Organs For A Raw Diet

Organs

Some –If not all– Organs smell, look and feel just plain horrid, But they are essential for a healthy and balanced diet for our beloved ferrets. Regardless of our human diet choices, It is our responsibility to provide for our ferrets without biased views or specific feelings towards meat.

Being Veg And Feeding Raw

Pork Kidney

Yes, you can be vegetarian, or vegan and still give your ferret a species appropriate diet. It just takes little more effort, especially if you're particularly squeamish around meats.  The main thing for vegans would particularly be around finding the source of the meats, especially if you are not not happy and do not wish to support the majority of the cruelty behind the meat industry. It can be done, even though animals must be sacrificed for our ferrets, but providing that they are cared for and killed humanely, then that should put you at ease to some degree.

I myself am a Vegetarian, and I know plenty of vegans who also follow a frankenprey (and or) whole prey diet for their obligate carnivores. But that is another topic and for now I wills tick to simply speaking about organs.

Organ's In Ferret Nutrition

Organs, also commonly called offals or variety/organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal.  Some organs are even used in various meals for human consumption in certain countries.  

Lamb Liver,
 Also common referred to as
Lamb Fry in various countries.

In regards to the frankenprey diet, you will need 10% organs in your ferret's total weekly diet. That is 5% of Liver, and 5% of another organ. The reason as to why the liver is only 5% is quite simple. Liver contains vitamin A. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, and if fed in excessive or too frequent amounts it has the potential to cause toxicity in ferrets.

Fat Soluble Vitamins?

The fat soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids (fats). Fat soluble vitamins, especially vitamins A and E, are stored in body tissues.  They are stored primarily in the liver and in fatty (adipose) tissues. The fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K. Extra care must be taken to not let your ferret consume any of these vitamins in excess amounts either too frequent feedings, or in large meals because they stay in the body longer and can more easily lead to toxicity. A well-balanced diet should in no way lead to toxicity issues, but vitamin supplementation on top of a well balanced diet might.

It's An Organ, But Not An Organ?!

Even though it is technically an "organ" body wise,
The Lungs in raw feeding are not considered
an Organ.  However It can be fed in an organ 
meal every once in a while. It just cannot 
replace other secreting organs.

Keep in mind that there are certain organs which are not considered "organs" nutrition wise when it comes to raw feeding. For the basic frankenprey diet, you want to feed secreting organs as part of your typical 10% organ meals. It does sound quite confusing, but don't fret. It's quite simple once you do your research and study!

To sum it down-- a few things which are "not considered organs" are things such as Gizzard, Tongue and the Lungs. I highly suggest that you check out the Holistic Ferret Article on Organs for a more in-depth article on the organ subject.

Heart is also not considered an organ. It is fed as a muscle meat and is required in the diet on a  weekly basis to ensure enough Taurine is in the diet.

These are Turkey gizzards, they too like the lung are not considered organs in raw feeding nutritionally wise.
However these are considered a muscle meat, and make a perfect chewy meal for your ferret.
They help to build jaw strength, and would make a perfect meat for new to bone in meat, ferrets.

Organs And Availability

As for organs which you can use, the most commonly found organs are Liver and Kidney, possibly even Pancreas. However, even though these are considered common where I am, it may depend on your location as to what is more common for you. For example, I personally cannot find anything other than Liver or Kidney where I live, however if I was to travel to the Markets in Preston (Australia) then I would find a good variety of other organs such as Spleens etc.  You "Hopefully" should at least be able to find any two organs, if not then I highly suggest that you talk with your local butcher, supermarket or local meat market and enquire on if they are able to order any specific organs for you. If they cannot, don't give up on your organ hunt, ask around. You may even be able to directly purchase from abattoirs or farms. If you've looked everywhere and still cannot find at least the Liver and one "other secreting" organ, then try ordering online and in bulk if you have the freezer space to do so. The more variety regardless of the meal, the more nutritious the diet will be for your ferret. 

Remember, not all proteins, not all types of meat or organs will hold the exact same nutrition stats. Some will have vitamins and minerals in varied amounts. This is another reason as to why variety is the key to a well balanced diet. The more types of food fed, the more the ferret gets a variety of nutrients to help support life.

Veal Sweetbreads

Nutritional Organs are Major Hormone-Secreting Tissues:

• Liver
• Kidney
• Spleen
• Pancreas
• Gallbladder
• Brain
• Major glands (thymus, thyroid, parathyroid)
• Uterus
• Testicles

Beef Pancreas

Liver and Other Organ

I only use two organs currently, Liver and Kidney, Since that is all that's available where I live. Liver is needed in small amounts for a base diet as seen in the typical Frankenprey menu (Which can be found here). Liver is best paired with at least one other organ. You don't necessarily have to use kidney, so use which ever other organs are available to you. Remember, the more the better for your ferret's overall health. 

Pork Brains

Serving Organs

The organs can be served in a variety of ways. If you have a single ferret, feel free to simply serve as it is or diced up. If you have 2 or more ferrets it would be wise to puree or blend the organs as a soupie. Although its not essential, its a good option especially if you're busy. It's also incredibly convenient and balanced, so it ensures that no ferrets consume one organ more than the other. If you don't wish to puree it, that's fine, you may also feed one organ at a time. I sometimes do this when I'm home. So in the morning I may feed liver and at lunch time I will give them a kidney. Both times I will add some hearts along with it. You don't have to worry too much about hearts since the Taurine in hearts are water soluble, meaning they can consume plenty of heart and simply excrete any excess nutrients VIA their urine. When I'm busy and cannot be home, I simply puree it and leave the hearts diced. It makes it kind of like a chunky organ soup. :) If you are having trouble with getting ferrets to consume organs during a transition, be repetitive and dab some on their gum or lips. The more you do it, the more they will lick it and become used tot he taste and smells. Another method would be to blend an egg into the organ meals. I find that this something alters the strong odours or tastes, and ferrets may enjoy the extra taste. :)

Pork Testicles

Culinary Names?

Some organs are called by certain culinary names in various countries. 

For example, Sweetbreads or ris are culinary names for the thymus (also called throat, gullet, or neck sweetbread) or the pancreas (also called heart, stomach, or belly sweetbread), especially of calf (ris de veau) and lamb (ris d'agneau), and, less commonly, of beef and pork. The "heart" sweetbreads are more spherical in shape, and surrounded symmetrically by the "throat" sweetbreads, which are more cylindrical in shape.

(Some other glands used as food may also sometimes be called "sweetbreads," including the parotid gland ("cheek" or "ear" sweetbread), the sublingual glands ("tongue" sweetbreads or "throat bread"), and testicles (cf. Rocky Mountain oyster, prairie oyster, or lamb fries)

In Australia and New Zealand, lamb's fry is specifically the liver; in the United States, "lamb fries" (q.v.) are specifically the testicles. In the U.K., it was all offal, though recently testicle has become rare.

In Conclusion,

Organs are essential for the overall health of your ferret. Some proteins and organs may contain more or less of various nutrients, so variety and balance is the key to maintaining your ferret's health and diet. Organs may be known as certain culinary names in certain countries, but when in doubt ask a butcher and you should be able to "hopefully" locate the organ of your choice. If you can get a variety of different organs, I suggest you do so. Find your own way to serve your organ, and keep them as 10% of the overall frankenprey diet. That is 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ. For more information on organs, or if you have concerns or questions in regards to organs and or the species appropriate diet, please come and join us on the Holistic Ferret Forum, or feel free to send me an email, or leave a comment on my blog.

The Holistic Ferret Forum

The HFF Website 

Until next time,

Updated 09/10/2016