One of the all-time favorite snacks of humans is a hamburger sandwich. The juicy meat, and the fresh veggies like tomatoes and lettuce, layered with those flavorful ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, are a real treat to the senses. Since our dogs are carnivores, you may be asking if it is alright to share a portion of your hamburger with your canine buddy.
Dogs can eat hamburger meat, only if the hamburger is made straight from your kitchen, sans seasonings like salt and pepper. Plain hamburger meat is definitely safe for your dog to consume.
But, if the hamburger meat is store-bought and you’re not sure what other condiments were mixed with the ground beef, then you better tell your dog to stay away and ‘paw-off’ from the hamburger.
Today is all about the delish goodness of hamburgers. What is the best way to serve hamburger meat to your canine buddy, can you give raw ground beef, is fried healthier than a grilled hamburger? These are just some of the questions we’d be dealing with in this article.
Is Plain Hamburger Meat OK For My Dog?
Yes, plain hamburger meat can be eaten by your dog. When we say plain, it means that the ground beef meat patties are not laced with seasonings.
Your dog can benefit from eating plain beef hamburgers because of their protein content. The same is true if you wish to use ground turkey, ground pork, ground lamb, or ground chicken in making plain hamburger meat for your beloved dog.
Can My Dog Eat Plain Hamburger Meat Every Day?
Yes, your dog can enjoy having a plain hamburger every day. Meat does not only taste and smells good, but it is also nutritionally dense.
Listed below are the benefits of giving plain hamburgers to your dog:
Rich In Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Ground beef, as well as ground poultry and ground pork, are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids that are known to beef up the immune system of your canine buddy.
Not to forget that omega-3 fatty acid also plays a role in maintaining healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Contains Vitamins And Minerals
Regardless of the age of your dog, its body requires vitamins A, E, C, and B. Taking the right amount of vitamins every day ensures that your dog has all the nutrients to combat diseases and keep the body organs, cells, and tissues in good condition.
The same is true for minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium. These minerals keep the bones, teeth, and nerves in tip-top condition.
These essential vitamins and minerals are present in plain hamburger meat patties.
A Great Source Of Protein
Your canine buddy needs a daily supply of protein which it can also get by eating plain hamburger meat. The amount of protein is not the same for all dogs.
Factors like age, activity levels, pregnancy, and lactation are all factored in when computing the level of protein that the dogs and their bodies need.
How Much Plain Hamburger Meat Can My Dog Eat?
This human food can be safely integrated into a dog’s diet for as long as you know how much is safe for it to consume.
Here’s a guide table that can help you determine the right amount of meat, like plain hamburger, based on the weight of your dog:
- 20 lbs dog or lighter = 0.25 to 0.3 lbs serving of a plain hamburger every day
- 30 lbs dog = less than 0.33 lbs of a plain hamburger
- 30 to 50 lbs dog = 0.35 to 0.5 lbs of a plain hamburger
- 100 lbs and heavier = 1.25 lbs of a plain hamburger
In the event that you are also feeding your commercially-prepared dog food, you would have to adjust the amount of plain hamburger meat you would be adding to its daily diet. In general, your dog requires 2% to 3% food for its weight.
As an example, say what you have is a 60-lb Golden Retriever, so its daily food requirement should be 2% of 60 lbs. So, that’s roughly 1.2 lbs of food each day.
If that’s the case, you can roughly give 0.75 lbs of plain hamburger meat and another 0.45 lbs of commercially-prepared dog food every day.
But, what if you always give your canine buddy a generous serving of plain hamburger meat, will it result in negative consequences to its health?
Is Hamburger Meat Bad For My Dog?
If the hamburger meat is from popular fast-food chains like McDonald’s, yes, hamburger meat is bad for your dog. This is because of the flavorful ingredients that are added to these hamburger patties.
One of those ingredients is salt which can lead to a host of health problems, such as excessive thirst and urination. In the worst-case scenario, too much salt can be the reason for pancreatitis.
The same goes for onions, cheese, and other herbs and spices. That said, we highly suggest that you prepare plain hamburger meat for your dog to avoid any health issues later in its life.
In case you have an overweight canine buddy or perhaps a dog that regularly suffers from an upset stomach, use only ground beef with 5% to 10% fat to avoid any further complications.
Can My Dog Eat Raw Hamburger Meat?
Yes, but only in moderation. But, we advise against puppies and dogs with a weakened immune system from eating raw hamburger meat.
However, if you have a healthy canine buddy, you can let it enjoy raw hamburger meat once in a while.
Even if the raw hamburger meat contains bacteria, their digestive tract is designed to handle these and won’t cause any adverse effects on their gut system. Their stomachs are more acidic than ours, so the bacteria won’t do damage to our dogs.
Add to that their shorter digestive tracts, thus, the food goes through their systems even before the bacteria can wreak havoc on their health.
How To Serve Hamburger Meat To My Dog
When preparing homemade hamburger meat for your canine buddy, everything begins with good meat. Choose ground meat that only contains 10% fat.
It’s because dogs’ digestive systems handle lean meat much better. Plus, of course, you want to avoid issues like pancreatitis, one cause of which is a high-fat diet. Here’s how you can cook hamburger meat for your dog:
Boil
Add the lean beef (or any type of meat) to a hot pan. Cover the meat with water and allow it to boil. Simmer the meat until cooked.
Sautè
Add a small amount of olive oil or coconut oil to a skillet. Sauté fresh veggies like celery and grated carrots. Then add the lean meat and cook until the meat is no longer colored pink. Make sure to drain off excess fat before giving it to your dog.
Grill
You can also grill some plain hamburger meat for your dog. The additional aroma that emanates from the griller would definitely excite the taste buds of your canine buddy.
Frying the plain hamburger meat patties in olive oil is another alternative. You can also pair the plain hamburger meat with some hamburger buns, but only in small amounts because bread is high in carbs.
