Are Beef Gullets Safe for Raw Fed Dogs?

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I'm always looking for foods to add to my dogs' diet. Beef gullets are fantastic chews and support joint health. But they come with risks.

Variety is important in raw feeding, and whenever I discover something new (and affordable) that I can feed to my dogs, I do a quick deep dive to ascertain if the protein is a good fit for my dogs. In this case, I'm looking into beef gullets.

I discovered beef gullets years ago. It was offered through my local raw food co-op, but I wasn't sure what it was; plus, at the time, I didn't feed my dogs many beef products because Rodrigo was sensitive to the protein.

What is Beef Gullet?

The gullet is the esophagus and a great source of chondroitin, making it a great food for joint health. I wouldn't replace a quality joint supplement with beef gullets. Instead, I feed whole foods and quality supplements to give my dogs the best support. My research found that other raw feeders feed beef gullets as a chewy treat (raw or dehydrated). Some raw feeders chop or grind up raw beef gullets and mix them into their dogs' food.

Nutritional Benefits of Beef Gullets

Beef gullets are a natural source of glucosamine, an amino acid that supports joint health. I like beef gullets because…

they are fun, healthy chews for dogs that clean their teeth
they are a natural alternative to KONGS and similar toys

These chews are gentle on the stomach. However, every dog is unique, and while some dogs can consume gullets with no issues, others may have digestive upset after consuming this natural treat.

Where Can I Buy Beef Gullets?

I used to be able to order raw beef gullets through our local raw food co-op, but it hasn't been available since before the pandemic.

Ground Beef Gullets

Dehydrated Beef Gullets

How I Feed Beef Gullets

I primarily feed beef gullets as a treat. The best way is to stuff them with green tripe or a raw blend and freeze them for a summer treat or feed them at room temperature as a light meal. It can be challenging to grind beef gullets if you don't have a quality meat grinder. It's easier to cut them into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife and add them to my dogs' meals.

Dietary Hyperthyroidism in Dogs

I only feed beef gullets occasionally because of the risk of dietary hyperthyroidism. My dogs used to be heavy in ground turkey necks and whole duck necks. I now alternate these foods with several alternatives to reduce my dogs' hyperthyroidism risk. And I only feed foods from trusted sources and brands.

I only feed beef gullets occasionally because of the risk of dietary hyperthyroidism. My dogs used to be heavy in ground turkey necks and whole duck necks. I now alternate these foods with several alternatives to reduce my dogs' hyperthyroidism risk. And I only feed foods from trusted sources and brands.

What is Hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is when a dog's thyroid gland is over-active and secreting too much of the hormone, increasing their metabolism beyond what is natural or healthy. A dog who suffers from hyperthyroidism may show weight loss, a constant state of being hungry or thirsty, vomiting, increased heart rate, and, if the hyperthyroidism is left untreated, liver and kidney failure.

Feeding Beef Gullets to Dogs

I've learned that variety is key in proteins, treats, supplements, and more. By shaking things up, I reduce the risk of feeding certain foods. I wouldn't turn it down if I were to score a case of fresh beef gullets. Instead, I would feed it slowly over time.

Read More About Raw Feeding

19 Comments

Kimberly on May 27, 2019 at 8:53 pm

I feed gullet and bully sticks as chews/treats and not as part of my dogs’ diet. I don’t believe that we should be feeding them as food. Instead, they serve to satisfy our dogs’ chew drive, which has a calming effect for them.

Bea on May 23, 2019 at 12:48 pm

What is the nutritional difference between a gullet and a bully stick, and how often to feed them to a small dog, my dog had bully stick but not gullets, is one better than the other…

Kimberly on May 21, 2019 at 7:55 am

GLM = green lipped mussel.

Mary on May 19, 2019 at 12:01 pm

What is GLM?

Cherie on October 8, 2018 at 5:21 pm

I am a raw feeder, three large dogs, two are almost eight years old and the baby is five months. They each get one, big, raw gullet a week and chew on it for two or three days. They love them and two of the dogs being seniors, I love the joint support they offer.

