Can German Shepherds Eat Raw Meat? A Complete Guide On A Raw Diet!!!

German Shepherd falls in the category of wolf and we all know that they are carnivorous animals but here we are talking about German Shepherd. German Shepherd is omnivorous and can eat non-veg food, but the question arises can German Shepherd eat raw meat?

The answer is yes, a German Shepherd can eat raw meat unless it is fresh and washed properly. Raw meat contains bacteria that can affect their health, so it’s better to wash it properly before feeding them.

Your dog may have become eager due to the smell of the meat and demanded it whether it was raw or cooked, as you may have noticed when your room began to smell like meat.

This post is going to be more informative about the raw dog food diet for your German Shepherd. Here in this post, there will be a detailed discussion about:

• Can German shepherds eat raw meat?

• Can a German Shepherd eat bones?

• What if you feed cooked meat?

• Health benefits and hazards.

Let’s begin the complete guide to raw feeding for German Shepherds!!!

Can I Feed My German Shepherd Raw Meat?

You should be aware that German Shepherds are canines, and if we consider their predecessors, we can see that they were wolves who exclusively consumed raw food diets or raw meat. But the main question is can you feed your German Shepherd raw meat?

Yes, you can feed German Shepherds raw meat as they can digest raw diet easily, but you should do some precautions before feeding raw meat. It should be washed properly so that their health can’t be affected because of the bacteria present in raw meat.

However, some organizations are against feeding raw meat to dogs. You should follow the details published by FDA regarding smarter food safety.

Can German Shepherds Eat Bones?

Belonging to a family of canines, German Shepherd has no problem when they eat raw meat or bones. No doubt, they have stronger jaws and can chew. However, you should only give them food that may easily shatter in their mouths to prevent tooth damage and digest raw meat easily.

Beware, guys! you should never feed cooked bones to your German Shepherd as they easily chip and can bring fatal injury. It is because when the bones are heated they break apart and may form sharp small pieces eating which can damage their tooth.

It is not a good idea to experiment with a German Shepherd’s diet, such as by giving them nothing but bones just because they enjoy chewing. Only consuming bones could result in serious health issues including intestinal obstruction.

You should always choose the safe side, should remove bones, and feed them only flesh. It will be a healthier choice as most of the proteins they get from them.

What If You Feed Cooked Meat To Your German Shepherd?

Most German Shepherd owners may enjoy raw meat feeding to their dogs. My German Shepherd does like to eat non-veg items and also thinks your dog does the same. They can digest both whether the meat is raw or cooked.

Even cooked meat is better than feeding it raw. Cooked meat is salmonella-free and provides a healthier diet for your pet.

As a dog owner, all of you want your dog to eat a healthier diet avoiding all the bacteria and viruses that can make them unhealthy.

You should also try to feed cooked items whether they are veg or non-veg, it not only kills all the bacteria but it is also responsible to provide them with a healthy diet.

How Much Should You Feed Raw Meat To Your German Shepherd?

Following the proper diet plan always make your dog live a healthy and happy life. If you are feeding raw meat to your German Shepherd then you should know the given method of raw feeding.

BARF Diet Plan

Ian Billinghurst, one of the best veterinarians developed his feeding suggestions for the BARF diet in 1993. The full form of BARF is Bones and Raw Food, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.

The main objective of the BARF diet plan is to provide all the nutritional components with no preservatives added to the diet.
The BARF diet mainly comprises:

Remember to avoid food that can affect the health of your dog.

The PMR Diet Plan

The Prey Model diet plan is slightly different from the BARF diet plan. It follows the concept of wild animal feeding as they enjoy their dish unless they consume whole prey.

The PMR diet plan mainly comprises:

This diet plan does not contain any veg diet, they only deal the non-veg food. You should also consult your vets before following these two diet plans.

What Meats Can German Shepherds Eat?

Most German Shepherds are active and they need a lot of energy. They need proper nutrition and energy from meat but you may wonder what meats can German Shepherd eat.

Oh Yeah! German Shepherds like eating meat and they are also good sources of protein that allows them a lot of energy to make them active all the time.

Here are the lists that German Shepherds can eat with the number of nutrients.

Let’s see the nutritional qualities of various types of meat for German Shepherds:

Beef:

The nutritional quality of cooked beef per 100 grams contains 35 grams of proteins, 250 calories, and 10 gm of fat. I

If you feed beef of this size, it also provides 8.5 mg of zinc, 3.5 mg of iron, and 2.5 micrograms of vitamin B12. Fresh beef also provides low sodium.

Chicken:

If you are feeding chicken to your GSD then you should know the nutritional value of this non-veg item. 

It is also a good source of protein and fat-containing 17.4 gm of protein and 8.1 gm of fat.

It also contains the following essential nutrients:

• Vitamin B12
• Tryptophan
• Choline
• Zinc
• Iron
• Copper

Pork:

The meat of a pig is called pork and GSD can also eat it. The vitamins and minerals are present in high amounts.

The other nutrient value present in cooked pork is:

Pork is also a rich source of zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, thiamine, phosphorus, and iron.

Turkey:

Seeing its availability in North America, it is one of the favorite meat for most dog owners. It is also high in vitamins and minerals.
The nutrient profile of turkey per 100 grams contains:

You can see the quantity of fat is very little which helps the dog to avoid bloating as it is full of energy.

Duck:

The meat of duck also provides GSD with important nutrients for growth and health.

