Ditch the supplements, part 3

IRON

Iron is a micromineral that is present in body tissues as hemoglobin and myoglobin. It plays a role in enzyme and protein responses necessary for oxygen activation, oxygen transportation, and electron transportation. While raw diets for adult dogs are generally plentiful in iron, puppies have an especially high requirement for iron which requires specific ingredient selections to fulfill those needs.

Recommended Allowance (RA) of iron per 1000kcal:

ADULT DOG - 7.5mg Recommended Allowance PUPPY - 22mg Recommended Allowance

Iron is found in higher concentrations within animal spleen and red meat. Meeting iron requirements for adult dogs is generally not a concern when the diet includes red muscle meat and organs such as heart, liver, and kidney. However adult dogs may require a whole food source to increase iron in the diet. This includes limited ingredient diets composed of primarily white meats or sport and working dog diets. Spleen is the only whole food that contains sufficient amounts of iron for puppies. If spleen is not used as a second organ for puppies, then an iron supplement will required. Below are iron values of some whole foods per 1oz (28g):

Beef Spleen - 1oz (28g): 12.6mg Data Source

Lamb Spleen - 1oz (28g): 11.9mg Data Source

Pork Spleen - 1oz (28g): 6.3mg Data Source