Meat and bone meal for dogs: how to store and use it?

In order for a dog to grow and develop normally from an early age, it needs to introduce into its diet food additives containing not only vitamins, but also organic substances. Such supplements are also necessary for pregnant dogs. Their use will provide not only the correct formation of organs and systems in future puppies, but also help the female maintain her health during pregnancy.

In addition, any adult dog throughout his life needs support of the musculoskeletal system in order to prevent age-related changes in the articular and bone structures, as well as in the tendons. To solve all these important tasks, there is A special biologically active food supplement for dogs called meat and bone meal.

Meat and bone meal for dogs is a powder made from bone residues obtained by cutting carcasses of cattle. Fragments of meat and tendons remain on the bones - they are also processed during the preparation of bone meal. In the manufacturing process, meat and bone raw materials are autoclaved, where pathogenic bacteria, helminth larvae and microorganisms die under the influence of hot steam and high pressure. Further, the raw materials undergo a drying and grinding process.

Meat and bone meal used for dogs has a fairly high calorie content - its nutritional value is 300 kilocalories per 100 grams of product.

The chemical composition of this bioactive product is as follows:

• protein components - 46%;
• animal fats - 15%;
• ash components - 33%;
• water - 6%.

The composition of meat and bone meal includes macroelements, the bulk of which are calcium in the amount of 35,000 mg per 100 grams of product and phosphorus - 16,000 mg. In addition, vitamin B11 (carnitine), adenosine triphosphoric and glutamic acids, as well as traces of the hormones serotonin and thyroxine are present in small amounts.

Meat and bone meal is rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus.. The dog needs calcium for bone growth, and the ions of this macronutrient are a conductor between the muscles and the nervous system, due to which muscle contractions are formed. The lack of calcium in the body leads to osteoporosis of the bones of the animal, which subsequently leads to diseases of the musculoskeletal system and restrict the mobility of the dog.

Phosphorus is a part of such vital components of the body as nucleotides and phospholipids; thanks to it, the body carries out energy metabolism and maintains an acid-base balance at the physiological level. Nucleic acids, which include phosphorus, are involved in the formation of strong teeth and bones. A lack of phosphorus contributes to the development of rickets and anemia in dogs.

Meat and bone meal refers to products that are divided into two categories of risk to animal health - high and low.

Bioactive product with high risk categories is made from carcasses of animals that were raised using hormones, lived in an active radiation or ecology zone, or died on their own or were slaughtered as a result of epidemics. Slaughter of animals could be carried out in an environmentally friendly way - with the help of toxic substances or veterinary drugs. Meat and bone meal from such raw materials is a threat not only to the dog, but also to humans, it is labeled as a product of 1 or 2 classes.

The highest quality meat and bone meal labeled with Grade 3 is made from bone skeletons of cattle that have passed the control selection by veterinary services. A product of this quality level is safe for both four-legged pets and humans. Veterinarians recommend supplementing the diet of dogs only with such meat and bone meal.

Veterinarians recommend that dogs should be given a meat and bone meal supplement from the moment their milk teeth change to permanent. The benefits for the animal organism when using this product are as follows:

• prevents the development of rickets, anemia and dystrophy in puppies;
• meat and bone meal is an additional source of protein and minerals;
• when added to food, a bioadditive increases its nutritional value and calorie content;
• muscle tone improves and the skeleton of the animal is strengthened;
• promotes the growth of strong and healthy teeth in puppies;
• strengthens the ligament-tendon and articular apparatus of the musculoskeletal system, which is especially important for large breed dogs;
• It is a prophylactic for arthrosis and arthritis in adult dogs with high weight;
• prevents the development of disorders of the central nervous system;
• helps the formation of sustainable immunity;
• helps a weakened animal to quickly gain body weight during exhaustion and restore strength after childbirth or illness.

The positive properties of meat and bone meal benefit the dog’s healthy body, but there are times when the use of this product may be contraindicated for your pet.

