Homemade Food for Diabetic Dogs: Finding the Right Balance
Hi guys, so today I was going to do something a little bit different because Nyx is obviously diabetic. I have been racking the internet to try and find good, nutritious diets that I can either cook well, I need to cook it or that I can cook for him, that make him feel full because he has to go 12 hours between insulin shots. I found that he struggles and has actually started to beg, which he doesn’t normally do when we start eating. Going 12 hours for a dog without food is probably quite hard, and that’s why preparing Homemade Food for Diabetic Dogs becomes so important.
Trying Out Recipes at Home
I found a few recipes and we’ve tried them over the last couple of weeks. He has enjoyed them, and he isn’t begging as much. That has been a big relief because it shows that these meals are helping him feel full while still being safe for his diabetes.
Homemade Food for Diabetic Dogs – Step-by-Step Recipe
Ingredients Overview
So what I’m going to do is I’m going to show you exactly what goes into this recipe and how you can make it at home for your dogs. It’s really, really simple. All you need is a slow cooker, and I’m gonna go through the ingredients one by one.
Lentils for Diabetic Dogs
Lentils, red lentils, really low on the glycemic index, I do half a month [Music] um half a mug of those in there.
Brown Rice for Diabetic Dogs
brown rice, again, is really low on the glycemic index and will not spike your dog’s sugar levels, and rice is found in lots of dog foods as it’s a filler, it makes your dogs feel full, that’s half a cup of those half a cup is obviously a sort of American way of doing uh ingredients. Or recipe terms, so I’m just using a large mug, and it happens to be split in about half, so I am just going up to this point here with my half a mug recipe ingredients, that is your rice, and in it goes.
Orange Vegetables
okay so next on the list is a whole bunch of orange vegetables orange vegetables are great for eye health and as any diabetic dog owner may or may not know eyes tend to suffer when it comes to diabetes if their insulin levels are not kept steady and and they can ultimately become blind because of if the dog’s levels are not kept steady so we have sweet potato and further down we have carrots so that’s a nice liter jug half and half split and those are going straight in.
Fruits for Diabetic Dogs
so next we have a freezer bag full of chopped up apples apples are really good for your dog’s health and it is just great to throw in there all in there on the lower end of the glycemic index so you can get away with apples and as you’re cooking them obviously these sugars are going to go into the entire pot so it’s not having a as strong a kick as if they ate an entire apple or a section of an apple if you gave it to them raw so having the apple cooked and within an entire meal is going to be that much better for them.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
next on the veggie list we have broccoli and cauliflower both of these are again really healthy great digestive aids and again really low on the glycemic index so obviously the more you can shove in there the more the dog’s going to be eating the more nutrients they’re going to be getting and the fuller they were going to feel which means they’re going to last between those 12 hours in that goes cool so that’s looking really nice so all i’m going to do is i’m going to top up the slow cooker with a bit of water and then i’ll give it a little bit of a mix around.
Adding Meat for Protein
well what’s left to do is add some meat and the meat of choice today is going to be lung we have a nice load of lung here so i’m going to shove all of that in and then obviously that’s going to cook down and be part of the stock and be part of the vegetables and there’s not a lot of calories in lung so you can get away with giving them lung as well as other meat as well.
Garlic in Homemade Dog Food
now a con controversial ingredient that goes into this is garlic dogs can’t have garlic if it’s in high quantities but in low quantities is actually really good for their digestion and garlic soaks up all the extra sugars in the digestive tract so having garlic in small amounts and you will notice garlic in the higher end dog foods is actually beneficial to have in a diabetic dog food so i have two cloves here chopped up roughly and they’re going in there so so with the lung i’m just roughly chopping it up into little sections and then shoving it in the pot.
Optional Addition: Raw Fish
Okay, so that is his dinner. So again, what I may do is I’ll give him that, and I’ll put a raw fish on top of it for him as well, because raw fish is obviously good for Reese’s joints. After all, he gets the omegas from it, and is low on the glycemic index so that he can have that as well.
Affordable Ingredient Options
so in terms of what i’m giving him it is pretty much these cheap bags they’re like 60 70p a bag you can get everything that i pretty much just put in there apart from the sweet potato in these bags just to make it even easier for you they come in a few varieties and you can even get ones with peppers in them which are really good you can put peppers in your dog’s food.
Cooking Process for Homemade Food for Diabetic Dogs
so now all that’s left to do now all that’s left to do is to put some water in it to sort of fill it up to the point where it’s gonna sort of start cooking everything nicely and then leave it on for a few hours super shut the lid and we’re good to go do done so what we’ll do is we’ll come back in a few hours and check on it um it normally takes about three to four hours to cook fully to make sure everything’s done and cooked all the way through and um so it is half 12 now so it’ll be done by about a half full done five o’clock so um he has dinner at eight o’clock so just to make sure we’ll probably leave it until about six and uh we’ll get him out some ready for dinner at 8.
Final Cooking Result of Homemade Food for Diabetic Dogs
So it is 20 plus 5, so this has had plenty long enough, and it smells really good, it’s almost done, something you want to try, but I know it’s not a long problem.
How the Food Looks After Cooking
Okay, I’ll just give you a look at what it looks like, and then you get a nice big lump of this so much goodness in that.
Serving the Homemade Diabetic Dog Meal
So Nyx has his dinner at about half seven, eight o’clock, so I’m gonna give him a nice bunch of this with some juice, make sure he gets a bit of everything excellent, and then I’ll make sure that it’s nice and cool before he eats it later.
Nutritional Benefits of This Meal
but that is cooked yummy good salted that is a diabetic meal for a diabetic dog everything in there is on the low on the low end of the glycemic index and is not going to spike your sugars it’s also extremely healthy so much veg has gone into that and all of them are great for digestive health eye health just health in general and that is what you want when you know that your dog is struggling health-wise.
FAQs on Homemade Food for Diabetic Dogs
1. What is the best homemade food for diabetic dogs?
The best homemade food for diabetic dogs includes lean proteins like chicken or turkey, fiber-rich vegetables such as green beans and broccoli, and complex carbs like brown rice or oats. These ingredients help regulate blood sugar levels.
2. Can I feed my dog rice if he has diabetes?
Yes, but only in moderation. Brown rice is a better option for diabetic dogs than white rice, as it has more fiber and a lower glycemic index. Always balance rice with protein and vegetables.
3. Is homemade food better than commercial diabetic dog food?
Homemade food for diabetic dogs can be healthier if prepared correctly, since you control the ingredients. However, always consult a vet to ensure the diet meets your dog’s nutritional needs.
4. Which foods should be avoided in diabetic dog diets?
Avoid foods high in sugar, simple carbs, or unhealthy fats. Never give diabetic dogs bread, sugary treats, corn syrup, or processed foods, as they spike blood sugar.
5. How often should I feed a diabetic dog homemade meals?
Most diabetic dogs do well with two balanced homemade meals a day, given 12 hours apart. Feeding should be consistent and paired with insulin timing (as advised by your vet).
6. Can vegetables be included in homemade food for diabetic dogs?
Yes, non-starchy vegetables like spinach, green beans, carrots, and zucchini are excellent for diabetic dogs. They add fiber and support stable blood sugar levels.
7. Should I consult a vet before switching to homemade food for my diabetic dog?
Absolutely. Every dog’s needs are different, and your vet can help create the right homemade food plan to keep your diabetic dog healthy and safe.
