# Feeding horse meat to dogs?



## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

Ok, one of my horses suffers from chronic headshaking syndrome. The vets and I have tried for three years now to find him some relief, but each year it strikes earlier in the season and we have come to the sad decision that he will be euthanized. I won't go into the efforts we've made, but believe me when I say there is nothing left to try..

Initially we were going to bury him in the paddock..Then I thought of letting the hunt take him to feed the hounds. Then I got to thinking, we have three large dogs, why not supplement their food (Acana) with horse mince.

It's taken a while for me to come round to this idea as I have had the horse since weaning and over the years we have had some great adventures. But the more I think of it the more I think of the whole circle of life thing and is letting him rot in a hole any better? I am slowly realizing that I probably do have the stomach for it, and am wondering if there is anything wrong with horse meat?

He hasn't been wormed for 10 weeks and NZ has gone to vaccinating every 2 years, so it's been over a year since he had a vaccination.


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## Yoshi (May 12, 2014)

I am so sorry to hear about your horse like that.  

In regards to feeding dogs horse meat it depends on the dog. Horse meat is very rich and can give some dogs diarrhea. Astro got diarrhea from horse meat. But most dogs eat it just fine, so try a little bit for the first time round and see how your dogs cope. If you don't want to use your horses meat but don't want to waste it then perhaps plant a tree over it? We have planted trees over many dead pets like lambs, calves, birds, etc and it usually gives the plants quite a boost.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I would not if he's been given antibiotics and medications and such during his life... also if he's being Euth'd by injection that remains active in their system.

It's ultimately up to you but it's not something I would do and I do feed raw and have no issue, just horses are medicated much more heavily than 'food' animals, etc.


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

Carriesue said:


> I would not if he's been given antibiotics and medications and such during his life... also if he's being Euth'd by injection that remains active in their system.
> 
> It's ultimately up to you but it's not something I would do and I do feed raw and have no issue, just horses are medicated much more heavily than 'food' animals, etc.


No, won't be injection and he has had very little in the way of medication really and nothing for well over 12 months so from that point of view I'm not worried.

*Yoshi, *good idea re: trying a bit first, and the dobe has a more sensitive stomach than Norah the GSD, so he might not cope as well as her..


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

I wouldn't if he'd been vaccinated regularly. I don't care how long it's been- I don't think adjuvants like heavy metals go anywhere in time- they're proven to accumulate. I don't know how old this horse is, but my horses haven't been vaccinated in many years and I still don't think I would feed them to my dogs due to their past histories with other owners. 

OTOH, like the meat we buy in the store is squeaky clean... So I guess that brings us full circle. Up to you. 

Sorry about your horse.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

I'm also sorry about your horse. The relationship with a horse you've had for a long time can be as strong as with a dog--different type of relationship, but strong nonetheless. I don't think I could have fed any of mine to my dogs... Even though I know it was always done with hunters, also TBs from the track, I believe--bury the head, heart and feet, and feed the rest to the dogs.

Susan


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think that horse-meat was probably the mainstay in original dog food. Good meat. Since humans don't generally eat horse meat, the dogs get the whole critter not just the parts that are considered refuse. 

I think I would. But then, if I had a pet alligator, no way would I feed it one of my pet dogs when they pass. Even though alligators eat dogs. I don't think I could do that. I know it is just a shell once they pass. It is meat, and plenty of it. And you know what is in the meat. Farmers eat critters they raise all the time. They know it from birth that at some point they will be making Moosey burgers out of this one, but they still name the critter and raise it, and when the time comes they eat it. I guess I would just check with the vet to ensure that whatever disease the horse has doesn't going to be a problem for harvesting the meat for the dogs.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

It's only fairly recently that they stopped slaughtering horses for human and animal consumption here in the U.S. When they stopped, it was because people were squeamish about horse slaughter, not because of any health problems with horse meat. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't feed it.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I would. As long as all meds are out if it system.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I just can't wrap my head around this. It crosses so many lines for me personally. Maybe I am the abnormal one but I could not feed one of my pets to another. 

Would you feed one dog to the other if one died?


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

Saphire said:


> I just can't wrap my head around this. It crosses so many lines for me personally. Maybe I am the abnormal one but I could not feed one of my pets to another.
> 
> Would you feed one dog to the other if one died?


No, but that has more to do with not feeding carnivore meat, for the same reason I won't eat or pork, or feed it to the dogs.

