21 Easy Homemade Pet Food and Treat Recipes

By Allrecipes Editors

Updated October 12, 2020

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Make your own nutritious dog and cat food and treats from ingredients you trust. Get ready, tails will wag! And furry friends will purr with pleasure. Of course, before making serious changes to your animal's diet, talk to your pet's veterinarian. In general, dog food should comprise 1/3 protein (from meat, eggs, or dairy products) and 2/3 grains and vegetables. Cats are pure carnivores, and therefore require more protein than dogs. Cat foods should be at least half meat, eggs, or dairy products and half grains and vegetables.

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Liver Lickers Dog Treats

Credit: mauigirl

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These nutritious treats treats are made with liver baby food, an egg, powdered milk, and wheat germ. Store them in airtight containers.

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Lucky and Rippy's Favorite Dog Food

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"This recipe has been reviewed by my vet and approved," says LUVSNOW17, the recipe submitter. This is a great healthy recipe for dogs and can be cut in half for smaller dogs. Combined with a kibble this recipe lasts about 4-5 days for 2 large Golden retrievers. Be sure that your vegetable mix contains no garlic or onions!"

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Homemade Dog Food

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This healthy homemade dog food combines ground turkey, brown rice, and vegetables. Serve it straight up or add a little to your dog's kibble.

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Lucy's Recuperation Food

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"I have a golden retriever that eats everything! She often gets into things she is not supposed to," says Trisha Brummer, the recipe submitter. "When she does, it makes her sick, so I feed her this for a couple of days, until her stomach settles. It is easy on the stomach, but nutritious and filling. If ever your pet is feeling a little under the weather, I recommend this."

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Super Simple Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Credit: Wyattdogster

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Dogs go wild for these homemade treats. And dog owners can rest easy knowing exactly what's in them. Sweet potato, whole wheat flour, eggs, and unsweetened applesauce.

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Peanut Butter Banana Dog Biscuits

Credit: Gail

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These simple dog treats only call for seven ingredients! Make these biscuits when you want a special treat for your dog, they’ll love the peanut butter flavor. Stir together the ingredients, roll out the dough, and cut them into cute shapes using cookie cutters.

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Kitty Tuna Dreams

Credit: ApprenticeCook

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Cats crave these tasty homemade cat treats starring canned tuna fish. With no artificial flavors, additives, or other funny stuff in them, they're just real food for your furry feline friends.

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Kitty Kisses Cat Treats

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The secret ingredient here is catnip! "A special treat for the special feline friend in your life," says Kerrie, the recipe submitter. "These little kisses will surely make them happy."

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Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Credit: sanzoe

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These dog treats call for canned pumpkin, peanut butter, cinnamon, and whole wheat flour. VeggieBalls says: "My two persinicky pooches are pleasantly pleased! 4 paws up from Percy & The Boop This recipe required no added water...super easy!"

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Diabetic Dog Treats

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"If you have a diabetic dog like we do, then you know it is hard to find a treat that will do no harm," says BARB MAXWELL. "This is one of those treats. It is easy to fix, and even dogs without diabetes will enjoy them."

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Doggie Biscuits I

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Peanut butter, eggs, flour, cornmeal, and rolled oats combine with a little of vanilla to create an irresistible baked dog biscuit. Bone appétit! "These are our dog's favorite treats!" says Dani. "If your dog has a corn allergy, you can substitute additional flour or oats for the cornmeal. Bone appetit!"

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Poochie Meat Cakes

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"I have 4 dogs, ranging from 5 yrs - 17 yrs old (Terriers of all sizes)," says Shelly H. "After the big dog food scare, I didn't want to take chances so I tried to figure out a healthy recipe for them, something that had all the nutrients and fat they needed. This is what I came up with and my dogs absolutely loved it! The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be eaten by the humans as well."

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Pup-Cakes

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These cupcake treats are perfect for dogs with food allergies. "Warning: they don't look pretty, but Fido will love them!" says Mrs. K. "They freeze well, and you can zap them in the microwave for a nice, occasional dog snack."

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Doggy Meatloaf with Vegetables

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Here's a simple and nutritious recipe to use as a substitute for canned dog food with ground beef, veggies, rolled oats, tomato paste, and wheat germ. "My dog really loves this," says Christina. "I started cooking all his food, except for the kibble. I feel a lot better about what kind of care he is getting now."

Check out our collection of Pet Food Recipes.

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Dog Treats

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"Cut-out dog biscuits with rolled oats, cornmeal, beef bouillon, and Cheddar cheese," says DOUGHMAMA. "You can change the flavor of these by substituting chicken bouillon for the beef."

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Billy's Fro-Yo Doggy Treats

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Great for cooling down after a hot walk, these frozen yogurt bites keep well in the freezer for when your dog deserves a special treat. "OK, I know these probably sound like a very 2007, Southern California thing, but dogs don't care what's cool and what's not," says Witandvinegar. "They just want to eat everything they see. My dogs love these."

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Brie's Turkey and Cranberry Dog Bones

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Great for holiday snacking, these treats include seasonal favorites like turkey and cranberries. "My dogs love these," says CookinBug. "I also packaged them up for the holidays to give away and got lots of rave reviews from other dog owners."

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Birthday Bones

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Four ingredients are all you need for these simple dog treats. The dough holds its shape, making it great for using cute cookie cutters on. Tami says, "Use doggie type cookie cutters, like bones or fire hydrants."

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Pet Cookies

Credit: Nancy Roy

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Both cats and dogs will enjoy these simple cookies. Best part? All you need are two ingredients: wheat germ and chicken baby food, plus a splash of water.

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Bacon-Flavored Dog Biscuits

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You can never go wrong with bacon. "These are great and my dogs love them," says Kai.

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Sweet Potato Bird Balls

Credit: Melissa Goff

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We didn't forget about our feathered friends! Sweet potato and fruits combine into these tiny treats. If you don't have a pet bird, these can also be shared with neighborhood birds,

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Ingredients to Avoid

Chocolate
Any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol
Grapes and raisins
Macadamia nuts and walnuts
Moldy foods
Mushrooms
Mustard seeds
Onions and onion powder
Garlic (raw, cooked, and powdered)
Yeast dough
And of course items like coffee grounds, tea, and alcohol should be kept away from pets.
For more information, please consult these websites:

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By Allrecipes Editors