Helpful hints

  • Consider keeping a feeding diary when you introduce a new food. Keeping track of foods introduced can help you keep track of what foods your dog can eat and process with ease.

  • Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or pan frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.

  • Do not drain protein after it is done cooking. Discarding the water removes valuable nutrients that you want to remain in the food. Measure water carefully as indicated in the recipe and mix it in with the food.
      • Use small, snack size bags for freezing chicken liver portions so you always have it available. Freeze them relatively flat so they thaw quickly.
      • Pour cooked meat and veggie mix into a large plastic bucket or bowl for mixing, especially when making a double recipe. This allows the food to cool down faster, makes less of a mess, and the Top Dog Meal Completer to be evenly mixed in.

      • If you want to grind your own meat, you can use a meat attachment that connects to the end of your stand alone mixer. These cost about $50. The meat grinder is not essential, but a nice option to have on hand. 
      • Make 1 batch of each recipe before making it in bulk to make sure your dog does not have an adverse reaction to any ingredients. 
      • Top Dog Meal Completer works best when combined with our exact recipes provided on this website. Adding ingredients or making substitutions is not necessary and not advised as it can compromise its nutritional content.
        • Use lean meats (no more than 10 percent fat), remove skin from poultry, and cut off excess fat. It’s better to feed dark meat poultry than breast unless your dog requires a low fat diet.
        • Do not feed your dog raisins, currants, onions, garlic, persimmons, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, milk, alcohol, avocado, citrus, corn on the cob, xylitol, cooked bones, wild mushrooms, nuts, caffeine and rhubarb. This is a comprehensive, but not complete list. If your dog does eat anything toxic, immediately consult your vet.

        • If you freeze your meals take them out of the freezer the night before you feed so they can thaw in the refrigerator overnight. This makes heating faster and maintains the consistency of the food. 
        • When cooking protein in the slow cooker, cool the protein completely before adding any rice or pasta as they tend to get very mushy.