Is Beef Or Chicken Liver Better For Dogs?
You may find beef or calves’ liver in the freezer. And chicken livers are easy to find. They’re usually in the fresh meat section, in plastic containers. Always ask if you don’t see them.
If you can get both, you can rotate. In general, beef is higher in important minerals like Iron, calcium and zinc than chicken livers. But chicken livers have more vitamins A and D and some B vitamins.
Chicken livers have about 30% more total fat than beef liver. And … like chicken meat generally, chicken livers are higher in polyunsaturated fats than beef liver. But don’t worry too much about the fat, because liver is lower in fat than muscle meats. It’s also quite a small part of your dog’s diet.
To really give your dog the rich benefits of liver, he should eat it raw. Cooking kills a lot of nutrients. In 2007, a USDA paper showed that cooking liver caused the loss of …
There wasn’t much effect on calcium, beta carotene and choline. But it’s obviously much better to feed liver raw if you can. But not every dog likes to eat raw liver.
What Kind Of Liver Can Dogs Eat?
Feed whatever liver you can get your hands on. Check with specialty butchers, raw dog food suppliers, local farmers or abattoirs for liver from any animal you can think of. Here are some good options …
Feeding a lot of different animal livers is good because they all have different nutrients. So your dog will get a wider range of benefits from his liver. But even your local grocery store should carry beef and chicken livers.
Why Is Liver Good For Dogs?
Liver’s a vital part of a great raw diet for your dog … and chances are, you’re not feeding enough of it. It’s a true superfood for dogs! Liver’s a great source of protein that’s lower in fat than muscle meat. But it’s far more than that. Liver’s so rich in nutrients that people call liver nature’s multivitamin. Here are just a few of the nutrients liver offers your dog.
If you compare 100g of lean ground beef to 100g of beef liver … you’ll see what a powerhouse it can be for your dog …
And .. if you buy liver from pasture-raised animals, you’ll increase the benefits. The essential nutrients will be even higher than they are in factory-farmed animals. But any kind of liver provides your dog with excellent nutrition.
Liver is very safe for dogs … and it’s not true that feeding liver can fill your dog with toxins. The liver’s main job is filtering toxins out of the body … but it doesn’t store those toxins. In fact … muscle meats are typically higher in unwanted toxins than liver.
So liver won’t poison your dog. And even if it’s not organic or grass-fed … it’s still a hugely healthy food for your dog. Organic or grass-fed meats are always healthiest. You’ll avoid toxins like herbicides or antibiotics in meat. But any liver is good for your dog.
There’s another advantage to feeding liver … and that’s to support the liver itself.
Can Dogs Eat Liver? YES! 4 Reasons Why From a Nutrition Expert
Liver. You either love it or hate it! Chances are your dog will beg and drool if you fry up liver with onions and kidneys but can dogs eat liver safely? How much is good for them and what’s the best way to cook it or is it full of toxins?
Dogs can eat liver safely if it’s plain and given in moderate amounts. In fact, liver is packed with dog-friendly nutrients, and it’s widely used in commercial dog (and cat) food as a major ingredient. It’s also economic compared to other cuts of meat if you’re preparing home cooked dog food.