Goat for Dogs

Yes, Goat is a Meat Source for Dogs

Goats are a type of domesticated livestock and goat products are not often found at a typical grocery store.

Goat meat can be found for purchase online, at certain farms, specialty meat stores, and farmers markets.

You can also give your pet small amounts of goat milk. It is not recommended to give goat cheese, as it is rich and high in fats.

Goat is available as a protein source in some commercial dog food and treats.

Benefits of Goat for Dogs

Goat meat, including tripe (the muscular lining of the stomach), can be fed to dogs and is high in protein and contains important B vitamins.¹

• B vitamins play many roles in numerous cellular reactions and red blood cell formation in the body.²
• Tripe contains the minerals selenium, zinc, calcium, and iron.¹
• Probiotics that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption can be found in goat tripe, although the type rich in probiotics is often not sold in grocery stores. Look for “green” or raw tripe, not the bleached form of goat tripe.
• Selenium is a component of several enzymes and proteins that help protect cells from damage and fight off infection.³
• Fresh or frozen goat meat is low in histamine.⁸

Goat milk can also be consumed and has many health benefits.

• Goat milk contains conjugated linoleic acids, which play an important role in immune stimulation and disease prevention.⁴
• It is rich in vitamin A, which plays a role in vision health and immunity.⁵
• Goat milk is a better choice than cow milk for dogs because of its protein, fat, phosphate, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C content.⁶
• Goat milk also contains pre- and probiotics, which are important for digestive health.⁶

Goat milk consumption in humans has been shown to reduce risk of colon cancer, reduce blood pressure, and aid in optimal bone health.⁷

When to Not Feed Goat Meat

There are no known drug interactions to goat meat or milk.

Avoid feeding goat to your dog if she has a known or suspected allergy to it.

Goat is low in histamines only if fresh or frozen. Goat that is ground, marinated, smoked, or canned should be avoided if your dog needs a histamine-limited diet, as these are higher in histamines.⁸

How to Prepare Goat

Goat meat is safest to be consumed by dogs when fully cooked. Dogs can eat raw meat, but there is an increased risk of bacterial and parasitic infections. And dogs with cancer don’t need any extra health problems!

A serving of goat meat for a dog is one quarter pound per 20 pounds of body weight of the dog. Goat milk comes already prepared, and a serving for a dog is 2 oz per 20 pounds of body weight per day.

Where to Get Goat

Goat meat and milk should come from a reputable farm. Fresh meat should be used within two days or frozen.

Milk is available pasteurized and raw, with pasteurized being a safer choice as the high heat process will destroy potential pathogens, although also any helpful probiotics.