It is incredibly heartbreaking when your dog has a sick stomach, and you will want to do whatever you can to help.
Hamburger and rice for dogs has been a tried-and-true method as a home remedy for years. Yet does it really work?
Making food for your dog is not an unusual idea. It is a way to know exactly what your dog is eating.
We have broken down everything that you need to know about making hamburger and rice as well as other home remedies that you can safely make for your dog to keep him happy and healthy.
Eating Hamburger And Rice When Sick
When your pup is not feeling as well as he should, he will not likely be eating as he normally would eat.
While humans opt for chicken noodle soup when unwell, hamburger and rice is the way to go for dogs.
Of course, your first line of defense should be to see the vet and make sure there isn’t anything more serious going on.
A vet will be able to confirm whether the hamburger and rice diet is a good option for you pup.
When you have been given the all-clear, don’t be surprised if your dog is still not super excited about eating.
It is hard to be hungry, especially if your dog has diarrhea. Regardless, your dog still needs to eat while he is recovering.
It normally is safe, because it is a bland diet. There is not much to hamburger and rice, so it is easy to digest, and it will not cause further stomach upset, but instead can give him essential calories until he is feeling well enough to go back to his regular food.
You will not want to upset your dog’s stomach any more than it already is, so be careful and follow your vet’s guidance.
If you are ready to try the diet out on your dog, you will need to start with a small amount. Just take a sample and see if your dog is willing to eat it.
That way, you will not waste a whole lot of food if your dog decides that he is certainly not going to be trying it. Never force-feed your dog. When he is ready to eat, he will eat.
Even bland, most dogs are very happy to gobble up the hamburger, so this bland option should still be a winner for your pup.
You can add the dry dog food back into the diet when you see your dog’s stools start to firm up, but that doesn’t mean that you have to cut out the homemade food altogether.
Is It Healthy To Make Your Own Dog Food?
Before we discuss anything else, let’s cover the question of whether it is safe and healthy to give your dog homemade dog food.
The simple answer is that yes, you can feed your dog homemade food as long as it is cooked properly.
The amount of homemade food that you give your dog depends on the amount that your dog weighs. Typically, you should only feed your dog about 2 to 3 percent of your dog’s body weight daily.
The other thought is that your dog still needs a balanced diet that is more than just meat.
Dogs also need calcium, omega fatty acids, and even carbohydrates. A balanced diet can ensure he is getting what he needs to stay as healthy as possible.
Can My Dog Eat Beef Every Day?
Dogs are naturally carnivores, so they definitely love having beef every day. It you are aiming to add hamburger or other cuts of beef to your dog’s diet, they cannot just at as much beef as possible.
A good ratio for this balance is to feed your dog 2 cups of dry dog food to every 1/3 cup of hamburger.
If you have a smaller dog, you should decrease the amount of both beef and dry dog food accordingly. You should not just freely feed your dog hamburger. It is not healthy.
Not all types of beef are the same, however. It is ideal to not get your dog the cheapest type of meat around. Remember that you get what you pay for.
A better cut of meat for your dog is to opt for lean beef chuck, or top round, eye of round, strip loin, flank, or bottom round.
All cuts of beef can be tossed into a food processor to be ground up to turn out as hamburger.
Going with a lean ground beef is full of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.
While many people do feed their dogs the ground beef raw, there is always the risk of bacteria and it is much safer to cook all of the meat before you give it to your dog.
Raw meat also only works if it is very fresh and comes from a really trustworthy source. Raw meat has a lot more bacteria than cooked does.
It is really for the best that you cook the meat and do not gamble with the hope that the food has been taken care of well enough to not make your dog sick.
Can My Dog Eat Rice Every Day?
On the flipside, since rice and hamburger for dogs are so often linked together, you may wonder if dogs can have too much rice.
As rice is a carbohydrate, a little bit is good for your dog. Carbs give you energy and are an essential competent to a balanced diet.
That said, it is possible to give your dog too much rice. While it is easy for a dog to digest, which is why it is recommended for stomach problems, too much rice can increase your dog’s blood sugar.
Rice by itself is not likely to cause diabetes, but if your dog is already prone to the disease or on the verge of having rice, an overconsumption of rice would send your dog over the limit.
Too much rice and carbohydrates in general can lead to obesity. As the body breaks them down, they convert to sugar.
Too much sugar will cause weight gain. It can be very difficult to get a dog to lose weight once he has become overweight, so it is best to not venture into that risk if you can avoid it.
Ways Of Cooking Hamburger And Rice For Dogs
You do have a couple of options as far as cooking hamburger and rice for dogs, so you can use the option that is best for you.
Boiling
Boiling hamburger for dogs tends to be the go-to method for most dog owners.
This is because it is simple to just put everything in a pot and let it go. It works to make the meat very soft and tender, which means it is much easier to digest for dogs with stomach issues.
This is also a nice method for dogs that have tooth or jaw issues, because it is much easier to chew.
Slow Cooker
Another option beyond boiling is to use a slow cooker. This is best if you need to set it up and just leave it. If you have a busy schedule, slow cookers are a really nice choice.
The meat from a slow cooker will also wind up being tender and easy to chew. And, you can also add the rice right into the pot and cook it all together at the same time.
