By slicing and freezing fresh, organic, free-range livers, you can make raw chicken liver for dogs. The livers can be minced and added to a homemade recipe for raw dog food. Alternately, serve slices of liver as a treat or sprinkle it on top of kibble.
However, there are some considerations to make if you decide to give your dog chicken livers. You don’t want to overfeed your dog with this food because it is rich and fatty, as opposed to just giving it regular kibble and wet food. Therefore, it will depend on your dog, its activities, and its diet.
Should I cook chicken liver for my dog?
The logical follow-up inquiry seems to be whether raw chicken liver contains any bacteria.
Given that raw food is the preferred choice in terms of nutrition, it makes sense to look into the possibility of food poisoning.
Most people are aware of the risks associated with raw chicken (and salmonella), but does the same rule apply to raw chicken liver?
Yes, it does although not from salmonella though.
Instead the culprit is Campylobacter which can be found throughout the liver and not just on the surface.
Finding exact figures on the prevalence of Campylobacter in chicken liver is challenging.
It is thought to be in anywhere between 10- 90% of all chicken livers.
Campylobacter must be thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165 °F or 74 °C in order to safely eradicate it.
And yes, dogs can get a Campylobacter infection and it is very nasty and it might involve a fever and lots of diarrhea.
So what is my recommendation now?
I believe it is best for your safety to cook any chicken liver, just be aware that the vitamins will become more potent and feed your dog less of it.
Now that I am aware of how hazardous raw chicken livers can be, I will examine livers from other animals.
Beef liver is a substitute that is widely available in the US, while alternatives to chicken livers in the UK appear to be either pork or lamb.
When I searched for information on the risks of consuming raw chicken liver, the Google results page was replete with warnings.
However, when I perform the same search for raw beef liver, Google just spits out pages with general guidelines about how to prepare any animal’s organs.
Therefore, it is safest to cook any animal liver, but chicken liver poses the greatest risk of food poisoning.
But to be safe, let’s check the nutrients.
Although 100g of raw beef liver has a few more calories than 100g of raw chicken liver, it contains less fat (3). 6 vs 4. 8 g) and slightly more protein (20 vs. 17 g). ).
Oh, and raw beef liver has much lower cholesterol (275 mg vs. 345 mg). ).
Raw chicken liver vs cooked chicken liver
You can see some nutritional information for simmered chicken liver to your right.
It is 6.5% fat and it is 24% protein.
Raw liver was 5% fat and 17% protein.
Additionally, there is a noticeable increase in the amount of cholesterol that cooked liver contains (563 mg as opposed to 345 mg). ).
I have a chart for vitamins, so it’s ironic that you should ask about them.
| Vitamin | Raw | Cooked |
| B12 | 16.58 mcg | 16.58 mcg |
| A | 11078 IU | 13328 IU |
| B2 | 1.778 mg | 2 mg |
| B5 | 6.23 mg | 6.67 mg |
| B6 | .853 mg | .0755 mg |
| B3 | 9.73 mg | 11.045 mg |
The main vitamins appear to be more concentrated or present in greater amounts when chicken liver is cooked.
About 20% more vitamin A and about 10% more vitamin B2 are added.
When simmered, vitamin B5 increases by about 5%, vitamin B6 appears to decrease by about 10%, and vitamin B3 experiences an increase of about 20%.
Given that cooking increases the concentration of these vitamins and that a raw piece of chicken contains way more vitamins than is recommended for daily consumption, it would seem to indicate that feeding your dog raw chicken is the best option.
What Are the Best Ways to Prepare Raw Chicken Liver for Dogs?
Cleaning the livers thoroughly in clean, fresh water before serving them to your dog is the ideal method of serving raw chicken livers. Then, to help get rid of any lingering impurities, let them soak in goat milk or coconut milk for four to six hours.
Rinse them once more, then freeze them for 15 to 20 minutes. They will slightly harden as a result, making it simpler to cut them into pieces that are 1/8 or 14 inch thick. These can be used as a training treat or as a topping for your dog’s kibble.
Making minced chicken livers and incorporating them into a recipe is another excellent way to feed raw chicken livers to your dog. For example, you might combine them with some finely chopped apples, egg yolks, blueberries, and/or cooked white rice.
FAQ
How much raw chicken liver can I feed my dog?
Organ meats shouldn’t make up more than 5% of your dog’s diet in order to avoid the possibility of hypervitaminosis A. That amounts to no more than one ounce of liver per day for a medium-sized dog.
Should liver be raw or cooked for dogs?
Make sure to cook the food first because dogs shouldn’t consume it raw. The safest way to feed your dog this food is to boil or steam it because raw meat may contain parasites. Don’t sauté the liver because the oils and seasonings might make your dog’s stomach upset.
Can dogs eat raw chicken livers and hearts?
Your dog can get healthy amounts of vitamins and minerals from the liver and hearts of chicken, turkey, and beef. Chicken gizzards are rich in cartilage. It is a crucial part of a balanced pet diet and is occasionally sold with hearts.
Is fresh chicken liver good for dogs?
Chicken liver is one of the best types of meat that dogs can eat, so yes, they can consume it. Compared to other types of liver, chicken liver is far more nutritiously dense and lower in calories and higher in protein.