Feeding Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef for Your Dog
Often, dog owners want to know if grass-fed beef is better than beef from cattle fed a diet of grains. The short answer is that grass-fed meat has many advantages over grain-fed beef. Studies have shown that cattle fed an exclusively grass-fed diet are associated with a healthier fatty acid profile and higher antioxidants because of the lush greens they consume. Grass-fed beef is also typically lower in overall fat content while having twice the omega-3 fatty acids as conventional grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is also higher in Vitamin A and E precursors, such as beta-carotene. While dogs can mainly use Vitamin A in the form of retinol, they can use beta-carotene as an antioxidant and free radical fighter, which is beneficial for immune system health.
Is Raw Meat Good for Dogs?
The answer to this question is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.
Feeding a diet consisting primarily of raw meat may not provide the complete and balanced nutrition your dog needs.
This is particularly true for puppies, whose dietary needs are complex as they grow and develop. The same goes for senior dogs, who may have weakened immune systems and more sensitive digestive systems.
Properly cooking meat and carbohydrates (like Purina does with our dog foods) can make the food more digestible. “Dogs are able to use more nutrients from cooked food and, therefore, use these nutrients more effectively for energy, building muscles and supporting their immune systems,” says Purina nutritionist, Karina Carbo-Johnson, MS.
A raw food diet (RFD) may increase your dog’s risk of nutritional deficiencies and illnesses. They need complete and balanced nutrition to help them live long and healthy lives.
If you do choose a commercially prepared RFD, our experts recommend ensuring it’s formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. We also recommend choosing a food that has either undergone feeding trials and/or has an AAFCO statement of nutritional adequacy, plus meets World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) guidelines to ensure your dog gets all the nutrients they need.
Can I mix ground beef with dry dog food?
Yes. However, you will need to lower the amount of dry dog food your pet is eating. You should not keep feeding them the same amount of dry food and then add extra ground beef. This will give them too many calories and can cause obesity.
Mixing ground beef with dry dog food can be an excellent way to increase your dog’s interest in the food. Be sure to strain and rinse the meat as well. This can remove the extra fat that is sometimes found in ground beef.
With that said, it is essential to realize that your dog not eating kibble isn’t necessarily a sign of a “picky” eater. Dogs can skip meals and often do. Dogs in new situations may be too nervous to eat. Dogs may have a small stomach ache. There are a lot of reasons your dog may decide not to eat. Typically, picky eating isn’t one of them.
Therefore, you should not mix ground beef in your dog’s food to get them to eat it. This can mess with their ability to self-regulate and cause obesity. If you want to give your dog ground beef to increase their diet value, that is an entirely different story, however.
4 WEEK OLD PUPPIES EAT GROUND BEEF; WHAT TO FEED NEW BORN PUPPIES; MANMADE KENNELS; PITBULL PUPPIES
Dogs evolved to eat mostly meat. They can consume fruits and veggies as well, but their diet needs to be made up of mostly meat. As you might imagine, meat contains tons of protein and fat – which is precisely what canines need to thrive.
Ground beef is used to make everything from burgers to tacos. It is also relatively inexpensive, which is mostly why it is used so widely by humans today. While ground beef is absolutely meat, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should share your ground beef with your canine.
Generally speaking, plain ground beef is safe for most pets. However, there is a lot you can do to ground beef that can make it unsafe. We’ll discuss these situations below.