Feeding Frozen Meat

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

I have been feeding my dogs frozen raw meat for months.

Just like the Inuit and Siberian folk, I toss the subzero flesh and bone to the waiting ravanous hounds.

The dogs dont seem to mind. In fact it takes them longer to consume and works their teeth and jaws.

 

But is there any health concerns that I should be aware of?

[kozzi 0]

Just don't do it in the winter! Also, you are putting more strain on your dogs internal organs. I would only do it on large items that take a long time to thaw, i.e., chicken carcasses.

[skycat 6,172]

I just wouldn't do it because those bones are like knives when frozen solid: apparently the Inuits eat large pieces of frozen meat to warm them up in winter: makes the body work overtime to thaw and digest it: there was a thread on here a while back from a guy that lives with the Inuit.

I guess with small bones like rabbit and chicken ribs it wouldn't matter too much, but anything else would worry me a bit: maybe I'm a bit too cautious LOL.

[inan 841]

I just wouldn't do it because those bones are like knives when frozen solid: apparently the Inuits eat large pieces of frozen meat to warm them up in winter: makes the body work overtime to thaw and digest it: there was a thread on here a while back from a guy that lives with the Inuit.

I guess with small bones like rabbit and chicken ribs it wouldn't matter too much, but anything else would worry me a bit: maybe I'm a bit too cautious LOL.

The bones from any big animal would worry me too,I sometimes knock the heads and feet off frozen rabbits to make more room in my freezers,the bones are brittle and prone to shatter,anything like venison or turkey legs might be a problem.I prefer to thaw them out before feeding.

[Guest WILF]

I wouldnt be sure about the bones either, but part frozen minced raw is fine.

[Simoman 110]

I've had a few nasty cuts from frozen bones and would defrost them thoroughly before feeding them.....

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

thanks for the advice everyone.

[Caravan Monster 323]

This topic was on a few weeks back. One contributor took the approach of only feeding softer types of bone, like lamb, frozen. They fed more brittle bone, like chicken or rabbit, only when defrosted.

 

I do this myself: breast of lamb is cut into portions before freezing. Then its a handy standby if you didn' t put anything out to defrost. I use a chisel to seperate the frozen together portions- be careful with your chisel if you try this though.

 

There have been no adverse effects, but my dog does tend to sleep very deeply after she has eaten frozen lamb- as the Inuit guy said, it makes the body work overtime to thaw and digest it. My conclusion would be to only feed frozen if there' s nothing else available to feed that day; wouldn' t make a habit of it though.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Mine had frozen breast of lamb last night, as it happens. Probably do about once a fortnight. With the best will in the world, one forgets sometimes. Never seemed to make any difference to the Dogs.

 

I know of someone living in some part of USA where the winters are infeasibly cold and harsh. She keeps Cane Corsa's. One time she got her hands on a couple of dead cows and just dragged them onto her ground and left them there. Frozen solid. Fed her lot all through the winter they did. Dogs just helped themselves as and when. No ill effects.

 

Personally, I'd be scared to death of feeding my lot frozen anything small. Chickens or rabbits? No f*cking way! But I expect a 'yote would think me insane for such a view? All it is though, isn't it? A personal view.

[BlueCoyote 0]

as far as i know the Inuit usually feed frozen fish, dont know how often they give their dogs hunks of "quality" meat like we do. maybe when ever the herds are migrating through i'm sure it happens, but i believe the diet is mainly frozen or sun dried fish plus what ever the dog can steal or scrounge up for itself around the camp.

 

i dont feel too bad about giving mine frozen deer legs and rib cages. but thats only in winter. my dad saves the scraps from his kills, bags them up and stores them in his deep freeze until i come to fetch it.

i live in Florida so even in winter meat thats frozen solid wont stay that way for long obviously. so its not a real concern for me. its frozen when they begin eating, but its nearly thawed before they're even half way finished. keeps them busy for little while!

but mine have strong jaws, being bulldogs.. i dont know if that matters much. but i havent seen any issues, even minor ones.. in fact the only issue i have had is where to keep three garbage bags full of frozen deer! i have to talk to my dad about freezing them in smaller portions this season lol

[threbb 0]

Freezing meat kills off the vitamin e

[BlueCoyote 0]

i've never heard that but i suppose that could be true. if you're feeding fish (full of e) then it may not be as big a problem if they are frozen.

a lot of vitamins are sensitive to temps. i know vit. A is...

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

I was just thinking, is it possible that the dogs teeth will wear faster?

[BlueCoyote 0]

maybe if it was fed frozen solid as a rock every day? seems they wear down while being fed nothing but dry kibble. the idea of feeding raw meat and bone is to work the gums and clean the teeth, right? what good would it do the dog to only wear down his teeth while eating? and then if its true about the vitamin E and other nutrients being effected by extreme cold then you might as well be feeding dry food.

 

maybe once a week for a treat give something frozen?