What’s Missing from Your Pet’s Bowl?

The Organ Meat Crisis in Pet Food—and How to Fix It Naturally

Walk down any pet food aisle and you’ll be bombarded with promises: “Complete and Balanced,” “Vet-Recommended,” “Premium,” “All-Natural.” But here’s the problem—most commercial pet food is far from what your dog (or cat) was biologically built to eat. Beneath the sleek marketing lies a silent nutrition crisis: a lack of organ meat. While companies focus on shelf stability, cost efficiency, and palatability for humans, the ingredient that packs the most nutritional punch for pets often gets left out entirely.

Dogs may wear raincoats, sleep on orthopedic memory foam, and star in our holiday cards, but they’re still 98.8% wolf genetically. That’s right—nearly 99% of your dog’s DNA is identical to their wild ancestors. And in the wild, wolves don’t eat kibble fortified with synthetic nutrients—they hunt prey and consume it nose to tail, instinctively seeking out the organs first for survival and strength. When you look at how nature designed them to eat, it becomes clear that the standard bowl of processed kibble is wildly incompatible with their ancestral needs.[1][2]

What Our Pets Were Designed to Eat

Whether you’re feeding a Yorkshire Terrier or a German Shepherd, the digestive system and dietary blueprint are rooted in a shared evolutionary past. Dogs are facultative carnivores, meaning they can tolerate some plant matter but thrive on animal foods, especially organ meats, which are prized in the wild for their nutrient density. Wolves don’t go for the lean muscle first. They tear into the liver, heart, and kidney because these organs provide nutrients that muscle meat alone can’t deliver.[3]

Nature's original multivitamins are organs like liver, heart, kidney, and spleen. They’re concentrated sources of vitamins and minerals in the exact forms animals need to thrive. These nutrients support energy, growth, immune health, coat quality, brain development, and more. While modern pet food relies on added vitamin powders and synthetic isolates, real food sources like organ meats offer something far better: nutrients in their most bioavailable, synergistic forms, just as nature intended.[4]

Key Organs Wild Dogs Consume:

• Liver: Loaded with vitamin A, B12, iron, copper, zinc, and folate, and known to support detox, vision, and reproductive health.[5]
  

• Heart: A rich source of taurine, CoQ10, iron, and B vitamins. Supports cardiovascular function and cellular energy.[6]
  

• Kidney: Packed with selenium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and phosphorus. Supports detox and mineral balance.[7]
  

• Spleen: The highest natural source of heme iron. Helps build blood and support the immune response.[8]
  

• Thymus & Pancreas (sweetbreads): Provide enzymes, glandular support, and additional trace minerals.[9]
  

These foods are foundational to wild carnivores and can be equally powerful for your domesticated pet. Yet most commercial foods completely overlook this piece of the nutritional puzzle.

What’s in Most Commercial Pet Food?

Flip over a bag or can of pet food, and you’ll likely see reassuring phrases like “complete and balanced,” “vet-recommended,” or “fortified with essential nutrients.” These claims sound scientific and credible to the average consumer, suggesting that the food inside offers everything your dog or cat needs for long-term health. But what most people don’t realize is that these terms are based on minimum nutrient requirements, not optimal nutrition, and the ingredients used to meet those standards are often ultra-processed, poorly sourced, and devoid of the natural compounds animals would consume in the wild.

The phrase “complete and balanced” is regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which sets the standards for pet food nutrient profiles in the U.S. However, AAFCO does not test or approve pet foods itself. Instead, it outlines formulas that manufacturers must follow, usually achieved by mixing cheap base ingredients and supplementing them with synthetic vitamins and minerals to hit the minimums. This approach allows companies to claim nutritional adequacy without using high-quality, whole-food sources of nutrients like organ meats or bones.[10][11]

The Typical Ingredients in Pet Food

Let’s take a closer look at what goes into most commercial pet food:

1. Low-grade meat byproducts or “meals”
Pet food often includes vague ingredients like “chicken meal,” “meat and bone meal,” or “animal by-product meal.” These are typically rendered products—meaning they’re made from leftover animal parts not used for human consumption, such as heads, feet, feathers, intestines, and even 4D meats (dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals). These parts are processed under high heat and pressure until they become a grayish powder, which is added to kibble as a protein source. While legal, this process doesn’t provide the same quality or digestibility as fresh, whole meat or organ tissue cuts.

