[amosmoses89]

I had a question concerning giving my girls cooked steak. They are fed dry food (4Health right now) and not really much else besides the occasion raw chicken wing and beef rib. By the end of the week I will have probably 30lbs of cooked, unseasoned beef steaks. Its from a research project that will be going on for the next couple days.

I was wondering how much I can give my girls, one 39ish lbs and one 49ish lbs, and reduce their normal food? I was cutting up some for our supper tonight and was tossing the ickier bits to the girls so I'll be feeding them a little less tonight, but I'm not sure if I should just keep it as a snack to toss to them, or more.

Thanks for any advise you have!

 

[boxerlover876]

Beef is a richer protein so you might have some poop problems. But, if you wanted to feed it what I would do is feed the steak at night and kibble in the morning. Maybe add some pumpkin to the steak. How much kibble do they get? I'd cut that in half and then feed 1% of their body weights of the meat.

 

[Losech]

I never have any digestive problems with my two mixes when I feed them raw or cooked meats with or without kibble. If it's more than a scrap, I will cut the kibble a bit, but not by much. I do the same with the Shiba.

 

[LilasMom]

Beef is a richer protein so you might have some poop problems. But, if you wanted to feed it what I would do is feed the steak at night and kibble in the morning. Maybe add some pumpkin to the steak. How much kibble do they get? I'd cut that in half and then feed 1% of their body weights of the meat.

If you do half meat and half kibble the meat part has to be balanced. Half cooked beef would be an unbalanced diet. I would limit it to 2-3 times a week.

 

[boxerlover876]

If you do half meat and half kibble the meat part has to be balanced. Half cooked beef would be an unbalanced diet. I would limit it to 2-3 times a week.

I was thinking this was just something for a week or so. If it was long term then you are definitely right. But it also takes a long time before unbalanced things start to take effect. Althoughi would try to balance it.

 

[amosmoses89]

Thanks guys! Yes it should only be for a week or two. For the most part I've been cutting the steaks up in tiny bits and using them for training. At the moment I'm attempting to teach them how to turn on and off the lights, its going rather well too I think the steak is a great motivator lol. There's been a touch of loose poo but not enough to have me worried, and SO have been eating it pretty much every night too so hopefully it'll be used up soon, there's only so much you can make with pre-cooked steak!

Thanks for responding everyone!

 

[cookieface]

I'm curious about the research project. Can you share any information about it?

 

[amosmoses89]

Sure! Its not so much a research project but more of an ongoing progress report for a grocery store... if that makes any sense lol.

Every 6 months or so this grocery store sends about 200 steaks to the university for us to do tenderness testing on them to be sure the meat they are getting from their suppliers is actually up to the standards they requested. So we cook the steaks to a certain temperature then cut out a specific size piece from the middle and put it in this machine that takes the piece and cuts it in half and measures the amount of force it takes to cut the piece. The more kg, the tougher the steak!

Since it only requires a little slice from the center there is a ton of steak left over so its divvied up between the grad students and the professors and pretty much anyone that wants it then me and another man take the rest for dog food!

 

[cookieface]

Thanks for the info. I never knew the tenderness of meat could be measured. Although, I should have suspected when I learned there is a device to measure the "pour rate" of ketchup. Good to know that grocery stores are doing quality control (although I suspect it has to do with making sure they're getting what they paid for).