# Which Organs??



## rory (Oct 4, 2011)

What sort of organs do I NEED to feed? I can get liver, heart and kidneys easily, but nothing else. Should I just get some patties?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

There's nothing wrong with liver and kidneys. I don't think heart is considered an organ, though. It's a muscle meat.

What kind of patties? organ patties? 

I get other organs from My Pet Carnivore, like pancreas and spleen, but I don't think it's critical you do that.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

I just feed liver and kidney, usually beef. Heart is fed as boneless meat.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

When I introduce organs, it'll likely only be kidney and liver, because not much else is sold anywhere around here. I may try to mix it up between pork, beef, lamb etc, but it'll always be liver and kidney.

I'd go with actual organs over patties/mince etc. I can get a "pet mince" from my butcher, which they say is organs, but I have no way to tell what is REALLY in there... safer to feed whole organs and just stick to the ones you can get, IMO :thumb:


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

you should be pretty fine with just those two in all honesty, can you find them from different animals as well? that would be the VERY best, but if you can only access one that would work just fine.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Liver is the only organ that is a necessity. Its better to have kidney in the mix as well. Even better to have other organs like spleen and pancreas. The more variety the better. 

What I feed on a regular basis: liver and kidney from pork, bison or beef. Whenever we butcher animals ourselves, the dogs share all the other secretory organs...which is usually once a month. 

Its best to find organs from young animals as their organs are healthier generally. Organs from factory farmed animals are not as nutrient dense compared to animals that are more naturally raised. Just keep in mind where your meat comes from. Factory farmed meats aren't bad at all, just not as good as meats from naturally farmed sources. Same goes for organs because they process any chemicals that are put into animals bodies (ie antibiotics or steroids, etc).

I wouldn't get patties because they aren't nearly as nutritious as feeding whole organs. When the organ meat is ground it is exposed to oxygen which degenerates a lot of the nutrients and enzymes. Whole chunks of organ are much better to feed. Plus, patties are about ten times more expensive compared to feeding whole organs. 

Heart meat is NOT considered an organ nutritionally. Its a very rich muscle meat source...sort of a transition meat between regular meats and organ meat. I do consider it a necessary component to a well rounded raw diet. Definitely feed it on a regular basis!


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

As everyone else said liver is #1 in my book, and is the one that is a necessity!:wink:
Right now Im feeding beef, lamb and chicken liver to the dogs and cats....along with beef, lamb, chicken and pork kidney-pork kidney is BY FAR the kitty's FAVORITE thing EVVVVER!!!LOL (I guess that SMELL from it is just kitty heaven!LOL)

And yes, as also already stated, heart is fed as a muscle meat, I feed a LOT of heart...right now in their freezer I have lamb, beef, turkey, and pork heart...decently priced and a GREAT boneless meal for dogs and cats alike!:thumb:


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Our main organ is beef liver, because it is the most available around here.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

So I notice that no one mentions feeding chicken livers. Are they less nutrient rich? They are far and away the cheapest organ meat.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

I only didnt mention it because it isnt something I've seen available to buy here in my area, but I can get beef, pork and lamb liver/kidney from most butchers and some supermarkets. Also, just a personal preference, I think I'd prefer my main source of organs to come from a "red meat" protein... not really sure why though haha I just would. Duke, most likely, already gets chicken organs because I don't clean out the chicken quarters :tongue1:


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## twoisplenty (Nov 12, 2008)

We feed beef liver and kidneys plus chicken livers and hearts when they are available.


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

I feed liver, kidney, lungs, pancreas and spleen when i can it.


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## rory (Oct 4, 2011)

Ok, so I ended up getting some patties for pancreas, lung, etc. - she can get a patty twice a month or so. She gets one or two kidney meals per week, and a little bit of liver every day, so I think we are set.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

I think just feeding a couple is fine as long as liver is being fed. I feed chicken liver, beef liver, lamb liver, pork liver, and pork kidney. I've occasionally fed other organs from Hare-Today but not enough to say it's a major part of their diet. I also feed a few whole prey items but they're small so I don't know if the tiny organs "count" for much, ha (whole sardines, herrings, chicks, and mice).


