[Ania's Mommy]

What do you think about giving small cubes of fat as treats? I was trimming some raw steaks for dinner (mine, not Ania's :wink, and thought that it was a shame to be wasting the excess fat. I know that fat to dogs is different than it is to humans, so I thought it might not be such a bad idea to save it for when Ania is a very good girl. She is a very healthy, athletic 16 month old. We've been feeding raw for about a month now. Whoo hoo!

Thanks!

 

[RawFedDogs]

You could do that or just save it and give it to her as part of a meal. You could also just hand it to her as you trim it off. The choice is yours. Of course it is good for her. :smile:

 

[SweetKisses]

Hmmm....why are you cutting the fat off of the food? Are you feeding feedlot beef or organic beef? I only feed organic beef that is grass-fed and free-range. Grass-fed and free-range beef does not contain excess fat, but a normal amount of fat for the prey species. If you are feeding feedlot beef, I can see cutting off excess fat, if that is your dog's main source of nutrition. I really suggest that you switch to organic beef that is grass fed and free range. It is much better for your dog. I really don't suggest you cut the fat out of meat. Dogs need fat. Using it as a treat really isn't necessary. Just leave it on. I use chunks of chicken, chicken feet, turkey chunks, turkey liver, turkey hearts, and apple pieces as treats. But, I feed almost exclussively chicken and turkey. Odin just doesn't care for rabbit, beef, lamb, etc. He likes his poultry. lol Another cut up carrots or pieces of butternut squash. Odin also like raw chicken pieces rolled in flaxseed as a training treat. I'll also give him a raw egg if he's been a good boy, like after a walk or when getting back from the veterinarian. Supplemental clay also works as a treat. You can wet it and roll it into a ball. Odin loves it!

 

[rannmiller]

She was cutting the fat off of her own meat meant for her to eat, not for the dog to eat, that's the point :smile:

I think that if you need to use something as treats, trimmed fat would be a fantastic option. But as RFD said, you can just add it to her meals or give it to her as you cut it off too. Either way, don't throw it away, give it to the dog!

 

[jenh22]

This brings up a question I've been wondering about. How much fat is too much at one time? I got a pork shoulder a while back that had huge chunks of fat on it. Since I have a small dog his portions are pretty small and some of them would have consisted of mostly fat. I trimmed off some of the excess, I was worried that it may cause tummy troubles or pancreas issues.
I did save it, I figured I would feed bits of it with leaner meats like chicken. Was this necessary or could I have just left it as is?

 

[RawFedDogs]

I don't know if there is a hard and fast rule but I wouldn't be comfortable feeding more fat than muscle regularly. One meal of more fat here or there will make no difference except maybe some soft stools. I strongly suspect your dog will let you know when you feed too much fat.

 

[jenh22]

Good to know. I think since I already cut it off, I'll just continue to add it to leaner or bony meals. In the future I'll try to cut them in a way that the fat matches the meat when possible and just save the excess fat when I can't.