Can Springer Spaniels Eat Raw Meat? – Complete feeding guide

There are many types of diets for human beings. There is the Mediterranean, low-carb, vegan, keto, paleo, and gluten-free diets out of the hundreds of different food regimens for improving health. This can be very confusing.

For our dogs, we open a can or bag of dog food and usually give little thought to what’s inside. There are many different ingredients in the varieties of dog foods found on the market today, but can dogs eat raw meat? Can springer spaniels eat raw meat? Yes, they can, but before giving your springer raw meat, you must know the when, why, and how of raw meat.

Can Springer Spaniels Eat Raw Meat And What Kind Should I Feed?

Chicken

Chicken and uncooked bones are a great source of protein. If you are anxious about bacteria in chicken, then cook it first. Remember absolutely no cooked chicken bones.

Beef & other

Fresh beef is another good choice but not too much at one time. Also, don’t give your pup meat and bones together. They could chip a tooth while chewing on both at the same time. Other good meats are turkey, duck, rabbit, and lamb.

Fish

Raw fish is another good choice and contains good proteins. Be careful of bones. Salmon should be excluded as they contain various parasites.

No pork

Pork is a bad choice when giving your spaniel raw meat. Undercooked and uncooked pork can contain trichinosis, which causes roundworms in people and dogs. Pork is also very hard for your pup to digest.

Below are some options for feeding your dog raw food, on the face of it it can look expensive but, it is not much different than buying most other quality foods.

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What Are the Benefits of Feeding a Springer Spaniel Raw Meat?

Raw meat and bones are a natural diet for your spaniel, instinctively, and physiologically. It is proven to enhance digestion and health in many ways and is safer than kibble.

Spaniels Will Love a Raw Meat Diet

Your spaniel will love raw meat and enjoy it many times more than their kibble. It will satisfy their ancestral taste for real meat.

Nutritionally Superior

Raw meat can give your pup superior protein and nutrition and also eliminate any food allergies they may suffer from. The cooking process and processing in a plant depletes essential vitamins and minerals from kibble.

Cleaner and Healthier

Your springer will have cleaner teeth from chewing more substantial food and form the abrasiveness of gnawing on bones. They will also have healthier skin and a shinier coat.

Improved Immune System

Your pup’s immune system will work much better while eating raw meat. This, in turn, will save you money because they won’t become sick and have to visit their veterinarian as often.

Energy

Your spaniel will be much healthier with tons of energy ready for lots of exercise!.

Reduced Inflammation

There will be less inflammation. Inflammation can cause arthritis and help any disease that feeds on the inflammatory process, such as cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Refreshing Air!

By eating a mostly raw meat-based diet, your spaniel will have no doggy breath, no bad body aroma, and their stools will be much easier to clean up!

Added Protein and Nutrients

Protein and nutrients will be added from ingesting muscle meats.

Amino Acids

Beneficial amino acids and more protein will be added by eating raw organ meats such as chicken livers and giblets.

Less Arthritis, Cleaner Teeth

Chicken feet provide a high amount of glucosamine, which, just as in humans, is excellent for your springer’s joints. Chewing the chicken feet will have an abrasive action that will clean tartar and plaque from your dog’s teeth, saving you money on cleanings in the future. This also cleans around gums and prevents gum disease. Gum disease can go on to cause serious infections that can eventually spread to the heart.

Muscle Tone

Eating raw meat will improve your springer’s muscle tone. If humans ate only cereal and grains all the time, our muscles would soon atrophy.

Weight Control

By eliminating the bad carbohydrates contained in kibble, your pup will have a balanced and healthy weight and prevent them becoming over weight.

Disadvantages of a Raw Meat Diet

Depending on your ideas for feeding your springer spaniel raw meat, there are a few disadvantages to consider before stepping into something new.

Balanced Diet?

Eating raw meat alone will not be a balanced diet. There are many benefits, but your pup needs to have a well-rounded diet. It’s best to do some research before beginning a raw meat-based diet.

