05/12/2026
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𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗡 plays a critical role in your dog’s body. It’s involved in the formation of red blood cells, oxygen transport, CO₂ transport back to the lungs, and energy metabolism. 🩸
But like many nutrients, balance matters.
A 50lb dog requires roughly 73mg of iron per week. To put that into perspective:
• 100g raw beef heart = ~4.3mg
• 100g raw lamb kidney = ~6mg
• 100g raw 93% lean turkey = ~1mg
• 100g raw beef spleen = ~45mg 😳
Dogs absorb iron from animal sources (heme iron) much more efficiently than from plant sources.
Iron also interacts with other nutrients:
🔃 Excess iron can inhibit copper and zinc absorption
🔃 Excess manganese can interfere with iron absorption
🔃 Vitamin C can enhance iron absorption
🔃 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 — especially in diets heavily loaded with organs.
And remember: foods don’t contain just one nutrient.
When you add organs to increase iron, you’re also adding copper, phosphorus, purines, vitamin A, and many other nutrients at the same time. This is why evaluating diets based on a single “superfood” or single nutrient can create imbalances elsewhere.
It’s the overall diet that matters most.
