Heart for Dogs

Heart is one of the raw materials that's rarely discussed openly in canine nutrition, yet it's one of the most valuable parts of a prey animal. We explain what heart actually is, why it's worth knowing about for your dog, and how NANDOO handles it.

What is heart?

Heart, usually beef heart, belongs anatomically to the muscle meat category, but is traditionally classed as offal in pet food. The reason lies in processing: heart meat is removed separately from classic skeletal muscle meat during slaughter, making it cheaper to source. This is exactly what turns it, in some foods, into a raw material hidden under collective terms like "meat and animal by-products" instead of being clearly named.

In terms of fibre structure and nutrient profile, heart meat is actually very similar to genuine muscle meat: low in fat, high in protein and easily digestible. In feeding, heart comes in various forms depending on what you choose:

• Dried as a natural chew, usually in strips or cubes
• Raw or frozen as part of a BARF-orientated diet
• Finely processed as an ingredient in wet food recipes

Why heart for dogs?

Heart provides high-quality, easily digestible protein and is one of the few natural sources of taurine, an amino acid that plays a role in, among other things, your dog's heart muscle function. This is complemented by B vitamins and iron, which occur naturally in heart muscle.

For us, heart is one of the raw materials that's unfairly talked down in the debate around offal. It's not an inferior ingredient, but a natural, nutrient-rich component, just as it occurs in the prey animal. Heart is often deliberately included in the diet of active and sporty dogs in particular, because the taurine and B vitamins it contains contribute to normal metabolism.

Heart at NANDOO

At NANDOO, heart is openly named for what it is: a valuable offal, not an interchangeable catch-all item. You'll find it in selected recipes among our natural chews, clearly declared and without detours into vague wording.

That way, you can decide for yourself whether, and how often, heart should be part of your dog's diet, rather than having it unintentionally in every meal.

You'll find more honest answers about raw materials like heart in our raw materials lexicon.