Cooking Meats
I love cooking and often cook for my dogs, especially after Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes and pancreatitis. I wanted to feed quality meals but feeding 100% homemade wasn’t feasible with three dogs so I opted to feed a high-quality kibble with a lean meat and veggie. I rotated the protein and veggies but always kept kibble the same.
I have been cooking all my life and we are a family of omnivores so cooking meats isn’t confusing to me, but for a vegan, vegetarian or person that doesn’t cook it can be challenging. We are often asked in our Facebook group how to cook a particular lean meat so I thought it was time to write a blog on how to cook them along with cooking methods and times.
Grab a cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage and let’s get cooking!
There are a couple of important things we need to talk about before getting to cooking methods and times. First, diabetic dogs are considered immunocompromised so raw diet is not recommended for most dogs. There are people that lightly cook meats for their dog but since our pets are immunocompromised I suggest cooking to specific internal temperatures for humans. These are guidelines that should be followed in the kitchen.
Second, lean meats are suggested to feed since pancreatitis is a valid concern with diabetic dogs. Chicken breast, turkey breast, extra lean ground turkey, 90/10 ground turkey, 90/10 ground beef, egg whites (no yolk), rabbit, venison, fish (white flesh or some salmon) and kangaroo are all on my list of lean proteins to feed. If you are feeding a 90/10 ground turkey or beef it is recommended to rinse in very hot water after cooking to get rid of some fat. Yolks are where all the fat is in eggs so they are not recommended to feed.
Third, you should have a digital meat thermometer to ensure that what you cook is the proper internal temperature. I use one all the time and it has really helped me to not overcook chicken, they take the guessing game out of cooking.
This is a good digital meat thermometer you can purchase on Amazon: Brapilot Digital Meat Thermometer.
And fourth, if you are cooking for your pets you should have a digital kitchen scale to weigh quantities…I use the Advocate Universal Digital Food Scale for any weighing I do in the kitchen. It weighs in lbs:oz, ounces, grams and mL. Click here to take you to product on PetTest’s website.
There are specific internal temperatures for cooked meat that ensure that meat is properly cooked. When we cook to recommended internal temps bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses is killed. Below is a chart with meats, internal temperatures, cooking methods and times.
Please note that cooking times will vary depending on the weight of meat and this is where the digital thermometer comes in handy and should be used. All cooking methods and times are based on thawed meat as it is not recommended to cook meats from frozen.
Below are a couple treat recipes you can make for your diabetic dog or cat. I would omit the pumpkin and veggies from the meatballs recipe if you are making them for your cat.
I hope this blog has been informative and is helpful when cooking meats for your dog or cat. To print this blog click here.
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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