Mary Allen
For more and more dogs, offal such as liver is on the menu. Especially with raw feeding. In so-called BARFing, biologically species-appropriate raw feeding, feeding innards is important.
The most important innards include the omasum, tripe, and, above all, the liver. It is an important supplier of nutrients. Especially when it comes to raw feeding, it is a must.
The liver contains many healthy and necessary substances for your dog. These include sodium, potassium, iron, cholesterol, and various vitamins.
How often can a dog eat offal?
When feeding the liver, you should keep a few points in mind. The liver should not be fed more than once or twice a week due to its high vitamin A content.
Vitamin A is an important nutrient that your four-legged friend needs for their eyesight, among other things. It contributes to the health of his eyes and supports growth, skin, and mucous membranes.
However, if too much vitamin A is supplied to the dog’s body, this can damage the liver. This can lead to undesirable changes in bone structure. In addition, due to the relatively high levels of iron and copper, you should not offer liver more often than recommended above.
Glycogen and blood sugar levels
The liver stores the carbohydrate glycogen. This regulates the blood sugar level. Glycogen also regulates body temperature. It makes glucose available to the nervous system and other tissues.
Glycogen ensures that the metabolism works in the human and dog organism. And glycogen allows the body to provide its organs with sufficient energy.
How much liver for a dog?
However, the body can only actually utilize small amounts of glycogen. The excess glycogen is converted into fat in the liver. He thus fixes it in the tissue. This can lead to obesity.
Care should be taken when feeding liver to your dog. The liver softens the feces. And it’s slightly laxative. It is therefore important that you stick to the feeding recommendation no more than once or twice a week.
Fried liver for dogs?
Many dogs initially react to raw innards by wrinkling their noses. However, most fur noses can be convinced if you fry the liver for a few seconds on each side.
If your dog then accepts the liver, you can usually soon do without frying it.
Dried Liver
A good alternative to the raw liver is the dried version. On the one hand, this is easier to obtain than the raw liver. On the other hand, most dogs love this tasty snack.
You can easily feed dried liver between meals or on the go. Or you can mix them with the feed.
The liver consists of about 70% water. So, dried liver weighs several times less than the raw liver. The weight ratio of fresh, raw liver to the dried liver is about 1:4.
This means that 1 kg of fresh liver corresponds to around 250 g of the dried liver. Much less is enough from the dried liver than from the fresh one. Make sure your dog has enough water available. Especially when eating dried liver.
The liver provides dogs with important nutrients
The liver is involved in over 1,500 vital tasks in the body. For example, the liver uses substances that enter the bloodstream from the intestine. It either uses these substances immediately in the liver cells, converts them, or stores them. If the body does not need the substances at the moment, it breaks them down directly in the liver.
The liver stores sugar and releases it into the bloodstream as glucose. This happens when blood sugar levels drop. The liver, therefore, plays a major role in the metabolism of human and animal organisms.
Liver as a detoxification organ
The liver has another enormously important task as a detoxification organ. Toxins are constantly being produced in the body that needs to be broken down and disposed of. The body transports these toxins to the liver via the blood.
After the liver has converted these substances and rendered them harmless, the body excretes the converted substances in the form of urine or stool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cooked liver good for dogs?
Offal, including the liver, is considered a delicacy for dogs. It is characterized by a low-fat content and is very low in calories with around 130 calories per 100 grams. You can also serve liver pieces to your pet while on a diet.
What organs can dogs eat?
Other usable offal for dog nutrition: heart, lungs, spleen, bladder, and udder. Similar to the stomach, the heart is not one of the “classic” innards for dogs due to its large amount of muscle. In principle, the organ provides extremely high-quality, lean muscle meat.
Is liverwurst good for dogs?
Yes, your dog can occasionally eat liverwurst! In small amounts, it is well tolerated by most dogs. Nevertheless, it does not belong regularly on the menu of our four-legged friends. Excessive amounts of vitamin A can lead to dizziness, nausea, tiredness, and headaches.
Are chicken hearts good for dogs?
Rich in high-quality protein, taurine, and purine, chicken hearts are valuable components when barfing. The optimal fat ratio makes them the ideal source of energy and protein for dogs and cats.
Is beef heart healthy for dogs?
Ideally, you feed your dog beef heart once or twice a week. Due to the high protein content, beef heart is suitable for all dogs, including pregnant bitches, puppies, and seniors. The fat contained serves as a flavor carrier, and energy source and supports the absorption of important vitamins.
What offal should dogs not eat?
Lamb, sheep, goat: the stomach and intestines often carry parasites (e.g. tapeworms) and are therefore not suitable for feeding; Lungs, liver, and kidneys do. Horse: the innards should not be fed as they can be contaminated with heavy metals.
What meat should dogs not eat?
Why can’t dogs eat pork? Raw pork doesn’t: it can carry the Aujeszky virus, which can cause a deadly nervous system disease called pseudo-rabies in dogs. In addition, raw pork can contain other bacteria such as salmonella or trichinella.
What meat is good for dogs?
The classics are beef for dogs and chicken or poultry in general. Chicken and turkey are the best choices for sensitive dogs. These are easily digestible, have few calories, and are usually used in connection with a diet or as a light meal.