# To feed or not to feed - ground beef



## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

What's your thoughts on feeding ground beef? Lay it all out on the table.


Lastly, whats your thoughts in feedjng oxtail to small dogs? How soft is the bone?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Ground beef is fine if you truly know the source but it is not something I personally would feed all the time. How small? It takes my dogs quite awhile to get through an oxtail but it is a good jaw and dental work out.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I think ox tail is a fairly soft bone, my dogs can get through it in no time at all (they are labs). I would say yes feed it. I know someone with a JRT who feeds ox tail with no issues. 

I would feed ground beef if I got it super cheap or free, and/or if it was from a good grass fed source. I would not go out of my way to buy it at the grocery store unless it was on sale for like $1 a lb or something. And I would only buy it if it was fresh from my local grocery store. I wouldn’t buy the pre-packaged tube stuff that a lot of the chains sell.


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## April 2012 (Feb 8, 2012)

I feed ground beef. I feed a little ground meat of some kind in every meal. I hide their fish oils, vitamin e and kelp into little meat balls with it so I know they eat them. If I didn't, those would be left at the bottom of the food dish.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

We feed ground beef every once Ina a while, nothing wrong with it, usually though its too old for us to want it lol


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Nothing wrong with ground meat once in a while. Family gave us a ton of older ground beef so they got that in small increments with bone meals but it was nice to have. I avoid ox tail because I have small and large dogs an the big ones will gulp them down.  Plus ox tail is expensive and we use it for soups and stews - delicious. 

Liz


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm feeding all ground,from Hare Today. Easier for me since husband isn't into whole meat.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'll give Mol ground beef probably once a week as it's the cheapest form of beef I can find for her around here. And, I'd feed oxtail in a second if I could find it under $8.99 a lb.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

I have a ton of ground venison and a good amount of ground beef that I got free from CL. I don't feed it per se but they get some most days. I use it to stuff their Kongs while they are suffering through the day in their evil crates. If I didn't have so much other red meat I would feed it in an instant.

My dogs are both under 10lbs and I feed them single ox tail pieces. They have to work at it but both can eat them.


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

I feed ground beef all the time. No problems doing that, and it's the cheapest beef I can usually get.

I fed ox-tails once, but I can't get them for a good price, so I don't bother these days.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Personally, I don't see ground meat as being much different than boneless meat as far as actually feeding it goes. My dogs don't chew either one if thawed and they chew both if frozen. However, for me, it is one thing to go buy a big tube of cheap meat from some store and quite another to buy gfound meat you can be confident in. 

I have had to reconsider my feelings a little bit when I added a hairless dog to my family. It is quite possible that I may need to feed a lot more ground meat to Iorveth than I ever thought I would have to feed to any of my dogs when I started this venture nearly two years ago.

I will, however, likely invest in a meat grinder and grind it all myself should he need me to grind some of his food.


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

I buy a ground beef/tripe blend from someone I know through my raw feeding group. They grind it themselves and I am happy with the product because I can use it to mix with whole eggs, garlic, or supplements


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## Dobelover (Mar 14, 2013)

I would feed ground beef but I would grind it myself. That way I know my beef has come from one cow not "many" in one package.


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## FBarnes (Feb 17, 2013)

Dobelover said:


> I would feed ground beef but I would grind it myself. That way I know my beef has come from one cow not "many" in one package.


Beef heart is usually as cheap or cheaper than ground beef and more nutritious; I don't really ever have a reason to buy ground beef.


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## Gally (Jan 28, 2012)

Ground beef on sale is almost always the cheapest beef I can get. We also feed beef heart, liver, kidney and occasionally other cuts if I get a good deal/free. Sometimes though it's ground beef or no beef so I will feed it for the variety.


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## FBarnes (Feb 17, 2013)

Gally said:


> Ground beef on sale is almost always the cheapest beef I can get. We also feed beef heart, liver, kidney and occasionally other cuts if I get a good deal/free. Sometimes though it's ground beef or no beef so I will feed it for the variety.


