Many of you will be aware that I am a big proponent of feeding Dogs raw meaty bones. Today we have a guest post from Ben on the subject of feeding Dogs meat and bones. I am not saying I agree with all he says, but it will be interesting to hear what you think about this subject.
Many people and wonderful dog owners question everyday whether it is okay to feed your dog meat or not. So we are going to address this little issue head on and let you know what is good, what is bad and what your dog will love. There are pros and cons for each argument so lets jump right in.
Is it okay to feed your dog meat?
The short answer is yes, although it can be a little more complicated than that. Meat is generally not bad for your dog. A dog’s stomach can easily digest meat and in fact it is a great source of vitamins for them. Where you may run into trouble is when you feed your dog meat right off the dinner table.
Humans use spices and all sorts of extras to make their meat taste better. Some of these extra additions may not sit well with your dog, so be sure you are not adding anything harmful to your meat if you plan on dishing it right onto the floor for your dog. You will also want to be careful with the amount of meat you feed your dog, too much meat can mean too much gas build up, which when it comes from a dog, smells worse than rotten eggs.
Is raw meat okay?
Yes raw meat in some cases is actually better for your dog. Now you want to be careful because uncooked chicken can be the cause of salmonella, but raw beef is a wonderful thing.
When you cook meat you actually lose a lot of the vitamins that raw meat contains, and for a dog these can be an important part of their diet. Dogs, or dog relatives in nature are all meat eaters. Coyotes, foxes, Wolves and others all eat meat so feeding your dog the right meat really has little risk.
What should I avoid if I feed my dog meat?
Like I said before uncooked chicken can be dangerous even for humans, so it is best not to let your dog eat it. Even chicken bones are dangerous to a dog’s health as the bones can splinter and get stuck in their throats. Any meat that has extra things like spices added on is best to avoid. Most dogs can handle spices just fine, but there are some that have the potential to upset your dogs stomach or make them sick.
What do dogs like best?
Typically the best is beef, and if you really want to give your dog a treat give them some beef on a bone. They will dig into that like a 7 year old who awoke to their favorite toy on Christmas morning.
Everyone knows how much dogs love bones and if you add the sweet savory flavor of the meat to it before they get down to the bone they will think they have died and gone to doggy heaven.
What if my dog gets sick eating meat?
If meat is not apart of your dogs diet and you want it to be then ease into it. Do not just throw a huge chunk of meat to your dog and say enjoy. Just small amounts to start is the best.
If you notice your dog getting sick then simply stop feeding them meat, if the sickness stops you will know, if it does not stop take them to the vet.
About the author – Ben has three dogs of his own and knows that feeding them beef can become quite expensive. Some ways we save money is by using a 1800petmeds coupon code for all our pet medications. The money we save from these coupons we spend on our doggy treats and meat.