From raw meat and organs to raw dog bones, beef is an ideal meat source to provide the nutrients that dogs require for the promotion and maintenance of good health. However, there is a HUGE difference between the nutritional value of different beef products on the market and this difference is largely defined by how that meat is raised. Grass-fed and grass-finished beef is up to five times richer in important key nutrients with 60% less overall fat as well as a stack of important anti-inflammatory benefits. Bon appetit healthy doggo – those creepy looking beefy bits (think Weenie Peenies, also known as beef pizzle) aren’t just delicious, they’re important for optimum health too!
Grass-fed beef for dogs – why is it better?
The key to grass-fed benefits lies in its fat content – grass-fed beef has a very different fat constitution to its grain-fed counterparts. In short, grass-fed meat is lower in overall fat (approximate 65% less overall than grain-fed meat), but is proportionately higher in healthy fats, including important omega 3s, omega 6s and CLAs.
Grass-fed beef can be summarised as;
- Approximately 65% lower in total fat.
- Proportionately lower in trans fats.
- Higher in fat-soluble vitamins.
- Three to five times higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – a well known anti-cancer fat with anti-inflammatory properties.
- Higher in vaccenic acid (which converts to CLA).
- Higher in beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant which also has anti-cancer properties.
- Four times higher in vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol), which is essential for good for cardiovascular health and is also an anti-cancer vitamin.
- About five times higher in total omega-3 fatty acids which are an important anti-inflammatory for dogs – learn more at Understanding omega 3 for dogs – itchy skin and inflamed joints).
- A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which are both anti-inflammatory and important for cardiovascular health.
- Lower in the particularly problematic types of saturated fats (palmitic acid and myristic acid).
- Contains about four times more selenium, which has anti-cancer benefits.
What does this mean for Gully Road’s beef?
We source all of our beef (including Gully Road RAW) from Provenir, who are Australia’s only mobile on-farm butcher and who process only free-range and grass-fed beef. We then dehydrate our weird and wonderful beefy bits here on the farm at Gully Road HQ. These beef treats – such as Moo Tubes (beef trachea) and Achilles Chews (beef tendon for dogs), to name a few – play an important part in realising both Provenir and Gully Road’s zero waste philosophy. This philosophy ensures that every part of the animal is utilised and nothing is wasted.
To our knowledge (and please get in touch with us if this isn’t the case – we’d love to hear from you) Gully Road’s meat provider, Provenir is Australia’s only PrimeSafe licenced and accredited, ethically processed raw meat for dogs available in Australia. While there are plenty of dehydrated beef treats on the market, we’re also pretty confident that Gully Road is the only 100% grass-fed (as well as fully transparent and traceable) option that you will find too.
How do I know if beef treats are grass-fed?
In Australia’s industrial (or mainstream) meat processing industry, the vast majority of beef is grain- and feedlot-finished. There are a lot of false claims about grass-fed beef in the market, so the only way to be sure is to source raw ingredients from a 100% grass-fed producer – which is easier said than done. Provenir implements a full traceability system which tracks the meat from farm (and farming practices) right through to the end product.
Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef
In our previous article – Where our natural beef dog treats come from and why it’s important – we discussed the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef, which involves cattle being finished in intensive feedlots (and accounts for the vast majority of beef available in Australia);
“The feedlotting systems … are focused on fast growth and maximum productivity. Animals are fed high grain diets (lots of carbs) and are kept in small pens so that they don’t burn off their calorie intake by doing cow things like walking to the other end of the paddock for fresh grass. These conditions that result in fast growth mean less nutrients in the end product – your dog meat.
While grass-finished beef is a slower (and more expensive) process, the grass-fed meat is more nutrient dense. As just one example, grass fed beef contains five times more CLA than the fast-growing, grain fed beef produced in feedlots. CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a potent antioxidant fatty acid, which improves lipid profiles and enhances the overall health of your dog.
So what about other pet meat available, like the pet mince at the supermarket? Yep, you guessed it – not grass-fed, free range or on-farm processed. In fact, chances are it is almost definitely grown and processed in quite the opposite way.”
So why isn’t all beef grass-fed?
Our friends at Provenir are the experts on this one;
“Much of Australia’s large corporate agriculture (and indeed, much of the global food system) operates on a principal of maximum financial return, which focuses on fast, consistent production targets and high inputs.
Growth hormones are often used in feedlots to further speed up this process and minimise the time that it takes for an animal to reach slaughter weight. These high intensity feedlots are a breeding ground for bacteria and consequently antibiotic use is very common in these feedlot environments (ironically called “growth promotants”). This is a huge problem globally as antibiotic resistance becomes common place in our food supply.
These industrial feedlot systems have a significant effect on animal wellbeing and these impacts are not just physical, but cause stress to the animal in many different ways. The presence of sustained stress on animals has been scientifically shown to have a significant impact on meat quality. In contrast, steady and natural growth of grass-fed beef in free-range environments creates the best quality beef in the most natural way. Grazing pastures in familiar herds in natural environments is the way that nature intended for cattle.”
Zero waste philosophy
Provenir’s grass-fed beef is used in Gully Road RAW as well as our range of beef treats, which are all dehydrated here on the farm. Different cuts or parts of the animal have different nutritional value and many – such as our Beef Jerky for Dogs (beef liver treats) are incredibly nutrient-rich. We discussed the benefits of beef offal in particular at Beef Offal for Dogs – Weird Wonderful Bits and their Nutritional Benefits;
“While they may not be your average dog treats, the weird bits such as beef lung, heart, kidney, beef liver and tongue are jam-packed with important nutritional benefits for dogs. This beef offal also forms an important part of Gully Road’s ethical treat sourcing philosophy, which is focused on ensuring sustainable and ethical processing of beef. If feeding beef organs raw (see Gully Road RAW’s PMR pack) is not to your liking, then these treats can be fed in their dried form while still maintaining maximum nutritional value. Nutrient dense and full of healthy fats, feeding beef offal products is a great way to supplement your dog’s diet for optimum canine health and wellbeing.”
Gully Road RAW
Can dogs eat raw meat? Yes, and they should! We’re advocates for natural, ancestral feeding regimes such as the Prey Model Raw diet for dogs, which mimics the complete diet that dogs would consume in the wild prior to domestication (learn more at What is the Prey Model Raw diet for Dogs?). However you decide to feed your number one pal, meat plays an important part in canine nutrition and – as we have learned – feeding high quality, grass-fed and grass-finished meat maximises the nutritional value of both raw meat for dogs and dehydrated beef treats.
Gully Road’s full grass-fed beef range includes;
- Raw Dog Bones
- Prey Model Raw Pack
- Diced Muscle Meat
- Minced Muscle Meat
- Cheeky Prix (beef cheek)
- Achilles Chews (beef tendon for dogs)
- Awfully Offal Mix
- Beef Bunts
- Beef Dongas (beef oesophagus)
- Beef Neck Splits
- Cow Hide
- Cow’s Ear with Fur
- Chewy Dim Sim
- Moo Tubes (beef trachea)
- Ear ‘Oles
- Beef Liver Jerky (liver treats for dogs)
- Grass-Fed Ribbers
- Kidney Bites
- Hock Knuckle
- Paddywhacks (beef tendon for dogs)
- Snotters
- Weenie Peenies (beef pizzle)
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