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Ingredient file // Animal protein

Pork Kidney

Useful organ protein, no special kidney benefit

Pork kidney is a moist organ collected during pig processing. It contributes animal protein and minerals to dog food, but the label does not disclose its amount, and no study shows that eating it helps a dog's kidneys.

What it is
Pig kidney tissue separated during slaughter and used as a named animal ingredient in pet food.
Made from
Kidneys from slaughtered pigs
Main job
Animal protein and minerals
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Dogs on phosphorus-controlled renal diets
Not the same as
Pork meal

Straight answer

Is Pork Kidney safe for dogs?

Read the recipe, not the organ promise

Pork kidney is a named animal ingredient with protein and minerals. Read the ingredients around it, then check the complete food's nutrient analysis and adequacy statement. Its water adds to its listed weight, while the label leaves its actual amount unknown. Ignore promises of kidney-specific health effects.

Why it is in the food
Animal protein and minerals

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 188 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

17 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 7 brands. 6 dry dog food, 5 wet dog food, 3 frozen dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 5. In the top five of 10 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $4.47
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 6 priced foods, 38% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

29%

of the foods that list it are from Hill's. 7 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Pig slaughter produces kidneys alongside meat cuts. Processors can sell the separate organs for food or pet food instead of sending them into rendering. One pet food supplier ships them frozen.6,10

  1. 01 // Source Slaughtered pigs Kidneys are available when pigs are processed for meat, alongside other organs and cuts.
  2. 02 // Process Organs separated Processors remove kidneys during slaughter and keep them apart for sale as organ tissue.
  3. 03 // Process Inspected and frozen One pet food supplier cuts kidneys lengthwise for inspection and freezes them for delivery.
  4. 04 // Output Raw pork kidney Moist, named kidney tissue reaches the pet food maker without being rendered into meal.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

67

% protein

A raw pork kidney reference converts to about 67% protein after its water is removed. The finished food gets less if little kidney is used.

Crude protein 67.1%5
Crude fat 27.6%5
Phosphorus 10.5 g/kg5
Ash 5.2%5
Iron 176 mg/kg5
Selenium 11.4 mg/kg5

A pet food supplier reports a higher protein share and lower fat share than the government reference. Trimming and raw material differ, so these figures are not a fixed specification for every batch.5,10

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Adds animal protein

    Kidney contains protein, but also plenty of water. Its position on an ingredient list reflects raw weight and does not reveal its protein contribution after cooking.5,7

  2. 02

    Supplies organ nutrients

    Kidney brings phosphorus, iron, selenium and vitamin B12. A manufacturer can count those nutrients toward the full recipe, although the label does not assign nutrient amounts to individual ingredients.5,7

  3. 03

    Creates an outlet for organs

    Kidneys are collected during pig processing whether or not people buy them. Selling them for pet food gives processors another market instead of sending the tissue to rendering.6,11

How much A pet food supplier sells whole pork kidney, but publishes no recipe inclusion rate; its amount in a finished food remains unknown.7,10

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Brands say

    Pork kidney adds real animal protein

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    The government reference lists 14.1 g protein per 100 g raw kidney, about 67% of its dry matter. Kidney is protein-bearing tissue, but an undisclosed recipe amount prevents a bowl-level estimate.5

  2. Brands say

    Pork kidney supplies vitamin B12 and selenium

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    The reference lists 15.0 micrograms of vitamin B12 and 240 micrograms of selenium per 100 g raw kidney. Both are present; an ingredient list cannot tell how much the finished serving supplies.5,7

  3. Brands say

    Pork kidney makes dog food tastier

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A 40-dog panel ate more of a diet with processed animal protein, a rendered meal, as its first ingredient than one with mechanically separated chicken meat (P<0.001). Pork kidney was not an ingredient in either diet, so the trial gives no evidence for this ingredient.1

  4. Owners say

    Eating kidney supports a dog's kidneys

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A 36-dog trial followed a complete therapeutic renal food without an untreated control group. It did not test pork kidney. Renal care concerns the nutrient profile of the whole diet, especially phosphorus.2,9

  5. Critics say

    Pork kidney is poisonous because it filters waste

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A study of 124 wild boars found metals in kidney tissue, making sourcing relevant. It did not test commercial pork kidney or dog food, and it does not show that this ingredient is poisonous.4

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Kidney is animal tissue with protein and minerals. The useful contribution depends on how much the maker adds, which the ingredient list does not disclose. Judge the complete food rather than treating one organ as its verdict.5,7

  2. Q02

    Does it help failing kidneys?

