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All About Raw Beef Dog Food: Which Cuts, Where to Buy & More

written by Barbara Rivers February 4, 2023
Raw beef dog food - which cuts, where to buy & more

Let’s talk about raw beef dog food!

It’s been part of my raw dog food rotation even since I started feeding raw meals in 2015 in a vast variety of different cuts and shapes, including:

  • Ground beef
  • Steak and stew meat
  • Beef organs like heart, lung, pancreas and liver
  • Really odd cuts like beef eyeballs
Cutting up raw beef lung for raw meal prep
Cutting up raw beef lung for raw meal prep

That said, I’ll talk about why rotating between different cuts and different protein sources is important in raw feeding.

I’ll also address frequently asked questions related to raw beef from non-raw feeders, so don’t worry if you’re new to raw feeding!

Here’s what you’ll find answers to in this blog post:

  • Why is raw beef dog food good for dogs?
  • Addressing raw beef related FAQs from non-raw feeders
  • Where to buy raw beef dog food (3 local resources vs 10 raw dog food retailers in the US), including:
    • Raw beef patties for dogs
    • Raw beef trachea for dogs
    • Raw beef lung for dogs
    • Raw beef pancreas for dogs
    • Raw beef bones for dogs
  • Freeze-dried/dehydrated beef dog food alternatives

Raw Beef Dog Food: Which Cuts, Where to Buy & More

Raw beef dog food - which cuts, where to buy & more

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

Why Is Raw Beef Dog Food Good for Dogs?

Beef is a red meat that’s obviously a great source of protein, but you probably already knew that.

But did you know that it’s also a lot more nutrient dense than white meat like poultry?

That said, here’s what you’ll find in 100grams/3.5oz of ground beef with a 15% fat content:

  • B3 aka Niacin (5.4 mg=milligrams). Supports: healthy nerves, skin.
  • B12 aka Cobalamin (2.64 μg=micrograms). Supports: healthy nerves, brain function, digestion, blood cell growth.
  • Choline (82.4 mg=milligrams). Supports: healthy nerves, brain function, muscles, heart, liver.
  • Calcium (18 mg=milligrams). Supports: healthy bones, teeth, nerves, muscles, heart.
  • Magnesium (21 mg=milligrams). Helps: absorb other minerals and vitamins.
  • Phosphorus (198 mg=milligrams). Supports: Healthy teeth, bones, metabolism.
  • Potassium (318 mg=milligrams). Supports: Healthy heart, nerves, muscles.
  • Selenium (21.6 μg=micrograms). Supports: Healthy thyroid, metabolism, reproductive organs.
  • Sodium (72 mg=milligrams). Supports: balance of body fluids, nerves, muscles.
  • Zinc (6.31 mg=milligrams). Supports: strong immune system, healthy thyroid.

Now here’s what you’ll find in 100grams/3.5oz of ground chicken:

  • B3 aka Niacin (5.5 mg)
  • B12 aka Cobalamin (0.56 μg=micrograms)
  • Choline (58.8 mg)
  • Calcium (6 mg)
  • Magnesium (21 mg)
  • Phosphorus (178 mg)
  • Potassium (522 mg)
  • Selenium (10.2 μg=micrograms)
  • Sodium (60 mg)
  • Zinc (1.47 mg)

And here’s what’s in 100grams/3.5oz of ground turkey:

  • B3 aka Niacin (7.6 mg)
  • B12 aka Cobalamin (1.13 μg=micrograms)
  • Choline (57.4 mg)
  • Calcium (21.47 mg)
  • Magnesium (26 mg)
  • Phosphorus (226 mg)
  • Potassium (268 mg)
  • Selenium (25 μg=micrograms)
  • Sodium (65.5 mg)
  • Zinc (2.66 mg)

As you can tell, in raw feeding it’s super important to rotate the different animals you feed as well as cuts within those animals.

For example, you won’t find any Vitamin A in the ground beef while liver is very rich in it! You also won’t find any digestive enzymes in ground beef, but there’s lots in pancreas and green tripe.

Likewise, there is some calcium and phosphorus in ground beef, but you’ll find lots more in meaty bones.

Then again, it’s a lot safer to feed raw meaty bones from poultry and rabbit as opposed to much denser, heavy weight-bearing bones from cattle.

