Steak - possible silly question alert!

[DrMeredithGrey2023]

My dog turns 1 next month, so thought I would treat him to a steak for his birthday dinner.

He's fed dry food generally, with fruits/veg/eggs added on rotation.

Can I just serve him up a slab of raw meat?

Or should I cook it?

Does he normally have a robust stomach? If not a sudden change to his diet could upset his stomach.

Plenty of people do feed raw but I'd consider searing it on the outside for hygiene reasons if that worries you. No need for it to be well done though.

I'd also cut it into smaller pieces and consider feeding it over two or three days instead of in one big go - else it will be gone in a minute flat without him really appreciating it.

If he hasn't had a robust diet I'd suggest cooking the steak. Mine lives off chicken or steak but cooked and he loves it with white rice.

Agree with pp, suddenly hitting a dog's digestion with something so completely alien, and also very rich, might backfire badly on you, and him.

He won't thank you if he ends up with a nasty attack of diarrhoea for his birthday.

Get a small steak, or one of those thin ones, and cook it. I believe raw meat should be frozen, to kill bugs, before it’s fed anyway.

I wouldn’t bother , just buy him a gift instead .

I would buy a lovely sirloin steak, cook it, eat it myself with all the trimmings then give the dog the rind bit. My dog loves it when we have steak as she knows she will get the rind.

Thanks guys - if I go ahead I will keep it small, and give it a brief cook.

My dog gets steak for his birthday every year - we buy a small one, cook it (mid-rare) and mix it with some of his normal food. He LOVES it.