    No evidence

    Eating the organ does not target a dog's kidneys. Renal nutrition is built around the complete diet, including phosphorus control. If your dog needs a renal diet, compare full nutrient analyzes before changing food.2,5,9

  3. Q03

    Is it the same as pork meal?

    No

    Pork kidney names a moist, specific organ. Pork meal is cooked, dried and ground before it reaches the food maker. Their ingredient-list weights therefore start with very different water amounts.5,7

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Hill's 5 / 116
  2. Orijen 3 / 25
  3. Acana 3 / 23
  4. Answers Pet Food 2 / 12
  5. Smallbatch 2 / 23
  6. Viva Raw 1 / 8
  7. Stella & Chewy's 1 / 85

Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Pork Liver 71%
  2. Pork 59%
  3. Beef 41%
  4. Carrots 35%
  5. Pork Bone 35%
  6. Water 29%
  7. Wheat Flour 29%
  8. Dried Beet Pulp 29%
  9. Rice Starch 29%
  10. Corn Starch 29%
  11. Pork Heart 29%
  12. Lamb 29%

On the shelf

Foods that list Pork Kidney

17 foods in our catalog list it, highest on the label first.

Hill’s Hill’s Science Diet Adult Savory Stew with Beef & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Hill’s Science Diet Adult Savory Stew with Beef & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 3 on the labelViva Raw Complete Diet Pork Frozen Dog FoodViva RawViva Raw Complete Diet Pork Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 4 on the labelAnswers Pet Food Straight Simply Protein Pork Formula Grain-Free Dog Food TopperAnswers Pet FoodAnswers Pet Food Straight Simply Protein Pork Formula Grain-Free Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 4 on the labelAnswers Pet Food Detailed Mighty Raw Pork Frozen Dog FoodAnswers Pet FoodAnswers Pet Food Detailed Mighty Raw Pork Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 4 on the labelSmallbatch Pork Sliders Freeze-Dried Dog FoodSmallbatchSmallbatch Pork Sliders Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 4 on the labelHill’s Science Diet Puppy Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Puppy Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 5 on the labelStella & Chewy’s Purely Pork Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Dog FoodStella & Chewy'sStella & Chewy’s Purely Pork Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 5 on the labelSmallbatch Raw Pork Patties Frozen Dog FoodSmallbatchSmallbatch Raw Pork Patties Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 5 on the labelAcana Wholesome Grains Red Meat & Grains Recipe Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Wholesome Grains Red Meat & Grains Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelAcana Red Meat Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Red Meat Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 21 on the labelOrijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 22 on the labelOrijen Amazing Grains, Regional Red Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Amazing Grains, Regional Red Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 27 on the label
Show 5 more
Hill’s Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 5 on the labelHill’s Science Diet Adult Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Adult Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 5 on the labelHill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Savory Stew with Beef and Vegetables Wet Dog FoodHill'sHill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Savory Stew with Beef and Vegetables Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelAcana Highest Protein Appalachian Ranch Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Highest Protein Appalachian Ranch Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 27 on the labelOrijen Tundra Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Tundra Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 28 on the label

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Effects of "fresh mechanically deboned meat" inclusion on nutritional value, palatability, shelf-life microbiological risk and digestibility in dry dog food PLOS One, 2021 // Journal
  2. 2 A longitudinal study on the acceptance and effects of a therapeutic renal food in pet dogs with IRIS-Stage 1 chronic kidney disease Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 2018 // Journal
  3. 3 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats BMC Veterinary Research, 2016 // Journal
  4. 4 Essential and toxic elements analysis of wild boar tissues from north-eastern Romania and health risk implications Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2024 // Journal
  5. 5 肉類/＜畜肉類＞/ぶた/［副生物］/じん臓/生 - 01.一般成分表-無機質-ビタミン類 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, 2023 // Government
  6. 6 Technical Development Document for the Final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (40 CFR 432), Volume 1 of 4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004 // Government
  7. 7 What's in the Ingredients List? AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  8. 8 Tips for Safe Handling of Pet Food and Treats U.S. Food and Drug Administration, n.d. // Government
  9. 9 Disease Management: Nutritional American Animal Hospital Association, 2023 // Nonprofit
  10. 10 Pork Kidney Agrosuper, n.d. // Industry
  11. 11 Pet Food Production and Ingredient Analysis Pet Food Institute, 2025 // Industry
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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