Can Dogs Eat Steak?

Today Is Quite Possibly My Dogs Favorite Day Of The A to Z Challenge!

Because S is for steak!  My partner, as of late, has been on a culinary quest to prefect the art of cooking steak.  Kitsune, Fenrir, and I can’t complain.  The dogs because, well, what dog doesn’t love steak?  And myself because what girl doesn’t love when someone else does the cooking for her?

Looking for more ideas for healthy “human” foods you can share with your dog?  Check out my other blogging from A to Z challenge posts!

The Benefits Of Feeding Beef, Besides The Obvious…

The obvious being that dogs love it!  Dogs are designed to digest meat.  They digest it much more efficiently than they do other foods, such as grains.  Dogs get lots of great things, such as protein, vitamin B12, zinc, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, riboflavin, etc, from eating beef steak.

For people who raw feed, or home cook, for their dogs, muscle meats (such as steak) usually make up a large percentage of their dog’s diet.  I think, at least for me personally, one of the huge draws of cooking or preparing meat for your dog is that you are able to give them a biologically appropriate food that is not only good for them, but that they really enjoy eating as well!

I love offering my dogs things like bits of steak as treats because I know exactly what I’m giving them.  No unknown ingredients that I can’t pronounce, let alone know whether they’re actually good for my dogs or not.

I have to admit I’m a bit jealous.  I probably love chocolate as much as my dogs love steak – the difference being that I can’t feed myself chocolate for breakfast and feel good about it afterwords.

Any Precautions?

Like with any new foods, steak/beef should be introduced into the diet slowly to avoid digestive upset.  If you are interested in feeding steak as part of a raw or home cooked diet, make sure to do lots of research first!  I really can’t stress that enough.  An unbalanced diet, which would be lacking in vital nutrients, really is one of the worst things you could feed your dog.

How To Prepare Steak For Dogs

If you are cooking steak for your dog, or perhaps sharing a bit of your own dinner, cook the meat plain.  Dogs don’t need things like sauces and seasonings to enhance the flavor of meat – they think it’s pretty awesome on its own.  Plus, depending on what seasonings you’re using, they can be unhealthy for dogs and may cause GI issues.

There are so many different ways you can prepare meat for dogs!  Raw feeders offer it…well…raw!  Or you could cook it plain and offer it up as a special meal by itself, use it as a food topper, or as part of a recipe.  Cut into small pieces, steak and other meats can make awesome high quality training treats.

Remember to always introduce new foods to your dogs slowly, so you avoid causing upset tummies.  And, like with any other food, if you are using steak as a special treat or snack, feeding treats in moderation is key!

I’d love to hear from you – comment below!  Do you ever feed your dog(s) meat like steak, either as a special treat or as part of their regular diet?