The nutrients in duck per 100 grams contain 18.3 grams of protein and 5.9 grams of fat. It is also a good source of magnesium, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.

You should also see the size of your dog before feeding them as recommended by RDA.

Lamb:

Lamb is a type of red meat with much nutritional value and is healthy for the German Shepherd.

The nutritional profile of Lamb per 100 grams is:

Are All Raw Meats Safe For German Shepherds?

I hope you have understood what meats German Shepherds can eat? and their nutritional value. Now you may wonder Are all raw meats safe for your German Shepherd?

They can eat most of the raw meat unless they are fresh and passed the food circulatory plan by AAFCO.

Raw meat diet also depends on the size of your German Shepherd and the quality of meat that you are serving to them.

I recommend you to feed only cooked meat as it provides more nutrition that enhances their health and helps a lot in the growth period.

Also Read: Can German Shepherds Eat Tomatoes?

What Are The Benefits Of Feeding Raw Meat To Your German Shepherd?

Feeding raw meat diet to your German Shepherd has certain benefits as vets also recommend feeding raw meat when they are in the growth stage.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of meats:

• Improves digestion
• Allows to get cleaner teeth
• Responsible for Fresh breath
• Provide Shiny and healthy skin and fur
• Provide more energy and stamina
• Improves immune system
• Avoid allergies

However, if you are feeding commercial meat then you should see its expiry date and the company just passed the food regulatory system formulated by AAFCO.

What Are The Adverse Effects Of Feeding Raw Meat To German Shepherds?

You should be aware that raw feeding can’t be healthy all the time, it has some adverse effects also that can degrade the health of your beloved dog.

It’s time to see some of the adverse effects of raw meat that is fed to GSD.

Bacteria and viruses impact

You must have purchased some raw food diet from the market that may contain some bacterial content so it’s recommended to wash meat properly if you are feeding fresh raw meat, just to kill bacteria.

However, GSD can fight bacteria but regular consumption degrades their health and they become ill more often because of the harmful bacteria present in it.

You are advised to buy fresh meat from a genuine store and remember to follow proper guidelines before feeding them.

Choking Hazard

Feeding raw meat may result in choking hazards. As the meats don’t contain only flesh but there is the availability of bones also.

If the bones are not cooked properly then the pieces of bones may damage their mouth and lead to intestinal blockage.

It is a serious concern you should not avoid, cook the bones properly so that your German Shepherd can’t be affected by this type of threat.

Impact of Salmonella

Raw and undercooked meat contains salmonella, consuming which may lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, and pain.

However, it does not affect GSD as that of inmates. Its early symptoms are:

• Loss of taste
• Loss of smell
• Loss of vision

The illness caused by these bacteria is called salmonellosis. This has such threats of this bacteria but one should be careful as it is caused by eating raw meat.

Food Poisoning

Food Poisoning is one of the severe problems caused by eating raw meat. However, German Shepherd has a strong digestive system but they are not strong enough to fight against such bacteria that you are making them consume at regular intervals.

Your German Shepherd will not only become weak but as a pet owner you will also be frustrated, so you should think twice before feeding your dog raw meat.

The Best German Shepherd Raw Food, You Should Follow:

For the well-being of your German Shepherd, you should not compromise with their diet plan, you should do proper research or take suggestions from your vets so that they can remain healthy all the time.

Here are some of the raw diets you can follow:

• Muscle meat
• Organs of meats like kidneys and liver
• Cooked bones
• Raw eggs
• Fruits (Avoid those that are toxic)
• Vegetables
• Commercial dog food
• Human Food

You can also follow our article for more detail about the feeding of vegetables

“Can German Shepherds be Vegetarian?”

Being a veggie I always prefer my dog to eat a veg diet more often, it not only avoid them from illness but m to remain them calm m also.

Frequently Asked Question(FAQs):

Can I Give My German Shepherd Raw Chicken?

No, you should not give your German Shepherd raw chicken. Though some dogs can tolerate uncooked poultry, due to their size and their sensitive digestive system, it is usually not recommended.

Raw chicken can carry harmful bacteria such as salmonella that could make your dog sick. Therefore, it is best to stick with cooked chicken for your German Shepherd whenever possible.

Can German Shepherds Eat Raw Fish Meat?

No, German Shepherds should not eat raw fish meat. Raw meat can contain harmful bacteria, parasites, and toxins that can make your dog ill.

Your German shepherd’s Gastrointestinal system can also be damaged, if they consume raw fish meat. If you wish to feed your German Shepherd fish, it is best to cook it thoroughly first.

Can German Shepherds Eat Raw Bones?

Yes, raw bones can be eaten by German Shepherds as part of their diet. Your German Shepherd can get a lot of vitamins and minerals from raw bones, but there are certain hazards.

The biggest danger of giving your dog, raw bones is that they can splinter and harm their digestive system or choke them. So it’s important to feed such a diet that provides complete and balanced nutrition.

Final Thoughts:

We all know that many German Shepherds eat raw meat. No doubt they provide such nutrients that are helpful in their growth.

But you should take proper precautions before feeding them. It will be better to take valuable advice from your vets regarding a properly balanced diet that is needed for your GSD.

I will conclude my discussion with one word “When your dog remains healthy you will also be happy“.

Related Posts:

• Why my German Shepherd doesn’t eat? Reasons, Precautions and Cure, A complete guide!!!
• How much should you feed a German Shepherd??
• How to brush your German Shepherd?