Alice White
Lean meat is the most important part of any dog meal. Whether in wet food, dry food, or a barf menu: Muscle-rich meat provides the dog with many vital nutrients. But what exactly is muscle meat and which type of meat is best for dogs? We have summarized the most important information for you.
What is Muscle Meat?
Meat plays an important role in the dog’s appropriate nutrition. In addition to offal and bones, muscle meat is an important ingredient in feeding. Muscle meat refers to the large muscles in the body of slaughtered animals, for example in the back, stomach, neck, or thighs. In fact, at around 80 percent, this meat makes up the largest portion of the usable portion, because apart from offal, bones, tendons, skin, and fat, almost all parts are muscle meat. Strictly speaking, the heart, a popular supplementary food, is also a muscle, even if the organ is often listed separately due to its exceptional nutritional content and treated like offal when feeding dogs.
Why is Muscle Meat so Important for Dogs?
Muscle meat is essential in feeding dogs. The meat from the muscles of the slaughtered animal is an important source of protein and provides the dog with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Depending on the type of meat, the high-quality meat has a lower or higher content of essential fatty acids and amino acids.
What is the Best Muscle Meat for the Dog?
There are a variety of high-muscle meats that are suitable for dogs.
Which muscle meat you give your dog basically doesn’t matter, as long as a balanced and wholesome diet is ensured.
The most common types include beef, poultry, lamb, and rabbit meat. For dogs that suffer from allergies and intolerance, the muscle meat of exotic species is ideal. These include kangaroo meat, buffalo meat, and ostrich meat. The meat of these species is considered particularly digestible.
What Role Does Muscle Meat Play in Barfing?
When fed raw, muscle meat is the main ingredient of the meal. A barf menu should consist of around 70 to 80 percent animal ingredients, around 50 percent of which should be meat from the muscles. The remainder is made up of innards, rumen, heart, and bones. There are also vegetable components such as vegetables and fruits. A balanced ratio between muscle meat and the rest of the ingredients is important when barfing in order to nourish the dog healthily and to provide it with all the nutrients.
Is There Ready-made Dog Food With Muscle Meat?
High-quality wet and dry dog food usually contain a sufficiently large amount of muscle meat. To ensure that your dog has a varied and balanced diet, read the dog food label before buying it and check that the types of meat it contains are precisely declared. As a rule, the proportions of the individual components, including the muscle proportion, are stated on the can or package. In addition to wet and dry food, there are also chew products made from dried muscle meat.
