Liver and organ meat for dogs: how much to feed

Organ meat is the “10% organ” in the 80/10/10 guide, and it’s the part of raw feeding people are least sure about. The short version: about half of it is liver, the other half is other organs like kidney, and it’s fed in small amounts because it’s very rich.

What counts as organ

In raw feeding, “organ” usually means the secreting organs: liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas and brain. Liver is the one nearly every raw feeder includes, and kidney is the next most common.

A few things sound like organs but are counted differently:

• Heart, tongue and cheek are muscles, so they count as muscle meat.
• Green tripe is usually kept separate from the organ part. Our green tripe guide explains where it fits.

How much to feed

A common way to split the 10% is 5% liver and 5% other organ. For a 20 kg dog eating 500 g of raw food a day, that’s roughly:

Like the rest of the 80/10/10 guide, it evens out over a week. Plenty of owners feed organ a few times a week rather than a little every day. Our how much to feed guide has daily amounts for other weights.

Why liver stays at about 5%

Liver is very rich, including in vitamin A, which is why raw feeders keep it to a small share of the diet rather than feeding it freely. Too much organ in one go can also loosen stools, so it’s worth building up slowly.

Introducing organ

1. Wait until your dog is settled on their main protein.
2. Start with a small amount, a teaspoon or two for a medium dog, mixed into the usual meal.
3. Increase it over a couple of weeks until you reach the amount for your dog’s size.

Most dogs eat it happily mixed through mince. A few pick it out, and for those dogs a blend with the organ already minced in makes life easier.

Where to find organ in our range

Balance Mix is our easiest option. It’s made from tripe, liver, kidney, tongue, cheek, heart and chicken mince, and you mix one part Balance Mix to two parts of any mince. Chicken Mince with Balance Mix is a common pairing, because the chicken brings bone as well.

Several of our blends also have offal minced through, listed as liver, heart and kidney, which contributes to the organ part:

• Active Dog Mix: beef, horse, offal and green tripe
• Fussy Mix: veal, chicken, liver and offal
• Breeders Mix: beef, horse, goat and offal

If you’d rather feed organ on its own, plain liver and kidney from the butcher work well. Cut them into small portions and freeze them, so you only thaw what you need.

Organ meat questions

Can dogs eat raw liver every day?

Yes, in small amounts. A little each day and a bigger portion a couple of times a week both work, as long as the weekly total stays around 5% of the diet.

Is chicken liver OK?

Yes. Liver from any of the usual meats works. If your dog needs to stay off a protein, choose liver from an animal they can eat.