Satin Ball Recipe
This is a great recipe (also recommended by our reproductive vet) for putting weight on dogs. When I was having trouble keeping weight on one of my girls while she was pregnant, this worked very well. Now I use this recipe for additional supplement for most of my girls prior to and after whelping. They love the treat and it encourages them to eat and gain/maintain weight.
Satin Balls can be used as a treat or for supplemental feedings. I like to mix mine in with their normal dry food. If you're trying to put weight on a dog recovering from illness, consult your veterinarian before adding this to their diet. For dogs on a specialized veterinary diet, it’s best to stick with the prescribed food.
The great thing about Satin Balls is that you can adjust the portion size based on your dog's needs. I typically make them slightly larger than a golf ball and freeze them in batches of six. By preparing large batches and freezing in smaller groups, I can easily defrost the portions as needed.
Directions
Do not cook. This is meant to be a raw diet.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly, like your making meat loaf. The mixture should be sticky but manageable.
- Form Balls: Shape the mixture into balls. Mine are slightly larger than a golf ball. Adjust the size depending on the needs of your dog. Ball size should be a portion you would feed per one feeding.
- Freeze: Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. You can portion them out into smaller groups for easy access. Number per freeze bag should be a portion for a couple days time.
- Serve: Defrost the desired number of balls and mix them with your dog’s regular food, or serve them as a treat.
Ingredients - Large Batch
- 10 lbs ground beef
- 1 (16 ounce) box Total cereal (or comparable - no raisins)
- 1 (42 ounce) box instant oatmeal
- 1 (12 ounce) jar wheat germ
- 1 1⁄4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1⁄4 cups molasses
- 10 eggs (raw with crushed shells)
- 10 (1⁄4 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 1 pinch salt
Ingredients - Small Batch
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 1⁄3 Total cereal (or comparable - no raisins)
- 1 1⁄4 instant oatmeal
- 5 tbsp wheat germ
- 1⁄4 cups vegetable oil
- 1⁄4 cup molasses
- 1 egg (raw with crushed shells)
- 1 (1⁄4 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1 smaller pinch salt
Notes:
- Consult Your Vet: Always consult your veterinarian before introducing any new supplement or treat, especially if your dog has health issues or is on a specialized diet.
- Storage: Keep the Satin Balls frozen until ready to use to maintain freshness.
This recipe is versatile and can be adjusted to suit your dog's specific needs, making it a valuable addition to their diet, especially during pregnancy, recovery, or weight gain efforts.
Quick links
is it safe for puppies
I don’t see why it wouldn’t be safe for a puppy; however, I would still consult with your veterinarian. If you’re having trouble keeping weight on a puppy, more than likely there is an underlying issue. Puppies should grow and gain weight at a steady pace for around the first 6 months. They’ll continue to gain weight until roughly over a year at a slower pace. I could see using a small amount of satin balls as a treat, but it would be best to stick to a puppy food for the first year of life for the main diet.
I see they are frozen, thaw and feed raw
correct ?
Yep, you got it! Just like any meat, keep refrigerated after thawing and use it in a timely manner so it doesn’t spoil. I freeze in small batches so you thaw just what you need.
Can this be made with duck? I have my girl on a grain free duck diet and she has lost weight… she needs to gain about a pound
That’s a great question! I would definitely check with your vet before switching the protein in this recipe. Since it’s formulated specifically with beef, I can’t say for sure that using duck, especially raw, would be balanced or safe without making other adjustments.
It can definitely be tricky when you’re working around both grain-free and a specific protein. Your vet would be the best resource to help you safely increase her calories and make sure she’s still getting everything she needs nutritionally. They may also have some good ideas for healthy weight gain using duck-based options.
Is the wheat germ necessary or could I use something else to replace it that is not wheat? My girl has always eaten a corn, soy and wheat free diet.
Thanks
If I am feeding this along with their dry kibble how many balls per dog do I feed. is there a weight ratio if I want to feed half Satin balls/kibble? I really want to add this into my dogs everyday diet but I don’t know how much to feed each of them. Can someone help with this. I have 4 frenchies (app 30lbs each) and a Cane Corso (105lbs)
Great question! I actually would NOT recommend replacing a large portion of their regular kibble with Satin Balls, especially for long-term everyday feeding. Satin Balls are very calorie-dense and are intended more as a supplement/topper for dogs that need help gaining or maintaining weight rather than as a complete and balanced diet. I would use caution if your dogs are at a normal weight already.