Hannah on February 12, 2018 at 10:52 am

While I’m not a raw feeder, I do try to buy quality food and treats for my dog. I don’t have children, I have furry babies.
As we use the Banfield vet at our local PetSmart, I frequently buy the Barkworthies treats and have never had an issue with them. He’s a very healthy boy.
It’s not an every day – or even every week – thing. We primarily use it as an operant conditioning tool. Every few weeks since he was a puppy we go to PetSmart, weigh in at the vet for one of their treats, and then get a gullet, esophagus, bone or other treat from the treat aisle. I love my vet and this has accustomed Winston to trips to the vet with little stress.
Nowadays, at 14 months old, there is no anxiety over going to the vet. Completely the opposite… he gets super excited when he realizes that we are near the store and starts dancing in the back seat. He loves seeing all the girls at the vet’s office and the employees at the store; getting petted is the best! He sniffs through the store and sits to get his treats, usually eating at least 1 before we even check out. He brightens everybody’s day by carrying his bone to the car.
All in all, we give him a variety of treats and look for things with few or even one ingredient. He loves them and we feel good about feeding it to him.

Kimberly on April 8, 2017 at 8:29 pm

If you’re buying from a reputable source and alternating your dog’s treats, then you shouldn’t have to worry. If you are worried, I’d contact your source directly to find out what they recommend. They’ll know their treats the best.

Patricia on April 8, 2017 at 4:31 pm

How many of the 6 inch beef gullet sticks a week would be to many to give him before it started causing a problem?

Kimberly on March 10, 2017 at 7:58 am

I personally believe that the risk of hypothyroidism is minimal and it’s not something I worry about because gullets, trachea treats, and neck bones are only a portion of my dogs’ diet, not their whole diet.

The best bone to feed dogs really depends on the dog. I tried various bones with my dogs until I found several that they did well with and I was comfortable feeding to them. I look for bones that are effective at teeth cleaning, satisfy my dogs’ chew drive, and don’t break off in big pieces or shards that can do damage if swallowed.

Mary on March 10, 2017 at 6:26 am

well what is the best bone to feed since necks and gullet can lead to hypothyroidism?

Barkworthies on December 9, 2015 at 1:24 pm

Thanks for including us in your review!

Kimberly on August 23, 2015 at 8:44 pm

Wow! I had no idea that GLM could lead to hyperthyroidism. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to look into that, because I add it to our dogs food each week. I didn’t add it into this week’s mix until I can learn more.

Thanks again and I hope your dog gets better quickly.

Vivienne on August 23, 2015 at 5:10 pm

My dogs have become hyperthyroid from Beef Gullets, GLM, Kelp and too many necks. Now I have to eliminate iodine from their diet to reset the thyroid. I will probably try to cut some of the thyroid gland off the beef gullets since they are a major source of the problem. It is not nice when your dog slows down and their T4 goes thru the roof and they pant and get fatigued easily – I thought one was Hypothyroid, not hyper…

Kimberly on April 2, 2015 at 7:13 pm

Will you please please please tell me how he likes it? I’m very curious about the ground stuff and I’ll add Raw Feeding Miami now!

Caroline on April 2, 2015 at 6:05 pm

In case you want to include another resource, Raw Feeding Miami has ground beef gullet for $2/lb. I think I’m going to try it too. Max can use all the help he can get for his joints.

Kimberly on March 24, 2015 at 7:04 pm

Wonderful; I really want to try it and I’m thinking of adding it to a future order to see how our dogs do on it.

Pamela on March 24, 2015 at 3:28 pm

I’ve seen beef gullet available as a treat. I never really thought of the nutritional benefits of it, just the chewiness. But as Honey ages, I’m sure she’d much prefer an occasional gullet more than a chondroitin pill.

Michelle on March 24, 2015 at 11:13 am

Great post! Coincidentally, Kitsune just had beef gullet for dinner last night. It’s not something I feed very often, but Kit likes it. Verity is key, like you said!

Lindsay on March 24, 2015 at 10:51 am

I did not know what beef gullet was! Now I know. Haha, the things you learn …

Also want to say sorry to hear your raw feeding group on Facebook came to a close but sounds like you are on to bigger and better things. I don’t participate in any Facebook groups because they are always way too dramatic (mean) no matter what the subject is.

