# Deer meat



## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

I have been interested in feeding my dog chicken or pork that is cooked along with some vegetables. She is very underwhelmed by dry dog food. There are two things she loves though; cat poop and cat food. She has been checked out at the vet and is healthy. She is slightly lanky still at just over 2 1/2 years old. I was thinking about natural environments and where these dogs come from. Elk, moose, deer, rabbit, wild boar, salmon, and chickens was all part of their ancestral diet. If I went hunting, brought home an elk or deer, could I freeze it and feed the deer meat (cooked) along with vegetables to my dog? I am wanting to talk to my vet about it as well but wanted the feedback of others here in case someone else has done this.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

If the animal you hunt is healthy I don't see any problem with sharing it with your dog. If it is meat you would eat it is good enough for your dog. Poopsickles are always interesting to dogs, especially since they probably taste like cat food. Don't let him eat the poop if you can avoid it as you don't know if the cat was healthy or possibly had worms or whatever.


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

Our cat box is in accessible to her but when she goes to a park, she has a nose for it and will find it somewhere. It's disgusting and discouraged as much as we can control it.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I feed a raw diet that includes raw venison on a regular basis.


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

You don't have to cook the meat before you feed it. You especially don't want to feed bones that have been cooked, as they could seriously injure or kill your dog. I've heard of people freezing meat (usually fresh-caught fish) to kill parasites before feeding it. Wolves in the wild can eat their entire prey kill, bones and all, with no problems. I've never cooked meat for my dogs. They've been raw fed for 5 years now. I think cooking the meat cooks out most of the "good stuff." Eating raw bones helps solidify their stool. Research a raw diet and maybe you can take some tips from there to add to your feeding plan. Good luck!


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## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

A pic is worth a thousand words. Mystique enjoying a raw venison roast for her birthday dinner...


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Fresh Venison scraps, ready to be bagged and frozen to the tune of 60 lbs.


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## astrovan2487 (May 29, 2014)

I hunt a lot and butcher on my own so I always end up with a lot of scraps that aren't quite suitable or needed for human use but are great for dog food. I cook it and mix in a few things along with her supplements and she loves it. Wild game meat is extremely healthy and doesn't have all the nasty fats/antibiotics and all that store bought meats often have.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I am curious why you cook it?


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## astrovan2487 (May 29, 2014)

It keeps longer when it's cooked. I make big batches of it and freeze it in 2-3 lb containers and take out the container as needed. One container usually lasts about a week (she gets half dry kibble and half meat) I don't think raw would be okay if left refrigerated for a week or sometimes more. Plus she is a picky eater and heating it up seems to be more appetizing to her.


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## Juliem24 (Jan 4, 2014)

Out of curiosity, if you live in an area where your venison should be checked for CWD if eaten by humans, do you also have it checked before feeding it to dogs?


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

It's not a problem here so I'm not really familiar with protocol where it is a problem.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

astrovan2487 said:


> It keeps longer when it's cooked. I make big batches of it and freeze it in 2-3 lb containers and take out the container as needed. One container usually lasts about a week (she gets half dry kibble and half meat) I don't think raw would be okay if left refrigerated for a week or sometimes more. Plus she is a picky eater and heating it up seems to be more appetizing to her.


I freeze mine in 1 lb bags so I never have to worry about how long it sits. I take out a bag the day before each meal. I just wonder how much you may lose during the cooking process.


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## Juliem24 (Jan 4, 2014)

Saphire said:


> It's not a problem here so I'm not really familiar with protocol where it is a problem.


In Illinois and Wisconsin, you need to have the brain necropsied before you process/eat the venison ( unless you dress it out yourself, then you can just take your chances, I guess). I just don't know if the disease is transferable to dogs/coyotes/wolves or scavengers. Just curious though, I get it from a butcher or friends who have it tested.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I personally eat deer that have been field dressed and processed by individuals (not a processing place) and feed it to my pets raw. Our rule is we make sure it's been frozen for 2 weeks. That helps slow down and kill off most of the problem bacteria (not entirely, but better than nothing). I will eat venison that is 3 years old as long as it hasn't been thawed and re-frozen. I'll feed my dog stuff that's up to 5 years old as long as the packaging is still sealed.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My husband and I process our own deer & feral hog meat. All scraps get saved & frozen for the dogs. Sometimes I'll thaw it out, sometimes I feed it still frozen, pretty much depends on the weather. If it's really hot out, I like to feed it still frozen. 

I even take the legs (intact, hair and all) and cut them into smaller pieces and freeze those. I give those for special treats.


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## northwoodsGSD (Jan 30, 2006)

We've been feeding venison & other various woodland creatures to our dogs for years. 
One benefit of our frigid winters is that the road kill animals are perfect for turning into dog food, as I feed a mostly RAW diet.
I have a permit that allows me to pick up road kill in my area. Hubby & I process it ourselves, cutting it into portion sized pieces than toss into the (dog's) chest freezer. Whatever I can't use to feed the dogs gets left in the back field for the wildlife to feed on.


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