Muscle meat alone is not the whole picture
A common surprise for people new to raw is that a bowl of plain ground beef or chicken breast is not a complete diet for a dog. Muscle meat is a great foundation, but a lot of the nutrients dogs need are concentrated in the organs. Feeding meat alone, over time, leaves gaps. That is the problem organs solve.
What organs bring to the bowl
Different organs contribute different things, which is exactly why variety matters:
- Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods there is, rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, and copper.
- Kidney adds B vitamins and minerals that round out what muscle meat lacks.
- Heart, spleen, and other organs each bring their own mix, from the amino acid taurine to a range of trace minerals.
The traditional raw feeding rule of thumb is roughly 80 percent muscle meat, 10 percent bone, and 10 percent organ, with liver making up about half of that organ portion. Getting that balance right from scratch, sourcing and weighing several organs yourself, is the fiddly part of raw feeding that puts a lot of people off.
Why we grind six organs into every batch
Because we are a butcher shop, we have access to a full range of fresh organs, and we build them into the grind so you do not have to. Every batch includes six organs alongside fresh ground meat and fresh ground bone, portioned to a sensible balance. That means a bowl from a single bag is already carrying the nutrient variety muscle meat alone cannot, without you sourcing liver, kidney, and spleen separately and weighing them out.
It is the difference between a complete grind and a plain one, and it is a big part of why we make our food the way we do.
Feeding for variety over the month
One more layer helps: rotating proteins across the month widens the nutrient range even further, since a beef grind and a pork grind do not carry identical profiles. Our combo boxes are built to make that rotation easy.
New to raw? Start with the transition guide, then size your portions with the feeding calculator.
This article is educational and is not veterinary advice. Consult your veterinarian about the right diet for your individual dog.