Are you here to find out if pork liver is beneficial to your dog? the best pork liver for dogs? or pork liver for dogs recipes? You have come to the right place because we will be discussing all that and more in this blog post.
If you are wondering if your dog can have pork liver, yes they can. The fat and cholesterol content of pork liver is lower than that of chicken liver but its nutrient content is also a little bit lower than that of chicken.
We would start by looking at the benefits of pork liver for dogs.
Benefits of pork liver for dogs
Pork liver can help prevent your dog from having anemia
Pork liver is rich in iron. Iron helps to create red blood cells and hemoglobin and transport oxygen in hemoglobin. As you know, anemia is a condition in which the blood doesn’t have enough healthy blood cells, it results from a lack of red blood cells or dysfunctional red blood cells in the body.
Pork liver can help maintain your dog’s brain health
Pork liver is rich in folate and there is a linkage between poor mental function and an increased risk of dementia with low folate levels. Even folate levels that may seem normal but are a little bit on the low side might lead to an increase in the risk of mental impairment as your dog gets old.
There was a study in 2019 that involved 180 adults with mild cognitive impairment, taking 400 mcg of folic acid (folate) supplements daily for 2 years improved measures of brain function and if it worked for humans, it would have effects on our dogs too, wouldn’t it?
Pork liver is packed with antioxidants
Pork liver is rich in antioxidants like vitamins A, B10, B2, B3, and C. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your dog’s cells against free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage your dog’s cells, causing illness, and aging.
Pork liver can help your dog’s eye health
Pork liver is rich in vitamin A which is very essential to your dog’s vision and eye health. If your dog gets enough vitamin A, it could help protect them against certain eye diseases.
Pork liver can help reduce heart disease risk factors in your dog
High levels of the amino acid homocysteine are said to increase heart disease risk but folate which is abundant in pork liver helps break down homocysteine which could cause heart disease risk factors to reduce in your dog.
There was a review that included 30 studies with more than 80,000 total participants that showed that supplementing with folic acid led to a 4% reduction in overall heart disease risk and a 10% reduction in stroke risk.
Pork liver is beneficial for fetal development in pregnant dogs
As I have mentioned, pork liver is rich in vitamin A which is very critical for placental health, fetal tissue, and fetal growth. You can read more about it in this research.
Pork liver can help boost your dog’s metabolism
Pork liver is rich in vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B5 whose roles are mainly related to obtaining energy from the food your dog eats.
Pork liver can boost your dog’s immunity
Pork liver has an adequate amount of vitamin C that helps boost your dog’s immune system by helping your dog’s body make several types of specialized immune cells that guard against infection, improving the function of those immune cells, and protecting them from damage by free radicals.
Best pork liver for dogs
Best pork liver for dogs US
Raw feeding Miami raw pig liver
This is one of the businesses in the US that sell human-grade, USDA-approved raw meat for dogs that I trust because their meat is always fresh.
On their website, they say the pork liver is hormone and antibiotic-free and not enhanced because it looks fresh and natural.
Though they do not have a farm, they say they get their meat from meat producers that maintain a superior level of sustainability and ethics behind the treatment of their sustainability and they ensure their entire beef line comes from local, grass-fed, non-GMO cows.
They deliver only to the 48 contiguous United States and they deliver the beef liver in an insulated box with dry ice and ice packs (you won’t have to pay extra for the box and the ice).
They also offer local pick-ups, you can go pick up your orders from their warehouse at 18350 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL, 33179). They are open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM for pick-ups and they offer a flat rate of $25 local delivery option for anyone in the south FL area.
Click here to check the price.
US Wellness Meats pig liver
This is another place you can get human-grade pork liver from, they say their pork liver is pasture-raised heritage pork liver, it is non-GMO, NO added hormones, NO additives, NO herbicides, NO pesticides, and antibiotic-free, and has nothing done to it since harvest.
They have four farms in Missouri and Wellness Illinois, and they also partner with some small farms they trust in the US.
They deliver to the 50 states in the US and Puerto Rico. The pork liver is delivered in a well-insulated, recycled green shipping container.
Click here to check the price.
My Pet Carnivore.com pig liver
This is another place you can get your pork liver from. The liver does not contain denaturants, added colors, preservatives, artificial ingredients, and HPP.
They do not have a farm but they source from USDA inspected and approved Midwestern –raised pigs.
They deliver to all states in the United States, your pork liver would come in an insulated box with dry ice which would be added to your shipping fee.
They also have route delivery points in Indiana where their freezer trucks drive by at specific dates, times, and locations.
