The Benefits of Liver in Your Dog’s Diet

I forgot to defrost liver in time for our liver post.

L is still for liver, even though my puppers won’t actually be eating any of it today.  Kit was giving me some pretty serious side eye while I was trying to take pictures of him next to a package of frozen beef liver.  I recently wrote about what we feed Kitsune, and about how we couldn’t get a raw diet to work for him.  Although we gave up trying to feed Kit raw, the raw food diet did introduce us to the benefits of feeding liver.

I still buy my dogs liver every once in awhile.  Usually when I buy it now it’s to make liver dog treats.  Occasionally I’ll just give it to them as a special addition to one of their meals.  Most dogs can eat any type of liver.  I usually go for beef liver because it’s the easiest/cheapest kind I find in stores around me – at least besides chicken liver, which Kit can’t eat.

The Benefits of Feeding Your Dog Liver

Liver is full of good stuff, such as animal protein, copper, iron, vitamins A, and B, phosphorus, zinc, omega fatty acids, amino acids, and niacin.  Vitamin A helps digestion, and is an excellent antioxidant.  Iron plays many important roles in the body, including forming blood, brain development, and the formation of a strong immune system.  Folic acid and B vitamins help fight fatigue and anemia.

Too Much of A Good Thing?

Raw feeders normally recommend that a dogs diet be made up of only about 5% liver.  Although it does have many amazing health benefits, you always want to feed liver in moderation.  Too much liver in the diet can lead to an overdose of vitamin A, which can wreak havoc with your dog’s bones, digestive system, and muscles.

Liver is very rich, and too much of it at once often leads to the dreaded d word – diarrhea.  Because of this, for most dogs it’s best fed in small amounts – especially if your dog is trying it for the first time.

I really don’t like the smell of liver, and the texture (to me) is pretty gross too.  But I still prepare it for my dogs because they enjoy it, and I know it’s packed full of nutrients.  The things we put up with for the sake of our spoiled pets!  Have you ever fed your dog liver before?  How do you prepare it for him/her?

This post is a part of the 2016 Blogging from A to Z challenge!  You can learn more about our challenge theme here.