You get the idea, so please rotate, rotate, and rotate again!

Check out my blog post on what balanced raw dog food consists of here.

This section covers fears of dog pawrents whose dogs occasionally steal raw beef from their kitchen counters…so if you’re already a raw feeder, you can skip this one!

What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Raw Hamburger?

No need to panic.

Instead, take it as a subtle hint from your dog to include raw meats on a more regular basis!

Raw-fed dogs are typically healthier than those fed a dry dog food and/or canned dog food diet. That’s because raw dog food is much less processed and not cooked at temperatures that destroy healthy nutrients.

Learn more about the benefits of raw dog food here.

What should I do if my dog ate raw hamburger?

Do I Need to Worry If My Dog Ate a Raw Steak?

Nope, as long as it’s not seasoned, your dog will be just fine.

Even if it had some seasoning on it, chances are he’ll be fine. Just don’t make seasoned meats a regular occurrence in your dog’s life.

Check out my blog post on how to safely combine kibble and raw dog food here.

Can Dogs Have Brisket Bones?

Yes, as long as they’re raw.

You should never offer your dog any cooked bones as cooking changes the bone density and makes it brittle & sharp, i.e. dangerous.

Raw brisket bone is a good meaty bone that helps keep your dog’s teeth clean.

Additionally, it’s rich in glucosamine and calcium which help support healthy joints and strong bones, respectively.

Can Dogs Eat Stew Meat?

You bet, as long as it’s unseasoned.

However, steer clear of stew meat with onions, that’s a no-no for dogs.

Why Is Raw Beef Heart Good for Dogs?

Raw beef heart is good for dogs because it’s naturally low in calories and very rich in iron.

You can also feed dehydrated beef heart treats – either for training purposes or as a tasty meal topper to entice picky dogs to eat.

Raw Beef heart
Cutting up a raw beef heart for raw dog food

Can Dogs Eat Raw Bison Meat?

Yes, they can.

Since it’s considerably leaner than beef meat, it’s a great option for overweight dogs who need to lose weight.

As a matter of fact, there are a few raw pet food retailers who offer raw bison meat for dogs!

Can Dogs Eat Veal?

Yes, dogs can have veal.

It’s typically the meat from male dairy calves. Many grocery stores carry calf liver at a reasonable price.

Thawing raw calf liver from the grocery store
Thawing frozen calf liver from the grocery store for raw dog food meal prep

Where to Buy Raw Beef Dog Food

There are quite a few options as far as getting your hands on raw beef dog food.

That said, the ones that are going to work best for you depend on:

  • Your geographical location (rural with access to farms and butcher shops vs urban with access to well stocked grocery stores and pet retail stores)
  • Your budget (less expensive homemade raw meal prep vs more expensive premade raw dog food)
  • Your freezer space (separate raw dog food freezer with room for bulk purchases vs limited freezer space)
  • Personal preference (dog food nerd who wants to meal prep vs convenience preference)

Your Local Area: Grocery Store, Local Butcher/Farm

Regardless of where you live, you should be able to buy beef liver, ground beef, hamburger patties, beef tongue and oxtails at any grocery store.

Yes, dogs can eat hamburger patties as long as they’re not seasoned.

However, it’s a little more tricky to find other (secreting) organs at traditional grocery stores. That said, you may get lucky at ethnic grocery stores as well as butcher shops and/or farms.

So if you live in an area with access to either, I suggest you check them out!

Beef liver and pork liver at the butcher's
Shopping for liver at the grocery store

Raw Dog Food From Butcher?

“Butcher scraps for dogs”, i.e. those odd cuts of meat that aren’t used for cooking in many cuisines, tend to be more on the cheaper side. But also cuts like chuck roast.

For example, offal and other scraps like pancreas, heart and lung.

Again depending on where you live, you may have access to a business-minded butcher who has raw meat scraps for sale you can use for homemade/raw dog food, or even their very own raw dog food!

Online Raw Dog Food Retailers (US)

If you don’t have access to any ethnic grocery stores or butchers and farms who sell cheaper scraps of raw beef, check out the 10 US raw dog food retailers below.

They carry either:

  • Complete raw beef for pets that’s ready to be fed as is (not just for dogs, but also for cats and ferrets)
  • Individual cuts of raw beef that can be used for raw meal prep
  • Both options

Bonus: Most come with the convenience of delivering their raw dog food to your front door.

