Don’t Forget The Heart
Because it’s a muscle, beef 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 supernutrient, 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.
If you’re feeding a commercial raw diet, look for whole animal choices so the valuable organ meats are kept intact. Making your own? Just make sure you ask for a wide variety of organ meats.
A little anatomy goes a long ways for raw feeders – find yourself a picture of the chicken or cow’s anatomy and note the size of the organs compared to the size of the animal. This should give you an idea of the amount of each organ your dog should receive. Overall, organ meats (not including heart) should make up about 15% of your dog’s total diet.
