The Benefits of Beef Spleen For Dogs

[Photo by James Barker on Unsplash]

So, what is beef spleen and how can it benefit your dog?

Organic Beef Spleen is a nutrient dense superfood, rich in high-quality protein and packed with essential vitamins, minerals and specific peptides that are produced exclusively in spleen tissue.  

These nutrients have been reported to have a positive effect on health and wellbeing, especially the immune system, skin health, energy levels and cognition.

The health benefits of beef spleen for dogs

Rich in nutrients

Beef spleen is an exceptionally rich source of highly bioavailable iron, containing five times as much total iron and nearly 30 times as much heme iron, as compared to beef liver.² 

Iron is vital for a number of key bodily functions, such as helping to provide oxygen to organs and muscles, and for certain enzymes in the body to function normally. When a dog is deficient in iron it can become lethargic, weak, and more prone to disease and illnesses.

Beef spleen is a rich source of selenium. Selenium is a potent antioxidant essential for correct metabolic functioning. In a dog’s body, selenium is important for its role in thyroid health, synthesis of DNA and reproductive health.³ Its antioxidant properties can help to prevent oxidative damage that can contribute to premature aging, cancer and a range of inflammatory diseases.

Beef spleen provides high levels of vitamin B12 and vitamin C. Vitamin B12 is crucial for healthy nervous system and brain function, as well as for the production of healthy red blood cells. It's also involved in maintaining healthy digestive function. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant for dogs that can help reduce harmful free radicals, support healthy aging, and reduce inflammation. Vitamin C can also support your dog's immune system and improve energy.
 

Key immune support

Traditional cultures and early ancestral healers believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would strengthen and support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. The immune-boosting effects of beef spleen may be partly attributable to this principle called ‘like-supports-like’.

Spleen tissue extracts may be of benefit in enhancing general immune function because of the many potent immune system-enhancing compounds secreted, such as the peptides tuftsin and splenopentin.¹ 

Tuftsin stimulates macrophages (a type of white blood cell), which act as a first line of defence against invading pathogens. Tuftsin also helps mobilise other white blood cells to fight against infection and cancer. A deficiency of tuftsin has been associated with signs and symptoms of frequent infections.¹ 

Splenopentin, like tuftsin, has also demonstrated significant immune-enhancing effects by promoting the production of white blood cells.¹ Splenopentin has also been shown to enhance the activity of natural killer cells. Natural killer cells destroy cells that have become cancerous or infected with viruses.¹

 

Spleen in Traditional Chinese Medicine theory

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, the Spleen plays an important role in various physiological functions, including:

• Digestion
• Absorption of nutrients
• Regulation of water retention and excretion
• Facilitation of blood perfusion to skeletal muscle and on the optimal functioning of the immune system⁴

Why quality matters

Not all organs and glands are the same, which is why it is so important to look for the highest quality organs when it comes to what we feed our dogs.

For optimal nutrition, organs should come from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows that are hormone, pesticide and GMO free, that are ultra pure (without binders, fillers or flow agents), and which have been freeze dried, as these have been shown to optimally preserve nutritional factors and co-factors.

 

CanineCeuticals Organic Beef Spleen is:

✔ 100% natural and organic

✔ Hormone, pesticide & GMO free

✔ Contains absolutely no fillers or flow agents

✔ Is third party tested for purity

✔ Proudly Australian owned and made

✔ Uses 100% human-grade ingredients

✔ Contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Shop our Organic Beef Spleen oral powder here. 

And if you would like to learn more about supporting good gut health in your dog, check out our article on that topic here. 

References

1. Pizzorno, J.E. and Murray, M.T. (2021) The Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th edition. Elsevier, St Louis, Missouri.
2. Valenzuela C. et al. (2009). Total Iron and Heme Iron Content and their Distribution in Beef Meat and Viscera. Biological Trace Element Research, 132: 103–111.
3. Zentrichová, V. et al. (2021). Selenium and Dogs: A Systematic Review. Animals, 11(2):418.
4. Chung, Y. et al. (2016). Spleen Function and Anxiety in Chinese Medicine: A Western Medicine Perspective. Chinese Medicine, 7, 110-123