Worse, the sources of these meals are often untraceable. Unless a brand specifies “grass-fed beef liver” or “free-range chicken hearts,” you can assume the meat comes from conventional feedlot systems or factory farms, where animals are fed antibiotics, GMO grains, and raised in confined conditions.[12]

2. Starchy fillers: corn, soy, wheat, and legumes
Many pet food companies rely heavily on starchy, carbohydrate-rich ingredients like cornmeal, wheat middlings, soy flour, white rice, and pea protein to bind kibble together and keep production costs low. While these ingredients add bulk and calories, they offer little nutrition for carnivorous animals like dogs and cats. Dogs are facultative carnivores, and cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they thrive on animal-based diets and cannot process carbohydrates.

These fillers not only displace more nutrient-dense animal ingredients but can also cause blood sugar spikes, contribute to obesity, promote yeast overgrowth, and trigger inflammatory responses, especially in sensitive pets. Grain-free formulas often swap grains for legumes like lentils and chickpeas, which may reduce some allergies but still lack the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in meat-based ingredients.[13]

3. Highly processed vegetable oils
Many dry and wet foods include canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oil to improve texture and palatability. These oils are extracted using chemical solvents, refined at high heat, and rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation when not properly balanced with omega-3s. While fats are essential for your pet’s energy and nutrient absorption, these high-PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) seed oils are not the fats animals evolved to eat.[14]

Wolves and wild cats consume fat in the form of animal tallow, marrow, and brain tissue, which are rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats. In contrast, modern seed oils are highly unstable, prone to oxidation, and may contribute to chronic inflammatory conditions when consumed regularly.

4. Synthetic vitamin packs
Because the base ingredients in kibble are often nutritionally hollow after processing, manufacturers must add back in pre-mixed synthetic vitamin and mineral blends—also known as “premixes”—to meet AAFCO’s nutrient profile requirements. These premixes are often sourced internationally (China being a major supplier), and include isolated compounds like vitamin A palmitate, synthetic B12, DL-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), and inorganic minerals such as zinc oxide or copper sulfate.

While these additives allow the food to meet technical nutrient quotas, they don’t function like nutrients in whole-food form. For example, vitamin A from synthetic sources lacks the cofactors and enzymes that help the body absorb and utilize it. Nutrients in organ meats—like liver or kidney—are “packaged” together with their synergistic compounds, making them far more effective in supporting your pet’s health.[15]

5. Little to no real organ meat
Organ meats are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, yet they’re virtually absent from most mainstream pet foods. If organ meat is included, it’s typically found in tiny amounts, far down on the ingredient list—, indicating that it makes up less than 2–3% of the total formula. Even when included, it may be in the form of “animal digest” or “liver flavor,” which usually means a rendered or hydrolyzed slurry with no resemblance to fresh, whole organ tissue.

There is a missed opportunity for pet nutrition. Organs like liver, heart, spleen, and kidney offer a spectrum of vitamins and minerals that are difficult (if not impossible) to replicate with synthetic alternatives. By skipping these ingredients, pet food companies omit the very parts of the animal that wild predators consume for survival and strength.[16]

The Overprocessing Problem

Even when higher-quality ingredients are used, the manufacturing process of commercial pet food strips away much of their natural value. Kibble is produced using an extrusion process that involves grinding the ingredients into a paste, cooking it under high heat and pressure, and then drying and shaping it into pellets. This intense processing destroys many of the fragile vitamins, enzymes, and fatty acids originally present in the ingredients.

To compensate, synthetic nutrients are sprayed on post-extrusion, but these additions don’t have the same bioavailability or health impact as naturally occurring ones. Additionally, the processing often leads to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)—compounds linked to inflammation, aging, and chronic disease in animals and humans.

The Truth Behind the Marketing

Pet food companies are masters of marketing. They know how to use buzzwords like “natural,” “premium,” and “grain-free” to win your trust—even when the food inside the bag is made from the cheapest, most processed ingredients available. The packaging may feature images of fresh meat, farm vegetables, or happy, healthy dogs, but these are often just illusions. Unless a brand specifically names its organ sources (e.g., “beef liver” or “grass-fed kidney”), you can assume that organ meat is missing, misrepresented, or nutritionally meaningless.

