It’s understandable that many people new to feeding their dogs raw get confused about what is classified as meat and what is classified as offal (organs) within the guidelines of the raw dog food diet. What a butcher classifies as offal is not always what raw feeders classify as offal. Therein lies the confusion.
Here is a list which clarifies the two classifications as raw feeders see them.
Meat (muscle meat)
- Cheek
- Chitterlings (intestine)
- Diaphragm
- Gizzards
- Heart
- Lung
- Tongue
- Trachea
- Tripe (stomach)
Offal (organs)
- Brain
- Eyes
- Kidney
- Pancreas
- Reproductive Organs
- Spleen
Meat should account for 80% of your dogs’ diet. Offal (organs) should make up 10% of your dogs’ overall diet, of which you need to feed 5% liver. Be sure not to overfeed liver as it is high in vitamin A and can cause toxicity if overfed.
Note: Tripe and chitterlings are often bleached if being sold for human consumption. Always feed your dog unbleached instead.