Best Satin Balls for Dogs Recipe (2024)

Satin balls for dogs can be a great way to make food for them at home that will keep them healthy. Satin balls should be given in addition to their regular food with guidance from a veterinarian. 

If you want to make satin balls for your dog or are curious about them, you can learn the benefits and uses, as well as a helpful recipe!

What Are Satin Balls?

Satin balls are high-calorie, high-fat meatballs that can help your dog gain weight and get extra protein and nutrients in its diet. Satin balls are a common strategy for beefing up underweight dogs, whether they’re struggling to eat their kibble or rescued while malnourished. 

Vets recommend satin balls in these circumstances as they’re an excellent source of protein, fiber, and vitamins for dogs in need of more sustenance. So if your dog needs to put on a few pounds, save this recipe and read about the benefits of these balls. 

Satin Balls for Dogs Recipe

If you need to make satin balls for your pup, you can use my super easy and common recipe that dog owners and vets recommend. Luckily, these are super easy to make. And they come together in less than ten minutes, so you can increase your dog’s health with little time invested. 

Ingredients

First, you should gather all the ingredients you’ll need to make the satin balls:

Hamburger meat (10lbs): The main ingredient in satin balls is beef, so ensure you get a lot. The cheapest kind will do, typically less lean options. Beef is a valuable source of protein and vitamins for your dog. 

Total cereal (1 box): You can use Wheaties or another bran cereal, but Total cereal has plenty of fiber and nutrients for your dog. 

Oatmeal (1 box): Oatmeal is an excellent source of vitamins and fatty acids for dogs trying to gain weight. 

Wheat germ (1 jar): The wheat germ adds even more fiber to the recipe to assist your dog’s digestion. 

Eggs (10): Make sure you use both the raw eggs and the eggshells! While we don’t like eggshells, they’re a great source of protein for dogs and add an extra crunch. The shells also have loads of calcium for bone strength. 

Vegetable oil (1 and ¼ cup): Vegetable oil has healthy fats to help your dog gain weight. You can replace it with coconut or olive oil if that’s what you have. 

Molasses (1 and ¼ cup): Molasses is a thick natural sweetener that holds the balls together. You can also use raw honey or pure maple syrup. 

Unflavored gelatin (10 packets): You can skip the gelatin if you don’t have it, but it helps keep the balls together and spherical. 

Salt (1/16 teaspoon or a pinch): Just a pinch of salt to make them extra yummy for your dog!

Instructions

Assembling the balls is the easy part! Put all of the ingredients in a big mixing bowl and mix them. Once it’s well-mixed, you should make little balls.

The ingredients above should make a large batch of meatballs. You’ll get 100 balls, if not more. If you don’t want to make this many, you can cut the recipe in half or quarter it. 

If you have a smaller dog, such as breeds under 30 pounds, make smaller satin balls, so it’s easier for them to eat. Each ball is between 100 and 150 calories, depending on the size you make. 

Once you roll all of the satin balls, you can feed them to your dog right away. You can wrap them in plastic or place them in an airtight container for storage. 

Benefits of Satin Balls

As discussed, satin balls are an excellent food to help your dog gain weight and be healthy. But the benefits go beyond just adding calories to their diet. That said, satin balls should only be a temporary solution to their weight problem. 

Read about the benefits of satin balls below so you can feel good about giving them to your dog when necessary. 

Protein

Dogs need even more protein in their diet than humans. Dogs can function perfectly on diets with more than 30% protein, which would not be ideal for humans. The satin balls have high protein levels from the eggs and the raw beef.

Protein is crucial for dogs trying to gain weight and develop muscle. 

Vitamins

Vitamins are crucial to keep your dog happy and healthy. While most dog foods contain the vitamins they need, satin balls offer an extra source of vitamins. The oats and molasses in the recipe are rich in B vitamins, especially B6.

These enhance digestion and metabolism, meaning they can absorb more nutrients from the food they eat rather than pass it too quickly. 

Healthy Fats

Omega fatty acids can be hard to incorporate into your dog’s diet. But it’s worth the extra effort because they help dogs gain weight via healthy fats and no harmful ones. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids can help with hydration and improve skin health. 

Fiber

The oats and cereal in this recipe are chock full are fiber, which can help your dog better process food and have a healthier digestive system. Fiber is often in dog foods, but the satin balls are super high in fiber, so they’re also helpful to dogs that may be constipated or have trouble passing waste. 

Calcium

Calcium is present in the molasses and eggshells of the satin ball recipe, which can improve your dog’s bone strength and joint health. Dogs often do not get the amount of calcium they should, and when helping a dog gain weight, calcium is crucial to ensure their bones stay sturdy as their body grows. 

Giving Your Dog Satin Balls

There is no set amount of satin balls to give your dog, as it depends on their current weight and calorie intake goals. But the satin ball diet is only to help them gain weight, not a replacement for their food. 

Feed your dog the appropriate amount of kibble or wet food for their size and weight. But to help them get to the desired weight, give them a serving of satin balls daily. You can serve them either after a meal or in the middle of the day between meals. 

For small dogs, one medium or two small satin balls should be enough, as you don’t want your dog to gain weight too quickly or make them sick. For medium to large dogs, one to three satin balls can be enough to balance their calorie intake. 

Before feeding your dog satin balls, you should speak with your vet. They can give you an ideal goal weight and recommend how many calories in satin balls to feed them until they reach that goal weight. 

FAQs

If you have questions about making and using satin balls, you can refer to the frequently asked questions below. 

Can puppies have satin balls?

Satin balls are for dogs not puppies. Unless recommended by your vet, puppies should not have satin balls. Even for underweight puppies, satin balls can be too high in calories and fat.

Their little bodies are still developing, so it’s best to stick with nutrient-rich puppy foods that can help them gain weight. Puppy food is practically like fertilizer, anyway!

Can you freeze satin balls?

Yes, you can freeze satin balls! Because they’re raw, they must be frozen or refrigerated after making. Wrap them in plastic or place them in an airtight container and freeze them. Thaw them in the fridge a few hours before you want to use them. 

Can humans eat satin balls?

Humans should not eat satin balls because they have raw meat and raw eggs, which can lead to E Coli. or salmonella poisoning. If you want to eat a satin ball, you can bake them until cooked through. But you’d probably enjoy real meatballs better. 

Are there any dogs that should not have satin balls?

First of all, overweight dogs should never have satin balls, as this will not help their weight issue. In general, satin balls are only for dogs that need to gain weight, they are not a fun treat or meal replacement. 

Dogs with pancreatitis, even if they have to gain weight, should not have satin balls. They are too high in fat and calories and will be harsh on the already struggling pancreas in these dogs. 

Final Note

I recommend you always talk to your vet before giving your dog weight-gaining food. But this recipe is ideal for helping your little dog gain a few pounds and live the happiest, healthiest life!