To make matters worse, many of the studies used to back pet food formulations are funded by the companies that manufacture them. This makes it difficult for consumers to discern fact from marketing fiction. We know this: in the wild, carnivores do not eat grains, synthetic vitamins, or vegetable oil. They eat animals ' organs, bones, fat, and all.

Why This Matters: The Missing Micronutrients

Organ meats aren’t just optional—they’re essential. These parts of the animal contain nutrients in forms that dogs can actually absorb and use, unlike the synthetic vitamins added to most commercial food, which often pass through without being fully utilized. Many key compounds found in organs aren’t available in any meaningful quantity in muscle meat or plant-based ingredients. Without organs, your pet’s food is missing critical components that support their brain, heart, immune system, and vitality.

1. Vitamin A (Retinol from Liver)

Unlike beta-carotene, which must be converted in the body, retinol is ready for immediate use. It supports vision, immune health, skin regeneration, and reproductive function. Many commercial foods over-rely on plant-based precursors, leaving carnivores at risk for deficiency.[17]

2. Iron (Heme Iron from Spleen and Liver)

Heme iron is far more absorbable than plant-based non-heme iron. It’s essential for red blood cell production, oxygen transport, and energy. Iron deficiency in pets can lead to fatigue, pale gums, and poor endurance.[18]

3. Taurine (from Heart)

This amino acid is crucial for heart health, eye function, and neurological development—especially in cats, who cannot produce it on their own. Taurine deficiency has been linked to heart disease (DCM) in dogs fed certain grain-free and low-meat diets.[19]

4. CoQ10 (from Heart)

Supports mitochondrial energy production and cardiovascular health. Levels drop with age, and most commercial pet foods don’t contain it.[20]

5. B Vitamins (B12, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate)

Support energy metabolism, nerve function, and detox pathways. Found abundantly in organs like liver and kidney, but rarely present in whole-food form in kibble.[21]

6. Zinc and Copper (from Liver and Kidney)

These minerals help with immune function, collagen synthesis, and skin repair. Imbalances are common in pets eating plant-heavy or poorly formulated foods.[22]

7. Selenium (from Kidney and Spleen)

Acts as a powerful antioxidant and supports thyroid health. Often depleted in commercial foods that are exposed to high heat and oxidation.[23]

These nutrients work best in their natural matrix when consumed together—, ust as they appear in real organ meat. Synthetic versions lack this synergy, leading to poor absorption and long-term nutrient imbalances.

Signs Your Pet Might Be Lacking Organ-Based Nutrition

Even if your dog or cat seems healthy on the outside, the effects of long-term nutrient deficiency can build slowly over time. Many common issues chalked up to aging or breed-related problems are signs that your pet is not getting the full spectrum of nutrients they need.

Watch for:

• Dull, brittle coat or excessive shedding
  

• Flaky skin, hot spots, or persistent itching
  

• Bad breath and dental decay
  

• Low energy or “slowing down” before their time
  

• Chronic ear infections or immune issues
  

• Joint pain, stiffness, or poor mobility
  

• Weak nails or slow healing from cuts or scrapes
  

• Digestive issues like bloating, inconsistent stool, or gas
  

These are not random symptoms. They’re signals that your pet’s body is running low on the fuel it needs to maintain optimal health—fuel found in abundance in organ meats.[24][25]

Why Don’t More Pet Foods Include Organs?

It’s not that brands don’t know the value of organ meats—they don’t want to deal with the inconvenience or cost. Real organs are expensive to source, have shorter shelf lives, and require careful processing to preserve their nutritional value. Most companies would rather rely on ultra-processed “meat meals” and cheap synthetic nutrients that are easier to standardize and more profitable.

There’s also the human factor: pet food companies cater to what people want to see on the label. And let’s face it—liver, spleen, and kidney don’t sound as appetizing to a consumer as “chicken and rice” or “beef stew.” So, organ meats are replaced with fillers, flavorings, and vitamins in pill form—all to make the product more palatable to the buyer, not the animal.

