Learn how to turn a homemade dog meatloaf recipe into a soft, scoopable wet dog food using agar agar powder. Ideal for fussy eaters and seniors.
Method:
1. Cook the Meat Base
Cook the ingredients so they’re fully tender and safe for your dog:
In a large pan, add the beef mince, kidney, liver, sardines and courgette.
Cook over medium heat, breaking up meat, until fully cooked through (~8–10 min).
Let cool slightly.
2. Blend to Smooth
Transfer the cooked mixture to a food processor or blender.
Add the egg, ground seeds, eggshell powder, ginger, nutritional yeast and kelp.
Pulse until smooth-to-lump-free (soft, wet consistency).
You’re creating a smooth wet base that will set with agar.
3. Prepare the Agar Gel
To turn this into wet dog food with a jelly-like but scoopable texture:
Estimate liquid amount.
You need total liquid weight to calculate agar (see next step). If the blended mix isn’t loose enough to gel evenly, add up to 100–200 ml warm dog-safe stock or water to reach a pourable consistency.Measure agar agar.
A good guideline is roughly 1 g agar per 100 ml liquid for firm gelling.For ~500–600 ml total wet mix → ~5–6 g agar powder (adjust slightly if you want softer).
Heat to activate.
Place the blended dog food + added liquid in a pan.
Sprinkle the agar powder evenly and stir.
Bring to a boil and simmer ~1-2 min to fully dissolve the agar. Continuous stirring helps prevent clumping.
Cool & Set.
Pour into shallow trays or molds (a baking dish works).
Let it cool to room temp — the agar will set into a gel.
4. Portion & Serve
Once set, cut into daily portions.
Serve at room temperature or gently warmed.
Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or portion up and freeze for up to 3 months
Ingredients
605 g 10 % fat beef mince
120 g tinned sardines (in water, drained)
115 g grated courgette
55 g beef kidney
55 g beef liver
1 large egg
12 g ground hemp seeds
10 g ground sunflower seeds
7 g eggshell powder
5 g ground ginger
3 g nutritional yeast
2 g kelp powder
Optional: a splash of wheat germ oil
Always practice good hygiene by washing lick mats, equipment and surfaces with hot soapy water.
