Barf meat for the dog: what you should consider
You want to barf your dog, but you are unsure where to buy the meat for this? There are several places where you can get the fresh or frozen meat that your dog likes. But beware: always have an eye on the quality!
Barfing can be very healthy for your dog. Besides, most four-legged friends love to be spoiled with fresh meat. But where can you actually get this fresh meat for dogs? Ideally, you get it directly from the producer – for example, from an organic farmer in your area. Here you know exactly what kind of meat you are buying, you know the conditions under which the animals are kept and often you can even get leftover meat at a particularly good price.
It costs nothing to ask: leftover meat from the butcher
If you don’t have an organic farmer nearby, or if you don’t have time to visit him regularly, you can simply go to the butcher. Here, too, you can get Barf meat. Ask the professional for fresh meat. Manybutchers are happy to let friendly dog owners have one or another package of meat, which is no longer suitable for human consumption, but tastes very good to dogs.
If you have a slaughterhouse near you, you can also ask there if there are any leftover offal.
Order frozen meat for barfing online
In Germany, you can also find several suppliers on the Internet where you can order frozen raw meat. Many online stores offer a good selection of barf meat and deliver the fresh meat in frozen state directly to your home.
Popular varieties include beef, rumen, veal, lamb or chicken – most meats are frozen including the bones. But is frozen food at all healthy for your dog?
In principle, there is nothing to be said against it: If food is quickly frozen, spoilage can be stopped – then you can also use the thawed meat for barf with frozen meat. One advantage of freezing: the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are retained. Cooked food, in contrast, loses nutrients in part.
Frozen meat keeps for a long time, but also not forever. Therefore, you should make sure that beef is kept in the freezer for no longer than 18 months, veal for no longer than 9 months and poultry for no longer than 7 months.
And what else is important to consider in terms of barf meat for dogs?
Barfing your dog: Can there be germs in the meat?
In contrast to the human digestive system, dogs have much more aggressive stomach acid. This normally kills most germs, such as salmonella, before they can harm the dog’s body.
Nevertheless, the meat – regardless of whether you feed fresh or frozen meat – must meet certain quality standards and, for example, be processed hygienically. If there are too many germs in the meat, it can be too much even for the strong dog stomach.
When Barfen on high-quality raw meat pay attention
Safe barfing begins with the selection of meat. Pay particular attention to freshness. If you notice a rotten or sweetish smell, or if you notice that the meat is oozing, greasy, or grayish in color, steer clear of it – even if you may have gotten it cheaply or even for free from the butcher. After all, you don’t want to put your dog at risk.
You should also refrain from meat that has already been put through a meat grinder. Often it is no longer traceable from which animal or body part the meat originally came. In addition, it does not satiate your dog as well as fresh meat in one piece, which he still has to chew properly.
Very important! When barfening, also refrain from raw pork and wild boar meat. This can contain the Aujeszky’s virus, which triggers the so-called pseudo rage – and this always ends fatally for dogs.
Adhere to hygiene rules and reduce germs in raw meat.
Since you can never completely rule out the possibility that the raw meat contains germs that are dangerous for your dog, you should adhere to certain hygiene rules. This includes safe storage.
Ensure continuous and adequate refrigeration of the raw meat, just as you would with your meat. Also, if you are barfing with frozen meat, do not refreeze thawed raw meat.
Speaking of thawing: Again, make sure you thaw properly, slowly and gently. The meat should first thaw in the refrigerator. During this time, it should never be packed airtight, as dangerous germs can also develop in this way. Therefore, always take the meat out of the packaging for defrosting. After defrosting, you should then feed it as soon as possible – unrefrigerated meat quickly goes bad.
It is also important that you thoroughly clean all utensils and objects that come into contact with the raw meat with hot water. This applies to your four-legged friend’s food bowl as well as the knives you use to cut it and the surface you work on.
Also, regular hand washing is a must when processing meat. If you always follow the hygiene rules mentioned here, barfing in itself is usually not dangerous for a healthy dog. Nevertheless, you should consult a veterinarian with your dog before you start feeding raw meat.
