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Warning! This post contains images of raw meat (not whole animals).  It is a blog about raw feeding, I know; this warning is for folks who are grossed out by these types of images.

3 Things About Feeding Pancreas to Raw Fed Dogs and Where to Find Organ Meat for Raw Fed Dogs

DepositPhoto/AndreySt – Hearts

 

I recently got my hot little hands on some beef pancreas!  Score!!!  When it comes to organ meat, I'm not doing a great job offering variety to my dogs, but this was my shot to correct that and give them something new and healthy.

In the process, I learned three things about feeding pancreas to raw fed dogs that made me realize that my “Score!” had more to do with learning something new about raw feeding than finding an elusive organ meat.

What Constitutes Organ Meat in Raw Feeding?

One of the first misconceptions I had was about what organ meat is for raw feeders.  After spending some time in raw feeding groups, I quickly learned that the traditional concept of organ meat doesn't fly in raw feeding.  When raw feeders are talking about organ meat (or offal), they are referring to secreting organs.

Organs that Are Muscle Meat for Raw Feeding

  • Heart
  • Gizzards
  • Tongues
  • Lungs
  • Green Tripe

Organs that are Offal for Raw Feeding

  • Liver
  • Kidneys
  • Spleen
  • Pancreas

Everything clear now?  Well, let me return you back to “confused” where you belong.  If you visit a few of the sites of raw food suppliers, you may see different lists under the organ meat.

Well, let me return you back to “confused” where you belong.  If you visit a few of the sites of raw food suppliers, you may see different lists under the organ meat.  Like everything else in raw feeding, this is one of those things that people don't always agree on. However, I've found that the majority (or so it seems) follows the guidelines I listed above.

 

3 Things About Feeding Pancreas to Raw Fed Dogs and Where to Find Organ Meat for Raw Fed Dogs

DepositPhoto/voltan1 – Liver

 

Benefits of Organ Meat for Dogs

We feed our dogs organ meat because this is where a ton of vitamins and minerals are stored.  And, surprise surprise, if your dog has a deficiency, organ meat can help.  Does your dog have pancreatitis?  Consider feeding pancreas.  Does your dog have a liver deficiency?  Consider adding liver to his meals?

And another thing that might surprise you is that organ meat is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.  Yeah, I was surprised too.  This is why so many Prey Model raw feeders don't believe many supplements are necessary; dogs technically should be able to get everything they need from their meals when fed a properly balanced raw food diet.

Sourcing Organ Meat

One of the hindrances to feeding raw is being able to source the organ meat.  Three places that have proven to be great sources for a variety of organ meat include:

  1. A Local Raw Food Co-Op – I get everything I need through the co-op.
  2. An Asian Grocery Store
  3. A Local Butcher or Meat Supplier
  4. Tripe Organ Blend from GreenTripe.com
  5. Liver and Hearts from RawPawsPetFood.com

Call around to see what you can get; if it's a cut of meat that isn't popular, you should be able to get it for a steal.

 

3 Things About Feeding Pancreas to Raw Fed Dogs and Where to Find Organ Meat for Raw Fed Dogs

DepositPhoto/Paul_Cowan – Kidney

 

3 Things About Feeding Pancreas to Dogs

As I shared, our dogs got to chow down on pancreas recently, and they loved it.  I attempted to do some research on feeding pancreas and came up short, so I asked my co-op group for tips and learned a few things others might find helpful.

1 Pancreas Doesn't Keep Long

If you buy frozen pancreas, plan to feed it to your dogs within 90 days; it only has a shelf life of three months.  This past year, I've learned a lot about expiration days – namely to pay attention to them.  If something is too good to be true, it's probably going to expire soon  I got a great deal on frozen

I bought my pancreas through our co-op, so not only did I get a great deal, I was warned to use ti quickly, given the expiration date, and given guidelines on feeding it to my dogs.  I love my co-op.

2 Pancreas is for Dogs with EPI

If you buy pancreas, not an organ blend that includes pancreas, then you're probably buying something that is to be used medicinally.

The pancreas is the organ in the body responsible for producing insulin (which regulates the body’s blood sugar levels) and digestive enzymes (which aid in the digestion of starches, fats, and proteins in an animal’s diet). If the pancreas fails to produce enough of these digestive enzymes, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, develops.

EPI may affect a dog's gastrointestinal system, as well as general nutrition, and can cause problems such as weight loss and chronic diarrhea. The condition is thought to be hereditary in German Shepherds.

Source: PetMD.com

Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, occurs when the pancreas isn't working correctly and is seen in overweight dogs, older dogs, and dogs fed a lot of fat, which is why vets caution against feeding dogs turkey on Thanksgiving (the skin is too fatty) or bacon and bacon drippings.

This is good to know because I saved some fat to make fat balls for Rodrigo.  That plan has changed.

“Freshly frozen beef pancreas is offered as an alternative to treating dogs with pancreatic problems.” Source: GreenTripe.com

3 A Little Goes A Long Way

When I asked about feeding pancreas, I learned that it doesn't take much to have a positive impact and feeding too much can damage a dog's pancreas.  For the size of my dogs (60-75 pounds), if they had pancreatitis, they would be fed four tablespoons of freshly frozen beef pancreas twice a day.  Because my dogs are healthy, a small amount of pancreas is included in an organ/tripe mix (beef heart, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas with green tripe) I order from GreenTripe.com.

How Much Pancreas Should We Feed Dogs?

I reached out to my raw food co-op group and was told the following:

Feed 2 ounces of beef pancreas for every 20lbs of body weight, divided between two meals (I feed 2x daily). Feeding more than 2 ounces twice daily isn't recommended.  Formula: (Dog's Weight / 20) x 2 = recommended daily amount to feed your dog.  The below amounts are rounded up.

  • Rodrigo: 65 pounds – 6.5 ounces of beef pancreas daily
  • Sydney: 80 pounds – 7.5 ounces of beef pancreas daily
  • Scout: 85 pounds – 8.5 ounces of beef pancreas daily
  • Zoey: 75 pounds – 7.5 ounces of beef pancreas daily

It's important to remember that pancreas has a shelf life of only 3 months.To maximize enzyme efficiency, whip pancreas with a fork or wire whisk to a pudding-like consistency or liquefy in a blender and serve at room temperature.

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