Why feed organ meat?

Raw meat and bone are lacking in many important nutrients which is why when choosing to feed a BARF dog food diet, it’s essential to feed your dog all of the organs and all of the parts of an animal that they would eat had they tracked and killed that animal in the wild. Although some organ meats can be difficult to find, they are the most nutrient-dense part of the animal. Best of all, because organ meats are relatively inexpensive, they give you the most benefit at the least cost! Try all of the organ meats, including lung, kidney, and pancreas, whatever you can get.

Compared to regular cuts of muscle meat, organ meats are more densely packed with just about every nutrient.

• B vitamins such as: B1, B2, B6, folic acid and vitamin B12. Organ meats are also loaded with minerals like phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium and iodine, and provide the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. It is important to note that animals raised outside on grass contain even higher levels of these essential nutrients than their grain-fed counterparts.

• Some of the highest concentrations of naturally occurring vitamin D of any food source. Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins (actually a hormone precursor) and regulates numerous functions in the body. Vitamin D deficiency is related to muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases. Including a source of organ meats into your dog’s diet once or twice a week, is a great idea – especially in the winter time when vitamin D deficiency is most likely to happen.

• High amounts of the essential fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, and omega-3 fats, including the important nutrients EPA and DHA normally associated with fish and fish oils.

Some humans don't like to taste or touch organ meat and strangely some dogs can be the same. If your dog is not keen on the taste or texture of organ meat, you can add smaller amounts of ground organ meats instead so it is less noticeable.

Liver

It is the liver’s job to filter and neutralize toxins in the body from drugs or other chemicals, so obviously the best choice for liver is the grass fed kind, without added antibiotics or hormones.

Liver is probably most well known for containing one of the best, most usable sources for the body, of iron. Iron is necessary for many functions in the body including formation of hemoglobin, brain development and function, regulation of body temperature, and muscle activity, to name just a few. A lack of iron will have a direct effect on the immune system; it diminishes the number of T- cells and the production of antibodies.

Liver is also known to be one of the most concentrated sources of natural vitamin A of any food. Natural vitamin A works to aid digestion, keeps sex organs/reproductive organs healthy, and is a powerful antioxidant.

Liver is a great source of folic Acid, B vitamins and especially vitamin B12, which help with fatigue, mental ability and nerve health, as well as preventing anemia. Liver contains an anti-fatigue factor, of special interest to anyone with performance or competition dogs, which is likely to do with improving the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood cells; increasing endurance and strength in athletes of any species.

Liver contains many nitrogen containing compounds that are building blocks for DNA and RNA. In combination with the B vitamins, this makes it extremely helpful to people with Alzheimers or other types of dementia. Dogs can suffer from dementia as well, so be generous with the liver.

To get the maximum benefit from the high levels of nutrients in liver it needs to be added to your raw dog food diet regularly on a weekly basis, on average aim for up to 5% of your dogs diet.

Heart

Because it is a muscle, heart is somewhat similar to muscle meat, although it’s a heavier, more dense muscle. But heart meat packs more protein and unique nutrients.

The heart is a very concentrated source of the super-nutrient, CoQ10. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is necessary for the basic functioning of cells, as well as optimizing the heart’s rhythm. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be lower in some patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, cancer, diabetes, and immune disorders.

Beef heart also contains selenium, phosphorus and zinc, along with essential amino acids that help build muscle, store energy and boost stamina and endurance. The heart also contains twice as much collagen and elastin than regular meat, which is important for healthy joints, making at an important element to natural dog food.