Until I was faced with this situation I never thought I would consider it, but I think there is a case here for being pragmatic. I have discussed this with a friend of mine who is also one of the vets who tried to find a solution. He is going to necropsy parts of him too, so the more I think about it the more I feel as follows;

He will be put down whatever, I wish that weren't the case, but t is - after that he will provide food for the dogs and research for the vet, and I am ok with all of that.


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## Yoshi (May 12, 2014)

selzer said:


> Farmers eat critters they raise all the time. They know it from birth that at some point they will be making Moosey burgers out of this one, but they still name the critter and raise it, and when the time comes they eat it.


Yep, we do this. 



Saphire said:


> I just can't wrap my head around this. It crosses so many lines for me personally. Maybe I am the abnormal one but I could not feed one of my pets to another.
> 
> Would you feed one dog to the other if one died?


No I probably would not. But that is only because it is inefficient in terms of energy, to feed a high (secondary, tertiary etc) consumer to another high consumer. A horse is a primary consumer, a prey animal that consumes producers, grass, so it makes more sense. But, that's not to say that there is nothing wrong with a predator eating another predator, it happens heaps in the wild. But if you don't feel comfortable with it then that's fine.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

I have to say I would. I grew up on a farm and have always had an understanding that it was an option at any time for our animals (horse, cow, lamb, whatever) to be used for food. It's something I accepted a long time ago, and especially with an animal that will be passing anyways, I would feel wasteful to not use it to its full potential.

I have to say I probably wouldn't feed my dog to another dog, but that has more to do as others said with a carnivore not being a good nutritional resource for another carnivore.

I've never gotten hung up on the physical body of my passed pets. If I can use them in some way, I'll use them. If not, they'll fertilize a new plant. What I'll always hold close will be the memories I had with them.


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## blueangele (Aug 5, 2013)

I wouldn't, but that is me personally, I could never feed my pet to another pet, never. I am way too emotionally invested in my animals to be able to do this. But, I also don't eat much meat, and if I do, it can not resemble the animal it came from (highly processed), but again, this is just ME and my sensory issues. If you feel like emotionally you can handle it, I guess good for you, but it makes me sick to my stomach to think of one day feeding my horse to my dog.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Saphire said:


> I just can't wrap my head around this. It crosses so many lines for me personally. Maybe I am the abnormal one but I could not feed one of my pets to another.
> 
> Would you feed one dog to the other if one died?


I'm with you on this one. I could not do this either. I couldn't even think it.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I would be worried about chemical residue in the meat. I can understand your point of doing it and the concept of it.
Personally I couldn't witness my dogs eating my horse's meat as I would ponder that these muscles carried me so patiently. I think I would offer the body to a zoo or something or a predator rescue if they wanted it so he would not be ground into something unrecognizable.


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

Well, my beautiful boy was put to sleep yesterday, when it came to it I couldn't go through with feeding him to my dogs. The farrier will use him for his working dogs and I'm fine with that, the vet who treated him will also necropsy parts of him for research and I'm fine with that too. Even though I thought I was tough, I guess I'm not, there have been a lot of tears shed for this cool horse who has died far too young  I have added a photo of us in happier days..


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

....and a photo of my pack who are cheering me up..


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm really sorry to hear about your loss. It never gets easier.


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

No, it doesn't get any easier, wouldn't it be so much easier if our beloved companions died in their sleep of old age...


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Charlie W said:


> No, it doesn't get any easier, wouldn't it be so much easier if our beloved companions died in their sleep of old age...




Andrew had to put the old cat down at the vets (Finny) but the other female (Bado) passed away in the closet, she was old, it was valentines day, when we came home we went thru our laundry room in the old house and there she was hanging upside down in our closet with her mouth open wide (claw got caught up in her pillow that was on one of the shelves) really very dead. It was awful, on one hand i like the idea of passing peacefully but that one was a nightmare.


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## osito23 (Feb 17, 2014)

I'm very sorry for your loss. He was beautiful.


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## Charlie W (Feb 12, 2013)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> Andrew had to put the old cat down at the vets (Finny) but the other female (Bado) passed away in the closet, she was old, it was valentines day, when we came home we went thru our laundry room in the old house and there she was hanging upside down in our closet with her mouth open wide (claw got caught up in her pillow that was on one of the shelves) really very dead. It was awful, on one hand i like the idea of passing peacefully but that one was a nightmare.


That does sound upsetting, I guess there's just no easy way to lose a beloved pet


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