Dogs are natural meat eaters and scavenge if they have to. But this only holds true as long as their lifestyle is not manipulated. Long ago, these lovely carnivores tempted us to let them in, and for some reason, we decided that there was no way out for them! Nowadays, dogs are considered one of the most favorite types of pets and are treated by many as family members. However, separating them from their natural habitat comes with a price. Pet dogs never have to risk their life for food anymore. As a matter of fact, it is prepared, brought, and served to them in a manner they never expected. Among such foods is raw liver, which is the focus of our discussion. In this post, we will discuss if raw liver for dogs is good or otherwise.

Can dogs eat raw liver?

To give you a hasty quick answer, yes, dogs can eat raw liver. But that’s not all. To eat a limited amount of liver over a week/month is fine for almost any dog, provided that they are mature and healthy. To make sure that your dog will not face any digestive issues, you should consider two things. First, is your dog used to eating raw meat, and for that matter, raw liver? And second, should you feed your dog chicken, lamb, cow, or pig liver? Let’s address each question separately below.

Can my dog eat raw liver if he hasn’t eaten meat before?

Doing something for the first time is a rather challenging task, even if the task is eating meat for a dog! If your dog has never eaten meat before and you want to give him raw liver, you should give him just a small bite for the first few times. This way, he will get used to it, and his digestive system will not overreact. Some dogs fall in love with it immediately, while others sniff at it and go away. The real problem arises when pet dogs are given raw liver regularly and hence are taken down with pathogen, an organism that resides in the dog’s body and causes disease. So, to stay on the safe side, it’s better to freeze or air-dry the liver before giving it to your dog. Now let’s see whose liver we should take out!

Which animal’s liver can dogs eat?

As long as raw liver does not become the main part of your dog’s diet, you can give him chicken, lamb, cow, or pig liver. But you need to consider the amount of fat stored in the liver before giving it to your dog. Generally, dogs should not eat a lot of high-fat meat. If less fat in liver is your priority, then you should go for chicken liver as your last option. Chicken liver contains more fat in comparison with pig, cow, or lamb liver. Still, if you give chicken liver to your dog once or twice a day, he should be fine. Cow liver contains more vitamins than that of lambs and pigs and is hence more nutritious. If you decide to go for pig liver, cooking it before giving it to your dog is highly advised.  

Is raw liver a good source of energy for dogs?

Raw liver contains several types of vitamins that are of great value for dogs. The four main vitamins that are found in raw liver are listed below. These vitamins contribute to your dog’s overall health and should never be overlooked.

• Vitamin A: Contributes to better functioning of the heart, kidneys, and reproductive organs.
• Vitamin B: contributes to better functioning and growth of cells.
• Iron: contributes to the transportation of oxygen to the blood cells and regulation of body temperature. An increased amount of iron in dogs’ food will result in their body strength and endurance.
• Zinc and copper: contribute to building strong bones and joints.

A quick look at the benefits raw liver has for your dog shows that it must be included in his diet to ensure his health state.  

How much raw liver can my dog have in a week?

By now, you must have been convinced that raw liver for dogs is absolutely essential. Yet, the amount of liver you give to your dog should be controlled. As discussed earlier, liver contains fat, and giving too much fat to your pet dog might cause health problems for him. At other times, hypervitaminosis A might be observed in your dog. This happens when there is too much vitamin in your dog’s food. So, keep in mind that your dog’s diet should contain at most 5% meat if he receives meat in every meal. That equals one ounce of liver a day. You can increase this amount if you feed him meat only a few times a week.

Final thoughts

The food you give to your dog should contain enough vitamins so that he grows well and remains strong. A great source of vitamins for dogs is raw liver. In this article, we discussed the value of raw liver for dogs and provided some essential information regarding the amount and type of liver you should include in your dog’s diet. If you follow these tips, your dog should never be at risk, even if he eats raw liver regularly. If you found this article informative, you also like our guide on diabetic dog food. Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.