I started Nothin’ but Heart Dog Treats for my handsome chocolate lab, Tristan. I cherished my boy and wanted to give him the very best treats I could find. Tristan was a gift given to our family by my in-laws Carla and Wally Reuben-Carbone, the owners of On The Bluff Labradors.

They have been feeding their dogs an exclusively raw food diet for over 40 years. 

When I was looking for treats for Tristan I wanted something that was compatible with his raw diet. So, I asked Carla what would be the healthiest treat to give him. “Without a question” she said, “give him hearts. Organ meats are like giving your dog a super nutrient multi-vitamin and nothing beats raw hearts.” 

Upon doing a little bit of research, what I discovered is that hearts supply a nutritional wallop like no other food.
Hearts are the most densely packed muscle in the body containing just about every nutrient, including heavy doses of B vitamins such as: B1, B2, B6, folic acid and vitamin B12. Hearts are loaded with minerals like phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium and iodine, and provide the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. 
The heart contains 3 times the amount of protein than any other organ meat and 10 times the amount of the super nutrient CoQ10. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is necessary for the basic functioning of cells, as well as optimizing the heart’s rhythm. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with a dog’s age which may lead to chronic diseases such as heart conditions, cancer, diabetes, and immune disorders.
Also, Because of their muscle density hearts contain an enormous amount of natural Vitamin D. Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins (actually a hormone precursor) and regulates numerous functions in a dog’s body.
Vitamin D deficiency is related to muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases. It’s especially important for dogs who live at higher latitudes and receive less sun (since sun exposure is the best source of Vitamin D). 

Nothing is worse than seeing your dog get lethargic in the winter. Nothing is sadder than an old dog that just wants to sleep. And nothing will pick them up more quickly than a heart treat. 

I did the reading and I knew- Raw hearts are without question the best dog treat in the world. So I went to my local butcher and got some turkey and chicken hearts. I don’t know about most of you, but it was really hard for me to get over the ick factor of handling a slippery, bloody heart- No matter how nutritious it was for my beloved dog. This wasn’t something I could do easily. 
Than I thought of dehydrating them.

After months of testing dehydration combined with slow roasting, I came up with animal hearts that were not just easy to handle, but easy to keep. 
So far I’ve tested these treats out on hundreds of puppies and dogs. And the overwhelming response has been wagging tails and drool. 

I hope your dog likes them too. They are Nothin’ but Heart ---with a little bit of love.
Andrea

I would like to dedicate every bag I make to my wonderful family! 

Nothin’ but Heart Dog Treats are produced in Ulster, NY. 
The hearts are sourced from local farms.