Muscular and secreting organs are beneficial ingredients in raw diets to provide vitamins and minerals that are important to healthy development. These ingredients are recommended to fulfill puppies’ higher requirements for certain fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals.
Muscular Organ: Heart
In many raw diets heart is classified as a muscle meat. Although the heart does not have the same function as skeletal muscles, it is a muscular organ. The heart is one of the hardest working muscles in the body. It is recommended to include a small amount of heart in the muscle meat portion of a puppy’s daily diet.
Nutritional Breakdown
Heart muscle meat is nutrient-dense in amino acids and just about every B vitamin. It is an optimal ingredient choice to ensure water-soluble vitamins are being met daily. However, it is important to note that the nutritional information varies between different species.
Pork Heart
Pork heart is commonly found in ethnic markets and is jam-packed with B vitamins. The most notable nutrient in pork heart is the high amount of Thiamine (B1) which is often low in many raw diets!
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 33kcal |
| Protein | 17.2% |
| Fat | 4.3% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 3.5oz (100g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.61 mg = 178% RA |
| Niacin (B3) | 6.7 mg = 157% RA |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 0.39 mg = 102% RA |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 1.2 mg = 88.7% RA |
Beef Heart
Nutritionally beef heart is slightly lower in B vitamins in comparison to pork heart. However, beef heart is often easier to source. Beef heart is one of the most accessible heart options found in local and ethnic markets.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 32kcal |
| Protein | 17.7% |
| Fat | 3.9% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 3.5oz (100g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Niacin (B3) | 7.5 mg = 175% RA |
| Cobalamin (B12) | 8.5 mcg = 96.6% RA |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 0.27 mg = 73.5% RA |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.24 mg = 69.2% RA |
Chicken Heart
Overall chicken hearts are much lower in B vitamins in comparison to pork and beef heart; although they are a better source of folic acid. Additionally, chicken heart is often the easiest to source.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 43kcal |
| Protein | 15.5% |
| Fat | 9.3% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 3.5oz (100g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Niacin (B3) | 4.9 mg = 113.6% RA |
| Folic Acid (B9) | 72 mcg = 104.7% RA |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 0.36 mg = 94.9% RA |
| Cobalamin (B12) | 7.3 mcg = 82.3% RA |
It is recommended to feed a small amount of heart content daily to ensure recommended allowances for B vitamins are met. A starting guideline to follow is 10-15% heart content within the muscle meat portion. However, the amount of heart needed to fulfill the recommended allowances for B vitamins is dependent on the other ingredients in the meal.
Secreting Organ: Liver
Secreting organs such as liver play a vital role in meeting recommended allowances for Vitamin A. Liver from ruminant animals also plays an important role in meeting copper requirements for puppies. Additionally, liver is a great source of amino acids, water-soluble vitamins, and other minerals. Overall liver packs a nutritional punch and is beneficial when balancing raw diets for puppies.
Nutritional Breakdown
It is recommended to include a small amount of liver in a puppy’s daily diet. Ruminant liver is an optimal ingredient choice to ensure Vitamin A and copper requirements are being met. It is important to note that the nutritional information varies between different species.
Beef Liver
Beef liver is one of the most nutrient-dense, accessible, and affordable liver options in raw diets for puppies. Beef liver is high in Vitamin A, B vitamins, and copper. A little goes a long way!
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 38kcal |
| Protein | 20.3% |
| Fat | 3.6% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 1oz (28g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Vitamin A | 1398 mcg = 367% RA |
| Cobalamin (B12) | 4.1 mcg = 189% RA |
| Folic Acid (B9) | 82 mcg = 119% RA |
| Copper | 2.7 mg = 101% RA |
Lamb Liver
Lamb liver is an alternative to beef liver if beef is not tolerated. Overall, lamb liver is higher in Vitamin A, but slightly lower in copper in comparison to beef liver.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 39kcal |
| Protein | 20.3% |
| Fat | 5% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 1oz (28g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Vitamin A | 2095 mcg = 546% RA |
| Cobalamin (B12) | 25.5 mcg = 288% RA |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.6 mg = 106% RA |
| Copper | 1.9 mg = 72% RA |
Duck Liver
Duck liver is another alternative option for adding raw liver into a puppy’s raw diet. In general, liver from fowl (duck and goose) is much higher in Vitamin A in comparison to all other liver options. This means a smaller amount can be fed to achieve Vitamin A requirements. However, poultry and fowl livers are much lower in essential copper. It is ideal to pair these liver options with beef liver or a copper supplement. Overall, it is recommended to feed 7% liver in raw diets for puppies. However, lower amounts can be fed when duck liver is selected due to the high Vitamin A levels.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 39kcal |
| Protein | 18.7% |
| Fat | 4.6% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 1oz (28g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Vitamin A | 3397 mcg = 885% RA |
| Folic Acid (B9) | 209 mcg = 304% RA |
| Cobalamin (B12) | 15.3 mcg = 172% RA |
| Copper | 1.7 mg = 61% RA |
Raw liver is necessary to provide essential nutrients such as Vitamin A, copper, and B vitamins in a puppy’s raw diet. The recommended starting guideline to follow is 7% liver to fulfill Vitamin A and copper requirements. It is important to select liver options that will provide sufficient levels of copper for puppies. In general, liver from ruminant animals such as cattle or sheep will have sufficient levels of both Vitamin A and copper.