Kimberly on May 27, 2019 at 8:53 pm

I feed gullet and bully sticks as chews/treats and not as part of my dogs’ diet. I don’t believe that we should be feeding them as food. Instead, they serve to satisfy our dogs’ chew drive, which has a calming effect for them.
Bea on May 23, 2019 at 12:48 pm

What is the nutritional difference between a gullet and a bully stick, and how often to feed them to a small dog, my dog had bully stick but not gullets, is one better than the other…
Kimberly on May 21, 2019 at 7:55 am

GLM = green lipped mussel.
Mary on May 19, 2019 at 12:01 pm

What is GLM?
Cherie on October 8, 2018 at 5:21 pm

I am a raw feeder, three large dogs, two are almost eight years old and the baby is five months. They each get one, big, raw gullet a week and chew on it for two or three days. They love them and two of the dogs being seniors, I love the joint support they offer.
Hannah on February 12, 2018 at 10:52 am

While I’m not a raw feeder, I do try to buy quality food and treats for my dog. I don’t have children, I have furry babies.
As we use the Banfield vet at our local PetSmart, I frequently buy the Barkworthies treats and have never had an issue with them. He’s a very healthy boy.
It’s not an every day – or even every week – thing. We primarily use it as an operant conditioning tool. Every few weeks since he was a puppy we go to PetSmart, weigh in at the vet for one of their treats, and then get a gullet, esophagus, bone or other treat from the treat aisle. I love my vet and this has accustomed Winston to trips to the vet with little stress.
Nowadays, at 14 months old, there is no anxiety over going to the vet. Completely the opposite… he gets super excited when he realizes that we are near the store and starts dancing in the back seat. He loves seeing all the girls at the vet’s office and the employees at the store; getting petted is the best! He sniffs through the store and sits to get his treats, usually eating at least 1 before we even check out. He brightens everybody’s day by carrying his bone to the car.
All in all, we give him a variety of treats and look for things with few or even one ingredient. He loves them and we feel good about feeding it to him.
Kimberly on April 8, 2017 at 8:29 pm

If you’re buying from a reputable source and alternating your dog’s treats, then you shouldn’t have to worry. If you are worried, I’d contact your source directly to find out what they recommend. They’ll know their treats the best.
Patricia on April 8, 2017 at 4:31 pm

How many of the 6 inch beef gullet sticks a week would be to many to give him before it started causing a problem?
Kimberly on March 10, 2017 at 7:58 am

I personally believe that the risk of hypothyroidism is minimal and it’s not something I worry about because gullets, trachea treats, and neck bones are only a portion of my dogs’ diet, not their whole diet.

The best bone to feed dogs really depends on the dog. I tried various bones with my dogs until I found several that they did well with and I was comfortable feeding to them. I look for bones that are effective at teeth cleaning, satisfy my dogs’ chew drive, and don’t break off in big pieces or shards that can do damage if swallowed.
Mary on March 10, 2017 at 6:26 am

well what is the best bone to feed since necks and gullet can lead to hypothyroidism?
Barkworthies on December 9, 2015 at 1:24 pm

Thanks for including us in your review!
Kimberly on August 23, 2015 at 8:44 pm

Wow! I had no idea that GLM could lead to hyperthyroidism. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to look into that, because I add it to our dogs food each week. I didn’t add it into this week’s mix until I can learn more.

Thanks again and I hope your dog gets better quickly.
Vivienne on August 23, 2015 at 5:10 pm

My dogs have become hyperthyroid from Beef Gullets, GLM, Kelp and too many necks. Now I have to eliminate iodine from their diet to reset the thyroid. I will probably try to cut some of the thyroid gland off the beef gullets since they are a major source of the problem. It is not nice when your dog slows down and their T4 goes thru the roof and they pant and get fatigued easily – I thought one was Hypothyroid, not hyper…
Kimberly on April 2, 2015 at 7:13 pm

Will you please please please tell me how he likes it? I’m very curious about the ground stuff and I’ll add Raw Feeding Miami now!
Caroline on April 2, 2015 at 6:05 pm

In case you want to include another resource, Raw Feeding Miami has ground beef gullet for $2/lb. I think I’m going to try it too. Max can use all the help he can get for his joints.
Kimberly on March 24, 2015 at 7:04 pm

Wonderful; I really want to try it and I’m thinking of adding it to a future order to see how our dogs do on it.
Pamela on March 24, 2015 at 3:28 pm

I’ve seen beef gullet available as a treat. I never really thought of the nutritional benefits of it, just the chewiness. But as Honey ages, I’m sure she’d much prefer an occasional gullet more than a chondroitin pill.
Michelle on March 24, 2015 at 11:13 am

Great post! Coincidentally, Kitsune just had beef gullet for dinner last night. It’s not something I feed very often, but Kit likes it. Verity is key, like you said!
Lindsay on March 24, 2015 at 10:51 am

I did not know what beef gullet was! Now I know. Haha, the things you learn …

Also want to say sorry to hear your raw feeding group on Facebook came to a close but sounds like you are on to bigger and better things. I don’t participate in any Facebook groups because they are always way too dramatic (mean) no matter what the subject is.