DOG ESSENTIALS Fab 4 – Four natural essentials to keep your dog healthy.
Quickly and easily create a natural meal plan for your dog.
Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM has 30 years of experience as a veterinarian. His love of dogs and passion for natural healing and nutrition led him to writing, teaching and helping people create health naturally, without drugs, chemicals and processed food.
Being a dog lover or a veterinarian requires building a good rapport with dogs. Some dogs are social butterflies, while others take a little more convincing. Treats are one of the ways to connect with dogs and allow us to handle them and perform treatments when necessary.
For most dog lovers, treats are one of the ways we tell our dogs that we love them. Even complete strangers carry a few treats in their pockets to connect with dogs and their humans. I have always been a little conflicted about allowing others to give treats to my dogs. Poor quality Milk Bones and other treats are commonplace in stores, offices, and hotels, and most dogs are crazy about junk food.
“Just one” turns into many treats, and because I wanted to protect my previous dog Skai, and now Pax, from junk food, I developed a strategy of asking people not to give him treats. To prevent disappointment on both sides, I usually carried safer and healthier treats in my pocket to pass them onto the giver so that he or she could give them to Skai. (For an article on choosing safe treats for your dog, click here.)
The purpose of this article is to warn against giving pets too much of one treat that can be harmless in small amounts but toxic when it is frequently given – dehydrated liver.
Nutritionally, liver is a rich source of essential nutrients such as amino acids and fat. It is also a rich source of some vitamins and minerals such as A, B6, B12, C, D, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and selenium. Naturally, liver is a relatively small portion of a canine diet.
Functionally, the key role of the liver is to detox blood and the body, produce vitamins and amino acids, and manage nutrients and energy resources for the rest of the body. The organ’s function is also to neutralize countless artificial and toxic chemicals from food and the environment, which is no easy task. This is why so many dog lovers see such positive results when they take their dogs through a semi-annual liver cleanse.
In the course of the last two decades, more people have tried to stay away from junky processed treats and go to single source meat or organ treats. This is one of the reasons why dehydrated liver has become one of the most popular items on the pet store shelves. Unfortunately, the popularity of liver treats has led to a new problem most dog lovers are unaware of: vitamin A hypervitaminosis, or so-called liver poisoning.
The main cause of this condition is feeding large quantities of liver, which is a very rich source of vitamin A, a member of the group of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. In the right amounts, Vitamin A is beneficial, but an overdose of Vitamin A can have a harmful effect because an excess of fat-soluble vitamins are much more difficult to eliminate than, for example, water-soluble vitamins B and C.
The reasons why liver treats, especially the dehydrated ones, put our dogs in danger of hypervitaminosis A are that they are greatly reduced in volume during dehydration, and they contain ten times or more vitamin A then raw liver or cooked liver.
I have seen people giving their dogs large amounts of liver treats daily or on a very regular basis, which leads to problems.
An excess of vitamin A causes disturbances in bone metabolism, increased bone resorption, and decreased bone production. This can lead to osteoporosis, spontaneous bone fractures, elevated blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia), and abnormal joint calcification.
Another symptom of hypervitaminosis A is a disturbance in absorption and function of other fat-soluble vitamins – D, E and K.
Under normal circumstances, dogs need vitamin A, and it is OK to give vitamin supplements with fermented vitamins. However, nature never counted on dogs getting large amounts of liver in the form of treats, and that is a big problem.
In general, diagnosis is not a straightforward process. Radiographs, blood calcium, cholesterol, liver enzymes, and finally vitamin A (retinol) levels help to diagnose the condition.
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF LIVER TREAT TOXICITY
If your dog likes liver treats, do not give it more than a couple of pieces a week, especially if the treats are dehydrated.
If you have been feeding your dog a large amount of dehydrated liver treats, and your dog does not show any symptoms:
Stop giving liver treats completely for at least three to six months
If your dog shows symptoms of possible hypervitaminosis A:
Implement steps one to four, PLUS
Liver is a tasty treat that you can feed your dog as part of their regular meal or as a special reward. But did you know that liver has many health benefits? In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of feeding your dog liver and how to do so safely. What are the benefits of dried liver dog treats?
Dogs need these minerals to maintain healthy skin, coats, bones and nails. In moderate to small quantities dried liver dog treats can be one of the most nutritious additions to your dogs food and treat plan.
If you are looking for a healthy, tasty treat for your dog, liver treats are a great choice! It is one of the most healthy treats or natural dog foods you can give your pet. Beef liver is the most commonly used here although it is entirely possible to dehydrate chicken liver to produce tasty training treats. They benefit from not being bulked obviously and contain not wheat flour, grain or gluten.
– The benefits include better digestion due to their ability to break down food more easily. Your dog will feel full longer with less chance of getting tummy aches from too much sugar intake or other unhealthy foods., “Liver contains antioxidants that help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals,” says Dr. Joshua Hutto DVM DACVIM (Oncology) at Colorado State University College
Dogs can eat liver treats in moderation. The best way to feed your dog is raw or cooked with no seasoning, just like their normal food. If you are feeding it as a treat, make sure that there is only one serving per day so they don’t overeat on this special treat! It is rich in flavour when dried and extremely high in nutrients so albeit that some is very good, too much could cause an upset stomach in some dogs.
Recipe for Dog Liver Treats made without Grain
This grain-less recipe can help you make a fantastic liver ‘biscuit’ treat for dogs, which can particularly be used as training treats. This recipe features the ingredients 1 pound of any liver (beef liver is a good option for regular use) along with flour, water, and a small amount of dog-friendly garlic.
Here are the simple steps to help you make these terrific training treats:
Should YOU feed your dog freeze dried treats?
Freeze-drying is one of the best ways to preserve bacteria. So, before you give feed your dog raw, freeze-dried treats, understand the risks.
Q: My breeder recommends I give my new puppy small training treats made of freeze-dried raw liver. In the past, youve warned that raw diets can be contaminated with bacteria, parasites and other pathogens. Does freeze-drying make raw food safe?
A: No, the opposite is true. Microbiologists and veterinary nutritionists tell us that freeze-drying is one of the best ways to preserve bacteria. Because the technique helps bacteria remain viable and healthy for decades, freeze-dried raw food is just as risky as unprocessed raw food.
Treats and other small pieces of raw meat are even more easily contaminated than large chunks of raw food because their small size provides more surface area to which bacteria can adhere.
In the past year, 17 product lines of pet treats and diets were recalled, sometimes more than once, because of Salmonella and/or Listeria bacterial contamination. Freeze-drying preserves both types of bacteria.
Salmonella and Listeria cause disease in pets and humans, so by giving your pup freeze-dried liver treats, you risk contaminating your hands and then infecting yourself and other people. Over the years, raw dehydrated animal parts such as pigs ears and rawhide chews have also triggered bacterial infections in many people.
In dogs and humans, these bacteria cause loss of energy and appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain and sometimes death. Puppies and children, seniors and those with compromised immune systems are most susceptible.
So, dont give your pup freeze-dried raw meat morsels, whether theyre treats or mixed with kibble in bagged dog food. Your veterinarian or a reputable pet supply store can offer many safer options. And remember to supplement your treats with lots of praise so you can gradually reduce the food, knowing your dogs favorite reward is your approving voice.
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