Most homemade dog food recipes on the internet were written for a 15 kg (33 lbs) Labrador.
Scale them up for a 70 kg (154 lbs) Mastiff and you get the portions right but probably the balance wrong. Giant breeds have specific nutritional requirements that differ from large breeds — different calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, different protein demands, different joint support needs — and most generic recipes don't account for any of that.
This post does.
Everything here is built around the specific needs of dogs over 45 kg (100 lbs). The recipes are practical, affordable, and based on nutritional principles that apply to giant breeds specifically. Before implementing any of them as a primary diet, talk to your vet — ideally one familiar with giant breed nutrition, or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.
What Giant Breeds Actually Need From Food
Before the recipes, the fundamentals. This is what makes giant breed nutrition different.
Protein: Adult giant breeds need high-quality animal protein — not plant-based protein, not protein from legumes or soy. The amino acid profile from animal sources supports muscle maintenance, organ function, and — critically — cardiac health. Aim for 25 to 30% of total calories from protein in adult giant breeds.
Taurine and L-Carnitine: These two amino acids are critical for heart health in large dogs. Taurine is found in high concentrations in animal muscle meat — particularly heart and dark poultry meat. L-Carnitine is concentrated in red meat. Any homemade diet for a giant breed should include these naturally through ingredient selection, and many vets recommend supplementing both regardless.
Calcium and Phosphorus: This is where giant breed nutrition diverges most sharply from generic dog nutrition. The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio matters significantly, particularly for puppies. Giant breed puppies fed excess calcium develop bone too fast — paradoxically increasing the risk of orthopedic disease. Adults need adequate but not excessive calcium. All recipes below are designed for adult giant breeds, not puppies.
Fat: Moderate fat from animal sources — not plant oils as a primary fat source. Fat supports coat, energy, and fat-soluble vitamin absorption, but high fat levels are associated with increased bloat risk.
Carbohydrates: Traditional grains — rice, oats, barley — are appropriate and well-tolerated by most dogs. They are not fillers. They provide accessible energy and support gut health. Avoid making legumes (lentils, chickpeas, peas) the primary carbohydrate source given their documented link to DCM in large breeds.
A Note on Portions
The recipes below include approximate quantities for a 65 to 70 kg (143 to 154 lbs) dog. Adjust proportionally for your dog's weight. Most giant breeds should eat approximately 2 to 2.5% of their ideal body weight in food per day, divided into at minimum two meals.
A 70 kg dog eating 2% of body weight needs approximately 1.4 kg (3 lbs) of food per day.
These are starting points. Monitor body condition — you should be able to feel ribs without pressing hard, and see a visible waist from above. Adjust up or down based on what you observe over several weeks.
Recipe 1: Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Base
The everyday recipe. Simple, digestible, complete with supplementation, and affordable enough to be a primary diet rotation.
Ingredients (daily portion for 70 kg dog):
- 500 g (17.6 oz) boneless chicken thighs, cooked
- 100 g (3.5 oz) chicken liver, cooked
- 300 g (10.5 oz) cooked white rice
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cooked sweet potato
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked green beans or courgette
- 1 tablespoon fish oil (salmon or sardine oil)
- 1 teaspoon ground eggshell or calcium supplement (per your vet's guidance)
Preparation:
Cook the chicken thighs and liver separately — boiled or baked, no seasoning, no onion, no garlic. Cook the rice plain. Steam or boil the vegetables until soft. Combine everything and allow to cool completely before serving. Divide into two meals.
Why chicken thighs: Dark meat contains significantly more taurine than white meat. The liver provides iron, B vitamins, and additional protein. Don't exceed 10% of the total diet as liver — it's nutritionally dense but high in vitamin A, which accumulates.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months.
Recipe 2: Beef and Oats with Heart
The cardiac support recipe. Beef heart is one of the most concentrated natural sources of taurine and L-carnitine available. It is also affordable — typically cheaper than muscle meat — and accepted enthusiastically by almost every dog.
Ingredients (daily portion for 70 kg dog):
- 400 g (14 oz) lean ground beef or beef chunks, cooked
- 200 g (7 oz) beef heart, cooked and chopped
- 300 g (10.5 oz) cooked rolled oats
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cooked carrots
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked pumpkin or butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon fish oil
- 1 teaspoon ground eggshell
Preparation:
Cook the ground beef and beef heart separately in a pan with no oil or seasoning. Cook oats plain with water. Steam the vegetables. Combine and cool completely before serving.
Why beef heart: Classified as a muscle meat nutritionally, not an organ, so it can be used in larger quantities than liver. It is one of the most bioavailable sources of taurine in any ingredient you can buy at a standard supermarket.
A note on oats: Oats are an excellent grain for giant breeds — easily digestible, moderate fiber, and they don't spike blood sugar the way some refined grains do. They're also a source of beta-glucan, which supports gut health.
Recipe 3: Salmon and Barley
The anti-inflammatory recipe. Fatty fish provides marine-source omega-3 fatty acids — EPA and DHA specifically — which have documented anti-inflammatory effects and support joint health. Plant-based omega-3s (from flaxseed oil, for example) are not equivalent — dogs convert them to EPA and DHA very inefficiently.
Ingredients (daily portion for 70 kg dog):
- 500 g (17.6 oz) salmon fillet, cooked (or canned salmon in water, drained)
- 300 g (10.5 oz) cooked pearl barley
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked spinach
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cooked peas (a small amount here is fine — the concern is legumes as a primary carbohydrate, not as a minor ingredient)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked broccoli
- 1 teaspoon ground eggshell
Preparation:
Bake or poach the salmon — no seasoning, no butter, no lemon. If using canned salmon, rinse and drain well. Cook barley until tender. Steam vegetables. Combine and cool.
