Talk to me about raw meat for dogs

[rcr]

We recently subscribed to a raw food coop, and we are veg, so we just order cheese and milk. They sell dog food meat. I ordered some for our dogs (collies), and they loved it. We cooked it, but now i am thinking that I could have given it to them raw - right? I don't know anything about feeding dogs raw food. Can I just give them any raw meat from the store, or does it need to be a special kind? Organic? One of our dogs has severe allergies - maybe this would help (the other is getting old, and I really want her to be around from a LONG time)? Is there anything that I need to worry about when making the transition? How much food to feed them (one is about 60 lbs and 4 yrs old, and other is 45 lbs and 9 yrs old)?

Thanks!

[angie7]

Meat needs to be given raw and you can use any kind of meat that you want. The more variety the better. Don't forget muscle meat and also organ meat.

[greenmagick]

You want to give meat and meaty bones raw. Is this a premade mix or just scraps and stuff of meat made available for pets. Any meat is fine.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by rcr

They sell dog food meat. I ordered some for our dogs (collies), and they loved it. We cooked it, but now i am thinking that I could have given it to them raw - right?

What was it, do you know? Was it ground or whole? Was there bones and veg mixed in, or just the meat? If there is bone included it's actually safer to feed raw than cooked, since cooked bones don't digest well.

We've been feeding our dogs a raw diet for over 4 years now and they are much healthier than on dry food. Basically the raw diet is 70-80% meat, 10-15% bone, and 5-10% organs (over the long term). You also want to feed at least a few different types of meat. We had some good threads on here in the past that may be helpful to read - and feel free to ask lots of questions!

[Sailor]

Yes, definitely feed it raw. There is no sense in cooking it. That actually lessens the amount of "goodness" the dog can get from the meat. And, obviously, cooked bones are NOT ok to give.

However, raw meat, raw organs, raw bones - wonderful. The percentages you feed will vary by your dog's weight. It might sound overwhelming in the beginning, but it's really very easy (and economical in most areas).

I'm curious what they mean by "dog food meat" though. I mean, could a human eat it - theoretically? Or is it treated in some way? I feed meat that my partner eats ... just from the local farm where we order in bulk. And then I found a butcher in a supermarket who sets aside organs for me, and things like chicken necks. I get these free, as apparently there isn't much of a market for them here. I also feed my dog fish on occasion, and whole eggs sometimes as a treat. Basically my dog gets whatever meat my partner eats for dinner, just in raw form.

[rcr]

This is really interesting. I never knew that you could just give them any kind of meat.

I don't know what it was - but it smelled terrable. I mean really really bad when we cooked it. I had to leave the kitchen because I felt sick.

[Ola_]

It wasn't green tripe, was it? Smells a bit like cow manure?

[greenmulberry]

If it smelled terrible cooked, it may have had tripe in it.

Some companies sell blends for dogs, blends of various meat items, organ meat and such, that may have been what it was.


I agree, you can feed it raw. I have been feeding raw 8 years! Feed bone in meat raw for sure, meat can be fed raw or cooked, but never feed bone that is intended to be consumed, as cooked. All the "no bones" warnings apply to cooked bones. They get indigestible and splintery.

[mistymama]

If you want to feed raw, it's really cheaper to buy your own (not prepackaged stuff) - unless you are getting some killer deal from the coop.

One of the great benefits of raw feeding is the jaw workout and teeth cleaning they get from eating raw bones. And you can get some really cheap cuts of meat like chicken backs, necks, etc - and supplement with hearts, egg, and meatier pieces when they go on sale, like chicken thighs.

If you google raw fed dogs you will find some great resources. We've been raw feeding for about 2 months now and the difference is simply amazing.