Homemade Raw Dog Food Recipe with beef eyeballs
Homemade raw dog food with beef eyeballs

(1) Raw Paws Pet Food

Raw Paws Pet Food is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

They carry individual cuts of beef as well as raw beef dog food completes that are ready to be fed as is:

  • Hearts
  • Liver
  • Kidney
  • Spleen
  • Meaty beef bones (raw beef neck bones for dogs)
  • Beef marrow bones
  • Ground Green Beef Tripe
  • Green Beef Tripe Patties
  • Ground Beef (Complete beef raw dog food: Beef Round, Beef Meat, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
  • Ground Beef Patties (Complete beef raw dog food: Beef Round, Beef Meat, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
  • Beef & Vegetable (Complete beef raw dog food: Beef Round, Beef Meat, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Carrots, Green Beans, Broccoli, Spinach, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
  • Beef & Mackerel (Complete beef raw dog food: Beef Round, Beef Meat, Wild-Caught Mackerel, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
  • Ground Beef & Green Tripe (Complete beef raw dog food: Beef Round, Beef Meat, Green Beef Tripe, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)

Bonus: They also carry Beef Colostrum for allergy and immunity support!

Save 15% on your Raw Paws Pet Food orders with my affiliate code K9Savings.

Raw Paws Pet Food Complete Beef with Green Beef Tripe

(2) Darwin’s Natural Pet

Darwin’s Natural Pet is located in Tukwila, Washington State.

They offer two different raw beef dog food complete recipes. However, they don’t offer any individual cuts of raw beef for DIY raw meal prep:

  • Premium Line made with free-range meats & organic vegetables: Natural Selections Beef (ground lean beef meat, beef hearts, beef livers, cabbage, lettuce, squash {seasonal}, sweet potato, parsley, organic sunflower seed oil, cod liver oil, proprietary vitamin and mineral mix)
  • Value Line made with conventional meats and vegetables: Biologics Beef (beef meat, beef hearts, beef livers, beef kidney, sweet potato, lettuce, squash {seasonal}, cabbage, parsley, sunflower seed oil, cod liver oil, proprietary vitamin and mineral mix)

Tip: Save big on your first 10 lb order! You’ll only pay $14.95, and absolutely no shipping.

(3) Viva Raw Pets

Viva Raw Pets is located in North Carolina.

They offer one complete line of beef but no individual cuts of raw beef:

Complete Beef, Chunked or Ground. Beef, Heart, Kidney, Liver, Bone, Organic Carrots, Organic Cranberries, Organic Broccoli, Organic Green Beans, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Ginger, Organic Icelandic Kelp, Organic Flaxseed Oil, Cod Liver Oil Powder, Organic Wheatgrass, Vitamin E Supplement, Organic Shiitake Mushrooms, Green Mussels.

(4) BJs Raw Pet Food

BJs Raw Pet Food is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

They offer a variety of individual cuts of beef as well as two raw beef dog food completes that can be fed as is:

(5) My Pet Carnivore

My Pet Carnivore is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

They carry individual cuts of beef as well as raw beef dog food completes that are ready to be fed as is:

(6) Raw Feeding Miami

Raw Feeding Miami is located in Miami, Florida.

They carry individual cuts of beef as well as raw beef dog food grinds that are ready to be fed as is:

Use my referral link to get 10% OFF your first order with Raw Feeding Miami!

A bag of raw beef eyeballs from Raw Feeding Miami

(7) Hare Today

Hare Today is located in Springboro, Pennsylvania.

They carry one complete beef option that can be fed as is, as well as individual cuts of beef that need to be mixed with other cuts of raw meat to make balanced raw dog food:

(8) Primal Pet Foods

Primal Pet Foods is headquartered in Fairfield, California, but their products are only available at pet retail stores.

You can find the closest one to you with their store locator.