Why barley: A traditional grain with a lower glycaemic index than white rice. Good for dogs that benefit from more sustained energy release, and it provides additional fiber to support gut transit — relevant for giant breeds where gut motility matters.
Note on fish frequency: Rotating this recipe once or twice per week alongside other protein sources is ideal. Fish is excellent nutrition but variety matters in homemade diets.
Recipe 4: Turkey and Sweet Potato
The gentle digestion recipe. Turkey is a lean, easily digestible protein that works particularly well for dogs with sensitive stomachs or during transitional periods between diets.
Ingredients (daily portion for 70 kg dog):
- 500 g (17.6 oz) ground turkey, cooked
- 100 g (3.5 oz) turkey liver, cooked
- 300 g (10.5 oz) cooked sweet potato
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cooked brown rice
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked courgette
- 1 tablespoon fish oil
- 1 teaspoon ground eggshell
Preparation:
Cook the turkey and liver separately in a pan with no oil or seasoning. Cook sweet potato — baked or boiled — and mash slightly to mix through the rest of the recipe. Cook brown rice plain. Steam the courgette. Combine and cool.
Why sweet potato: A good source of beta-carotene, B vitamins, and fiber. It has a naturally sweet taste that most dogs find palatable and supports gut health without the digestive issues that some dogs experience with legumes.
Brown vs white rice: Brown rice provides more fiber and nutrients but is slightly harder to digest. For most healthy adult giant breeds it's appropriate. For dogs with active digestive issues, white rice is more easily tolerated.
Recipe 5: Lamb and Vegetable Stew
The rotation recipe. Lamb provides excellent amino acid variety and is typically well tolerated by dogs that react to chicken or beef. It's also naturally higher in L-carnitine than poultry.
Ingredients (daily portion for 70 kg dog):
- 500 g (17.6 oz) lamb shoulder or leg, boneless, cooked and shredded
- 300 g (10.5 oz) cooked white rice
- 150 g (5.3 oz) cooked carrots
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked green beans
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked parsnip
- 1 tablespoon fish oil
- 1 teaspoon ground eggshell
Preparation:
Slow cook or boil the lamb until tender enough to shred — no seasoning, no onion, no garlic, no herbs. The cooking liquid can be kept and added to the meal as a broth. Cook rice plain. Steam vegetables. Combine with the lamb and cooking liquid and cool completely.
Why slow cooking: Giant breeds tend to benefit from well-cooked, easily digestible protein — particularly for their first homemade meal or when transitioning. Slow-cooked lamb breaks down the connective tissue into gelatin, which has additional joint support benefits.
What to Never Include in Homemade Dog Food
Some ingredients are dangerous for dogs regardless of breed. These are non-negotiable.
Never: Onion, garlic, leeks, chives — toxic to dogs in any form, cooked or raw. Grapes and raisins — cause acute kidney failure. Macadamia nuts. Chocolate. Xylitol (artificial sweetener found in many human foods). Avocado. Raw dough.
Avoid for giant breeds specifically:
- Cooked bones — they splinter and cause internal damage. Raw bones are a separate discussion.
- High-fat cooked meats or fatty trimmings — increase bloat risk.
- Salt in any form — dogs don't need added sodium.
- Dairy in large quantities — most adult dogs are lactose intolerant to varying degrees.
The Supplementation Question
Homemade diets without careful supplementation are almost always deficient in something. The most common gaps in homemade giant breed diets:
Calcium: Without bones or a calcium supplement, homemade diets are typically calcium-deficient. Ground eggshell is approximately 40% calcium by weight and is one of the most bioavailable sources. One level teaspoon provides roughly 2,000 mg calcium. Your vet can calculate the appropriate amount for your dog's weight.
Taurine and L-Carnitine: Even with heart and dark meat in the recipes above, supplementing both is reasonable for giant breeds given the documented cardiac risks. Discuss dosing with your vet.
Vitamin D: Rarely sufficient in homemade diets without supplementation. Fish oil provides some, but your vet may recommend a specific supplement.
Iodine: Often absent from homemade diets. Kelp powder is a natural source; small amounts go a long way.
Transitioning to Homemade Food
Don't switch overnight. Giant breed digestive systems need time to adjust.
- Week 1: 75% existing food, 25% homemade.
- Week 2: 50% / 50%.
- Week 3: 25% existing food, 75% homemade.
- Week 4: Full homemade if the dog is tolerating it well — normal stools, good energy, no digestive upset.
If at any point you see significant loose stools, vomiting, or loss of appetite, slow the transition down further.
Before You Start
One more time: talk to your vet before switching a giant breed to a primarily homemade diet. Ideally a vet familiar with giant breed nutrition, or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist who can review the specific recipes you plan to use and advise on supplementation for your dog's individual weight and health status.
The recipes above are sound nutritional starting points. They are not a substitute for professional guidance for your specific dog.
The goal is a longer, healthier life. Getting the nutrition right is one of the most meaningful ways to work toward that.
Read more about giant breed nutrition: Why Your Giant Dog's Premium Food Is Quietly Failing Their Heart | How to Read a Dog Food Label
Sources
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) — Dog Nutrient Profiles. aafco.org
National Research Council — Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press.
Freeman, L.M. et al. — Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs. JAVMA.
Kaplan, J.L. et al. (2018) — Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in Golden Retrievers. PLOS ONE.
Larsen, J.A. & Fascetti, A.J. — Nutritional management of heart disease. Veterinary Clinics of North America.
Note: These recipes are designed for healthy adult giant breeds. Dogs with existing health conditions — cardiac disease, kidney disease, diabetes, orthopedic conditions — may have modified nutritional requirements. Always consult your vet before changing the diet of a dog with a known health condition.