Dog meat

The wild ancestors of domestic dogs, living in their natural habitat, fed on the flesh of animals, birds, ocean fish and amphibians. After a man tamed a wild animal and domesticated it, the dog’s diet changed, but any dog ​​still needs animal proteins that enter his body along with natural meat.

Raw meat is not only a nutritious product, but also contains vitamins and minerals vital for the dog. Only meat fibers are considered nutritional, fat is not included in this category., since it requires enhanced liver function and is not completely absorbed by the animal’s body.

In order for the dog to have the correct metabolism and in order to ensure the smooth functioning of its internal organs, the animal needs to eat raw meat, which contains the whole complex of essential amino acids that he needs.

But not every meat is intended for feeding a dog, which is explained by the enzymatic composition of gastric juice. Meat and offal of poultry, rabbit, beef, lamb or horse meat are best suited for dogs. The dog can eat meat of large marine animals, rodents and even amphibian frogs.

To improve the digestion process, the dog has cellulose and digestive enzymes produced by the microflora of the cow's stomach in the rumen - they help the dog digest plant foods, for example, vegetables supplemented by its diet. In the rumen there is a large number of vitamins belonging to group B - they contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous and muscle systems, improve the appearance and regenerative ability of the skin and mucous membranes of the dog.

Being a source of natural protein, meat gives the dog vital energy and increases its motor activity, strengthens the immune system, and also improves the appearance of the coat. An additional source of iron for a dog can be the raw liver of animals. In addition to this trace element, the by-product also contains a large amount of folic acid, which is responsible for the normal ability of the animal to reproduce.

If we consider raw meat in terms of possible harm to the health of the dog, then such a danger does exist.

There are varieties of meat that are unsuitable for use in food by a dog:

• pork - meat due to its high fat content is poorly digested and absorbed in the body of the dog;
• veal - promotes the development of diarrhea in dogs;
• chicken meat - It is filled with antibiotics and growth hormones, and is also often infected with bacteria called salmonella;
• meat of wild animals and rodents - dangerous by the development of helminthic invasion;
• duck or goose - meat is considered fatty and can be given in very small quantities;
• River fish - completely contraindicated due to the danger of helminthic invasion and perforation of the digestive tract with sharp small bones.

Some dog breeds have a predisposition to develop an allergy to meat. Most often, allergic reactions occur to chicken meat, and sometimes to rabbit meat, beef and veal. These pets choose raw meat very carefully, giving the dog a small piece and observing the reaction of his body.

Dog meat, in which there are small tubular bones, as well as their heads and necks, is contraindicated for dogs. Such meat is a source of danger to the digestive tract of your pet, since the sharp edges of the bones can perforate the walls of the stomach or intestines.

Introducing raw meat into the dog’s food, take into account the characteristics of each type of such product, to properly compose a diet depending on the needs of the animal’s body.

• Beef - It is considered the best for feeding a dog, since this meat does not have excess fat in its composition. Food will not overload the dog’s liver and pancreas and will not cause it to develop atherosclerosis due to elevated cholesterol. Beef is safe from the point of view of helminth infection, and when processing meat at low temperatures, all pathogenic microorganisms are eliminated in it. For dogs, it is better to choose the meat of an adult animal, since veal is inferior to it in its properties.
• Offal - These include the liver, kidneys, heart, lung, stomachs, and the like. Their nutritional value is considered lower than that of raw meat. It is impossible to completely replace meat in the dog’s diet with offal - they are given 1-2 times a week.
• Beef scar - This product can be given to the dog in its raw form, because after cooking it will lose all its valuable components and lose its nutritional attractiveness.
• Mutton - useful for the dog’s body, as it contains a large amount of B vitamins and iron ions.
• Chicken, turkey - the meat of these birds should be given to the dog in boiled form, but before that it is necessary to completely remove the skin from the product, since it contains concentrated substances harmful to the dog in concentrated form.
• Rabbit - It is a dietary product that is well absorbed in the dog’s body and has a low degree of allergy.
• Ocean fish - a source of omega3 fatty acids, it can be given to a dog in small quantities to saturate its body with essential amino acids.
• horsemeat - is a rare but useful product for dogs.

