# Meat/bone grinder



## ahowe1 (Jun 4, 2011)

Is it worth getting a meat/bone grinder? I am just starting BARF and am noticing some of the beef bones (shank) are kind of small....about 2-3 inches in diameter. I'm just cutting the meat off because I'm not comfortable giving him the smaller bones. I'm worried he will choke. I was going to throw the bones out. So, that said, do any of you grind your own food for your dogs? I read the Bravo brand beef chub and it's just meat, organs and bone but seems kind of pricey. I'm wondering if I could grind it myself if I have the right ratio or if I should bother.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I do not grind any meat for my dogs. With a grinder, you will only be grinding RMBs which are the bones soft enough for consumption. A beef shank bone is not a RMB, its too hard for consumption. 

Unless there is a reason for grinding such as a dog without teeth I wouldn't do any grinding. Even small dogs or cats that are otherwise healthy have no problems with the appropriate bones. One of the best things about raw diet is the chewing of bones keeping the teeth clean. Chewing up bones also helps provide the necessary chewing stimulation for the dog and keep jaw muscles strong. Fully ground food doesn't require any of that to consume.

If you're going to do your own raw diet though the ratio of bone is very important. You need to have the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio. Meat contains phosphorus without calcium, bone contains calcium with small levels of phosphorus. For this reason I think its safer to err on the side of too much bone than too little when I'm feeding my dogs.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

ahowe1 said:


> Is it worth getting a meat/bone grinder? I am just starting BARF and am noticing some of the beef bones (shank) are kind of small....about 2-3 inches in diameter. I'm just cutting the meat off because I'm not comfortable giving him the smaller bones. I'm worried he will choke. I was going to throw the bones out. So, that said, do any of you grind your own food for your dogs? I read the Bravo brand beef chub and it's just meat, organs and bone but seems kind of pricey. I'm wondering if I could grind it myself if I have the right ratio or if I should bother.


The only grinders that can handle ANY type of beef bone are industrial $$,$$$ grinders!!

The best you can hope for is getting a grinder that will grind chicken, rabbit and maybe turkey necks.

But most adult GSDs can handle those without a problem!

Beef bones, in my opinion, are only good for recreational bones. Raw Meaty Bones are meant to be consumed rather quickly - like a chicken leg.


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## TheJakel (May 2, 2013)

Lauri or anyone else 

I too am interested in a grinder, but to mince chicken, liver etc. to essentially create my own meat roll for a few reasons. 

I want to feed raw, but my fiance doesn't, the negotiations have reached the premade / homemade meatroll. 
If the bones are gound course will they have the same nutritional value? 

Time constrants in my fiance's and my schedules. Its easier to sell to her while im away for work and or military obligations tthat all she has to do is thaw out a pre made chub.

Space, im currently searching for a seperate freezer but the space in my small house will be maximized by a freezer that support the condensed size of the chubs rather than a larger freezer for larger goods. 

So after all that, my question is, by grinding the bones is all that is lost is the teeth cleaning? 
We have a steady supply of antlers that are used as chews will that help with keeping jaws and teeth strong?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

The enzymes in raw meat will help break down tarter and gunk on the dogs teeth. But I still think giving RMB's is better than giving a premade ground all the time. and antlers don't have those enzymes to break down the gunk so may not be effective in teeth cleansing. 
Why not give the dog RMB's in a crate where you can disinfect everything(if that is your fiance's concern)?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

right , the enzyme protease which is present in protein meat that has not been heated to 120 degrees or more , "raw" will help dissolve tartar and plaque . I feed a mix.
Chicken frames , still nice and meaty , with the skin and fat . Inside the cavity I will put a small meat ball of ground chicken and bones , or beef ground with bones and organ meat with some oil and supplements mixed into it. 
Chicken necks are a good less scary beginning if the fiancé is concerned about choking or being impacted and not being able to pass as stool.


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## TheJakel (May 2, 2013)

Thanks for the responses,

The chicken necks seem feasable. I don't think its the cleaning, its the prep time for while im away and a little bit of the disinfecting. right now during week days we see each other maybe 3 hours a day. I work at night and she works during the day. Then add in the times the military or my civillian job pull me away as well.

I only mentioned the antlers because I had read that an all soft food diet could be detrimental to the teeth. But with the antlers I can negate that. Like most have said on other threads I think after we start the raw diet she won't want to stop it once she see's the benifits.

Since cleaning was brought up. We feed Grim in his crate only so would cleaning have to be done everytime after he is fed? Also with ecoli and salmonila what is necessary if anything to negate any residuals on the dogs mouth? Ie. Grim eats his food then shortly after is playing with and licking us? I understand that the dogs naturally create enzyimes to protectet themselves etcetera but what about us?

Years ago I had bouth that book "Give your dog a bone:" and had read most of it but now I can't find it.... looks like it will be on the kindle soon.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

If there is someone living in the home with immune system issues, then take precautions. I don't really do anything different when feeding my dogs than I do when I make meals for the family....raw meat is a given in meal prep! Those enzymes do break down bacteria so I don't think it is an issue when they've just eaten a raw meal. 
If I had a baby or toddler, or senior citizen in my home, I may take more precautions.


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## TheJakel (May 2, 2013)

Ok that sounds good. I / we don't have any of those issues. I was asking about cleaning the crate because there is a slight difference between how I prep food, wearing gloves, different cutting boards, and how Grim approaches his bowl... Which includes inhaling it and then swinging the bowl around more to make sure there isn't any left.


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## Tankin (Feb 7, 2012)

I bought a grinder initially to grind chicken bones, but then I realized Tank didn't need them ground up. Now I use it for myself...sausage making has turned into a new and delicious hobby.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I use my grinder only when I am first starting to wean puppies. It will do chicken, rabbit and most turkey pieces that fit down the neck of the grinder (not the knuckles on the legs). It was not cheap. I got it through Northern Tool. If I need anything else ground I buy it from suppliers like My Pet Carnivore or Blue Ridge Beef.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I use ground RMBs for my puppies (the Chinese Cresteds) but it's easier and cheaper (in the long run, for ME) to just buy some premades.


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## TheJakel (May 2, 2013)

I figured I'd do an update here.

We've been feeding raw for three weeks now. We started with premade ground rolls that I found pretty cheap then supplimented the small lack in bone with chicken necks. Needless to say Marley my APBT and Grimlock my GSD loved it. 
I had to go away for training for the army for two weeks which was good because it put my fiance in charge and really got her used to it. After the first week she added a sliver of liver organ mix every other day then an egg every other day starting halfway through that week.
The third week She added the sardines, 1 can each over the week. leading us to starting our 4th week now.
We couldn't order the premades and I fed some whole chicken back, the left over premade, sardines, and some pumpkin. The chicken back didn't stand a chance. The poop is way way less smelly, disentigrates as advertised, Marley the senior... his teeth have done a complete 180 and almost look like the puppys fresh whites. Grim became really skiny mainly because my calcualtions for meat didn't match his growing body weight now we're doing around 2.5% of his projected adult weight. A beef mix that his tripe and organs and duck mix with the same are on the way to start mixing into his diet. I think we might do rabit next.


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