Can Dogs Eat Ground Beef? Everything You Need To Know

Yes, dogs can eat ground beef. Your dog’s diet must consume more meat than vegetables. Meat is an ideal source of protein and nutrients for homemade cooked food for your dog. A lean, grounded meat is super rich in vitamins and minerals, making it a good energy source. Grounded meat can be considered a daily food in your dog’s diet.

What is Ground Beef?

Grounded beef is finely chopped meat with a knife or a grinder. Grounded meat is widely used as hamburgers, sausage cottage pies. It is the cheapest among all the meat and therefore is used widely by humans.

Is Ground Beef Safe for Dogs?

Yes, it is safe for dogs to eat ground beef, provided it is not raw and seasoned. This is because of the following reasons:

• Raw ground beef: It can have parasites and salmonella, causing severe harm to the dog. 
• Seasoned ground beef: Seasonings are toxic for dogs to consume. Plain ground beef is added to a dog’s kibble as a bland diet everyday. 

Is Ground Beef Good for Dogs?

Yes. Beef is a good source of protein for a dog. It is considered to be a superfood for your dog’s diet. It has excellent nutrition, high in protein, and can be used in a bland diet. Some nutrients that make ground beef perfect for your dog are:

Omega 3 fatty acid 

Omega 3 fatty acid helps your body to maintain an excellent immune power. They are beneficial and protect every cell wall of the body. It regulates blood circulation, supports healthy functioning for the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and immune system.  They help your dog as follows:

• Lower the risk for abnormal heart rhythms
• Lower the blood pressure 
• Reduce the chances of stroke and heart attack
• Increase the plaque in the arteries.
• Serves as a superfood for good cardiovascular functioning.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is considered the antioxidant to fight the free radicals and fight back the impaired immune system. In addition, it increases the proliferation of B and T cells.

• It reduces the chronic diseases
• Prevents allergies and inflammation 
• Keeps the heart-healthy
• Lower the levels of your uric acids
• An excellent source of Iron
• Protects your dog from the aging brain
• Immunity booster

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps in brain development. It is considered a good source of protein and fat carbohydrates, increases red blood cells, and is especially anti-cancer. Some benefits are:

• Boosts metabolic system
• Helps in restful sleep
• Creates red blood cells
• Fights cancer growing cells.
• Fights Obesity 
• Protect your nerves

Vitamin B12

Since the body can’t make B 12, you need to include it in your canine’s diet. It is an essential vitamin for your dog which helps in:

• Lowering the risk of cancer
• Preventing the megaloblastic anemia
• Regulating blood circulation 
• Boosting Immunity 
• Create DNA
• The formation of red blood cells

Lutein

It is a good source of Vitamin A. Lutein is a carotenoid widely found in some fruits and lean, grounded meat. Significant benefits of taking Lutein rich diet are

• Prevents inflammation
• Defends free radicals
• Prevents oxidative stress
• Enhances vision
• Prevents death related to eye disease
• It keeps the kidney healthy 
• A good source of beta carotene 

Calcium 

Another benefit of grounded beef is that it is rich in calcium that helps your dog from 

• Joint Inflammation
• Joint Pain
• Helps in boosting health bone
• Best for aging dogs
• It prevents the bone from damage
• Good food for athlete dogs 

Why is Grounded Beef Bad for Dogs?

Grounded beef isn’t bad for dogs. It is rich in nutrients and can be included in their daily diet. However, there are a few downsides of ground beef:

Salmonella: Salmonella is concentrated in raw ground beef and can cause salmonellosis. The symptoms are:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• GI upset
• Abdomen pain
• Gas
• Bloating

Parasites: Parasites are also present in raw ground beef. Consuming raw ground beef can lead to:

• Tapeworm
• Ringworm
• Flukes

Seasonings: Seasoned ground beef contains garlic powder, ginger, onion powder, paprika powder, chili flakes, salt, and oil. All of these components are poisonous to dogs resulting in:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• GI upset
• Weight gain
• Obesity
• Lethargy
• Disorientation
• Pancreatitis
• Shaking of head
• High blood pressure
• Muscle tremors
• Seizures
• Joint pain
• Hip and elbow dysplasia
• Coma
• Death

How Much Grounded Beef to Feed Your Dog?

You can serve a dog 1/3 pounds of grounded meat with the kibble. A cup of 1/3 pound of beef is nutritious for a 20-pound dog daily.

How to Serve Grounded Beef to My Dog?

Cooked and plain grounded beef are a part of a dog’s daily kibble! Here is a fantastic recipe you can follow:

Ingredients 

• Two pounds of grounded meat (uncooked)
• One cup of cooked brown rice 
• Cookie sheet 
• Boiled mix of vegetables- Carrots, butter squash, peas
• 2 Eggs

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Take a medium-size bowl to mix the two pounds of grounded meat.
• Add two cups of cooked brown rice.
• Add the cooked vegetables into the bowl.
• Mix it and squish it well to make the meatballs. 
• Take a cookie sheet and grease it well to not stick to the oven plate.
• Place the meatballs into it and put it into the oven for 45 minutes.

You can serve your dogs with these delicious meatballs. You can also put the uncooked meatballs in a tight container for 1 to 2 weeks and cook them for the rest of the weeks. 

What if my dog ate ground beef?

It’s fine. Any meat, including ground beef, has 95 percent of digestibility. Some dogs are allergic to raw beef and can experience symptoms like:

• Excessive gas
• Gastrintestinal problem
• Stomach upset
• Vomit

Raw meat has parasites and bacteria that can upset your dog’s health. So make sure the meat you serve them is cooked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I serve raw ground beef to my dog?

Raw ground beef puts your dog at the risk of bacterial infections, salmonella, which often causes gastrointestinal illness. Therefore, avoid feeding raw ground beef to your puppies.

Can I serve grounded meat with dry food to my dog?

Grounded meat with dry food can be the best superfood choice for your dog. Also, it can increase the appetite of your dogs. Still, make sure to buy the leanest ground meat and mix a small amount of grounded meat so their bowl is not full of extra calories.

Can I include ground beef in my dog’s bland diet?

Yes, you can add lean ground beef to a bland diet. If your dog is suffering from a sudden bout of diarrhea, stomach upset, and vomiting, a bowl of ground beef with rice can impair their disease and boost their energy to fight their poor health.

Final Thoughts

From this, we can consider the benefits of ground beef and how you can add to your dog’s diet in their daily food routine. Ground beef is an excellent protein food source for a lifelong healthy life. Always make sure to consult your vet before serving any new food to your puppy.