Offal for dogs: what can be given and how to choose them?

At least 70% of a dog’s diet should be protein sources. In addition to high-quality meat, animals with great desire consume meat offal - liver, heart, udder, as well as tripe and chicken offal. Despite the rather peculiar appearance and unpleasant aroma, these products have great nutritional value for pets.

Everyone knows that offal contains much more useful vitamins, micro and macro elements than muscle meat. They are a complete source of proteins, which are considered the main building material for the organs and tissues of any organism.

Offal is rich in iodine, phosphorus, potassium, as well as zinc, iron and selenium - pets need these substances for growth and development.

It is important that these products contain elevated concentrations of vitamins B, as well as A, E, K, and by the presence of vitamin D they simply have no equal among all other feeds.

As in marine fish, a lot of Omega-3 and -6 acids are accumulated in giblets, which are recognized as an invaluable source of useful energy for animal tissues.

Offal is good for all dogs, but they are of particular value for animals living in the northern regions, where there are very few sunny days. Products are recommended for mandatory inclusion in the menu of dogs in the winter season. At the same time, there are very few carbohydrates in by-products, therefore they can be safely attributed to dietary products.

However, far from all offal like animals. So, if all dogs like the liver and heart, then many dogs simply can’t tolerate the scar, kidneys, as well as the lungs, spleen and similar products, even in minimal volumes. Moreover, some have an allergic reaction to them, which is expressed in diarrhea, vomiting, skin irritations on the face and ears, in the armpits and on the feet.

The dog begins to scratch constantly, hair loss and the appearance of red spots are possible. There is no point in treating a food allergy, the only way out when a similar problem occurs is to eliminate by-products from the animal’s diet.

The following offal is suitable for animal feed.

• Liver. This organ is considered a natural filter that traps all toxins in food, but does not accumulate them, contrary to popular belief, but displays them, so you can safely include your pet’s diet. The product is rich in retinol, which is considered a powerful antioxidant that significantly improves the digestion process and has a beneficial effect on the animal's reproductive system. There are a lot of B vitamins in beef and pork liver, which contribute to the improvement of nervous activity and blood supply to the brain.

The iron present in the offal increases hemoglobin, participates in the metabolism and saturation of cells of all tissues and organs with oxygen. The liver is particularly useful for young dogs and puppies, and it should also be included in the diet of bitches in preparation for mating and during lactation.

• Lung. The structure of this organ is concentrated connective tissue, it contains almost no proteins, and its caloric content is extremely low. Easy for dogs does not bear any nutritional value and does not have any benefit. Most often, the lung is dried and offered to pets for cleaning tartar.

• Heart. This is an offal rich in the immunomodulator coenzyme Q10, which plays a huge role in maintaining cellular immunity, inhibiting age-related changes and rejuvenating the body. The product is rich in zinc, selenium, phosphorus and B vitamins. It also has a high content of amino acids, which help the animal build muscle, stock up on necessary energy and develop physical endurance. The heart contains 1.5-2 times more elastane and collagen than in muscle meat, and this is important for joints and cartilage of dogs. The structure of the product is similar to ordinary meat, but a little heavier. In the diet of the dog, the heart is introduced raw.

• Kidney. These offal contain a high concentration of vitamins A, E, K and B - these are components that contribute to improving the quality of the animal’s hair and also participate in the normalization of digestive processes. Before feeding, you need to cut the organ into several parts, soak for several hours in cold water to destroy a specific smell and give the dog raw.

• Udder It is rich in all the vitamins necessary for the full development of the dog, but at the same time it includes a lot of fat and connective tissue, so the portions of the product should be small.It should be noted that the udder is well absorbed by the body of the four-legged, its use helps to build muscle mass and increase strength.

• Brain. It is an easily digestible food rich in healthy choline and lipids. Brains are especially useful for weakened dogs recovering from a serious illness. Usually they are given boiled together with rice or buckwheat.

• Spleen. This offal is saturated with iron and high-quality protein. By concentration of amino acids, the spleen approaches the beef liver. Nevertheless, do not forget that excessive use of it leads to digestive disorders and black diarrhea, so its presence on the menu should be minimal.

