Healthy Pet Boutique Educational Article 15

Categories

BOUTIQUE

CUISINE

NATURE'S PHARMACY more

PET GROOMING SUPPLIES more

PET FRIENDLY more

LIBRARY

Search By Condition

Search By Brand

Check out our library of educational books and enlightening articles!

What Nutrients are in Meat?

Meat supplies protein
That is its major role in nutrition. It also supplies varying amounts of fat, water, and some vitamins and minerals. Because it supplies fat and protein, it also supplies energy. Meat is first class protein. That is, it contains all the essential amino acids necessary for dogs of all ages, including growing dogs, pregnant dogs, female dogs feeding puppies and of course not-doing-so-much-dogs.

Meat supplies energy
There are no carbohydrates in meat. That is no starch or sugar or fiber. As the fat content rises, the percentage of water drops and so does the protein. As the fat content of the meat rises so does the energy it can supply to your dog. The fat in different types of meat varies in the levels of essential fatty acids present. Chicken and pork have the highest levels while lamb and beef are both low. Lamb usually contains more essential fatty acids than beef, but only because it has more fat.

Meat supplies minerals
Raw meat is low in sodium and high in potassium. That is good news for dogs with heart problems. The meat with the lowest sodium is beef, with pork also being fairly low. The meat with the highest potassium is pork, with chicken having the lowest potassium levels. This makes pork a good all round meat for heart patients. Beef, lamb, chicken and pork meat are all very low in calcium and moderately low in magnesium. This means they are great foods for dogs prone to bladder stones. However, this lack of minerals requires bone material in your dog's diet. Beef and lamb meat are relatively well endowed with zinc, making them good foods for dogs with a deficiency of zinc. Chicken has low zinc levels with pork containing more than chicken but not as much as lamb and beef. Of the meats, beef is the best source of iron.

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted, individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified holistic veterinarian or alternative practitioner and is not intended as veterinary advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Healthy Pet Boutique, its owners and our community. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions for your pets based upon your own research.