When choosing raw meat for feeding a dog, veterinarians advise using beef and beef tripe, as these two products are the most useful and safe for your pet's body.

It has been proven that eating raw meat is more valuable for a dog’s health, as its nutritional value is higher than that of cooked foods. However, if you want to feed your pet offal, some of them are necessary cook without fail - for example, kidneys.

To feed a dog with liver, you need to know that beef offal can be given in raw form, since beef does not carry the danger of helminthiasis, and pork liver is given only boiled, since the raw by-product may contain helminth cysts.

Chicken from the home compound, grown without the use of antibiotics and hormonal additives, can be given raw to the dog, and if you bought poultry meat from the poultry farm, you must cook it before giving the product to your pet.

Beef ribs or cartilage can be given raw to the dog, and if they belonged to wild animals, then they must be boiled so as not to infect the dog with infectious diseases. Products from beef, lamb, horse meat are considered safe, as they undergo strict veterinary control, while the meat of wild animals carries the risk of disease.

In order for the meat to be safe for consumption by the dog for food, it is boiled. For this process, you can not use salt and any spices. Any extraneous additives and flavor enhancers adversely affect the quality of the finished product, eating which, the dog suffers not only the liver and stomach, but also the sense of smell.

During cooking, a piece of meat is reduced in size by about three times, becoming more dense. At the same time, a very large part of the protein passes from meat to broth, and also all valuable amino acids and vitamins are destroyed in the product.

The cooking time should be such that the piece of meat is completely boiled outside and inside. Cooking time depends on the type of meat and the size of the piece and usually is at least 20-30 minutes. Usually they don’t give the finished broth to the dog, since the concentration of substances boiled from the meat during cooking is quite high.

Cured meat can be used only if the carcasses of animals have passed a veterinary examination. Otherwise, the risk of contracting the dog with helminthic infestation or infectious diseases remains high. It is not recommended to cook the bones that you intend to give the dog, since they do not represent any nutritional value for the animal when boiled.

Boiled or raw meat can be given to the pet as an independent dish, or as part of other nutritional components, which may well be pasta or cereal from cereals. Meat products can be combined with vegetables, giving both of these products, both jointly and separately.

It is worth noting that the dog eats up faster with raw meat, therefore, when compiling a combined diet, this circumstance should be taken into account so as not to overfeed the dog. Raw meat is best given to the pet in large pieces so that it has the opportunity to train its gums and teeth, breaking the fibers of the meat into pieces on its own.

However, it is best for dogs of miniature breeds to give meat in the form of meat chips or trimmings - so it will be more convenient for them to eat it.

If the dog does not have stable physical activity, then a pet should eat 15-20 g of meat per kilogram of its weight per day. At a young age, a hunting dog or a temperamental active dog needs to eat at least 30-35 g of meat per day per each kilogram of its weight.

For active pets, the formula will be slightly different: the weight of the dog is multiplied by the number 3, and the result obtained is divided by the number 100. For example, for the same dog weighing 25 kg with an active lifestyle, we get the following calculation: (25x3): 100 = 0.75 kg of meat per day. This calculation of the daily need for meat by dog ​​weight is suitable only for adults. Growing puppies determine the amount of meat ration produced differently.

For puppies aged 6 to 12 months, during their rapid growth, meat is given based on their weight and breed. Miniature dogs, whose weight in adulthood will be no more than 10 kg, give from 0.75 to 1 kg of meat per day. Medium-sized breeds that, when grown, reach a weight of 10 to 25 kg per day, can give from 1 to 2 kg of meat. Large dogs, whose weight at a mature age reaches more than 25 kg, give from 2 to 2.5 kg of meat.

In the next video, you will learn how to cook a treat for dogs.