Dutch Shepherd Forum

Yes, you are correct but the heart is really good for the dogs. My dad was the one who suggested I add this into my dogs diet. Here are some of the nutrients that the heart offers listed below. I understand that everyone has their own way of feeding raw but I can say I have been feeding this for more than 10 years and have had no problem with it. I am only now adding chicken into their diets because I was not able to do this before because of how allergic my APBT was to to poultry. I can also see the importance of making sure they are getting enough fat in their diets if you are feeding raw chicken.

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.
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wh ... w-fed-dog/

From Barf
Heart
Like liver and kidneys, heart as dog food is an excellent source of protein, B vitamins and iron. They do contain some essential fatty acids and a little vitamin A. Heart contains appreciable levels of taurine which is important food... for the heart! http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet ... ific.shtml

I was just pointing out that heart is not considered true organ meat for purposes of raw feeding.

some comments:

RAW FISH
the salmon parasite results in ''salmon disease'' and should be considered deadly BUT DESPITE THE NAME ''SALMON DISEASE'', THIS PARASITE IS COMMON IN MANY FISH, particularly larger fish that we find in fish stores, so do your research carefully before feeding any raw seafood.
....as to 2 years in a freezer, i think it is the temperature that matters, so unless you can confirm otherwise or have a freezer that achieves low enough temperatures, i would cook the salmon, but, as Stacy said, you cannot serve it with any bones in place.

GETTING "RAW" RIGHT
of actively participating members, i consider Stephanie and Stacy to be the great knowledgeable and diligent raw feeders here. [ and, for the record as most already know, i seldom feed raw; it takes a lot to get it right.]

AT LEAST for those who have less knowledge, experience, and/or diligence than Stephanie and Stacy, i would highly recommend adding a supplemental feed call PLATINUM PERFORMANCE CJ to the diet to insure the dog is getting ALL the appropriate nutrients. it should be pointed out that both Stephanie and Stacy feed supplemental material to their dogs, such as oils, etc., [ tho not this platinum performance as far as i know ]. the platinum performance has the advantage of being all-in-one, very high quality all constructed properly for you.

anyway, i do not doubt the many benefits of raw if done correctly and both Stacy and Stephanie have written very precisely and very extensively about how to do it correctly in prior posts which would be well-worth going back to review.

I feed Warrior Dog by Tefco. That is what my dog had been fed by the trainer since he was imported. I fed him dry for a couple of months after bringing him home and I could not keep weight on him. Warrior Dog was developed to provide working dogs with everything they need for full nutrition.

Warrior Dog has a balance of protein and fat and uses green tripe as well as bone meal, coconut oil and a few other things to provide a completely balanced diet for a working dog.