All about Offal in Raw Dog Food

November 26, 2020By Greg Van Praagh

Greg Van Praagh

Offal doesn’t always get the best press, probably because it includes parts of animals that humans tend to avoid eating these days. And some of it is pretty whiffy. But when it comes to our woofs, offal packs a real punch in the nutrient stakes, more than muscle meat. We use it in all the core Benyfit Natural raw dog food recipes for good reason. Here’s why it’s so good for your dogs.

What is offal?

It’s not a great sounding word, but offal refers to organ meats of animals. It includes liver, kidneys, heart, tongue, cheek, stomach and even brain, pancreas and spleen. Offal used to be very popular in our diet as it is relatively inexpensive but a powerhouse of nutrients. Some - especially liver and kidneys – does still make an appearance on our dinner tables (think haggis and black pudding too) but some of the less ‘popular’ organs have been consigned to dog food or relegated to waste.

The offal that Benyfit Natural uses is liver, kidney, heart and green tripe.

Liver in raw dog food

Liver is top of the offal gang and often cited as one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. It contains vitamin B12 (almost 3500% of a human’s recommended daily intake), vitamin A, riboflavin, copper, iron and folate amongst others. It is also a superb source of protein. This all helps with red blood cell formation, organ function, stabilising metabolism and helping your dog remain strong and healthy. Because of its high vitamin A content, too much of which can be toxic, only small amounts should be given. Our recipes contain no more than 5% liver.

Kidney in raw dog food

Another major player in the vitamin B12 team as well as vitamins A, C and B6, riboflavin and niacin. It also has omega-3 fatty acids and lots of protein. Dogs can eat more kidney than liver because it is lower in vitamin A. Kidney is an excellent anti-inflammatory and is good for healthy heart function.

Heart in raw dog food

Eating heart is good for the heart. The combination of vitamins B2, B6 and B12, along with folate, iron, zinc and selenium offers the heart protection from disease. The heart works continuously in your dog so keeping it in tip top condition is essential.

Tripe in raw dog food

The least pretty of our offal collection but an essential. We use green lamb tripe, which is not the same type that we might eat. Tripe is the stomach lining of a cow or sheep and gets its green colour from the grass eaten by the original animal. Some dogs can’t tolerate beef tripe, so lamb tripe is a good all-round alternative. Although it’s incredibly smelly, it’s incredibly nutritious. It is full of lactobacillus acidophilus, a good probiotic bacteria (as found in yoghurts) that help the digestive system and keep the immune system in working order. The good bacteria are excellent at keeping bad bacteria, such as e-coli, salmonella and listeria, under control. Benyfit Natural has a special range containing tripe, including Tripe Complete. Our Tripe Select Bundle contains a variety of these recipes.

Now you know how beneficial offal can be for your dog. Feeding Benyfit Natural raw dog food is the easy and perfect way to include offal in your woof’s diet. It is included in all our core raw recipes, including our Complete, 801010 and puppy ranges. For any dogs that cannot eat offal for any reason, including possible health conditions, our dedicated Sensitive recipe is offal-free.

If you have any offal-related or any other raw dog food questions, please call our Customer Services team on 01892 770188 who’d love to chat and help.

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