liver lover...

[Samantha Franklin]

I was wondering if anyone who was doggy-nutrional savvy could answer a question for me... My puppy is a bit of a finicky eater, but like all dogs she is addicted to those little freeze dried beef liver treats, so I mash up 3 tiny cubes each day (3 cubes is the max amt listed on the container for a girl her weight) and I sprinkle the freeze dried liver dust over her her normal food to ensure that she eats enough. Her staple food is wellness core canned and kibble mixed, which already contains turkey and chicken liver. Am I over-liver-ing her? She's a little bastion of health and full of energy and shiny thick coat and no allergies. She appears to be really thriving but I do want to make sure we aren't over-doing it with the liver, which I know at certain amounts is bad for dogs. Thanks for your insights!

xxox,

Samantha

[Christopher Lloyd]

all i can say is dont over do it. i always include a vitamin supplement for edison. i use missing link. too much of anything is never a good thing. like the quote says, "less is more." so maybe you should cut out some of the poultry liver and give your pooch some beef! lol

[Samantha Franklin]

poor frances has had many a fair try to enjoy some fine savory beef... without fail her booty commits an "ass-pocalpyse" (as my husband calls it) every time. beef liver dust was a close as we were willing to chance it in light of her beef inspired "toilet treason" haha

[Michael William Shea]

Liver is packed with Vitamin A, too much Vitamin A, can do severe damage to your dog. If a dog ingests a large amount of liver, it can lead to Vitamin A toxicity. Organ meats should not be more than 5%- 10% of your dogs total diet. A treats in an occasional indulgence, but every day is way too much. Your dog may seem very healthy, but you cannot be 100% sure, that it is not building up inside your dog. A toxicity can be fatal and happen all of an sudden. I would suggest feeding the food, but liver as an occasional treat.

[Samantha Franklin]

thank you for the advice I appreciate it - I've tossed out the bucket of freeze-dried liver snacks and am substituting with a few morsels of yummy organic chicken breast strategically mixed in with her normal kibble and wet food regiment. She seems to be pretty stoked and there isn't a so much as a crumb left in her bowl :)

[Michael William Shea]

Your dog is adorable. I only can give advice from what I have experienced, not what I have been educated from. Have you tried sweet potato fries? You can buy them at Petsmart. They are 100% organic and my dogs love them. There is also sweet potato with chicken wrapped around them, sweet potato j (jerky like but with sweet potato) It is soft and Drs Foster and Smith sell it, and I think you can get it from other places. I also feed my dogs Newmans own dog treats, chicken flavored heart shaped dog bones , there is also peanut butter but not my dogs favorite choice.
I variety is good, just beware of the ingredients such as corn, wheat, by-products, salt, sugar and contents of fat. Organic is best, one ingredient treats such as sweet potatoes or chicken jerky. Liver treats given every once in a while isn't going to kill your dog, just be careful with over kill. Just like us, we need variety, we can not eat to much of something and leave out other vitamins, minerals, etc.
I am glad to see a great, concerned dog owner. Cute dog.