Feeding different types of meat when BARFing ensures variety on the menu and can meet the different needs of your animal very well - this applies to both dogs and cats. Read how the types of meat differ and what you should look out for when choosing.
What types of meat can you feed?
Basically, the choice of meats that you can feed is very broad. From classics such as beef and various types of poultry to exotic meats, there are many that your pet might also enjoy eating. So how do you determine which types of meat are best for your pet? Some observations can be made based on the known facts about the types of meat. For example, fatty meat is more suitable for active dogs and cats, while less active or older animals should be given lean meat more often.
The high-quality fat content in a marbled piece of meat can be broken down very easily by the metabolism. In beef for dogs and beef for cats, the tripe and leaf stomach in particular contain a lot of fat, in addition to the muscle meat, so these offal should be fed in moderation. Kidneys and lungs, on the other hand, are low in fat. When it comes to poultry for dogs and poultry for cats, there is a large selection of chicken, duck, turkey, goose and ostrich. Chicken is rather lean, while duck and goose in particular are rather high in fat. Horse meat, which is generally suitable for those with intolerances to beef and poultry, is, just like hare and rabbit meat, also relatively low in fat and suitable for dogs and cats of all ages. Rabbit meat also contains a lot of magnesium and is therefore very good for growing dogs and cats.
Which types of meat should you feed if you have intolerances?
If you want to feed your pet different types of meat despite intolerances, there are fortunately various alternatives available. As already mentioned above, horse meat is digestible in most cases even if there are intolerances to beef and poultry proteins. A diet based on horse meat can then often be supplemented with exotic animals such as ostrich, llama and kangaroo, or goat and lamb meat. This dog food for allergy sufferers and cat food for allergy sufferers ensures that there is variety in the food bowl despite food intolerances. Especially for dogs, the meat and offal of choice can be supplemented with various types of fruit and vegetables .
How can you tell if there are any intolerances?
If there is a suspicion of a food intolerance, the most reliable way to prove this is through an exclusion diet. You should not feed the affected type of meat at all and instead use other food, such as exotic meat. If the symptoms, including itching, diarrhea and flatulence, disappear after the change in diet, a food intolerance can be considered proven. Patience pays off - an exclusion diet can take several weeks before a reliable result is achieved.
In our BARF shop you will find a wide selection of different types of meat. You can find more information about the individual types on the respective category pages. We wish you good luck in your search – and of course, your pet enjoys its meal!
