. For instance, beef cubes or ground beef, turkey or ground turkey, etc.
If you compare the price of homecooked to store bought, this is by far a more reasonable way to go.
We also use some raw foods in the dogs diet.
It is recommended that you also use supplements and vitamins when home cooking. Some suggest ¼ of a centrum vitamin. Some use Missing Link. We usually mix this in with their Evo Kibble or Merrick kibble.