How Much Organ Meat Do You Give a Dog?

Dogs, like people, need to eat well to stay healthy. Dogs can survive -- and even be healthy -- eating a diet of store-bought dry kibble. However, they require a diet high in meat-based proteins to truly thrive. Raw meat based diets provide the dogs with a mix of muscle meats, organ meats, and "raw meaty bones." Organ meats are good for dogs, however, they should not be fed too heavily or too often.

  1. Organ Meats

    • Some organ meats are also called "offal." Organ meats are comprised of liver, kidney, pancreas, lungs and green tripe (stomach). Heart and gizzard meats are considered muscle meat, although both are highly recommended for a raw diet. Tongue is rarely used in raw dog food diet. Brains, while organ meats, are usually excluded from raw diets due to the risks associated with eating them.

    Quantity of Organ Meats

    • According to the Prey Model Raw website, a raw canine diet should consist of "10 percent whole, raw bones, 10 percent whole, raw organ meats and 80 percent skeletal muscle meats." Ideally, the dog should eat the equivalent up to two or three percent of its body weight per day as an adult and about 10 percent of its body weight per day as a puppy.

    Frequency of Organ Meats

    • Many people feed their dogs twice per day, but it is just as natural for dogs to eat only once daily. According to DogAware.com, "It's better to feed smaller amounts daily or every other day than to feed larger amounts once or twice a week." Feeding large amounts of organ meats can cause loose stools, so it is important to pay attention to both the quantity of organ meats being fed and the frequency with which they are given as part of the dog's diet.

    Benefits of Organ Meats

    • Organ meats are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. They provide vitamin B, which supports nerve development. They are also a source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which aids in healing, cell regeneration and fighting cancer. Kidney and liver are also sources of iron. In addition, liver is a highly concentrated source of vitamin A and provides vitamins D and K, as well as iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Because they provide all of these benefits, among many other vitamins and minerals, organ meats are ideal additions to the performance or working dog's diet.