The Real Solution Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

You might think: “Okay, but I don’t have time to shop for raw organs and create balanced homemade meals.” And that’s completely fair. Many pet owners want to do better for their pets, but don’t have the time, knowledge, or stomach to handle raw organs every week. Fortunately, you don’t have to go raw or overhaul your pet’s diet.

Sometimes, a simple, powerful addition is all it takes to transform your pet’s bowl into a nourishing meal. That’s where Pluck Pure comes in.

Introducing Pluck Pure – Simple, Whole-Food Nutrition for Pets

Pluck Pure is a single-ingredient organ meat seasoning—just freeze-dried, grass-fed beef organs in powdered form. No fillers, no flavorings, no synthetics. It’s human-grade, pet-safe, and incredibly easy to use.

It was created for humans who want to get more organ meats in their diet without having to prep or cook them, but pets love it too. Just a sprinkle over your dog or cat’s food delivers real, whole-food nutrition that helps fill the gaps left by modern pet diets.

Benefits of Pluck Pure for Pets:

• Adds real vitamins and minerals in a biologically appropriate form
  

• Supports coat quality, skin health, digestion, energy, and immunity
  

• Stimulates appetite and makes even picky eaters excited about their bowl
  

• Shelf-stable and travel-friendly—no refrigeration needed
  

• Works with kibble, wet food, raw food, or homemade meals
  

Most importantly, it gives your pet access to the kind of food they were meant to eat, without complicating your life.

How to Use Pluck Pure in Your Pet’s Diet

Getting started is easy. Just sprinkle a small amount over your pet’s regular food. Mix it with water to create a nourishing gravy or rub it into treats for added flavor and benefit.

Recommended Serving:

• Small dogs or cats: ¼ tsp per day
  

• Medium dogs: ½ tsp per day
  

• Large dogs: ¾–1 tsp per day
  

Start slow and observe how your pet responds. Most pet owners report that even hesitant eaters start devouring their food enthusiastically once Pluck Pure is added.

A Small Sprinkle, A Big Impact

Don’t underestimate the power of small additions. Just like a little organ meat goes a long way in the wild, a daily sprinkle of Pluck Pure can fill major nutritional gaps in your pet’s diet. Over time, you may notice their energy, coat, digestion, and resilience improve. More importantly, you’ll know they’re finally getting the nourishment their bodies have been wired to crave for thousands of years.

Final Thoughts: Nature Knows Best

Modern pet food may be convenient, but it often comes at the cost of real nourishment. When we replace the ancestral wisdom of nose-to-tail eating with synthetics, we shortchange our pets of what they need to thrive. You don’t have to feed raw or become a full-time pet chef to do better. You just need to give your pet more of what their DNA still remembers—organs, the original superfood. Pluck Pure makes it easy. You can bring real, ancestral nutrition back into your pet’s life—without the mess, prep, or stress- one sprinkle at a time.

Citations: 

1. Hiney, Kris, et al. "Fecal microbiota composition, serum metabolomics, and markers of inflammation in dogs fed a raw meat-based diet compared to those on a kibble diet." Frontiers in Veterinary Science, vol. 11, 2024, doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1328513.frontiersin.org

2. Bosch, Guido, Esther A. Hagen-Plantinga, and Wouter H. Hendriks. "Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: Insights for optimal dog nutrition?" British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 113, no. S1, 2015, pp. S40–S54, doi:10.1017/S0007114514002311.

3. Hiney, Kris, et al. "Fecal microbiota composition, serum metabolomics, and markers of inflammation in dogs fed a raw meat-based diet compared to those on a kibble diet." Frontiers in Veterinary Science, vol. 11, 2024, doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1328513.

4. Brady, Conor. "Rethinking Organ Meats: A Fresh Look at Feeding Organs in a Raw Diet for Dogs." A Place for Paws, 2025, https://aplaceforpaws.com/blogs/news/rethinking-organ-meats-a-fresh-look-at-feeding-organs-in-a-raw-diet-for-dogs.

