Dogs love liver – but how much liver is too much – can too much do harm?

Dogs love liver – but how much liver is too much – can too much do harm?

Everyone who loves dogs knows that dogs love liver! Treats containing liver abound, recipes for liver “brownies” are perennial favourites (you can find one here on this blog, but there are countless versions) and simple baked treats are a mainstay as “bait” for show dogs and rewards for hard working canines in all kinds of sport and performance work. In home made recipes, some organ meat is always included, to boost nutrient levels, especially Vitamin A, and copper. But how much liver is enough, and is it possible to overdo it? Are all kinds – beef, lamb, chicken, pork – created equal? In this entry we’ll take a little closer look at liver; what it offers your dog, how to prepare it – and why you really can get too much of a good thing.

Let’s start with what’s good about liver, why it should be included in a canine diet, if it’s tolerated.

1. Liver is nature’s most abundant source of Vitamin A, in the  most bioavailable form for carnivores. (This is why cod liver oil is so different from fish body oil, the vitamin content).
2. Liver is an excellent source of protein, all the B vitamins, and iron.
3. Liver is very high in copper, an important nutrient that can be low in home made diets.
4. Liver contains Vitamin D which supports the immune system, muscles & bone growth
5. Oh yes, and dogs love the stuff…can’t forget that one.

Look for a supplier that uses rural raised, clean air living, grass fed, hormone free Beef – always buy the best you can afford.

Now, what might some of the issues be?

1. ​Liver is very high in copper (yes, this can be a problem if fed too much. We want to hit in around the  Recommended Allowance, not go, you know, 20 times above it. That carries its own problems)
2. Liver is very high in phosphorus, which we like to watch especially with growth diets, seniors and very carefully with kidney disease.
3. Liver is high in purines, a big no-no for dogs with uric acid stones(especially common in the Dalmatian, and serious stuff)
4. Although we mention above that what is good is that liver contains Vit. A, we need to be aware that too much Vit. A can poison dogs, creating symptoms that in include tremors, convulsions and peeling skin. 
5. There is always the risk of salmonella and campylobacter in raw organs which can be particularly harmful to young, old or unwell dogs. 
6. When a dog has an allergic reaction, it is very often the protein that is the culprit. A good idea is to do an allergy test
7. Always check with your vet before giving liver to your dog if your dog suffers from any disease. With some diseases, liver can do harm. 

This part can get technical, so bear with me.  I don’t, for the record, believe that every meal has to be “perfectly balanced” but I can easily demonstrate how not paying attention and relying on guesswork will create imbalances- which in turn, can have serious backlash over time. It’s good to know what is in our food – not just the toxins, which many are concerned about, but the nutrients! So to figure out how much liver to add, it’s smart to start off calculating your dog’s phosphorus and copper requirements. Then, calculate how much is in the diet. Often, there will be plenty of phosphorus but low copper.  Add just enough liver to bring the copper into the recommended range or a little higher. The exceptions to this of course, would be a cancer or renal diet where we need to restrict copper, or of course, any dog with urate stones. Just take a pass in those cases.

In a cooked diet, I generally need to add anywhere from 1 – 5 ounces per week, depending on the size of the dog. I did a St. Bernard diet yesterday and we’re using six ounces of liver; the dog’s recommended allowance is 35 mgs, and the recipe has 36. The dog’s allowance for phosphorus is 14,000 mgs; with the liver, we have 14,079.(this is beef liver I’m referring to here).

To calculate your dogs RA for phosphorus, follow the same basic procedure I’ve referred to in past entries; take the bodyweight in kilograms to the power of 0.75, then multiply by 100. That’s the DAILY recommended allowance. To find the copper recommendation, take the metabolic number as above, and multiply by 0.2, for the daily ideal level. Of course, you just X these levels by 7 to get the weekly amounts.

That’s the easy part. Figuring out what’s in the diet is harder. You can use a tool like nutrition data, or you can slog it out using the USDA database. In general, my feeling is one ounce a week for a small dog, 2 – 3 for a medium, 4-6 for large and giant breeds. This is not precision nutrition, but it gives an idea of how much we might use in a recipe. I often suggest to clients they reserve the liver I include in their dog’s recipe, and feed as treats. It doesn’t have to go into the batch, just into the dog. 

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Disclaimer: The information produced by Infurmation is provided for general and educational purposes only and does not constitute any legal, medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always seek the advice of your vet or other qualified health care provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you suspect that your pet has a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.