# Can I overdo liver?



## Fieryphoenix (Sep 26, 2016)

Quick question, I've been looking through some old threads and read one where someone was feeding a great dane 1/2 pound of liver a week. My pooch is about 40 pounds and seven months old, and she's been getting a lot more then that. I'd say more like 2.5 pounds a week. Just for fun I did the math, not my strong suit FYI, figure adult weight of 60 pounds, so 2 pounds of food a day around 3.5 percent, 14 pounds a week, 11 pounds meat, 1.5 bones, .75 liver, .75 other organs. Roughly. So should i cut back, or as long as poo is ok it's OK? She was getting a bit bound up which is why I upped the liver. I could do beef heart instead though, oh, and if it matters, it's a variety of livers, beef, pork, chicken and turkey.


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Yes you can over do liver. Of course it can cause cannon butt issues, but you can also get vitamin A toxicity as well, but I'm not sure how much or for how long it would have to be fed in order for that to happen. Beef liver is best, kidney is the next best to it.

Heart is a rich muscle meat, not an organ.


----------



## OtherGuy (Nov 30, 2016)

Fieryphoenix said:


> Quick question, I've been looking through some old threads and read one where someone was feeding a great dane 1/2 pound of liver a week. My pooch is about 40 pounds and seven months old, and she's been getting a lot more then that. I'd say more like 2.5 pounds a week. Just for fun I did the math, not my strong suit FYI, figure adult weight of 60 pounds, so 2 pounds of food a day around 3.5 percent, 14 pounds a week, 11 pounds meat, 1.5 bones, .75 liver, .75 other organs. Roughly. So should i cut back, or as long as poo is ok it's OK? She was getting a bit bound up which is why I upped the liver. I could do beef heart instead though, oh, and if it matters, it's a variety of livers, beef, pork, chicken and turkey.


Hi Fiery Phoenix. Your total weekly meals add up to 14 pounds. The target (5%) for liver is 0.7 lbs. You are feeding 0.75. That is within any reasonable margin of error. No problem. Same with other organs.

For sake of PRM ratios, don't count heart as an organ.

My only advice would be to feed "by condition" as opposed to a set formula. Two pounds daily for a 40 lb dog sounds like it might be high. But go by body condition.

Currently you are not feeding too much liver.


----------



## Fieryphoenix (Sep 26, 2016)

Those numbers are just the ideal numbers that I ran, not what she actually gets, she gets a lot more liver then that, around 2.5 pounds a week. I'll definitely have to cut it down a lot. The pooch just loves her liver and I thought it was super good for her. I'll fill in her meals with something else


----------



## OtherGuy (Nov 30, 2016)

Sorry, I misunderstood. Liver is a fantastic and necessary component of a raw canine diet. You're fortunate your dog loves it.

However, it is possible to over-do the fat soluble vitamins that are so plentiful in organs, so better to stick near PRM ratios despite her affinity for liver.

You're making a wise decision.

All the best.


----------



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I concur. That's alotta liver! LOL! I would be more concerned about buildup of Vitamin A than anything else. The number is pretty high for a toxic amount; I can't remember exactly how much, but feeding about 320% of what would be considered a normal amount seems kinda much. Personally, i would forego the liver completely for a month or so. If you can get pancreas, spleen, testicles, kidney, etc. you can feed that instead, and not very much of it, maybe an ounce or two instead of 11 ounces which would be .7.


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

60 lbs full grown for a great dane? 

i thought they get bigger than that.....


----------



## OtherGuy (Nov 30, 2016)

magicre said:


> 60 lbs full grown for a great dane?
> 
> i thought they get bigger than that.....


I believe Firey Phoenix was making the point that she has been feeding her dog (now 40 lbs, and heading towards 60) a lot more liver than another raw-feeder who has a Great Dane. Which is what caused her to question what she was doing.


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

OtherGuy said:


> I believe Firey Phoenix was making the point that she has been feeding her dog (now 40 lbs, and heading towards 60) a lot more liver than another raw-feeder who has a Great Dane. Which is what caused her to question what she was doing.


i got the part about overfeeding the liver. i'm wondering how a great dane finishes up at 60 lbs. never knew they were so light.


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Her dog is going to be around 60# when grown. The Dane she referred to isn't hers. She was just using that as a comparison to the amount she's feeding. That's my understanding.


----------



## OtherGuy (Nov 30, 2016)

magicre said:


> i got the part about overfeeding the liver. i'm wondering how a great dane finishes up at 60 lbs. never knew they were so light.


She doesn't have a Great Dane. Another person who does have a Great Dane was feeding a lot less liver than she was. That made her question giving so much liver to her dog (which is not a Great Dane).


----------



## Fieryphoenix (Sep 26, 2016)

^what she said


----------



## jenniferny (Jul 24, 2014)

naturalfeddogs said:


> Heart is a rich muscle meat, not an organ.


Yes heart is a rich muscle meat, but heart is high in phosphorus so you can over do it with heart and cause, I think it was, kidney issues.


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

jenniferny said:


> Yes heart is a rich muscle meat, but heart is high in phosphorus so you can over do it with heart and cause, I think it was, kidney issues.


That's why you balance meat/bone...


----------