They have one complete Primal Raw Beef Dog Food and one recreational beef bone option:

  • Primal Raw Frozen Beef Patties (Beef {with ground bone}, Beef Livers, Organic Carrots, Organic Squash, Organic Kale, Organic Apples, Organic Parsley, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Blueberries, Organic Cranberries, Organic Broccoli, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Cod Liver Oil, Montmorillonite Clay, Fish Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Dried Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Organic Ground Alfalfa, Dried Organic Kelp, Liquid Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Liquid Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Liquid Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product, Liquid Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Taurine)
  • Recreational Beef Marrow Bones

(9) Instinct Pet Food

Instinct Pet Food is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, but their products are only available at pet retail stores.

You can find the closest one to you with their Where to Buy Store Locator.

They have one complete Instinct Frozen Raw Beef Dog Food option:

Instinct frozen raw bites grain-free real beef recipe dog food (Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Heart, Ground Beef Bone, Yellow Squash, Apples, Carrots, Ground Miscanthus Grass, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Fish Oil, Spinach, Broccoli, Blueberries, Cranberries, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Yeast Culture, Taurine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Choline Chloride, Tricalcium Phosphate, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product)

The Pups Are Boarding With Pre-Made Raw Dog Food From Nature's Variety - Beef Patties & Chicken Gizzards and Hearts
Instinct Pet Food back when it was known as Nature’s Variety (pictured: their Beef Patties)

(10) Lilly’s Advantage Premium Raw Pet Food (California shipping only)

Lilly’s Advantage is located in Felton, California and only carries ground cuts of beef.

They aren’t ready to be fed as is and need to be mixed with other cuts of meat:

Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Beef Dog Food Options

Freeze-dried raw dog food is great when you’re on the road with your pup(s) and can’t feed fresh raw dog food.

It’s also a good upgrade from kibble if you’re not quite ready for raw dog food yet.

Raw Paws Pet Food Freeze-Dried Beef Recipe

Save 15% with code K9Savings. (Beef, Beef Bone, Beef Lung, Beef Liver, Beef Stomach, Beef Heart, Beef Fat, Beef Kidney, Beef Blood, Herring Oil, Mixed Tocopherols, D-alpha Tocopherol)

Primal Freeze-Dried Beef Nuggets

(Beef {with ground bone}, Beef Livers, Organic Carrots, Organic Squash, Organic Kale, Organic Apples, Organic Parsley, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Blueberries, Organic Cranberries, Organic Broccoli, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Cod Liver Oil, Montmorillonite Clay, Fish Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Dried Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Organic Ground Alfalfa, Dried Organic Kelp, Liquid Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Liquid Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Liquid Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product, Liquid Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Taurine, Organic Rosemary Extract)

Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Beef Recipe Dog Food Topper

(Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Pumpkinseeds, Beef Heart, Carrots, Apples, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Dried Kelp, Mixed Tocopherols, Broccoli, Rosemary Extract, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blueberries, Dried Chicory Root)

Sojos Complete Freeze-Dried Beef Recipe

(Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Whole Egg, Cabbage, Flaxseed, Cranberries, Celery, Beef Liver, Tricalcium Phosphate, Papaya, Pumpkin, Rosemary, Parsley, Ginger, Dried Kelp, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Fumarate, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid)

BIXBI Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dog Food Beef Recipe

(Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Bone, Pumpkin, Coconut Oil, Salmon Oil, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Rosemary Extract)

Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Mini Nibs

(Beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef lung, beef fat, beef stomach, beef kidney, herring oil, mixed tocopherols (preservative), vitamin E supplement, zinc amino acid complex, iron amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, manganese amino acid complex)

Vital Essentials Mini Nibs Seen At The Global Pet Expo
Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs (Pictured: Beef, Turkey, Duck, Chicken)

Raw Beef Dog Food: Bottom Line

Raw beef is a red meat that’s chock-full of nutrients!

You can either buy individual cuts of raw beef for your own homemade raw dog food, or you can buy premade raw beef dog food from a variety of different raw dog food retailers.

It’s up to your personal preference, budget and freezer space!

Remember to rotate your protein sources when feeding your pups raw dog food.

For raw dog food recipe inspiration featuring tons of different proteins and cuts of meat, check out my raw dog food recipe e-books here.

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Barbara launched her blog K9sOverCoffee in 2014 and has been feeding her dogs raw dog food since 2015. As a former professional dog walker, she's passionate about balancing species-appropriate exercise with healthy dog nutrition. Barbara is raw dog food nutrition certified from "Dogs Naturally Magazine" and the author of 3 e-books about minimally processed, balanced raw dog food.

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