Offals: The Nutrient-Rich Secret to Your Pet’s Health
When creating a nutritionally complete and species-appropriate diet for pets, many owners focus on muscle meats, often overlooking one of the most nutrient-rich components: offals. Offals, which include organ such as liver and kidneys, are essential nutritional powerhouses, packed with benefits that can significantly boost your pet’s health. Here, we will explore the advantages of including offals in your pet’s diet..
Why Offals Are Essential for Your Pet’s Health
Offals are far more than just another protein source. Secreting offals, such as liver and kidneys, provide the most bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals, in contrast to many commercial pet foods that are often fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals. These nutrients play a vital role in supporting your pet’s skin, coat, immune system, organ health, and energy levels.
Liver is a nutritional powerhouse. It is an outstanding source of vitamins and minerals that are crucial for pet’s health. It provides Vitamin A, which supports vision, healthy skin, a shiny coat, and immune function. B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, and B12, are abundant in liver and are vital for cellular function, energy production and nervous system health. Additionally, liver is rich in folate, which is essential for healthy cell division and growth, particularly in puppies and kittens. It also contains bioavailable iron and copper, which help support blood formation, oxygen transport, and red blood cell production, contributing to your pet's energy levels.
Kidneys, another type of secreting organ, are rich in essential nutrients that support your pet’s overall health. In addition to being packed with B vitamins and iron, like the liver, kidneys are also an excellent source of selenium. This powerful antioxidant helps reduce oxidative stress, protecting cells from damage and boosting immune health. The chloride found in kidneys plays a key role in maintaining electrolyte balance, ensuring proper hydration, acid-base balance, and optimal cell and nerve function.
In addition to liver and kidney, non-secreting offals such as tripe and heart can also offer health benefits when added occasionally as a supplement. Tripe contains digestive enzymes and probiotics that support gut health, while heart is rich in taurine and coenzyme Q10, both of which promote heart health.
Important Considerations When Feeding Offals
Offals are delicate ingredients that can lose their nutritional value if minced, heavily processed, or stored improperly. Due to their tendency to oxidise quickly, their vitamin content can be significantly reduced, affecting their overall quality. At BOM BOM, we recommend to avoid mincing the offals when including them in meals, allowing your pet to receive the full benefit of these nutrient-dense ingredients.
On top of that, if offals are already included in your pet’s diet, there is no need to provide commercial multivitamins or organ-based commercial treats. This precaution helps prevent excess nutrients and over-supplementation, which can lead to conditions like hypervitaminosis.
As each pet is unique, some can be sensitive to the rich nutrient density of offals. As a general guideline, limit offals to no more than 10% of their daily diet, with no more than half of that amount coming from liver. If your pet is sensitive to offals, consider reducing the amount of offals to ensure they still receive the nutritional benefits without overwhelming their system.
In conclusion, offals are an incredibly valuable addition to your pet’s diet, offering a rich source of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to overall health and vitality. By including organ meats like liver and kidneys, you can enhance your pet’s immune function, energy levels, skin and general health while supporting their growth and development.