Cooked meat, such as boiled chicken or lamb, may also be offered, but ensure there are no cooked bones and no onions/onion sauces or other toxic substances present (see below). As mentioned above, raw meat and bones carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill and so are not recommended.
Fat Trimmings and Bones
Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause pancreatitis in dogs. And, even though it seems natural to give a dog a bone, they can choke on it. Bones can also splinter and block or cause cuts in your dog's digestive system.
Chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, and chuck steak or roast are animal-based proteins, which help dogs grow strong. A few rules apply: Always cook meat well. Never serve it raw or undercooked.
Chicken & Turkey Skin, Ham, & Other Fatty Cuts of Meat
These food items contain a high-fat content, which can cause acute pancreatitis, a life-threatening illness with severe complications. Avoid turkey bones too. Dogs can develop severe indigestion or vomiting after eating turkey bones.
Dogs thrive on high meat diets full of quality proteins that are the building blocks of life. All types of meat protein are great but generally leaner meats with greater nutrients like kangaroo and salmon are slightly preferable and a small proportion of organ meat is a great nutritional boost.
Among the various types of meat, lamb and chicken provide the most digestible forms of protein for your dog, with beef coming in after that. When looking at a dog food's ingredients label, high-quality dog food will list these protein sources first—lamb, chicken, beef, and some of the by-products of these animals.
For this reason, lamb is often a better candidate. While a 100g serving of beef provides 25.9g of protein compared to lamb's 24.5g, the same serving of lamb has more of the needed amino acids, or building blocks to assist with muscle growth and maintenance. Lamb was also once labeled as “hypoallergenic” meat.
Raw or undercooked pork should never be fed to dogs. This meat can carry parasites like trichinosis, which can cause gastrointestinal issues. Symptoms of trichinosis can vary, but can include: Vomiting.
The following veggies are considered unsafe for dogs: Garlic, Onions, Shallots, & Chives: Garlic, onions, shallots, and chives are toxic to dogs, whether raw or cooked. They have substances that may cause anemia and damage red blood cells. Signs of illness may take several days to manifest.
Cooked, unseasoned ground beef can safely be fed to dogs in small amounts. To ensure that the beef is safe to eat, cook the meat to a safe temperature—at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit—to kill harmful bacteria that could make your dog or family sick.
Cooked meat, such as boiled chicken or lamb, may also be offered, but ensure there are no cooked bones and no onions/onion sauces or other toxic substances present (see below). As mentioned above, raw meat and bones carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill and so are not recommended.
Beef is a good source of protein for dogs and can be safely fed to them as long as it is cooked properly. Protein is essential for maintaining a dog's muscle mass and helps keep their coat healthy. Beef is also a good source of omega-three fatty acids, which are beneficial for a dog's skin and coat health.
Raw meat has the potential to contain parasites that can be bad for your dog's (and possibly your family's) health. Cooking kills these parasites and protects your dog from infection. In particular, raw kangaroo meat often contains parasites because kangaroos aren't raised in controlled farming conditions.
Quality Proteins
Lamb isn't a common protein, meaning that most dogs haven't had the chance to develop an allergy or food sensitivity to it. It's also an easily-digestible protein which is great for avoiding stomach upsets. Salmon based dog food is also great for dogs with sensitive stomachs AND skin.
Broccoli is safe for dogs to eat frozen, raw or cooked, plus it's packed full of vitamins and minerals. Broccoli should be treated as an occasional snack and the florets, in particular, should only be eaten in small amounts.
Sweet potato is a safe, healthy, and natural treat for dogs, offering a range of health benefits (and a sweet flavor they'll likely love). For example, sweet potatoes support a healthy digestive system thanks to their high dietary fiber content. They're also low in fat and contain essential vitamins like B6, C, and A.
Dogs prefer beef, pork and lamb to chicken, liver and horsemeat and strongly prefer meat to cereal diets. They prefer canned meat to fresh meat, ground meat to cubed meat and cooked meat to raw meat. Canned or semimoist preparations are preferred to dry ones.
Eggs are not only a perfectly safe food source for dogs – they offer much in the way of nutritional benefits. Aside from being rich in protein, eggs are also a great source of linoleic acid, Vitamin B2 and B12 and water-soluble Vitamin A – all of which are wonderful for your dog's skin and coat.