• Scar. It represents a particularly valuable part of the stomach in terms of the presence of vitamins and enzymes. The inclusion of such a product in the menu helps to improve the digestion of the animal, thanks to enzymes, the blood is cleaned of toxins and the immune system is strengthened. The scar is nutritious for dogs, but not every animal loves it, since this product has a rather specific smell.

• Ears, tails, legs. There are practically no proteins in these products, but there is an abundance of phosphorus and potassium, so they are considered an excellent simulator for the teeth and jaws of the animal. In addition, there are many tendons that contain collagen, so including them in the diet will benefit dog joints. Most often they are given raw to their pets, but some owners prefer to cook these giblets for about 3-4 hours. This results in a very rich broth, which, as it cools, turns into a jelly-jelly.

• Cartilage products. Kaltyk, as well as the diaphragm, trachea and epiglottis cartilage are characterized by a high concentration of proteins, elastane and collagen, so they can be entered into the dog’s diet without fear.

An inexpensive, but at the same time nutritious food for dogs is the heart, liver, as well as the necks, paws and heads of birds. They almost do not cause allergic reactions, are rich in collagen (especially a lot of it is accumulated in the wings and necks), as well as protein - it is abundantly found in chicken paws and heads.

The nutritional value of poultry by-products is not as high as beef, but they can be a quality supplement to the daily diet of the animal. Hearts, liver and stomach are saturated with vitamins A and B, as well as trace elements - zinc, iron. Such offal can be given to dogs no more often than 2 times in 7-10 days.

The spongy bones, necks and paws of chickens contain a lot of potassium and phosphorus, therefore they are indispensable for the formation of the musculoskeletal system. In addition, pets always benefit from the opportunity to grind their teeth about them.

Keep in mind that giving animals tubular bones is strictly prohibited, since they can’t digest their stomach, they can injure the stomach of dogs in gnawed form.

Minced bone remnants, which include bone, bone marrow, and cartilage, are very useful for dogs. It is given in combination with cereals, vegetables and meat.

Delicious and nutritious jelly can be prepared from chicken legs. After boiling, the broth is cooled, the bones are separated, the claws are removed and sent to solidify. Jelly can be offered to dogs both as an independent dish, and together with cereals.

Dogs can be fed exclusively with fresh offal, which is obtained from healthy animals. It is advisable to purchase products on the market and in stores - that is, in those places where they undergo sanitary control.

Offal bought from a hand often contains helminths or signs of decay. Of particular danger to dogs are stale brains and spleen. The main point indicating the staleness of the products is the creamy consistency, earthy tint and unpleasant odor. In addition, the decomposition processes that have begun can be determined if a fresh-looking spleen begins to darken when cut.

It is advisable to teach young dogs to giblets from six months, the use of chicken paws and necks is allowed from 2-3 months, and infants are allowed to feed only broth or jellied meat.

The share of offal in the dog’s diet should not exceed 15%, at the same time you can give them a little every day, and you can replace the meat for offal 1-2 times a week. A complete transition to these products is unacceptable due to the low content of proteins and excessively high concentrations of vitamins and minerals.

After purchase, offal must necessarily be frozen for about 2 weeks to destroy all kinds of pathogenic microflora. If you have any doubts about the freshness of the product - discard it, in extreme cases, you can keep them for about half an hour in a soda solution, then rinse under cold running water.

Before serving the dog, frozen foods are poured with boiling water and finely chopped. A very good delicacy of offal can be made by drying them. There are several ways to do this.

• In the dryer. Many housewives have a gadget in the kitchen such as a meat and fruit dryer. You can buy it at any hardware store. In order to prepare a treat for your dog, you need to freeze a bag of offal in a freezer for about 2 weeks, then thaw it in a natural way, rinse thoroughly, cut into thin pieces and send to the device. It usually takes about 8 hours to prepare a treat.
• In the oven. Prepared meat is placed on a parchment-covered lattice and sent to the oven. Processing is carried out for about 6 hours at a temperature of 60-70 degrees, the door should be flipped open.
• Outside. By-products are cut into thin layers, strung on a rope and hung in a shady place. However, in this case, you can’t avoid the invasion of flies, therefore it is advisable to close the blanks with gauze.

About why the dog necessarily needs offal and why it is undesirable to feed them only with clean meat, see further.