• With excessive enthusiasm for this product, an excess level of proteins may appear in the dog's body. This situation leads to the development of amyloidosis, when protein components accumulate in the tissues. The disease is dangerous because it leads to atrophy of tissues and even organs.
• An excess of protein can provoke the development or aggravation of an existing gout in an animal, which is characterized by the fact that crystals of mineral salts are deposited in the joints, causing pain during movement and accompanied by an inflammatory process.
• If your pet has a disease of the digestive tract, for example, gastritis or an ulcer of the mucous membrane of the stomach or intestines, then meat and bone meal should not be given to the dog in this case, since it can significantly aggravate the course of the disease.
• Dogs often experience an allergic reaction or food intolerance to animal protein. This can manifest itself in the form of diarrhea, hair loss, severe itching of the skin of the animal.
• Excessive addition of meat and bone meal to a dog’s food may lead to intestinal atony and constipation.
• Meat and bone meal can cause liver or pancreas diseases if the dog is given a product that contains a high concentration of animal fats.

The nutritional value of meat and bone meal is also not a reason to replace it with natural meat products necessary for the dog. The benefits of the product will be noticeable for the dog's body only if you use this dietary supplement correctly.

Meat and bone meal contains easily oxidized fats and proteins, and if you neglect the storage rules of this food supplement, it will become unusable very quickly.

Keep meat and bone meal as follows:

• in the storage room there must be an influx of fresh air with good circulation and low humidity;
• the product should not be exposed to direct ultraviolet rays of sunlight, therefore the packaging with meat and bone meal should always be tightly closed;
• the optimum air temperature for storing the bioadditive should be in the range from +20 to +28 degrees Celsius; when it is exceeded, the product oxidation processes begin
• meat and bone meal during storage must be protected from the effects of impurities and odors, as the product has the ability to quickly absorb them.

If for some reason these norms were not observed, then meat and bone meal is spoiled and oxidized. In the process of oxidation and decay, fats and proteins are transformed into toxic products that will harm the body of the pet. When purchasing a bioactive supplement at a pet store, pay attention to Does it contain antioxidants and if they are absent, it means that there is a risk of buying low-quality goods that have already undergone oxidative reactions. In addition, check on the packaging of meat and bone meal date of its development - usually the shelf life of the finished product does not exceed 1 year.

High-quality meat and bone meal looks like a homogeneous fine powder of brown-red color, in the composition of the product you can find inclusions of a whitish-yellow hue - this is how the crushed bone tissue looks after heat treatment. The smell of this dietary supplement should be pleasant and not irritate the smell, The quality product smells like fried meat. The consistency of meat and bone meal of good quality will always be uniform and crumbly, without caking lumps and the presence of foci of mold.

The dosage when consuming meat and bone meal is a very important point. In order to properly use this product, dog owners should be aware that small individuals are allowed to give no more than 6-7% meat and bone meal of the total food volume, medium-sized pets add up to 14-15% of flour to the diet,and large dogs give up to 19-20% of this food supplement relative to the total amount of daily food.

Meat and bone meal is introduced immediately before you give the bowl of food to your dog. It is impossible to cook food with flour, as in this case this bioactive product will lose almost all of its beneficial properties.

This dietary supplement should be added to the dog’s diet gradually, the entire period of accustoming the animal to this product follows stretch for 2 weeks. Only with such a phased and fractional introduction to food, meat and bone meal will not cause digestive disorders in the body of your pet.

When introducing meat and bone meal into puppies rations, vets advise puppies to adhere to the following scheme, designed for 5 kilograms of the baby’s weight:

• for miniature breeds - 1/2 teaspoon flour;
• for medium sized rocks - 1 teaspoon of the product;
• for large types of dogs - 1/2 tablespoon of meat and bone nutritional supplement.

In order to support the body of a pregnant dog, in the second half of her pregnancy, the dose of this biological product is doubled.

It must be remembered that the maximum dosage of the product per day, safe for the health of the animal, should not exceed 100 grams for any breed of dog. Before starting to give the dog meat and bone meal, conduct an examination of the animal with a veterinarian to identify contraindications and determine the optimal dose of the product.

All about meat and bone meal, see the next video.