5. Hendriks, W. H., et al. "Canine liver iron, copper, and zinc concentrations and histologic features." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 221, no. 3, 2002, pp. 339–343.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

6. Dove, R. S. "Nutritional therapy in the treatment of heart disease in dogs." Veterinary World, vol. 2, no. 12, 2009, pp. 472–475.veterinaryworld.org+2scispace.com+2researchgate.net+2

7. Meyer, H., and Zentek, J. "Blood vitamin levels in dogs with chronic kidney disease." Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, vol. 95, no. 3, 2011, pp. 295–302.sciencedirect.com

8. Korittum, A. S., et al. "Hematological and biochemical effects of partial and complete splenectomy in dogs." Assiut Veterinary Medical Journal, vol. 64, no. 157, 2018, pp. 38–45.researchgate.net+1avmj.journals.ekb.eg+1

9. Wang, X., et al. "Effect of parenteral and early intrajejunal nutrition on pancreatic enzyme activity in dogs with acute pancreatitis." World Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 20, no. 30, 2014, pp. 10560–10565.

10. Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. AAFCO, 2023, https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Model_Bills_and_Regulations_Agenda_Midyear_2015_Final_Attachment_A.__Proposed_revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles_PFC_Final_070214.pdf.aafco.org

11. Morgan, Judy. "Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals in Pet Food." Dr. Judy Morgan's Naturally Healthy Pets, 2023, https://drjudymorgan.com/blogs/blog/synthetic-vitamins-and-minerals-in-pet-food.

12. Hoffmann, G., et al. "Impact of Animal By-Products on Diet Digestibility and Fecal Quality in Dogs." Life, vol. 13, no. 3, 2023, p. 850. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/3/850.

13. Zentek, J., et al. "The Role of Carbohydrates in Canine and Feline Nutrition." Animals, vol. 13, no. 2, 2023, p. 112. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/112.

14. Wang, Y., et al. "Exploring the Potential Link Between Vegetable Oil Supplementation and Adverse Food Reactions in Dogs." BMC Veterinary Research, vol. 21, no. 1, 2025, p. 720. https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-025-04720-0.

15. Morgan, Judy. "Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals in Pet Food." Dr. Judy Morgan's Naturally Healthy Pets, 2023. https://drjudymorgan.com/blogs/blog/synthetic-vitamins-and-minerals-in-pet-food.
    

16. Morgan, Judy. "EP 42: The Importance of Single Ingredient Organ-Based Treats with Greg Perkins." Naturally Healthy Pets Podcast, 2024. https://www.drjudyu.com/podcasts/naturally-healthy-pets-podcast/episodes/2148867156

17. Sacakli, P., et al. "Vitamin A source variability: a mini review on stability and bioavailability." Frontiers in Animal Science, vol. 5, 2024, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fanim.2024.1484262/full.

18. Canine Ceuticals. "The Benefits of Beef Spleen For Dogs." Canine Ceuticals, 2022, https://canineceuticals.com.au/blogs/news/beef-spleen-benefits-for-dogs.

19. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. "Taurine-supplemented food could protect many dogs from serious diseases." SLU.se, 2024, https://www.slu.se/en/ew-news/2024/9/taurine-supplemented-food-could-protect-many-dogs-from-serious-diseases/.

20. Moreira, N. J. D., et al. "CoQ10 for Dogs." DogCancer.com, 2024, https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/supplements/coq10-for-dogs/.

21. Dor, A., et al. "Efficacy and tolerance of oral versus parenteral cyanocobalamin supplementation in hypocobalaminaemic dogs with chronic enteropathy." Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol. 65, no. 2, 2024, pp. 85–92.

22. Schultheiss, P. C., et al. "Retrospective analysis of hepatic copper concentrations in an archived population of colony dogs." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 263, no. 4, 2024, pp. 456–462.

23. Beynen, A. C. "Selenium Digestibility and Bioactivity in Dogs: What the Can Can the Kibble Can't." Academia.edu, 2024, https://www.academia.edu/56206392/Selenium_Digestibility_and_Bioactivity_in_Dogs_What_the_Can_Can_the_Kibble_Can_t.

24. "10 Signs of Nutritional Deficiency in Dogs." Puptection, 2017, https://puptection.com/10-signs-nutritional-deficiency-in-dogs/.puptection.com

25. "Poor Nutrition in Dogs - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment." WagWalking, https://wagwalking.com/condition/poor-nutrition.wagwalking.com