[Rosemary]

Hi, hope you can help. I recently started feeding 100% raw to my two Siberian Huskies. My husband brought home 4 beef hearts today and I was wondering if I cut it up into smallish pieces can I feed them a bit each day with their normal food or will that be too much? They are 8 & 9 months old.

 

[CorgiPaws]

Generally heart as well as organs aren't introduced until about two months into feeding raw as they are very rich. How long has it been since you started feeding raw? How many meat sources have you feed?
That being said, since they are so young, they'll more than likely adjust to raw faster than an adult dog with years of kibble damage behind them. Even so, when you DO introduce these rich sources, you want it to be very very slowly, tiny pieces, about the size of your thumb nail at first, and gradually working your way up.
If introduced TOO early, you will probably see mushy, dark stools... but that's' as much harm as it can do. It certainly won't "hurt" your dogs at all.

 

[Rosemary]

Thanks for the info on the heart - They have only been on 100% raw for a week but were fed 50% kibble and 50% raw since about 12 weeks old. They are fed primarily chicken, fish, lamb, ostrich, and beef mince. I need to now start introducing organs but am not sure how much to give at a time, I read somewhere a small piece of liver once a week is sufficient - but am not sure what a small piece is, in grams

 

[dobesgalore]

Thanks for the info on the heart - They have only been on 100% raw for a week but were fed 50% kibble and 50% raw since about 12 weeks old. They are fed primarily chicken, fish, lamb, ostrich, and beef mince. I need to now start introducing organs but am not sure how much to give at a time, I read somewhere a small piece of liver once a week is sufficient - but am not sure what a small piece is, in grams

I would keep them on raw for another couple of weeks maybe then start introducing organs. Mine have been on raw for almost two months now, and I didn't give any organs for about three weeks. You could try and give some and make sure first the can handle it. If so, then go ahead. Just use your judgement on your dogs. I don't ever weigh mine when I feed. When I give beef liver, for example I give them two apiece once sometimes twice a week. If anyof them look like it may be to rich I back off.

 

[RawFedDogs]

Thanks for the info on the heart - They have only been on 100% raw for a week but were fed 50% kibble and 50% raw since about 12 weeks old. They are fed primarily chicken, fish, lamb, ostrich, and beef mince. I need to now start introducing organs but am not sure how much to give at a time, I read somewhere a small piece of liver once a week is sufficient - but am not sure what a small piece is, in grams

In that case, your dogs should be able to handle small amounts of beef heart now. For nutritional purposes, heart is not an organ, rather it is muscle meat. However, it is a very rich meat and should be handled with caution until you determine your dog's tolerance for it. I feed a whole meal of beef heart about once a week or so but I began with a little at a time mixed with a regular meal.

For organs, you should feed a little liver with possibly some kidney sometimes and whatever other organs you might be able to easily get. I feed almost no organs other than liver. I feed a glob about once a week. I don't know how to tell you what a glob is. Just a hunk. :smile: Start off with very small pieces and work your way up to what looks right. :smile: I would guess that my globs are 1/2 to 3/4 of a lb but my dogs are Great Danes. Your globs would be smaller particularly in the beginning.

ETA: It wouldn't hurt to wait another few weeks on the organ stuff ... you might try small bits of beef heart now though.

 

[Rosemary]

That's fantastic - thank you all so much :smile:

 

[dobesgalore]

In that case, your dogs should be able to handle small amounts of beef heart now. For nutritional purposes, heart is not an organ, rather it is muscle meat. However, it is a very rich meat and should be handled with caution until you determine your dog's tolerance for it. I feed a whole meal of beef heart about once a week or so but I began with a little at a time mixed with a regular meal.

For organs, you should feed a little liver with possibly some kidney sometimes and whatever other organs you might be able to easily get. I feed almost no organs other than liver. I feed a glob about once a week. I don't know how to tell you what a glob is. Just a hunk. :smile: Start off with very small pieces and work your way up to what looks right. :smile: I would guess that my globs are 1/2 to 3/4 of a lb but my dogs are Great Danes. Your globs would be smaller particularly in the beginning.

ETA: It wouldn't hurt to wait another few weeks on the organ stuff ... you might try small bits of beef heart now though.

This reminds me of a question I thaught of the other day. Is there a nutrional difference between a chicken heart and beef heart? Or is heart just heart either way?

 

[DaneMama]

Look up the nutritional differences between them here:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/index.html

Looks to me that the differences are minor. I feed beef heart because that's pretty much our dogs only source of beef because it's cheaper.

 

[RawFedDogs]

Or is heart just heart either way?

I don't know the technical answer to that question but I would guess since heart is muscle, it would be the same difference as the muscle meat from a chicken to cow. Nutritionwise I don't know what the difference is except red meat is supposed to be healthier.

In my mind beef heart is a little healthier but I don't have anything to base that on other than feelings.

 

[dobesgalore]

Thanks ya'll. I wish could find beef heart here, but I can't. Chicken hearts either. But I will have plenty of chicken hearts as soon as I start getting all the chickens from the chicken houses I am going to next week.

 

[BEETHOVEN]

My two english mastiffs were fed raw for the last 10 months, with ocassional kibble (EVO) here and there. But now they prefer their meat sligltly cooked, not fully but just to "seal" the outsides. I wish they would still eat raw as before, but now they will just eat hamburger raw, eventually lamb bone but nothing more. It saddens me, but I improvize and cook some rice and veggies add meat to it and just swirl to a boil. How do I make them go back? And also, my male is very active and energetic- he just doesn't have the time to sit and eat. Thanks everybody...:smile:

 

[DaneMama]

The tough love approach. I assume both dogs are healthy without medical problems. Offer them raw foods like they ate before, give them 15-30 minutes to eat. If they don't take the food up and save for next feeding time. Once again pull the food out and offer it to them for the same amount of time. If they don't eat it repeat again. Eventually they will eat it. Remember that they are choosing not to eat, and you are not starving them. Also, don't bribe or sweet talk your dogs into eating. Just set the food down and walk away.

 

[RawFedDogs]

Natalie is 100% correct. Leave off the veggies and just feed meat, bones, and organs. They will eat what you give them shortly. They may miss a few meals until they learn that you are serious about the menu.