Homemade puppy food: chicken, rice and egg
Chicken, rice and egg for puppies, with peas, carrot and measured calcium. Exact grams, meals by age and how to cook the egg safely for him.
- Time
- 40 min + 10 min resting
- Makes
- About 1.3 kg / 2.9 lb (2 days for a 10 kg / 22 lb puppy)
- Type
- Main meal
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 41 % boneless, skinless chicken thigh
- 33 % white rice
- 10 % egg
- 8 % carrot
Follows THE RULE. All 7 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
Chicken, rice and egg for puppies is the growing-up version of the best-known homemade dog meal: boiled chicken thigh, white rice, three eggs, peas and carrot, with ground eggshell to balance the calcium. The egg raises the protein and fat by just the amount a puppy needs compared with an adult, and almost every puppy takes to it from the first meal.
The thighs are boiled whole in water and then cut with a knife into chickpea-sized cubes, or smaller for a toy breed. The hard-boiled eggs, chopped, are spread through all the rice and turn it yellow, so the puppy cannot pick anything out: it is a meal to eat by the spoonful, with no pieces to sort through.
Why it works
Chicken thigh provides quality protein with a little more fat and iron than breast, and cooked egg adds one of the most complete proteins there is, plus choline and B vitamins. White rice is very easily digested energy for a gut that is still maturing, and peas and carrot add gentle fiber, potassium and beta-carotene. Eggshell keeps the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio within range, and salmon oil provides DHA, an omega-3 involved in the development of the brain and eyesight.
Talk to your vet first. This recipe does not, on its own, cover the calcium, phosphorus and some of the vitamins a growing puppy needs. As his only diet it needs the growth supplement your vet prescribes, especially for large and giant breeds, where a calcium imbalance affects bones and joints. Do not add more eggshell by eye and, without the supplement, use it as part of his daily food, not all of it.
Step by step
Boil the chicken
Put the thighs in a pot, cover them with 1 liter (about 4 cups) of unsalted water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until, when you cut the thickest one, there is no pink left near the center. Save the cooking water.
Cook the rice with the vegetables
Strain the chicken water and skim off the fat on top. Cook the rice with the grated carrot in 500 ml (2 cups) of that broth until the grains are very tender; add the peas for the last 5 minutes.
Boil the eggs
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes from when the water comes to a boil, cool them under the tap and peel them. Keep the shells if you are going to use them for the calcium in another batch.
Chop everything to size
Cut the chicken into 1 cm (⅓ inch) cubes (½ cm / ¼ inch, or shredded, for a small breed) and chop the eggs with a fork. If the peas are still whole and your puppy is small, mash them a little.
Mix in the calcium
Combine the chicken, the rice and vegetables and the egg, and sprinkle in the eggshell while you stir until you cannot see any clumps of white specks.
Cool and divide into meals
Let it come down to room temperature, divide the day's portion into the number of meals he needs for his age and add the salmon oil to each one just before serving.
How much should I feed?
Approximate daily portion for a "puppy (4-12 months)" profile. Split it into two meals (three or four for puppies).
— g a day
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grams/day | 240 | 350 | 590 | 800 | 995 | 1,350 | 1,675 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 133 kcal/100 g
- Protein
- 40 % dry matter
- Fat
- 13 % dry matter
- Calcium:phosphorus
- 1.4 : 1
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). An everyday meal. To feed it daily as the only food, add a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets.
Storage
Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 2 months, in single-meal portions (a large silicone ice cube tray works well for small puppies). Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it while stirring; if you use the microwave, stir well so there are no very hot spots.
If you don't have…
- You only have chicken breast
- Skinless chicken breast in the same amount, plus 5 g (1 teaspoon) olive oil when mixing, to make up for the fat
- Your puppy does not tolerate chicken
- Turkey breast in the same amount, cooked the same way
- You do not have peas
- Grated zucchini or chopped green beans, in the same amount
Cooking tips
- Make a double batch and freeze it in single-meal portions: with 3 or 4 meals a day, having the week sorted saves a lot of time.
- Always cook the egg all the way through: raw egg white reduces biotin absorption and can carry Salmonella.
- For this to be his only diet, he needs the growth supplement your vet prescribes, not an adult one. Without it, use this as part of his daily food, not all of it.
- Recalculate the portion every month with the chart on this page and keep an eye on his shape: you should be able to feel his ribs when you run your hand over them, without seeing them stick out.
Safety
- Chicken always well cooked and boneless: cooked bones splinter.
- Do not increase the eggshell beyond the amount given: in puppies, especially large breeds, too much calcium is as harmful as too little.
- Pick up whatever he has not eaten within 20 minutes and do not reheat the same portion twice.
Frequently asked questions
Can puppies eat eggs?
Yes, a puppy can eat eggs as long as they are fully cooked, with no salt or oil. Egg provides very complete protein, fat and choline. Start with a small amount, for example half a chopped egg in one meal, to check that he tolerates it. Raw egg is a no: raw egg white interferes with biotin absorption and can carry Salmonella.
How many eggs a week can a puppy eat?
It depends on his size: as a rough guide, a small puppy can have 2 or 3 eggs a week, and a medium or large one, one a day. This recipe uses 3 eggs per batch, spread over about two days for a 10 kg / 22 lb puppy, so there is no need to give him extra egg on the side.
Can puppies eat chicken and rice every day?
Plain chicken and rice, no: it lacks the calcium, vitamins and fatty acids needed to grow well. This recipe adds egg, vegetables, salmon oil and calcium, and with the growth supplement your vet prescribes it can be his daily food. Even so, it is a good idea to rotate it with other puppy recipes to vary the protein.
What part of the chicken is best for a puppy?
Boneless, skinless thigh is a very good choice: it has more iron, zinc and a little more fat than breast, and a puppy needs that extra energy. Breast works too if you add a little oil. What you should avoid is the skin, because of its excess fat, and any cooked bone.
What's in it, in detail
If they liked it, try
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.