When practicing BARF feeding, it's recommended to offer dogs larger pieces of meat and meaty bones. This is more natural for them; their digestion is adapted to it, and gnawing on bones also helps clean their teeth. However, it's not always possible to feed a dog in this way. That's why there are various ground mixtures of meat, bones, and even offal, so that every dog can enjoy raw food, regardless of age or health condition.
Benefits of Ground Meat for Dogs
You can buy ground meat for dogs that is finely or coarsely ground. Besides pure ground muscle meat, you can also find ground meat with bones and cartilage or ground mixtures with offal.
Such mixtures are perfect for dogs that refuse to eat bones or offal. You can also nicely hide grated vegetables or fruits in the ground meat if your furry friend is picky and wouldn't eat the side dish on its own.
For Which Dogs Is Ground Meat Suitable?
Basically, you can offer ground meat to almost any dog. However, there are certain groups of dogs that will appreciate it more for various reasons. Let's look at which dogs ground meat is most suitable for.
Puppies
For small puppies that the breeder plans to feed with BARF from the beginning, finely ground meat is ideal. For example, you can give ground beef to puppies from the 3rd week of life.
Older Dogs
Senior dogs often have dental problems, as well as other health issues associated with aging. Chewing bones can be particularly challenging for them, so it's appropriate to give them ground meat along with ground bones, which will ensure they receive the necessary vitamins and minerals. You can read more about how to feed senior dogs in our article.
Sick Dogs
Even some young dogs may have health problems that prevent them from eating larger pieces of meat or bones without issues. For them, ground meat is equally suitable.
Dogs During Convalescence
Finely ground meat is also suitable for dogs during convalescence after surgery. Ground meat provides the dog with enough energy while not burdening their digestive system, which is weakened by anesthesia.
Dogs Starting with BARF
When transitioning to a raw diet, it is recommended to start with small pieces of meat, which should gradually be increased in size. However, you can also start with ground meat and later add ground bones. It's a good way for the dog to get used to bones in their diet.
