Cheap non-fatty meat

[bigbob77]

I'm looking for some meat to add to my dog's diet, but want it to be human-quality meat hence posting in this forum!

I want something cheap but without too much fat content (under 5g/100g) or fat that's easy to cut off.

I've been giving him things like frozen chicken breasts and frozen pork chops from the supermarket, because they're easy to cook and store, but they're too expensive.

So what should I be looking at?

[calibrax]

Liver?

[bigbob77]

Liver is a good idea, I'll add a bit into his meals sometimes. I think it's too rich to give in big quantities though.

[Mobile Chicane]

bigbob77 said:

Liver is a good idea, I'll add a bit into his meals sometimes. I think it's too rich to give in big quantities though.

Agreed.

The in-laws cat had some kind of weird calcification of the spine due to too much liver (it wouldn't eat anything else).

Got a gun? I'd suggest that whatever you can shoot, the dog can eat. Certainly every farmer I know feeds their dogs that way.

Also consider road kill. Pheasant, rabbit etc. The thought may horrify, but get out early in the morning for the freshest pickings. Blood and a flurry of feathers at the scene all indicate a recent kill.

Failing that, it's heart, 'lights', tripe etc from the butcher - however (in Surrey at least) I haven't seen such things on sale in years.

Turkey would be the other choice, or raid the freezer section at your local Oriental supermarket for cheap fish - river cobbler / tilapia etc.

[E31Shrew]

Used to give one of ours minced tripe but no idea what it costs these days or whether it's low fat!

[rufusgti]

bigbob77 said:

I've been giving him things like frozen chicken breasts and frozen pork chops from the supermarket, because they're easy to cook and store, but they're too expensive.

You cook chicken and pork chops for your dog?

How ridiculous. To buy and cook pork chops for your dog and complain it's too expensive is just mental. Of course it's too expensive. Why don't you feed your dog a tin of dog food? The clue is actually written on the tin.... DOG-food.

[dazco]

Tripe is about the best thing you can give a dog, but not the white stuff from the butchers, that can harm them.

It is quite cheap, greeny in colour and sold frozen at big pet shops.

But is STINKS.

Dogs seem to love it though, mix a bit of biscuit through it.

[Shaolin]

Check out the reduced section in the supermarket - there's often something odd, meaty and cheap. Our dogs love kidney, heart, tongue and liver that's come from there. You can often get stuff that works out cheaper than dog food. I mash up left over veg with it so they have no choice to but to eat it too (although one of them is very skilled at spitting out very small intact pieces).

[Sticks.]

Mobile Chicane said:

Agreed.

The in-laws cat had some kind of weird calcification of the spine due to too much liver (it wouldn't eat anything else).

Give cats liver too often and they'll refuse all else, apparently.

Worth having a word with your local butcher about what they throw away.

[calibrax]

Shaolin said:

I mash up left over veg with it so they have no choice to but to eat it too (although one of them is very skilled at spitting out very small intact pieces).

Truly a PH dog!

[riosyd]

I cook turkey mince for my dogs, they get a couple of spoonfuls on top of their kibble and they love it.

[TheD]

My dog gets either half a packet of pork or turkey mince per day raw with a dry mixture for the other vitamins. Plus if he catches a rabbit he eats the lot except the tail.

[bigbob77]

rufusgti said:

You cook chicken and pork chops for your dog?

How ridiculous. To buy and cook pork chops for your dog and complain it's too expensive is just mental. Of course it's too expensive. Why don't you feed your dog a tin of dog food? The clue is actually written on the tin.... DOG-food.

Chickens and pigs were dog food a long time before tins were invented

Thanks for the tips all. I hadn't thought about tripe before... I shall investigate .

[anonymous-user]

Beef skirt can be cheap! Rabbits are also cheap and lean and my dog loves it microwaved for a few minutes. Mine has a raw chicken wing every day to chew on!

[Porkbrain]

bigbob77 said:

Chickens and pigs were dog food a long time before tins were invented

Thanks for the tips all. I hadn't thought about tripe before... I shall investigate .

If you go the tripe route, as mentioned earlier, it really does pong.

Back in't old days my mum used to leave a huge stockpot on the Aga full of tripe and lights for the dogs simmering for hours.

The smell is utterly vile.

[Cheese Mechanic]

MonkeyMatt said:

Beef skirt can be cheap! Rabbits are also cheap and lean and my dog loves it microwaved for a few minutes. Mine has a raw chicken wing every day to chew on!

Chicken? I've always been told to NEVER give chicken bones to dogs. Something to do with them splintering.

[dazco]

Cheese Mechanic said:

Chicken? I've always been told to NEVER give chicken bones to dogs. Something to do with them splintering.

I have always given my dogs chicken bones, never had a problem. I figured it would be OK considering they are bone eating machines, but there is no shortage of people saying they can injure your dog.

[anonymous-user]

Cheese Mechanic said:

Chicken? I've always been told to NEVER give chicken bones to dogs. Something to do with them splintering.

Thats cooked bones! I give mine raw frozen wings she loves them! little chicken ice lollies!

[tenex]

Have you got a local commercial shoot? Why not approach them.
Up here the game dealers now grade the game and only take the best.
I keep hearing of pheasants being buried "down south" because there are so many. (Unconfirmed)
The shoots make their money from the shooting ( approx £30 per head ). The dead bird is a "pest."
Current going rate is 50p per bird prior to the game dealer arriving.

(shows you the mark-up )