Raw vs. Dried Liver
Many of the recipes in Ayla's Kitchen list raw liver as an ingredient. However, many dog owners prefer to use dried liver instead — for convenience, storage, or use as treats. To do this safely, it’s important to understand the difference between raw and dried liver, and how moisture content affects the amount you should feed.
Why Raw and Dried Liver Are Not the Same
**Raw liver** contains a large amount of water. According to nutritional data, raw beef liver consists of approximately 70% water. **Dried liver** has had most of this water removed and typically contains around 10% moisture. This makes dried liver far more nutrient-dense per gram than raw liver.
Note
Because of this difference, raw liver cannot be replaced with the same weight of dried liver. Doing so would significantly increase the intake of vitamin A and other micronutrients.
Why This Matters
Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense ingredients used in dog nutrition. It provides vitamin A, copper, iron, and B vitamins — all essential, but harmful in excess when overfed. Understanding moisture content allows you to substitute dried liver safely and follow recipes as intended.
Where to buy dried liver
Some prefer using dried liver instead of fresh for convenience and shelf life. You can purchase high-quality dried liver here: Beef: https://peludoslo.no/products/pala-beef-liver https://peludoslo.no/products/provit-100-okse-lever Lamb: https://hundepappa.no/products/pala-treats-lufttorkede-godbiter-av-lammelever?_pos=2&_sid=c0360e38b&_ss=r/?aff=3 Moose: https://peludoslo.no/products/hokuo-elgelever-100g Reindeer and blueberry: https://peludoslo.no/products/hokuo-reinsdyrlever-blabaer-100g **Use the code EVIGHETSHUNDEN10" for 10% discount**
How to Convert Raw Liver to Dried Liver
Rule of thumb: Feed ¼ the amount of dried liver compared to raw. **Step 1: Identify the amount of raw liver in the recipe** Example: 40 g raw liver **Step 2: Account for moisture content** - Raw liver ≈ **70% water** → **30% dry matter** - Dried liver ≈ **10% water** → **90% dry matter** **Step 3: Convert to dried liver** - 40 g raw liver × 0.30 = **12 g dry matter** - 12 g dry matter ÷ 0.90 ≈ **13 g dried liver** 👉 **40 g raw liver ≈ 12-15 g dried liver** This calculation is based on standard dry-matter conversion and is appropriate for practical use.
Done!
Did that make sense? Comment below if you have any questions.