# Beaver meat-is it safe?



## aksel (May 28, 2012)

I recently was given 400 pounds of beaver meat from a trapper. I want to feed it to my dog but I have reservations because of the potential for giardia. What are the chances that my dog could get giardia even if the meat has been frozen for three weeks? I'd hate for all this beaver to go to waste. If someone could put my mind at ease about feeding beaver I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance for any input.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

It should be fine as long as It's been frozen. I've thought about feeding some myself of I ever get around to trapping any.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Beaver meat is AWESOME to feed! And expensive. If you got 400lbs for free you are super lucky!! Just freeze for two weeks first. If you are really worried, remove the intestines. That is where the parasites will be for the most part, is in the intestines.

ETA I will take it off your hands if you are too nervous to feed it! LOL


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## aksel (May 28, 2012)

I have two big plastic tubs of whole beaver carcass minus the fur,feet, head and tail thawing in my garage right now. I'm not looking forward to gutting them and chopping them into smaller chunks but 400 pounds should last a long time for one dog. I didn't realize that beaver were so big. Each carcass looks like it weighs about 20 pounds. 

I've consolidated all my meat from my three freezers into two so the third freezer will be for the beaver. In about three weeks the trapper said he could get me some muskrat so I'll probably take him up on that. Well, I'm relieved to hear that beaver is ok as long as it's been frozen. The trapper said that the beaver had been frozen for three weeks already prior to giving them to me.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

That's a lot of meat!


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Wow, I didn't know it was still legal to trap beavers.


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

i'd look into tuleremia in your area or just make sure you know the signs of it so you can check the beavers. the trapper might know about it so check with him too


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## aksel (May 28, 2012)

Well I just sent the trapper an email a bunch of questions about giardia and tularemia. He also feeds his dogs the same beaver and he didn't mention anything about them ever getting anything. I do get paranoid though. I'd hate to think that my dog got infected with a parasite and I was responsible. It seems like every type meat has a potential for some sort of parasite. My dog is just shy of 11 months now and he has been on raw since the day we brought him home at nine weeks old. He's been doing great and I hate for anything to change that. Thanks for everybody's input on this.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

I know a sled dogger who feeds beaver to her dogs, it's a commonly used meat because lots are trapped and they don't usually want the meat for anything.


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## Fundog (Oct 25, 2012)

I've done some research on tularemia (also known as "rabbit fever") because wild rabbits are known carriers. It turns out dogs are extremely resistant to tularemia, unlike humans, who are more likely to catch it through just a cut on the hand. So if the beaver has been frozen for several weeks already, and you remove the intestinal tract, you ought to be fine. When you process them, closely inspect the liver for white spots. If the liver has white spots, throw the whole carcass out, just to be safe. For humans, cooking will kill tularemia, though, so if you wanted to cook the beaver, it would render it completely safe for your dogs. : )


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## aksel (May 28, 2012)

Fundog said:


> I've done some research on tularemia (also known as "rabbit fever") because wild rabbits are known carriers. It turns out dogs are extremely resistant to tularemia, unlike humans, who are more likely to catch it through just a cut on the hand. So if the beaver has been frozen for several weeks already, and you remove the intestinal tract, you ought to be fine. When you process them, closely inspect the liver for white spots. If the liver has white spots, throw the whole carcass out, just to be safe. For humans, cooking will kill tularemia, though, so if you wanted to cook the beaver, it would render it completely safe for your dogs. : )


Well, that's good to know. I will look at the liver closely for the white spots. I feel a lot better now. Thanks for the info!


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## Fundog (Oct 25, 2012)

I'd better give you just a little bit more information, to help you have a safer experience:

Be sure to wear gloves when you process the beavers, since humans can get the illness (it is a bacterial infection, by the way) through skin contact.

As just mentioned, "Rabbit Fever" is a bacterial infection. 

The original vectors of this bacteria are ticks of all kinds: wood ticks, dogs ticks, deer ticks, deer flies, etc. So when out hiking or camping in areas these ticks are prevalent, this is just one more reason to protect yourself and your dog from bites-- since these ticks also carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease, we usually always do take precautions anyway, right?

Symptoms of Tularemia are very similar to the flu, but it can/must be treated with antibiotics-- unlike flu, which is not responsive to antibiotics. Antibiotics will also treat dogs who have become sick from Tularemia infection.

Tularemia is more likely to be spread during the spring/summer months, which is why rabbit hunting season is typically limited to the fall/winter in most regions.


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## aksel (May 28, 2012)

Fundog said:


> I'd better give you just a little bit more information, to help you have a safer experience:
> 
> Be sure to wear gloves when you process the beavers, since humans can get the illness (it is a bacterial infection, by the way) through skin contact.
> 
> ...


Fundog, thanks for the advice and info. I was planning on wearing surgical gloves or leather work gloves when I cut up the meat. I really don't like touching raw meat with my bare hands if I can help it. I sliced off a chunk of the beaver and gave it to my dog and he seems to love it. But on the other hand this dog likes to eat everything including carrots and tomatoes. He especially loves bananas and apples although he doesn't get much of it. He is strictly on the PMR diet.


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