Frying And Grilling
Pan frying the hamburger is an option for the meat, but it will not work well if you want to cook the hamburger and rice together. You can fry up the meat, but the rice will need to be cooked separately.
Grilling is the same option. You can definitely cook the meat using this method, but you definitely cannot cook rice on a grill and will need to still use a pot to get it all cooked.
Baking
Baking is the final option that you have to cook the meat. You can either just bake the beef this way, or you can actually turn the whole thing into a meatloaf that is safe and healthy for your dog.
How To Cook Hamburger And Rice For Dogs
It is really simple to cook hamburger and rice for dogs and there is not just one way to do it.
Recipe #1: Basic Dog Food Recipe
Step 1: To make a basic dog food, you will need to add 1 pound of ground beef to a big bowl. Then, add two cups of dog-safe vegetables that have been finely diced up. Dog-safe vegetables can be things like sweet potatoes, carrots, and broccoli. If your dog gets gas, however, you might want to skip the broccoli.
Step 2: Next, add organ meat to the mixture. Liver is usually the easiest organ meat to buy. Also, add a half of a cup of plain yogurt for good bacteria and protein.
Step 3: Grab a smaller bowl. In the bowl, crack three eggs and break up their shells. With both the eggs and shells together, beat it until it is well mixed before adding it into the hamburger mixture. Mix everything together.
Step 4: Even though this is a raw mixture, you can feed 2 to 3 cups of this food to your dog, but that depends on the size of your dog. Store any leftovers in your fridge.
Recipe #2: Mint Rice and Hamburger
Step 1: You will need a very large pot. Put 10 cups of water into the pot. Add 5 cups of uncooked rice (either brown or white). Bring the pot to a boil.
Step 2: Once boiling, add in 2 pounds of hamburger and 5 Tablespoons of mint. You can use either dried mint or fresh mint, if you grow it.
Mint is excellent for settling the stomach and it is a good means to help your dog’s breath. Bring the pot to a boil once again.
When you have achieved a rolling bow, reduce the temperature down to a simmer. Simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 3: After the liquid has been absorbed, take the pot off of the heat. Next, allow the pot to cool completely.
Do not serve this to you dog hot. Only give your dog as much as he can actually eat and put the remaining food in the fridge to store for several days.
Recipe #3: Regular Rice and Hamburger
Step 1: Put four cups of water into a large pot. Then, add in a half pound of ground beef and a half cup of uncooked white or brown rice. Brown rice is ideal, but white works too.
Step 2: Next, you need to select some safe-for-dogs vegetables and cut them up into small pieces.
Some good choices are broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes. You really only need half of a cup. Add them into the pot with the rice and meat.
Step 3: You will not need to boil the mixture. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the pot and boil it until everything is cooked all of the way through.
Step 4: Once the food is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
When it is cooled, you can drain off any excess liquid that might be keeping it a soup-like texture. You can store the food in the refrigerator, and it will keep for several days.
Recipe #4: Meatloaf for Dogs
Step 1: Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then, you will need to prepare the meatloaf for your dog.
The recipe can vary a bit, but you need ground beef, milk, eggs, eggshell, and whole wheat breadcrumbs. Combine the ingredients.
Step 2: Put the meatloaf into a lined casserole dish. You should make a loaf shape, so you can use the loaf pan as well.
Then, bake it for 20 to 30 minutes. You will know that it’s done by putting a butter knife into the loaf. It should come out dry. Remove it from the oven and let it cool.
Step 3: Cut up the meatloaf and measure it into the right portions. For dogs 15 pounds and under, feed 1 to 2 cups a day.
For pups between 15 and 30 pounds, you can feed as much as 4 cups a day. For 30-to-60-pound dogs, you can feed 6 to 7 cups.
For big dogs that are between 60 and 90 pounds, you can feed up to 8 cups, and, finally, dogs who are over 90 pounds can have 9 or more cups of food daily. It is not the same as dry dog food, so you cannot use the same measurements.
Can You Tell If Your Meat Is Spoiled?
If you are not normally a big person to cook beef or other meats, you might be wondering how you can determine whether the meat has been spoiled or not.
Spoilage can happen when you leave meat, rather raw or cooked, out on the counter at room temperature.
It is the perfect condition for bacteria to thrive within the meat, making it unsafe to consume, for both humans and dogs alike.
To avoid having the food spoil, you need to put the cooked meat into an airtight container and refrigerate it. That way, the beef’s bacteria will naturally die and nothing else will get a chance to grow.
For raw meat, keep it refrigerated until you cook it. Do not have it come to room temperature before you cook it.
If you are worried that the meat has gone bad, there are some signs that you can look for. The first is have there been any changes in color.
If the meat was one color when you bought it and has now changed, that might be a cause for concern. Brown spots are especially a bad sign.
Another clue that the meat is going bad is that there is a bad smell. Spoiled meat has a truly horrible smell that will turn your stomach. Do not even cook meat if it is raw and smells that bad.
Finally, if the meat seems to have gained a slimy texture, that is also a bad sign.
It is important to not eat meat that seems to be going bad. Food poisoning is bad of course, but it can be fatal, especially for your dogs.
