Liver

Liver is a very nutrient-dense offal used as a source of protein, palatability and micronutrients in many foods and treats, and it is particularly rich in vitamin A, iron, copper, zinc and B-group vitamins. This density is both its appeal and its limit. Liver strongly boosts a food's palatability and corrects certain deficiencies, but its richness in vitamin A demands moderation. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and stored by the body, so chronic excess can lead to hypervitaminosis A, a source of bone and joint disorders, especially in cats (veterinary literature). For that reason liver should never make up too large a share of the ration. In a [home-cooked diet](/glossary/home-cooked-diet) or raw feeding, a common recommendation is to limit rich offal such as liver to a small fraction of the total, alongside [kidney](/glossary/kidney) and muscle meats such as [heart](/glossary/heart) (NRC, 2006). On the label of a complete food, liver's presence in a low proportion is usual and useful. The marker: liver is a highly palatable nutrient concentrate, but its high vitamin A content makes it an ingredient to dose carefully, never to give repeatedly in large amounts. This dosing logic is one reason a balanced home ration should be formulated professionally, as covered in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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