Secreting Organ: Spleen & Kidney
Secreting organs assist in meeting recommended allowances for essential nutrients. In particular, spleen is useful for meeting the high iron requirements of puppies. Additionally, these organs are a great source of amino acids and water-soluble vitamins.
Nutritional Breakdown
Puppies have a high requirement for iron which can be deficient in raw diets if spleen is not fed. The use of an additional secreting organ such as spleen is ideal for meeting iron requirements for developing puppies. However, spleen can often be difficult to source and an iron supplement may be necessary.
Beef Spleen
Beef spleen is an ideal option to ensure recommended allowance for iron is met in raw diets for puppies. Beef spleen is usually inexpensive and sold at butchers, ethnic markets, or raw pet food suppliers.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 30kcal |
| Protein | 18.3% |
| Fat | 3% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 1oz (28g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Iron | 12.63 mg = 56% RA |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.4 mg = 55% RA |
| Selenium | 17.6 mcg = 19% RA |
| Cobalamin (B12) | 1.6 mcg = 18% RA |
Pork Spleen
Pork spleen is another organ option to use in raw diets for puppies to complete iron requirements. Pork spleen is lower in iron in comparison to beef spleen but is often accessible in ethnic markets. Occasionally spleen is labelled as “melt” in certain markets.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 28kcal |
| Protein | 17.8% |
| Fat | 2.6% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 1oz (28g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Niacin (B3) | 1.7 mg = 38% RA |
| Iron | 6.33 mg = 28% RA |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.037 mg = 10% RA |
| Selenium | 9.3 mcg = 10% RA |
Beef Kidney
Beef kidney provides a substantial amount of B vitamins and can be used as a substitute for raw heart when completing B vitamin requirements. Although the levels are not high, beef kidney also provides small amounts of Vitamin D! In general, kidney will not provide enough iron for puppies however. It is recommended to feed in combination with spleen.
Macro Nutrients
The amount of calories, protein, fat, and carbs are based on 1oz (28g).
| Calories | 28kcal |
| Protein | 17.4% |
| Fat | 3% |
| Carbs | 0% |
Top Nutrients
The top nutrients are based on 1oz (28g) raw weight and NRC recommended allowances for a 1000kcal diet for puppies 14 weeks to 12 months old.
| Cobalamin (B12) | 7.8 mcg = 88% RA |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.8 mg = 60% RA |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.3 mg = 52% RA |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 0.19 mg = 49% RA |
The inclusion of raw spleen is highly recommended to provide essential iron for puppies. The recommended starting guideline to follow is 7%. However, iron levels will vary among different protein options. Additionally, the use of beef kidney proves beneficial when completing the recommended allowances for B vitamins if heart content is not used.
CLOSING COMMENTS
There are other protein options for raw heart, liver, spleen, and kidney than the ingredients listed in this article. This list is not to insinuate other items cannot or should not be fed. The raw ingredients listed in this article prove beneficial and efficient when achieving the recommended allowances for specific essential nutrients.
Including muscular and secreting organs such as raw heart, liver, spleen, and kidney in a raw diet for puppies proves beneficial when completing recommended allowances for nutrients such as:
Vitamin A
The 7% liver ratio in raw puppy diets supplies sufficient levels of Vitamin A to complete recommended allowances.
Copper
Livers from ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep provide adequate levels of copper to complete the recommended copper allowance for puppies.
Iron
Spleen used as the 7% other organ ratio in raw puppy diets can supply essential iron for developing puppies.
B Vitamins
Raw hearts and kidneys are jam-packed with just about every B vitamin. They prove useful when completing the recommended allowances for water-soluble vitamins.