I said that and I just found some ground beef at the bottom of my freezer that I forgot was in there. Guess what my dogs are eating tonight?


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

That's how we feed it FB Barnes - usually a friend is cleaning out their freezer or maybe I run out of meat and have to go into my freezer. We get heart at an excellent price so I prefer that.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I get the natural mix from Blueridge beef but only because I'm afraid of just getting tripe. The mix has tongue, liver and tripe...this most recent order I order ground duck because I wasn't too impressed by the duck frames I bought a while back (nearly all bone!)

So in other words the only time I get ground it for things I'm uncomfortable with and thing I can't get any other way...


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I feed ground. Most of the ground I get has been free. Free is for me  as an occasional boneless meal (or side dish) I see nothing wrong with ground. If you can only get some stuff ground, then do it for variety's sake. If you feed a moderate amount or even a lot, make sure to offer complicated bone in meals for mental stimulation and dental benefits.


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

Thanks for the responses everyone. Question why so stickler about ground beef quality? Isnt it the same from non-ground beef? If not, please do educate 

I forgot what the price of oxtail was at my local market. I don't remember. But I HOPE it's not expensive!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

SuperPug said:


> Thanks for the responses everyone. Question why so stickler about ground beef quality? Isnt it the same from non-ground beef? If not, please do educate
> 
> I forgot what the price of oxtail was at my local market. I don't remember. But I HOPE it's not expensive!


Oxtail is usually expensive everywhere lol... God only knows why... I'm not much of a stickler about grind meats, some believe that they can become more laden with harmful bacteria, however I would imagine my dogs digestive system was more than capable of dealing with it. :happy:


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

I don't know why a piece of a cow that isn't favored is sold for a high dollar. I've bought decent steaks at that price!


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Yes, ox tail is usually expensive. The only reason I am currently feeding it is b/c I got about 10 whole tails (and they are HUGE) for $5 each from someone I know who was butchering. My dogs likely won’t be eating ox tail again until they butcher next year, lol.


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## tuckersmom20 (Dec 12, 2010)

I feed ground beef regularly.

With tucker, duke and sams allergies, poultry is out of the question.
So their staples are beef, lamb and game meats.


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

Would anyone else love to give their opinion as to why the quality of ground beef is important to you? Is it the same from non-ground beef?


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

SuperPug said:


> Would anyone else love to give their opinion as to why the quality of ground beef is important to you? Is it the same from non-ground beef?


Quality is important for every meat that I feed, not just ground. I buy the best I can for my dogs and, while they may not be eating 100% farm raised or "organic" meats I do want to feed to the best of my abilities. Same goes for us although we do tend to put more effort into what THEY get! Hahaha


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

SuperPug said:


> Would anyone else love to give their opinion as to why the quality of ground beef is important to you? Is it the same from non-ground beef?


remember the pink slime?


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

yuck!
thought that was only in the fast food chains?


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

SuperPug said:


> yuck!
> thought that was only in the fast food chains?


 nope Pink slime - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

SuperPug said:


> I don't know why a piece of a cow that isn't favored is sold for a high dollar. I've bought decent steaks at that price!


Some info about oxtail. Supply and demand keeps the price high.

Oxtail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

My local Win-Dixie grinds the beef themselves, so I hope they don't put any pink slim in there.


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## Dobelover (Mar 14, 2013)

When you buy beef already ground, you have multiple cow sources in one package, more chances of contaminated meat. When you buy a solid piece and grind it yourself, you know it's from one cow, less chance of contamination, no fillers and better quality.


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## FBarnes (Feb 17, 2013)

This article is a year old, but it says Walmart would start offering non-pink-slimed meat, and Kroger and Safeway said they would quit selling it. 

Wal-Mart And Grocers To Offer Beef Without 'Pink Slime' : The Salt : NPR


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