Yes. Raw beef is one of the most widely fed meats in raw feeding. Feed it as part of a mix of muscle meat, raw bone and organ rather than on its own, handle it like any raw meat, and never feed cooked beef bones.
Can dogs eat raw beef? It’s one of the first questions new raw feeders ask, and beef is the backbone of a lot of raw diets in New Zealand. It’s easy to come by, most dogs love it, and it comes in every form a raw feeder needs: mince, bones, organ and tripe.
Where beef fits in a raw diet
Most raw feeders work to the 80/10/10 rule of thumb: about 80% muscle meat, 10% raw bone and 10% organ. Beef can cover all three:
- Muscle meat: beef mince, plus heart, tongue and cheek, which count as muscle even though they’re sold with the offal.
- Bone: raw meaty bones such as brisket and neck.
- Organ: beef liver and kidney.
Our guide to how much raw food to feed shows how that splits for your dog’s weight.
Beef mince
Plain beef mince is muscle meat. On its own it needs bone and organ added, which is why many owners mix two parts mince with one part Balance Mix. Our Beef Mince is 100% New Zealand beef, cut into blocks so you thaw what you need.
Supermarket mince works too, but it’s priced for people. Our guide to pet mince versus supermarket mince compares them.
Raw beef bones
Beef brisket and neck bones are meaty, raw bones that suit a dog already eating beef, so the bone matches the rest of the bowl. Feed them raw, supervise, and take the bone away once it’s small enough to swallow. Skip the heavy weight-bearing leg bones from cattle, which are very dense, and never feed cooked beef bones of any kind, including leftovers from a roast. Our guide to which raw bones dogs can eat has more.
The beef family
Two foods count as beef even though they don’t say so up front:
- Veal is young beef, so it sits in the beef family.
- Green tripe is the stomach of cattle. Our green tripe guide explains what it is.
That’s worth knowing if your dog needs to stay off beef. The allergen filter in our shop treats beef, veal and green tripe as one family.
Beef in our range
| Product | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| Beef Mince | 100% NZ beef |
| Active Dog Mix | Beef, horse, offal and green tripe |
| Breeders Mix | Beef, horse, goat and offal |
| Puppy Mix | Beef, chicken, offal and green tripe |
| Balance Mix | Beef liver, kidney, heart, tongue and cheek, green tripe and chicken mince |
| Green Tripe and Tripe Rolls | Green tripe from cattle |
| Beef Brisket Bones and Beef Neck Bones | Raw beef bones |
How much to feed
Most adult dogs eat about 2 to 3% of their body weight in raw food a day, so around 500 g for a 20 kg dog with an average amount of exercise. The feed calculator works it out for your dog and suggests beef bones to match a beef-based mix.
Common questions
Can dogs eat raw steak?
Yes. Raw steak is muscle meat, the same as mince in a different shape. Trim very fatty pieces, and count it as part of the daily amount.
Is raw beef better than raw chicken?
Neither is better. They’re different proteins, and many raw feeders rotate both. If your dog does well on one, that’s the one to build on. Our guide to raw chicken for dogs covers the other side.
What if my dog can’t have beef?
Leave out beef, veal and green tripe, and build the diet on other proteins. Wild Mix is horse, goat, venison and alpaca with offal, and no beef. Our guide to novel proteins has the options.
More guides
Novel proteins for dogs: goat, horse, venison and alpaca
What counts as a novel protein, which ones we sell, and how to build a diet without beef or chicken.
Read the guide →
Raw pet mince vs supermarket mince
What supermarket mince is missing, what it costs per day, and how bulk pet mince compares.
Read the guide →
Green tripe for dogs: what it is and how to feed it
What green tripe is, where it fits in a raw diet, and how to live with the smell.
Read the guide →