Raw lung for dogs is a specific organ meat that’s oftentimes used in raw dog food!
You can either use individual cuts of raw lung in your homemade raw dog food, or feed premade raw blends that add raw lung to their recipes.
In this blog post, I’ll share where to buy both options in the US, as well as :
- Is lung a secreting organ meat or a muscle meat?
- Benefits of raw lung for dogs – what’s in it?
- Why raw pork lung is special
- Freeze-dried alternatives
Raw Lung For Dogs
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
Is Lung A Secreting Organ Meat Or A Muscle Meat?
So, are lungs muscle meat or secreting organs?
The answer is – muscle meat!
While the lung is a hard working organ in the respiratory system, it’s classified as muscle meat in raw feeding.
That’s because unlike secreting organs, it doesn’t secrete anything.
While raw lung falls into the 70-80% muscle meat bucket in raw feeding, you shouldn’t feed that much of it in one setting.
Similar to other muscular organ cuts like heart or gizzards, you can feed 15-20% of raw lung within the muscle meat category.
Click here for a super easy organ meat recipe including lung.
Just to clarify, in BARF raw feeding, 70% of your adult dog’s daily raw dog food allowance is muscle meat.
In PMR (prey model raw), the muscle meat allowance is 80%.
Raw Lung For Dogs Benefits
Raw lung is made up of arteries, which is why it can support vascular health, including your dog’s lung health!
Following the concept of glandular therapy, you can feed your dog lung to support their healing process during a kennel cough treatment.
What’s In Raw Lungs?
Raw lung is rich in:
- B Vitamins: They have a strong cardio protective effect and support tissue growth, cell division, normal blood & immune function.
- Vitamin C: Helps support the immune system, improves energy and reduces inflammation thanks to its antioxidant properties.
- Iron: Helps enzymes function normally, creates red blood cells, boosts oxygen supply & promotes a healthy liver.
- Phosphorus: Helps support the metabolism, healthy kidney function and works in conjunction with calcium for healthy teeth and bones.
- Potassium: Helps support muscle contraction, nerve impulses and your dog’s heartbeat.
- Selenium. Helps support thyroid metabolism, DNA synthesis and reproduction, and also plays an important role as an antioxidant by slowing down cellular aging.
But as usual, the respective amount of nutrients differs between animals.
For example, 100g = 3oz of pork lung is MUCH richer in iron (18.9mg) than beef lung (7.95mg) and lamb lung (6.40mg)!
But the same amount of beef lung has more Vitamin C (38.5mg) than lamb lung (31mg) and pork lung (12.3mg).
That’s a prime example of why rotating your cuts of meat and protein sources is SO important!
Here’s what’s in 100 g = 3 oz of raw beef lung:
Vitamins:
- Vitamin A: 14.0mcg (nerd info: compare to 4968mcg in beef liver)
- B1 (Thiamin): 0.047mg
- B2 (Riboflavin): 0.230mg
- B3 (Niacin): 4.00mg
- B4 (Pantothenic acid): 1.00mg
- B6: 0.040mg
- B9 (Folate): 11.00mcg
- B12 (Cobalamin): 3.81mcg
- Vitamin C: 38.5mg
Minerals:
- Calcium: 10.00mg
- Copper: 0.26mg
- Iron: 7.95mg
- Magnesium: 14mg
- Manganese: 0.019mg
- Phosphorus: 224.00mg
- Potassium: 340.00mg
- Selenium: 44.3mg
- Sodium: 198.00mg
- Zinc: 1.61mg
Here’s what’s in 100 g = 3 oz of raw lamb lung:
Vitamins:
- Vitamin A: 27.0mcg (nerd info: compare to 15,534mcg in lamb liver)
- B1 (Thiamin): 0.048mg
- B2 (Riboflavin): 0.237mg
- B3 (Niacin): 4.124mg
- B6: 0.110mg
- B9 (Folate): 12.00mcg
- B12 (Cobalamin): 3.93mcg
- Vitamin C: 31.0mg
Minerals:
- Calcium: 10.00mg
- Copper: 0.25mg
- Iron: 6.40mg
- Magnesium: 14mg
- Manganese: 0.019mg
- Phosphorus: 219.00mg
- Potassium: 238.00mg
- Selenium: 17.7mg
- Sodium: 157.00mg
- Zinc: 1.80mg
Here’s what’s in 100 g = 3 oz of raw pork lung:
Vitamins:
- B1 (Thiamin): 0.085mg
- B2 (Riboflavin): 0.430mg
- B3 (Niacin): 3.345mg
- B6: 0.100mg
- B9 (Folate): 3.00mcg
- B12 (Cobalamin): 2.75mcg
- Vitamin C: 12.3mg
Minerals:
- Calcium: 7.00mg
- Copper: 0.08mg
- Iron: 18.9mg
- Magnesium: 14mg
- Manganese: 0.017mg
- Phosphorus: 196.00mg
- Potassium: 303.00mg
- Selenium: 17.8mg
- Sodium: 153.00mg
- Zinc: 2.03mg
Where To Buy Raw Lung For Dogs
Now, raw lung is a very specific cut of meat you’re unlikely to find at your local grocery store.
