Easy Homemade Dog Food Recipes with Dr. Harvey’s Base Mixes

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Interested in transitioning your dog to a homemade raw diet but unsure where to start? Learn why using Dr. Harvey's base mixes makes raw feeding easier.

There is a growing interest in homemade dog food. Whether it's cooked, raw, or a combination of the two, discerning pet parents want to ditch the synthetic nutrients, high carbs, and other questionable ingredients, switching to whole, fresh foods that support gut health, boost the immune system, and promote overall wellness in dogs. Dr. Harvey's base mixes make it possible for more dog owners to transition to homemade food without complication, and I've figured out how to do this at a low cost.

What is a Base Mix?

I began feeding a raw diet in 2013 when it became clear that kibble was no longer an option. I was shocked at how quickly we saw improvements after transitioning to raw. After years of soaking up knowledge about canine nutrition and formulating homemade dog food, I realized that using a base mix was the easiest way to feed a nutritious diet that didn't contain 20 ingredients.

A base mix is a blend of dehydrated vegetables and other ingredients that help dog owners mix a healthy diet when mixed with a muscle meat of their choice. Dr. Harvey's offers five base mixes. I primarily use Raw Vibrance, occasionally alternating with Paradigm.

Raw Vibrance is helpful for all dogs, including seniors and dogs with joint inflammation, allergies, kidney disease, liver disease, and pancreatitis. It also supports the immune system.
Paradigm helps to create a low-carb and low-glycemic diet, which is excellent for obese dogs and dogs prone to pancreatitis and living with heart issues, kidney disease, Cushing's disease, liver disease, seizures, diabetes, and cancer.
Canine Health is helpful for dogs with IBD, sensitive stomachs, loose stools, kidney disease, and heart issues, and it's great for puppies.
Veg-to-Bowl is a grain-free mix that is helpful for dogs with allergies and kidney disease. It's also helpful for weight loss.
Veg-to-Bowl (fine ground) is a grain-free mix formulated for small-breed dogs. It's helpful for dogs with allergies, sensitive stomachs, and kidney disease.

However, using a base mix according to the instructions on the bag would result in an expensive diet. I've found an easier way that works for my dogs.

Saving Time & Money with Dr. Harvey's Base Mixes

A six-pound bag of Raw Vibrance, which retails for $95, contains 110 scoops. If I followed the feeding guidelines for Raw Vibrance, I would mix muscle meat, water, oil, and their base mix. I would go through the six-pound bag in six to nine days, which would be a significant investment.

Instead of mixing only muscle meat with the base mix, I combine a base of 80 10 10 – 80% muscle meat, 10% organ meat, and 10% bone – with less base mix. I do meal prep in bulk (30 to 100 pounds at a time); for every 10-15 pounds of the 80/10/10 blend, I hydrate 1-1/2 to 2 cups of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance. A six-pound bag of the base mix will last ten weeks or more, which offers significant savings.

I balance my dogs' diet over time, alternating proteins weekly and adding the following foods to the bowl for a variety of nutrients:

pasture-raised chicken eggs
small raw meaty bones: quail, duck feet, duck necks, chicken feet, chicken necks, rabbit feet
fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, or Atlantic salmon)

Finding the Best Prices on Dr. Harvey's Base Mixes

Dr. Harvey's base mixes range in price from $65 to $95 for the larger bags. I've found the best prices on Amazon. Occasionally, a bag of Dr. Harvey's base mix is marked down significantly, and I'll buy one or two bags. I save an additional 10-15% by creating a recurring order.

Is this a Balanced Dog Food Recipe?

When people see how easy my dog food meal prep is, they often question whether it's balanced. Although I focus more on gut health than balance, I do respect that meeting a dog's nutritional needs is important. So, yes, the diet I feed my dogs is balanced. I know this because…

I've nutrient-tested my dogs twice through ParsleyPet, and the results were excellent.
I had my recipes reviewed by a professional canine nutritionist, and she confirmed that they were nutritionally complete.
I balance over time, switching the main protein weekly for my adult dogs. I feed puppies commercial raw dog food until they stop growing.

For my dogs, using Dr. Harvey's base mixes with an 80 10 10 base results in a balanced, raw dog food recipe. It may not be appropriate for all dogs, but it works for my dogs.

My Raw Dog Food Recipes

These are recipes I make for my dogs, which I share to give dog owners ideas on what they can feed their dogs. Please note that these are not recipes for general use, as the ingredients and amounts vary based on a dog's size, breed, pre-existing conditions, and what's available in your area.

5 Easy Raw Dog Food Recipes

Here are five recipes that rotate in my dogs' diets to show you how easy it is to throw together a recipe. Please note that these don't give you exact amounts to replicate—I'm sharing these recipes to give others ideas of what they can feed their dogs.

1 – Raw Dog Food Recipe – Duck

32 lbs ground duck, duck heart, duck liver, duck bone
5 lbs organ blend with liver, kidneys, heart (pork, lamb, or beef)
4 cups of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance
4 cans of boiled (not smoked) oysters

2 – Raw Dog Food Recipe – Beef/Turkey

25 lbs grass-fed lean ground product, beef heart, beef bone, and veggies (carrots, broccoli, green beans, spinach)
10 lbs ground turkey necks, turkey liver, turkey heart, turkey gizzards
5 lbs organ blend with liver, kidneys, heart (pork, lamb, or beef)
4 cups of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance
4 cans of boiled (not smoked) oysters

3 – Raw Dog Food Recipe – Pheasant

30 lbs ground pheasant necks and frames
5 lbs organ blend with liver, kidneys, heart (pork, lamb, or beef)
4 cups of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance
4 cans of boiled (not smoked) oysters

4 – Raw Dog Food Recipe – Pork

25 lbs ground pork, pork liver, pork heart
10 lbs ground turkey necks, turkey liver, turkey heart, turkey gizzards
5 lbs organ blend with liver, kidneys, heart (pork, lamb, or beef)
4 cups of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance
4 cans of boiled (not smoked) oysters

5 – Raw Dog Food Recipe – Venison

40 lbs ground venison
10 lbs ground turkey necks, turkey liver, turkey heart, turkey gizzards
5 lbs organ blend with liver, kidneys, heart (pork, lamb, or beef)
5 cups of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance
5 cans of boiled (not smoked) oysters