Meat for dogs: What can you give and how much?

 Meat for dogs: The domestic dog is a predator, like its ancestors, the wild wolves. Your digestive system is organized in a special way. When eating the food, the dog hardly chews the pieces, swallowing them whole.

The main digestion process starts in the animal's stomach, which contains a high level of acidity.

 Thanks to this feature, meat food is better absorbed by the dog. And it is meat that should make up most of the dog's daily diet.

In order to safely and completely satisfy the needs of his dog, the owner must study the subject in depth.

Thus, knowing the benefits and possible harms of the various types of meat, deciding whether to feed the dog cooked meat or exclusively raw meat, and also taking into account the recommendations of experts in feeding patterns.

Benefits and harms of different types of meat

Feeding with good quality meat guarantees the normal functioning of the dog's organism:

• Supports the work of internal organs;
• Improves the condition of the coat and skin;
• Contributes to the proper formation of bone and muscle tissue;
• It serves as a source of energy.

Among the varieties of meat, those that is preferable to be introduced into a pet's diet stand out.

Feeding a large breed dog with high quality natural meat is very expensive. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different types of meat, the owner can choose the most preferable option, taking into account the benefits for his pet.

Important! Whatever type of meat you choose for your pet, it is best that this piece of meat does not contain a layer of fat.

Fat is not fully absorbed by the body of dogs; its excessive consumption causes the development of diseases of the digestive tract.

Beef

This is the most harmless source of animal protein for the dog. The main advantage of this type of meat is its low-fat content.

 As a consequence, when a dog eats meat, the animal's liver is not overworked. Know the advantages and disadvantages of this type of meat:

• Great for chicks to start feeding
• Beef is one of the most suitable types of meat for a dog.

Pork

Less recommended for dogs. Excessively fatty meat has a bad effect on the condition of the dog's liver, it burdens the digestive system.

Important! Pork is infected with helminths and viruses more often than other types of meat.

Know the advantages and disadvantages of this type of meat:

• An alternative to more expensive types of meat;
• For large breed dogs that live outdoors, it is a good source of energy;
• For the prevention of skin diseases and poor coat conditions, high-quality pork cuts with a small layer of fat can be useful for dogs.
• Fatty meat, poorly absorbed by the dog's body, can cause diseases of the digestive tract;
• The danger of infection by worms or viruses that are found exclusively in the body of pigs.

Conclusion: Not recommended or exclusively boiled.

Ram

An alternative to beef. Sheep that feed on pasture grass do not need to be fed hormones and growth stimulants. Therefore, lamb is considered a hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly meat.

This is suitable meat to feed almost all dogs. Lamb has a high-fat content. Lamb offal is also suitable for food.

Know the advantages and disadvantages of this type of meat:

• Hypoallergenic meat is rich in B vitamins and iron. Best suited for herding and guarding breeds. Especially useful for older dogs.
• For dogs that get a lot of exercises, lamb is an excellent source of energy with an ideal fat content.
• The meat of adult animals contains an excessive amount of fat. It is worth giving preference to the meat of young mutton, as it is less fat.

Conclusion:  It is possible, even raw.

Birds

Low-fat diet. Easily absorbed by the dog's body.

Important! Duck meat can be very fatty. It is worth introducing it into the dog's diet in a limited amount so as not to increase the load on the animal's liver.

Know the advantages and disadvantages of this type of meat:

• Low-fat meat diet. Easily absorbed by the dog's body.
• Chicken meat may contain antibiotics and growth hormones that are used in poultry production. Its concentration is especially high in the skin.

Meat for dogs: raw or cooked meat?

Although raw meat is a natural food for a dog, the answer to this question is ambiguous.

Both raw and cooked slices of meat have advantages and disadvantages. When making a decision, the owner must clearly understand the benefits and potential harms of the chosen feeding method.

Raw meat

• High nutritional value;
• Rich in essential amino acids;
• Adequate formation of the animal's skeleton and muscle tissue;
• Prevention of anemia – increasing the level of hemoglobin in the blood;
• Improve the state of the immune system and the general resistance of the body;
• The danger of helminth infection and infectious diseases.

To protect raw meat of dubious quality, you can place it in the freezer for several days. Parasite eggs die from a sharp drop in temperature.

Boiled meat

• Insurance against parasites and some infectious diseases;
• After heat treatment, the meat loses some of its useful properties and decreases in volume. Cooked meat reduces satiety and nutritional value.

Important! When preparing a meat dish for a dog, do not add salt and other spicy spices. Food additives in the composition of this meat negatively affect the condition of the dog's liver.

Meat recommendations for dogs

In specialized ready-to-eat dog food, all components are balanced, portion sizes are clearly indicated on the packaging.

What is the serving size for the pet? And what is the daily amount of meat ratio considered correct and ideal?

It depends on many conditions:

• Dog breed, its weight;
• Sex and age;
• Lifestyle characteristics;
• Health condition.

Rules for calculating the daily volume of natural food for an average-sized dog:

1. For an active adult individual – 3-4% of body weight. So, for a pet weighing 10 kg, the daily portion of food is 10×0.04 = 0.4 kg or 400 grams
2. For elderly and inactive animals, the daily rate is reduced to 2-2.5% of body weight
3. Puppies, on the other hand, need more food. Its norm is around 6% of body weight.

Meat for dogs: general recommendations

• Feeding your dog exclusively meat is not the best solution.
• The daily amount of food is best divided into several meals throughout the day. Adult dogs are fed 2 times a day, puppies more often - up to 6 times a day.
• A new type of meat must always be introduced gradually. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the pet to observe the manifestation of allergic reactions: indigestion, deterioration of the skin and coat
• When offering meat to a dog, it is best to give it in large pieces that need to be chewed.
• If the dog leaves food in the bowl, this is a reason to reduce the individual portion.
• You need to regularly deworm your pet