Ingredient file // Animal protein
Freeze-Dried Turkey Heart
Concentrated turkey protein with an unproven heart claim
Freeze-dried turkey heart is heart muscle with most of its water removed under vacuum. It brings animal protein and fat to food or treats. The taurine and CoQ10 claims do not show that it improves a dog's heart.
- What it is
- Turkey heart muscle frozen and dried under vacuum, leaving a light, concentrated animal ingredient.
- Made from
- Whole turkey hearts
- Main job
- Animal protein and flavor
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Uncooked versions need effective germ control
- Not the same as
- Turkey liver
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 865 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
3 of the 2,595 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All dry dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 18. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.
Above the salt
Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 100% of foods.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Instinct. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Turkey processors separate hearts from birds sold for meat, creating a distinct animal ingredient stream. Suppliers chill or freeze the hearts. Specialty dryers remove their water to make light pieces that store without refrigeration.6,9,10,11
- 01 // Source Turkey hearts Poultry processors separate hearts from turkeys and supply them chilled or frozen to pet food makers.
- 02 // Process Frozen The hearts are frozen before drying so their water is solid when the vacuum stage starts.
- 03 // Process Vacuum dried Under vacuum, ice leaves as vapor, removing water without the hot air used for ordinary dehydration.
- 04 // Output Dry heart pieces Light pieces are packed as treats or used as a named animal ingredient in pet food.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
65
% protein
USDA raw-heart data work out to about 65% protein after water is removed. This is a calculation, not a finished-batch test.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds animal protein
Heart is muscle with substantial protein. Removing water concentrates that protein by weight, making the dried ingredient easier to add without bringing raw meat's moisture into a recipe.5,9
-
02
Adds meaty flavor
Brands sell dried heart pieces as treats and toppers. In a food, the named cut also gives owners a recognizable animal ingredient to find on the label.7,11
-
03
Uses a separate cut
Turkey processors supply hearts as their own ingredient stream. Freeze drying needs specialized equipment and substantial energy, adding cost to this way of making the stream shelf-stable.9,10
How much The sources reviewed give no tested kibble inclusion level for turkey heart; single-ingredient products are sold as occasional treats.8,11
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Freeze drying concentrates turkey heart protein
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
The USDA raw-heart entry lists 16.7% protein and 74.47% water. Removing the water puts the same solids at about 65% protein on a dry basis. That arithmetic says nothing about a heart-health effect.5,9
-
Brands say
Freeze-dried heart digests better than kibble protein
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a 10-dog study, a complete freeze-dried diet had higher protein digestibility than the tested extruded diet. The recipes differed in ingredients and nutrients, so the result cannot be assigned to freeze drying or turkey heart.1
-
Brands say
Natural taurine in heart protects a dog's heart
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A laboratory survey measured taurine in 3 beef hearts and in turkey meat, but not turkey heart. Dogs with taurine-deficient heart disease improved after diet changes and supplements. Neither finding tests turkey heart as prevention.2,4,11
-
Brands say
CoQ10 in turkey heart strengthens heart muscle
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A randomized 43-dog trial gave purified CoQ10 for 3 months and found changes in blood cell measures without proving better cardiac function. It did not measure CoQ10 in turkey heart or test the amount a food supplies.3,11
-
Owners say
Freeze drying makes raw heart germ-free
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
CDC identifies freeze-dried pet food as a raw format and says drying does not kill every germ. Freeze drying alone cannot guarantee a batch is free of Salmonella or Listeria.6
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoHeart is animal muscle that supplies protein and fat. Its place on the ingredient list still matters: a small amount of named heart does not tell you how much animal protein the whole food contains.5,7
-
Q02
Does heart mean extra taurine?
Not quantifiedAnimal hearts often contain taurine, but the cited laboratory table tested beef heart, not turkey heart. An ingredient name does not reveal the taurine left after processing or the amount in the finished food.4
-
Q03
Can these treats replace dinner?
NoSingle-ingredient heart products are sold as treats. AAFCO does not require treats to meet complete-diet nutrient standards, and large portions can displace balanced food and add calories.8,11
-
Q04
Does freeze dried mean cooked?
NoFreeze drying removes ice under vacuum. It does not provide the germ-killing heat of cooking. If the maker calls the heart raw, handle the pieces and their container as raw pet food.6,9
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Peas 100%
- Tapioca 100%
- Natural Flavor 100%
- Turkey Meal 67%
- Turkey 67%
- Canola Oil 67%
- Coconut Oil 67%
- Montmorillonite Clay 67%
- Salt 67%
- Duck 33%
- Duck Meal 33%
- Chicken Meal 33%
Our read // On the bag
Read its position, then check the claim
On a food bag, read turkey heart alongside the ingredients above it; the list ranks ingredients by weight. Heart low on the list is a small protein addition, not a cardiac treatment. For separate treats, check the nutritional adequacy statement, feed them occasionally and favor a maker that explains its pathogen control.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility of frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, fresh, and extruded dog foods and their effects on serum metabolites and fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs
- 2 Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets
- 3 Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Markers, Inflammatory Markers, Lymphocyte Subpopulations, and Clinical Status in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
- 4 Taurine concentrations in animal feed ingredients; cooking influences taurine content
- 5 Turkey Heart
- 6 About Pet Food Safety
- 7 What's in the Ingredients List?
- 8 Treats and Chews
- 9 Drying Food Products
- 10 Pure Perfect Protein
- 11 Turkey Hearts for Dogs & Cats | Freeze-Dried, High Taurine