05/12/2026
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๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ก plays a critical role in your dogโs body. Itโs involved in the formation of red blood cells, oxygen transport, COโ transport back to the lungs, and energy metabolism. ๐ฉธ
But like many nutrients, balance matters.
A 50lb dog requires roughly 73mg of iron per week. To put that into perspective:
โข 100g raw beef heart = ~4.3mg
โข 100g raw lamb kidney = ~6mg
โข 100g raw 93% lean turkey = ~1mg
โข 100g raw beef spleen = ~45mg ๐ณ
Dogs absorb iron from animal sources (heme iron) much more efficiently than from plant sources.
Iron also interacts with other nutrients:
๐ Excess iron can inhibit copper and zinc absorption
๐ Excess manganese can interfere with iron absorption
๐ Vitamin C can enhance iron absorption
๐ Digestive tract acidity also affects how well iron is absorbed
Because iron can exist in multiple oxidation states, it can also act as a pro-oxidant in the body. While your dog absolutely needs iron, more is not always better โ especially in diets heavily loaded with organs.
And remember: foods donโt contain just one nutrient.
When you add organs to increase iron, youโre also adding copper, phosphorus, purines, vitamin A, and many other nutrients at the same time. This is why evaluating diets based on a single โsuperfoodโ or single nutrient can create imbalances elsewhere.
Itโs the overall diet that matters most.