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

kathylcsw said:


> So I notice that no one mentions feeding chicken livers. Are they less nutrient rich? They are far and away the cheapest organ meat.


I mentioned chicken, they get it any time that it goes on sale and/or we buy whole chickens that come with it!:wink:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Chicken livers are usually easier to find in the stores, too (at least for me).

When I find beef liver I buy all they have because it's not out all the time. Kidney, the same. But there always seems to be chicken liver.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

xellil said:


> *Chicken livers are usually easier to find in the stores, too (at least for me).
> *
> When I find beef liver I buy all they have because it's not out all the time. Kidney, the same. But there always seems to be chicken liver.


Yep same here, I can buy chicken livers really any time I *need* too...*need* because they are far too expensive to rely on them as the main liver source for our 6 babes!LOL :lol:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Scarlett_O' said:


> Yep same here, I can buy chicken livers really any time I *need* too...*need* because they are far too expensive to rely on them as the main liver source for our 6 babes!LOL :lol:


HAHA - yes i was both ticked and embarrassed when I thought I found them for $1.00 - it said 1.00 on a white sticker and that's ALL that was on the sticker, so I brought a whole bunch of them to the counter and that was the weight. 

I mean, to me they're chicken livers. Why are they so expensive? Bleck. I don't know any people who eat chicken livers with any regularity.


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

Right now, I just feed chicken livers. I can get a 5lb. tub of them for super cheap (.89/lb.). I would like to get some beef liver though and introduce it as well, it's on my "to-do" list


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

xellil said:


> HAHA - yes i was both ticked and embarrassed when I thought I found them for $1.00 - it said 1.00 on a white sticker and that's ALL that was on the sticker, so I brought a whole bunch of them to the counter and that was the weight.
> 
> I mean, to me they're chicken livers. Why are they so expensive? Bleck. I don't know any people who eat chicken livers with any regularity.


HAHA, I know right!?!? Its CRAZY!!

I think it MIGHT be the fact that they only get one from every chicken that they hack up...but still...their prices are CRAZYYYY!!!!!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

kady05 said:


> Right now, I just feed chicken livers. I can get a 5lb. tub of them for super cheap (.89/lb.). I would like to get some beef liver though and introduce it as well, it's on my "to-do" list


When I find beef liver, it's pretty cheap so I get alot. I like it alot better, anyway - it comes in kind of big slabs and it's easier to handle than chicken livers, which at my stores comes in tubs and there's alot of liquid in there.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Scarlett_O' said:


> HAHA, I know right!?!? Its CRAZY!!
> 
> I think it MIGHT be the fact that they only get one from every chicken that they hack up...but still...their prices are CRAZYYYY!!!!!


That's what I always assumed since chicken hearts are expensive compared to beef and lamb hearts.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

I feed beef liver, and thats it really. She gets kidneys sometimes that are stuck to her chicken backs. 

I just dont' see a variety of organs available around here. She also eats beef heart (loves that stuff).


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## HayleyMarie (Jul 6, 2011)

Right not Teagan only gets beef liver. Tried chicken liver and pig kidney and she would not touch the stuff.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I'm kinda glad to hear that liver is the main one as I have allot of it. I have been going to get some lamb kidney and will when I get my boss to save me some. But I am very lucky in that I do have different liver, beef, lamb, pork, deer and turkey. And I haven't been feeding Marlo and Richter liver for to long.

They all are getting a far amount of heart, beef, lamb, deer and a little turkey that comes in the turkey backs.


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## nupe (Apr 26, 2011)

bEEF LIVER HERE FOR ME AND bUDDY TO!!


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## rory (Oct 4, 2011)

I personally LOVE chicken liver - chopped liver is actually one of my favourite foods, but I don't eat it too often because of the cholesterol.


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