Chicken hearts

[Susanna]

Have you ever feed your dog chicken hearts?

I was shopping today and in the meat department I saw a package of chicken hearts for $1.50 a lb. For such a great price, I wanted to buy it to give to Brian mixed with his kibble and also for treats. The problem is that they grossed me out so badly that I convinced myself that they aren't good for him, I guess since I wouldn't eat them myself.

Are chicken hearts ok to feed to dogs?

[Jay]

I feed my dogs raw chicken and turkey hearts. I buy premade frozen raw food so it is ground with veggies. It looks pretty gross, red and bloody when thawed, but the dogs love the stuff.
J.

[Dublin]

I havent seen chicken hearts in the shops but I buy lambs hearts for my dogs (who currently eat part raw & part kibble) - if I saw chicken or turkey hearts in the shops I would definatly buy them as they love lambs heart.

[cy1266]

I've bought different kinds of hearts, including chicken hearts, for my dogs and they LOVE them! And they're always cheap

[Lani]

My understanding is chicken hearts are actually really good for them and are often fed as a natural supplement for dogs with murmurs. There is a substance found naturally in the chicken hearts that is really good for them and costs a lot more to buy as a supplement (Taurine).

http://www.carnitine-taurine.com/

The idea grosses me out too, but Lucky's dad has a murmur, so I'm thinking it might be a good idea to start both my guys on supplements, including the chicken hearts.

[RodRussell]

We rotate our dogs' raw food diet daily, and when we serve chicken, we add an ounce of chicken hearts per ten ounces of meat. We do it as a supplement to support the dogs' hearts. I think the best supplements come from the organs of animals -- especially the ones which relate to the health issues of the dogs -- but my bride warns that too much organ meat is not a good thing. So we limit the chicken hearts to 10% of the weight of the meat.

[waldor]

Do you cut up the hearts, or feed it whole?

[Mindysmom]

We got a small pack of dehydrated chicken hearts at puppy class. They were probably the only thing I've ever known Max NOT to eat.

[RodRussell]

Do you cut up the hearts, or feed it whole?

We feed chicken hearts whole. They weigh about a quarter to three-eighths of an ounce each. We also feed beef heart -- when we feed raw beef -- which we cut into pieces weighing about a half ounce each. My bride taught me to use a small digital scale for all food preparation. It was not my idea, but it does make for uniformity of servings.

[Karlin]

One thing to keep in mind is that hearts can be both rich and fatty. I know they would not be recommended for overweight dogs and also should not be fed in large amounts. Chicken hearts or smaller pieces fed occasionally is one thing but never a whole large heart. Dogs often love them but they should be fed in moderation.