We recommend keeping organ consumption within 10-15% of the diet to support healthy organ function and provide proper nutrition. Organs also contain essential fatty acids contributing to pets’ soft and shiny coats!
As with any diet change, transition slowly.
Organ meats are extremely rich in nutrients, give your dog’s diet a boost by adding just a few of the more commonly available organs. You can see the comparison to tenderloin in the following chart.
Brain | Heart | Kidney | Liver | Lung | Spleen | Tongue | Tenderloin | |
Vitamin A [IU] | 147 | 0.00 | 1,397 | 16,898 | 46.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Thiamin [mg] | 0.09 | 0.24 | 0.36 | 1.89 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.12 |
Riboflavin [mg] | 0.20 | 0.91 | 2.84 | 2.76 | 0.23 | 0.37 | 0.34 | 0.21 |
Niacin [mg] | 3.55 | 7.35 | 8.03 | 13.18 | 4.00 | 8.40 | 4.24 | 2.99 |
Pantothenic Acid [mg] | 2.01 | 1.79 | 3.97 | 7.17 | 1.00 | 1.08 | 0.65 | 0.30 |
Vitamin B6 [mg] | 0.23 | 0.28 | 0.67 | 1.08 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.31 | 0.38 |
Folate [mcg] | 3.00 | 3.00 | 98.0 | 290 | 11.0 | 4.00 | 7.00 | 6.00 |
Vitamin B12 [mcg] | 9.51 | 8.55 | 27.5 | 59.3 | 3.81 | 5.68 | 3.79 | 2.60 |
Vitamin D [IU] | n.a. | n.a. | 45.0 | 49.0 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
Vitamin E [mg] | 0.99 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.38 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
Vitamin K [mcg] | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.1 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
Vitamins in Selected Beef Organs in Comparison to Tenderloin (raw)²
As you can see, each organ will provide its own, unique set of vitamins and minerals. The more organs you add to the diet of your dog, the better the mix of nutrients your dog will receive.
Brain | Heart | Kidney | Liver | Lung | Spleen | Tongue | Tenderloin | |
Calcium [mg] | 43.0 | 7.00 | 13.0 | 5.00 | 10.0 | 9.00 | 6.00 | 7.00 |
Copper [mg] | 0.29 | 0.40 | 0.43 | 9.76 | 0.26 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.09 |
Iron [mg] | 2.55 | 4.31 | 4.60 | 4.90 | 7.95 | 44.6 | 2.95 | 2.35 |
Magnesium [mg] | 13.0 | 21.0 | 17.0 | 18.0 | 14.0 | 22.0 | 16.0 | 20.0 |
Manganese [mg] | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.14 | 0.31 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.01 |
Phosphorus [mg] | 362 | 212 | 257 | 387 | 224 | 296 | 133 | 181 |
Potassium [mg] | 274 | 287 | 262 | 313 | 340 | 429 | 315 | 304 |
Selenium [mcg] | 21.3 | 21.8 | 141 | 39.7 | 44.3 | 62.2 | 9.40 | 17.1 |
Sodium [mg] | 126 | 98.0 | 182 | 69.0 | 198 | 85.0 | 69.0 | 49.0 |
Zinc [mg] | 1.02 | 1.70 | 1.92 | 4.00 | 1.61 | 2.11 | 2.87 | 3.05 |
Minerals in Selected Beef Organs in Comparison to Tenderloin (raw)³
Organ meats are best fed raw. Feeding raw will ensure that your dog gets all the temperature-sensitive nutrients stored within the organs.