Ask your veterinarian for their opinion or read some literature on the subject. Your springer needs various foods along with their meat like raw vegetables and fruit and a few grains if you are unopposed to them.

Buying a commercially manufactured raw meat product from a reputable company may be the best way to go. If you decide to buy from a butcher and make your own, doing some research or getting together with a friend that uses only natural made foods for their dog would be suggested.

Your spaniel does need to get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals. Receiving these through food is the ideal way, but they may need supplements if that’s not possible.

Bacteria

When feeding your dog raw meats, they must be prepared properly, using good hygiene or reputable suppliers.

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes sickness from eating raw or undercooked meats that are also improperly prepared or packaged.

However, most dog’s digestive systems can handle salmonella because they contain digestive enzymes and have a very acidic stomach, which allows them to digest other bacteria and salmonella without affecting them. This is not a guarantee that your spaniel won’t get sick while eating raw meat, especially meat that has been poorly prepared.

Kibble is often recalled because it has been found to contain salmonella. There is no 100% guarantee either way you go.

Sanitization

If you purchase raw meat from a butcher and decide to prepare all raw meat yourself, you must clean countertops, utensils, cutting boards, and sinks with an antibacterial before and after each use. Hand washing is also essential before and after.

Splintered Bones

Use great care when feeding your springer bones. The bones should always be raw. Cooked bones can splinter, causing intestinal tears or obstructions that can lead to death.

Preparation

Preparation of raw meat can be very time consuming as well as messy. Buying from a company specializing in raw meat-based food production for your spaniel will not be any more expensive in the long run. The food will have everything your springer needs, including essential vitamins and minerals, which will save you from giving your pup supplements and contain natural ingredients.

Is It Safe to Feed Your Springer Spaniel Bones?

“NEVER FEED BONES THAT HAVE BEEN COOKED”

Feeding your spaniel bones is safe, but they must be raw bones. Cooked bones can splinter and, if swallowed, are very sharp, causing internal damage on the way down. No small bones either as they can become lodged if swallowed.

Grocery store bones that are pre-packaged are also a no-no. They contain preservatives. These can cause a thiamine deficiency that can be deadly. Use only fresh, meaty bones from a reliable butcher or a raw pet food supplier.

How to Store Raw Meat

If you purchase raw meat from a pet food supplier, simply follow package directions on storing. Storing meat that you would purchase from a butcher or someone who sells raw foods for dogs should be stored just as you would your own meats.

If you plan to freeze the meat, place it in proper storage bags or containers and freeze, making sure the temperature is no higher than 17.7 Celsius. When refrigerating, the temperature should be no higher than 4.4 degrees Celsius.

Freezing meat for a week will kill any bacteria. Make sure you thaw the meat in the refrigerator when you are ready to use it, and never let raw meat sit out.

Raw Meat. How Much? How Often?

If you consider feeding your springer a raw meat diet, 40% to 60% of their diet should consist of meat. The amount of meat they should receive in a serving should be about 2% of their weight, and they can have meat every day.

The rest of their diet can contain raw vegetables and fruits and a few grains if you want to go that route. They can obtain calcium from yogurt, cottage cheese, or eggs, especially if you crush the shells and incorporate them into the meal.

If you are purchasing premade raw meat meals from a good company, the food will contain all of the nutritional needs that are essential for your spaniel. They shouldn’t require any added supplements.

If, however you want to purchase and prepare all of their raw food yourself, it may entail hours of prep work to ensure they get their proper vitamins and minerals. Make sure you do your homework before beginning this process.

Final Thoughts

Whatever route you choose in feeding your springer spaniel, do a little research. Raw, natural foods have been proven a healthier path for humans, especially in helping slow and prevent diseases, and now studies confirm this to be true for dogs as well.

Your spaniel comes from a long line of meat-eating carnivores. Meat is a natural food for their health from centuries ago. Choosing raw meat might just help with their longevity and whet your pup’s appetite while pleasing the palate.