I think we can agree that feeding dogs raw hamburger meat sounds like an easy way to feed dogs a raw diet. Plus, hamburger meat is relatively inexpensive and goes on sale more than any other store-bought meat.
I’m here to tell you that feeding dogs raw hamburger meat isn’t significantly dangerous, but you do need to heed several warnings.
Below I’ll share with you 5 warnings related to feeding dogs raw hamburger meat. These warnings aren’t meant to scare you, but rather, help you avoid illness and deficiencies. When fed correctly, there’s no harm in feeding dogs raw hamburger meat.
- Salmonella Outbreaks in Raw Hamburger Meat
Just last month the CDC recalled 6.5 million pounds of ground beef due to a salmonella outbreak. Ground beef is recalled more frequently than other beef products because when beef is ground, bacteria from its surface are mixed throughout the meat. The increase of surface area then encourages bacterial growth. This goes for all ground meats including ground chicken, turkey, pork or lamb, which are processed the same way.
The reason salmonella outbreaks are more widespread in ground beef is because meat from as many as 400 different cows make up one pound of ground beef. So, if one piece of meat is infected, then ground and spread throughout many pounds of ground beef, the bacteria spreads with it.
While a raw fed dog has the ironclad stomach acids to combat higher levels of bacteria, continuously challenging your dogs immunity isn’t the safest approach. I encourage those who feed their dogs a raw diet to feed whole meats as much as possible. If you do want to feed ground meat, I suggest you grind it at home and then feed or freeze, or you can wait to feed until your dog has been on a raw diet for a few weeks and built up their immunity.
- Your Dog Can’t Thrive on Raw Hamburger Meat Alone
I do see why some people would be tempted to feed their dogs raw hamburger meat as a complete raw diet because of how inexpensive, accessible and easy it is to feed. The reality is that a proper raw diet needs to consist of far more than raw hamburger meat.
A healthy raw diet consists of 80% muscle meat, 10% organ meat and 10% bone. Both the muscle meat and organ meat must consist of 4-5 different animals and parts. Feeding dogs raw hamburger meat alone isn’t enough. A raw diet should consist of (for example) beef, chicken, lamb and duck. That’s some good variety right there! Just feeding one meat (beef) can cause your dog to be deficient in certain nutrients that are found at higher levels in other animal meats. The same goes for organs. You must feed a variety of ograns for a healthy raw fed dog.
So, while you can feed dogs raw hamburger meat as part of a complete raw diet, you must also feed a variety of meats, bones and organs along with it.
- Don’t Feed Raw Hamburger Meat First
Are you transitioning your dog to a raw diet? Then hold off on feeding any red meat, for now. You need to start your dog’s raw diet with meats that aren’t so rich. Otherwise, your dog will end up with diarrhea which can lead to dehydration and a painfully upset stomach.
Chicken is perfect to start off with. Other mild meats you can feed your dog when starting them on a raw diet are quail, Cornish hen, rabbit or turkey. You’ll feed this first meat all by itself for the first two weeks of your dog’s raw diet and only add in a 2nd meat when your dog’s stools are firm for a full week.
Feeding dogs raw hamburger meat or any other red meat will come down the road, once your dog is ready for more variety in their diet. In my eBook, The Complete Guide to Feeding Raw, I explain this process in detail.
- Processed Meat is “Damaged”
Grinding meat oxidizes its sensitive omega-3 fatty acids by exposing them to air and heat.
Why is this a problem, you ask? Let’s take fish oil for example. It isn’t wise for dogs or humans to consume any high heat processed, industrialized fish oils. Delicate omega-3 fatty acids can never be subjected to heat of any kind and still be considered beneficial. Some would even argue that highly processed fish oils do more harm than good as the good fats oxidized by processing become loaded with free radicals and when consumed regularly can contribute to aging and the development of chronic disease.
When your dog consumes omega-3 fatty acids you want them to be eating them in their freshest possible state.
- Feeding Ground Meat Can Lead to Dental Issues
Feeding ground meat robs your dog of the benefits of eating whole raw food. It’s the same as you eating mashed potatoes day after day and never getting to crunch down on anything. You’d quickly start craving crunchy chips and tough, chewy meat! A dog’s teeth are designed to cut and tear meat, and easily crunch up raw bones. Not only do dog’s get to exercise their jaw and neck muscles while eating chunks of meat, but they also clean their teeth.
Poor dental health, which is completely avoided when you feed a whole, raw diet, can lead to heart problems, liver problems and sepsis. My raw fed dogs will never need their teeth cleaned thanks to the fact that their diet supports their exceptionally good dental health. If your dog is suffering from plaque buildup a raw diet can reverse the effects of their current poor, processed diet.
So, there you have it! Five things you need to keep in mind about feeding dogs raw hamburger meat. If you have any questions, comment below! And if you’d like to learn more about feeding raw, here’s my complete guide that will take you step-by-step through the learning process.