Anti-organ dog

[Swissy Mom]

Cash is becoming more and more anti-organ. He won't go near pancreas or kidneys. He won't touch beef liver and will not even eat anything that has touched beef liver (I've tried hiding it.) He will eat chicken liver and lamb liver sometimes, but is starting to refuse those. I have tried the quick sear and garlic methods with limited success. Sometimes I can get him to eat them if I drown them in the "juices" from the sardines, but sometimes not. It is really becoming an issue. Any thoughts? Suggestions? He's so darn picky about food it makes me crazy!!

[sam.i.am]

That is tough, Jen. I do not have picky eaters, really, but here are a few things that I have heard people try.
Have you tried portioning out and freezing the pieces in cubes (like in an ice tray) and just feed semi-frozen?
Or, what about grinding/blending?

I use ground organs for the most part. I decided that it's worth it to me just to use ground organs so that I don't have to chop up too many gross things. Although I do get kidneys whole and lungs in large pieces. But, for livers and pancreas I buy ground.

Have you tried turkey livers? Hare Today has those. My dogs have always seemed to actually like turkey liver -- I rotate it b/c it's much higher in Vitamin A than chicken livers, so you have to be a little careful that you don't rely on them too much...I've tried several times to get info on how much turkey liver would be too much vitamin A, but no one has ever been able to tell me, so I just rotate). I use livers of four animals and they like all, but like turkey a lot, I think. [Milton eats most things without question and Delilah is the opposite of picky, so it's hard to gauge preferences, but Oliver used to really prefer turkey organs]

I get a mix from a local supplier that is heart/liver (pork, turkey, chicken, and beef mixes) and it makes it easy to rotate and make sure they get enough liver content. I use the other organs to make up the other 5%.

I feed Hare Today pancreas which is finely ground - so finely ground that it's almost the consistency of mashed potatoes (http://hare-today.com/product_info.p...products_id=43).
I also have fed Hare Today ground beef organs (it's a mix) (http://hare-today.com/product_info.p...products_id=41), but if he hates beef liver, I'd skip that for sure. and then I've also tried ground goat organs and tripe from hare today. It's not a high percentage of organs in there, so it's not really helpful to increase organ %.
I've never bought this product, bc my local lady has something similar and it's easy to feed: http://hare-today.com/product_info.p...products_id=67

I wish someone would sell ground kidneys cuz they stink and I hate handling them.

ETA: I am a ditz. I meant to say that the reason why I was mentioning freezing or grinding is b/c for some dogs it's a texture thing and those changes help mask the weird blobby texture of some of the organs.

[ToBScholarly]

I dehydrate mine and give it to them as treats. Maybe it loses its nutritional value that way but that is almost the only way they eat them.

[ShilohsGirlJen]

what about in small bits and tossed as a treat with get it or catch it.

[Truman's Mom]

Truman is the same way (yes, we are back on raw) good subject, I'll be following.

[sam.i.am]

Oh, I also buy dehydrated livers from my local supplier. If the dehydration process is not done with much heat, I think it retains most vitamins. They stink though!

[Swissy Mom]

I have tried making them seem like treats or hand feeding...no dice.

I have ground them and tried alone or mixed with things he really likes...no dice.

Frozen is also a no.

Maybe I'll have to try the dehydrated route. I just wasn't sure if I would be sacrificing nutrition.

Pancreas and kidney both he won't go within a foot of...even if ground and mixed with other yumminess. He won't touch any part of a turkey anymore, period. We don't do pork as we think it may have been a lick fit trigger, though I would like to try again at some point and test that theory.

For now, I can get him to eat them about half the time if I do some crazy (nasty) mixing like a raw egg, the juices from the sardine can and a little garlic all mixed together with the livers. That's still only half the time though. UGH!! For a while chicken livers were the only ones he would touch. I'm glad I'm at least getting lamb livers in there, too, now so there is a little bit of variety.

[sam.i.am]

UGH, oh my. You've tried a lot!
If you put the organs down first and then fed him a second course of his main food, would he eat the organs if he was hungry for a meal?

I've also heard of using parmasean cheese on them.
There's a discussion on the rawfeeding list about a dog who cannot eat liver for some health reason, and the recommendation from someone was cod liver oil. Are you a member of the yahoo list?

[Swissy Mom]

The yahoo list overwhelms me. I check it out occasionally, though.

I have tried the "nothing else until you eat your vitamins" route. Some days it works. Some days he will skip meals rather than eat the livers. I know he's not going to starve and will eat them when he is hungry enough, but then he isn't getting the other nutrients he needs.

[ToBScholarly]

Reggie, my garbage disposal, will eat anything. But will not touch liver. Or any organ meat really except heart - which actually isn't an organ but I mentally put it into that category because it is equally as disgusting.

Dehydrated is the only way he will consume them. And like you, we have tried every other way.
And you know, I don't blame him. Liver is slimy. And it smells funny.

[Swissy Mom]

I have a source for dehydrated livers of various animals. I think I'm going to try that and see how it goes. Even if we lose a little of the nutritional value, it has to be better than getting none. I'll keep trying to get him to eat the raw ones, but I think I'll see if he likes dehydrated. Wish us luck. I'll let you know how it goes.

[sam.i.am]

Good luck! That's a good plan. For some reason, liver treats are usually a big hit, so I hope Cash loves his new treats!!

[mezmerelda]

If they are dehydrated at 115 F or below they should be ok.

[Itsapyr]

I don't get that upset that Jasper doesn't eat liver and neither of them eat kidneys. If they don't like it I just don't give it to them. Neither of them will touch tripe either. The primal that I supplement with has enough of everything mixed in that they get it anyway. I decided when I started doing raw that I wasn't going to worry about every type of raw and mixing it all it.

Mine do like the dehydrated liver training treats.

[Swissy Mom]

Cash won't touch tripe either, Pam. He pretty much eats chicken leg quarters, ground beef, sardines, raw eggs and (when he feels like it) livers.

He LOVES dehydrated lamb livers! I need to contact the supplier and see what he can tell me about the dehydration process, but Cash thinks they're great.

[Itsapyr]

Jasper wont touch fish either, only baked salmon or fried catfish LOL
Janey will and she eats livers but the primal patties also have omega 3 in them.


Mine each get a chicken quarter a day, Jasper will sometimes eat 2. We balance out the day with a lamb or duck primal pattie or rabbit pattie and then a mixture of ground beef, pork and turkey all mixed together.
Sometimes we throw in an extra chicken wing or turkey neck. Sometimes they get buffalo.

[bren]

I could only get Tek to eat liver and/or kidney when I mixed it in the chopper with sardines. Disgusting.