That’s why I recommend you make friends with wildlife processors and /or hunters to get your hands on deer lung.
You can also contact local butchers and farmers to see if they’re willing to sell you any lung.
Another option is to buy raw lung from raw dog food retailers online.
You can either get individual cuts of lung for your DIY raw meal prep, or buy premade raw dog food blends with lung on the ingredient list.
Individual Cuts Of Raw Lung For Dogs
If you buy individual cuts of lung for your own DIY raw dog food, you’ll obviously be handling it.
Just a heads up, raw lung has a spongy-like consistency, and it’s easiest to cut it with a bread knife when it’s still half frozen.
Below, you’ll find a list of the raw dog food retailers in the US (that I’m aware of) who carry raw lung for dogs.
If you know of any others, please feel free to point them out in the comment section below this blog post!
Raw Feeding Miami
My Pet Carnivore
Hare Today
Premade Raw Dog Food Blends With Lung
Next up are various premade raw dog food blends that include raw lung in their recipes.
Raw Paws Pet Food Signature Blend Pork Recipe
Ingredients:
Pork Meat, Pork Heart, Pork Tongue, Pork Bone, Pork Lung, Pork Liver, Pork Kidney, Pork Spleen, Pork Pancreas
I LOVE that Raw Paws includes pork lung in their signature blend pork recipe because remember, 3 oz of it has 18.9mg of iron!
As usual, you can save 15% on our Raw Paws Pet Food order with my affiliate code K9Savings.
My Pet Carnivore Ground
- Whole Young Beef: Ground beef, beef bones, beef heart, beef liver, beef kidneys, beef lung.
- Coarse Ground Whole Pork: Pork meat, pork bones, pork heart, pork liver, pork kidney, pork lungs.
- Coarse Ground Whole Rabbit: Rabbit meat, rabbit bones, rabbit heart, rabbit liver, rabbit kidney, rabbit lungs.
Hare Today
- Ground Beef/Bones/Organs/Tripe: Beef trim, beef ribs, beef liver, beef kidney, beef tripe, beef heart, beef heart, beef lung, beef gullet.
BJs Raw Pet Food
- Purr Rabbit Blend: Whole Rabbit, Heart, Bone, Lung, Kidney, Spleen, Innards.
- Veal Blend: Veal, Heart, Bone, Lung, Spleen, Innards.
- Supreme Duck Mix (duck & beef): Duck, Duck Organs (Lung, Liver, Innards, Heart, Gizzard, Kidney, Spleen, Pancreas), Duck Bone, Beef, Beef Bone, Beef Tripe, Beef Organs (Lung, Liver, Heart, Kidney, Spleen, Pancreas), Whole Salmon, Seasonal Vegetable Blend, Beef Bone Broth, Raw Goat Milk
Freeze-Dried Alternative: Beef Lung Dog Treats
Are dried lungs good for dogs too?
Well, as always, fresh raw cuts of meat are going to have the most nutrients, but they’re closely followed by dried cuts of meat.
As such, freeze-dried or air-dried lung is great for treating and training purposes.
One option is to buy lung treats online:
- Raw Paws Pet Food Freeze-Dried Lamb Lung Treats
- Pet ‘n Shape Beef Lung Dog Treats
- Dog Chits Lamb Lung Fillets
Another one is to make them yourself with a dehydrator.
Example Of How I’m Using Individual Cuts Of Raw Lung In Homemade Raw Dog Food
The picture below features a raw meal that my Boxer mixes Missy & Buzz had.
Here’s what’s in it:
- Beef lung
- Monstermash (beef secreting organ mix from Raw Feeding Miami)
- Beef green tripe
- Ground beef
- Duck wing
- Coconut oil
- Pumpkin purée
- Kelp powder
- Food-grade diatomaceous earth
Raw Lung For Dogs: Bottom Line
I hope you learned a thing or two about raw lung for dogs!
For example, that raw pork lung is insanely rich in iron.
Also, that it’s great to support your dog’s lung health, for example when they’re being treated for kennel cough (bordetalla).
Remember, in raw feeding, lung is fed as muscle meat and not as a secreting organ.
When you make your own meals, you can add 15-20% of your dog’s muscle meat allowance in raw lung.
You can also buy premade raw dog food blends that already have raw lung in them.
For example, Raw Paws’ Signature Pork Blend.
If you have any questions about raw lung for dogs that I didn’t answer in this blog post, feel free to ask them in the comment section below!
Related Reading:
- All about secreting organs for dogs
- All about pork raw dog food
- Organ meat for dogs recipe
- Raw trachea for dogs
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