Like their wolfy descendants, Rottweilers love to eat meat and need it as a vital part of their carnivorous diets.
We believe it should be cooked first most of the time. But is that always the case?
Rottweilers do very well on a raw meat diet. It’s good for their coats, their teeth, and weight control. In the wild, a raw diet made primarily of meat and bones is the only thing a dog would consume throughout its life.
However, domesticated dogs like Rottweilers should be fed a combination diet featuring raw and other foods to get all the nutrients they need.
“Wild Dogs Don’t Eat Kibble”
Some dog owners will only ever feed their dogs raw meat and nothing else. Whenever they’re questioned, their answer is often, “wild dogs don’t eat kibble. They only eat meat and bones, so why should I feed my dog anything else?”
It’s a true statement, but not one that completely applies. After all, Rottweilers may be directly descended from wolves, but they’ve been domesticated for thousands of years, and their diets have drastically changed since their lupine days.
In addition, dogs in the wild are forced to scavenge for their food, yet we don’t force our dogs to do the same.
In addition, wild dogs and wolves eat some fruit and vegetables and the stomach contents of their herbivore prey to get all available nutrients.
Raw meat should form a regular part of a Rottweiler’s diet, but so should vegetables, fruit, and at times, high-quality dried food.
Why Raw Meat is Good for Rottweilers
A Rottweiler’s diet is important if you consider taking on one of these beautiful dogs. After all, it’s recommended that Rottweilers eat up to two percent of their body meat in raw meat daily.
Raw meat is packed full of everything a Rottweiler needs. It’s super-high in protein and gives your Rottweiler the energy it needs to work and play hard. Raw meat contains natural oils that keep your pet’s teeth and coat in great condition.
Furthermore, raw meat is fresh and clean (provided you’re feeding your Rottie the good-quality stuff) and contributes to healthy gut bacteria.
Feeding a dog low quality, processed food diet will lead to an unhealthy gut, and you’ll pay the price in the noxious gas your dog creates.
What About Cooked Meat Instead?
For those who aren’t sure whether feeding raw food is a good idea or those who simply can’t bear the idea of handling raw meat in such high quantities, it raises the question of raw versus cooked meat.
Cooked meat is better than no meat, but there are still too many nutritional benefits from the raw version to remove it from the dog’s diet.
Cooking meat is thought to kill off good bacteria, vitamins, and other nutrients that would otherwise benefit your dog if you were to serve the food raw.
Preparing cooking meat could also involve using oils or seasoning, which adds to the meal’s calorific value and upsets the dog’s stomach, so cooking meat is often a counter-productive endeavor.
How Much Raw Meat Should a Rottweiler Eat?
As we mentioned earlier, a Rottweiler should eat around two percent of its body weight daily.
Ideally, this should be made up of raw meat and perhaps a couple of vegetables for extra nutrition, but we appreciate that it’s not always ideal.
Most people choose to give their dogs a raw meat diet simply due to cost. Two pounds of raw meat per day in the case of a 100-pound Rottweiler, for example, can work out a very costly endeavor.
Some good advice is to buy your meat in bulk and put it in the freezer, take out the amount you need for a few days, and defrost it in good time. Buying in bulk greatly reduces costs.
However, if all this raw meat is still stretching your budget, you can compromise by feeding raw meat and kibble on alternate days.
The most important thing to remember is that the kibble you feed your Rottweiler should still be high-quality and high in protein.
Avoid dry dog food that contains high levels of grains, as these are used as cheap fillers and greatly reduce the nutritional value of the food. Buy dry dog food that contains a “meat meal,” as meal products are lower in water content and higher in protein.
When Raw Meat is Risky
Dogs aren’t fussy creatures, for the most part, and we all know how much a Rottweiler loves their food. That’s why it’s important for owners to be selective about the raw meat they feed their Rotties before the dogs gobble it down.
Raw meat contains bacteria, so humans should always eat meat cooked to kill off harmful microbes that grow on the mean, including salmonella, E. coli, and listeria.
A dog’s stomach is much more equipped to handle bacteria, and they have a better tolerance to raw meat. Their saliva is also very good at killing off any bacteria that may cause illness.
That said, you should never feed a dog any raw meat when it’s in a condition you wouldn’t eat. If the chicken smells off, that doesn’t mean a dog should eat it.
All raw meat should still be fresh and from a reputable source, preferably a butcher who can vouch for its origin.
Always serve your Rottweiler raw meat in stainless steel bowls and wash them thoroughly after use.
Separate the utensils for preparing raw dog meat from those used for the family’s food, and always wash your hands thoroughly with soap after preparing your dog’s raw meat.
The Best Raw Meat for Rottweilers
Rottweilers can eat all kinds of raw meat, including:
- Chicken
- Lamb
- Beef
- Offal (heart, kidneys, liver)
Chicken is the best raw meat because it’s high in protein and very lean, so low in fats. Rottweilers are prone to putting on weight, so the chicken is a great meat, as well as being less expensive.
Never feed your Rottweiler-cooked meat bones. They are very sharp and brittle and can puncture their stomachs. Raw bones are fine as they’re soft enough to digest.
Never feed a dog raw pork. You’ll notice that no reputable dog food company uses pork meat in their foods. Raw pork often contains a parasite called trichinella spiralis larvae which can infect a dog with trichinosis.
You can feed cooked ham and bacon to a Rottweiler as it’s also safe for humans to eat pork once cooked, but always feed pork-based products to a Rottweiler as a rare treat because they’re very high in fat and salt thanks to the curing process.
Raw Meat Plus Extras
So, a raw meat diet is not just OK; it’s the best diet for a Rottweiler! It’s important to always top up this diet with vegetables and fruits to get all the vitamins and nutrients they need.