No-fee pickups are also allowed at their headquarters in Indianapolis, their address is 1402 Shelby St, Indianapolis, IN 46203.
Click here to check the price.
Best pork liver for dogs UK
The dogs butcher raw pig liver
I have heard some dog parents who live in the UK mention this raw food business and I decided to research them and they are good.
On their site, they stated that they only source local, ethically produced, organic, raw food for the dogs. They have a DEFTRA license (their DEFTRA Reg number is 10/367/8101) and they source their meat from abattoirs that they have worked with for years and visit regularly.
They deliver the pork liver frozen all over the UK via DPD courier but their delivery drivers deliver locally around Devon. They are located at ST mary church road, Newton Abbot.
Click here to check the price.
Kimbers’ farms and farm shop Gloucester old spot pig liver
This is another place most of my subscribers from the UK mentioned when I asked them.
The Kimbers’ farm and farm shop is a family business, they have a farm at Charlton Musgrove in the lush pastures of the Blackmore vale under the shadow of Alfred’s tower but their pork comes. The pork liver is from free-range Gloucester Old Spot pigs.
They deliver to both mainland UK and non-mainland, the pork liver is delivered in polyboxes with ice packs and you don’t have to pay extra for it.
You can also go pick up your order at their store in Linley Farm, Charlton Musgrove, Wincanton BA9 8HD. They are off the main road B3081 between Hauser Wirth Bruton and Racecourse and Otter Nurseries Wincanton.
Click here to check the price.
Pork liver recipes that are good for dogs
When it comes to homemade dog food, I am not an expert but the recipes I would be recommending are from experts who people follow and use their recipes often.
As always, you should still call your vet to confirm the recipes that would be safe for your dog.
Homemade pork meat and liver dog food
This recipe is made with pork meat, it is grain-free and low in carbs.
Ingredients needed
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 4 oz pork liver liver
- 2 oz chicken giblets
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- ½ cup pumpkin cut into small chunks
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
- ½ cup zucchini grated
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Steps
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan on a medium heat.
- Add the ground pork and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
- Add the liver and chicken giblets and cook for a further 4 minutes until cooked.
- Add the celery, pumpkin, zucchini, hemp hearts, chia seeds, turmeric, ginger, and eggs. Stir well and cover. Simmer for 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Note: this recipe belongs to pawsomerecipes.com
Pig liver bites
This recipe is for when you want to serve pork liver as a treat and not in food.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (you can also use other flour like whole wheat flour, oat flour, and almond flour).
- ½ pound pork livers, rinsed and trimmed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or more as needed
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
- Add oats to the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer oats to a large bowl and mix in flour.
- Place livers in the food processor and process until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Add eggs and blend until well combined, about 10 seconds. Add oil and process until incorporated.
- Add liver mixture to oat and flour mixture; stir until well blended. Spoon into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven until firm to the touch but not hard and crispy, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 50 pieces.
Note: this recipe belongs to allrecipes.com but they used chicken liver while we used pork liver.
Pig liver vegetable stew
Ingredients
- 20 oz pork livers
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups brown rice cooked
Steps
- Wash the pork livers in water to remove the debris.
- Heat the coconut oil in a medium sauce on medium heat and lightly sear the livers.
- Pour in one cup of the water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Add the chopped carrots sweet potatoes and the remaining water and cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables are slightly soft.
- Stir in the cooked rice and allow to cool before serving.
Note: this recipe belongs to pawsomerecipes.com but they used chicken liver.
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FAQS about pork liver for dogs
What type of liver is best for dogs?
I cannot say one particular liver is best for your dog because different livers are high and low in nutrients, so you should check their nutritional value and make a choice. But I don’t recommend you feed only one type of organ meats to your dog over a long period.
i have talked about other organ meats on this blog like beef liver and chicken hearts, so you can find out more about them by clicking on them.
What happens if a dog eats too much liver?
They could have an upset stomach and they could end up having too much of different vitamins which could lead to toxicity.
Can dogs eat pork liver every day?
I don’t recommend your dog eats one type of liver every day sometimes change it to chicken or beef liver.
Important information
I am not a vet, any advice shared in this post is from my personal experience, deep research, and advice from dog parents, and vets in the Reddit and Facebook dog groups and dog forums that I am a member of.
A Lot of dog parents are finding it hard to find the best pork liver for dogs, some don’t know the benefits of pork liver and some don’t know the recipes, so if this post was helpful to you, please share it with people or groups that might need it.