Packed with vital nutrients, organ meats such as liver, kidney and heart can add a rich array of health benefits to your pet’s diet.
In the wild, a carnivore receives a balanced diet by consuming prey. Inside that rabbit, squirrel, or mouse are naturally balanced proportions of flesh, bone, predigested vegetation, and organs. These provide an array of nutrients needed by dogs and cats, but the diets we feed our pets often contain a limited amount of organ meats. The truth is that organ meats can be considered superfoods for our animal companions, and adding them to the diet can improve their health in several ways.
1. Liver
The liver is one of the most commonly nourished organs, perhaps because it is the most readily available. The liver often gets a bad rap as a food because it is a detoxifying organ. Studies prove that the liver is a filter. It does not store toxins. There are no more toxic residues left in the liver than in the kidneys or the muscles during the post-mortem analysis.
The liver provides a complete source of vitamins A, D, E and K – all important fat-soluble vitamins. Studies show that dogs and cats have as many or more toxins in their systems than their human counterparts in the same home and environment. The livers of these animals need help to detoxify. Many are born with liver diseases that compromise their ability to detox, and many more develop liver disease and even cancer as they age. Add liver, obtained from young animals, as a supplement to a fresh, healthy and complete diet.
2. Heart
The heart is rich in an amino acid called taurine. This nutrient is essential for the proper functioning of the heart, but it is destroyed during the heating process. Interestingly, taurine levels are highest in the heart muscles of mice, meaning that the species most profoundly affected by dietary taurine deficiency is the feline. Cats that eat diets low in taurine succumb to a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.
The heart is also the best dietary source of CoQ10, an enzyme important for energy balance and the prevention of oxidative stress. Many patients with chronic diseases are CoQ10 deficient and have mitochondrial damage. Mitochondria are the furnaces of your animal’s cells. Bison, venison, and beef hearts are some of the best sources of CoQ10. Many scientists now believe that mitochondrial dysfunction is the underlying cause of cancer.
The heart is also the best dietary source of CoQ10, an enzyme important for energy balance and the prevention of oxidative stress.
Additionally, heart is a source of iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins, and is considered a superfood because it contains these important nutrients. It is vital that the heart, with all its diversity of nutrients, is included in the diet of carnivores.
3. Stomach (guts)
Tripe is the stomach lining of a ruminant. It can come from beef, lamb or venison. The organ takes on the scent of ingesta or the contents of the animal’s stomach (the “cud”), a brewed and fermented grassy, grassy food material. Green tripe is rich in healthy probiotics, which are essential for a healthy microbiome and immune system.
Keep in mind that this advantage is lost when the tripe is canned or dried. The strong odor and delicious flavor of tripe attract carnivores, increasing palatability when mixed with other foods. Use this trick to make your fussy pet eat better or to cover up the smell of supplements or medications you may have added to the food.
4. Kidney
The kidney contains an incredible amount of protein and folate. It’s nutrient dense, like liver. Beef and lamb kidneys are commonly available. Grass-fed beef or lamb kidney fat contains anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids. Many dogs and cats develop kidney disease as they age. Maybe it’s an organ you should add to your companion’s bowl!
5. Brain
Wild predators often consume the skull, brain, and spinal cord tissue of their prey. While venison brain can contain prions that can cause chronic wasting disease, and neurological tissue from cows can cause a similar disease (commonly called mad cow disease), many reputable pet food manufacturers include the safest source of pork brain in their products. This dietary supplement can be used to prevent or manage neurological disorders by providing unique nutrients that fuel the nervous system.
Many naturopaths and holistic veterinarians believe that organ meats or body tissues can be tailored to an individual to prevent or treat disease.
6. Ovaries, testicles, uterus
Do we really believe that there are no harmful consequences to routinely removing these reproductive organs from our dogs and cats, even at a very young age? Consider adding these organs to your pets’ meals. It can provide natural replacement hormones to manage common problems such as spay incontinence or more serious problems such as cancer (neutering has been linked to an increased incidence of osteosarcoma or bone cancer in dogs large breed).
We consider kale, spinach, and mushrooms superfoods, but to our carnivorous companions, organs are superfoods! Each species, breed, and individual has specific and unique dietary needs, but by incorporating the right organs into your dog or cat’s diet, you’re adding a big boost of flavor and nutrition to their meals.
