Lately I have seen a rise in pet bakeries and pet owners taking more of an interest in what they feed their pet, even going to the extent of making their own pet’s food rather than using dry or canned. Why would you make your own pet food? Just like in a human’s diet we try to steer clear of too much processed and canned food and we often hear of these products being recalled due to contamination. You can’t just start feeding your pet homemade food though, you may notice when they steal scraps from the table, they have “gastrointestinal problems,” and that’s exactly what will happen if you jump right in with your homemade meals. Always consult your vet before giving your met homemade food and any of these recipes.

by kaexor on Flickr

Meat and Rice Stew (Dog) from Bark Bark I’m Hungry

• 2/3 cup of meat – turkey, liver, or hamburger are best
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1/2 of a small potato
• pinch of garlic powder
• 1/2 carrot
• 1 cup water

Cut the meat, potato, and carrot into small pieces. Combine with water and garlic powder in a pot. Turn on stove to high, bring to a boil then simmer. Cook the rice then stir it into the pot and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and strain out the juice but save a little. After it cools serve and add the little bit of juice back to it.

Bacon-Flavored Dog Treats from Recipes 4 Gourmet Dogs

• 5 cups whole wheat flour
• 10 TBS. bacon fat – melted
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cut water
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt

Mix well – drop from teaspoon onto ungreased non stick cookies sheet, and flatten with bottom of a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cat Nip Crackers from Cat-Recipes

• 3/4 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons of dried catnip
• 1/2 cup of yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the two flours and the catnip. Next, stir in the yogurt, egg, honey, and vegetable oil. Roll out the catnip dough onto a floured surface. Cut the dough into small dime-sized pieces. Find tiny cookie cutters in a specialty store to make the crackers more festive. (This recipe also makes a great gift for a cat lover and his/her cat!) Place the cut dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Catnip crackers should be fed as a treat and not as a meal. Store uneaten crackers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a week or frozen in the freezer for three months.

You can find local, all-natural pet treats at The Bark Avenue Boutique (Ardmore), Pupcakes (Philadelphia), and Esmerelda’s Dog Grubb (Philadelphia).