There really isn’t a “one ball per X pounds” ratio because the amount depends on the dog’s normal calorie needs, activity level, body condition, and how large you make the balls. A 30 lb Frenchie and a 105 lb Cane Corso will obviously need very different amounts, but even between two 30 lb Frenchies their calorie needs can be quite different.
For healthy dogs at a good weight, I would start with a small amount mixed into their normal kibble rather than replacing half of the meal. For your Frenchies, you could divide a ball into smaller portions and add a little to their food as a treat, then watch their weight and body condition. Your Cane Corso could tolerate a larger portion simply because his daily calorie requirement is much higher.
If the goal is specifically to put weight on one of them, you can gradually increase the amount while monitoring their weight. If you’re wanting Satin Balls to make up a substantial portion of their diet every day, though, I would definitely talk with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist so the entire diet can be balanced appropriately.
They are delicious little calorie bombs , which is exactly why they work so well for dogs that need the extra calories—but they can also put weight on a dog pretty quickly!
Thank you. My Frenchie is still whelping (weaning) 5 week old puppies. With her weighing 5 lbs less that pre-pregnancy and we are feeding her high quality, high calorie, unlimited food restriction and she is still losing, the reproductive Vet is recommending satin balls which I never heard of, Thank you for posting the recipe
hello, I have a question, I make these but I add more stuff like sardines, tuna, bananas pumpkin, I also add a portion that is a organic one , was thinking of adding cretin for muscles growth but haven’t check it out yet if it safe. I then mix it with high quality grain free dog food with duck or salmon. I don’t add all these in one batch I mix it up, I do the dog food cause it makes it go a lot farther cause I dontate to shelters , I soften it and put it in a mixer. I was just wondering if this is OK and also with the dog food you can give them a small meal instead of just a couple of balls. Is anything I am doing not good for the dogs?
That is wonderful that you are making these for shelter dogs! ❤️ A lot of the ingredients you mentioned can be perfectly fine for dogs, but I would make a few changes/cautions, especially when feeding dogs whose individual health history may not be known.
Sardines: These can be a great addition and provide omega-3 fatty acids. I would use sardines packed in water with no added salt whenever possible.
Tuna: Fine occasionally, but I wouldn’t use it as frequently as sardines because larger fish such as tuna can contain more mercury.
Pumpkin: Great in moderation as long as it is plain pumpkin—not pumpkin pie filling.
Bananas: Also fine in small amounts, but they do contain quite a bit of natural sugar, so I would consider them more of an occasional addition than a major ingredient.
I would NOT add creatine unless you are working with a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist who specifically recommends it. Creatine has been studied in dogs, but we really don’t have enough information to recommend routinely supplementing healthy dogs with it for muscle growth. Dogs already obtain creatine naturally from animal proteins, and adding supplements can also affect blood creatinine measurements that veterinarians use when evaluating kidney function.
One other thing I would reconsider is automatically choosing a grain-free kibble. Grain-free does not necessarily mean higher quality, and unless a dog has a specific medical reason to avoid grains, I prefer using a good-quality complete and balanced dog food as the foundation of the diet.
Adding softened kibble to your Satin Ball mixture is absolutely a reasonable way to stretch it and make it into more of a meal, but adding kibble doesn’t automatically make the entire mixture nutritionally complete. The more meat, fish, eggs, cereal, pumpkin, etc. that is added, the more the nutrient balance of the original dog food gets diluted.
For an occasional supplement or weight-gain topper, that isn’t usually a big concern. For something being fed as a dog’s primary food every day, however, I would want the complete recipe reviewed by a veterinary nutritionist.
For the shelter dogs especially, I would also check with the shelter before adding ingredients or supplements. Some incoming dogs may have pancreatitis, kidney disease, food allergies, sensitive stomachs or other conditions where a very rich food isn’t appropriate.
So overall, I love the idea and most of what you’re adding is dog-friendly—I would just keep the Satin Ball portion supplemental, skip the creatine unless a veterinarian recommends it, use sardines more often than tuna, and let a complete and balanced dog food remain the main part of their diet. ❤️