# Why is liver so hard??



## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Some of you may remember from earlier posts that Lola did not take to liver easily. I had to feed it frozen with parmesan cheese in the beginning to get her to eat it. Over time I was able to just feed it frozen with no cheese. When I feed organs I feed it over 4 days alternating liver with kidney. She does fine with the kidney, no problems at all, and up until last week I considered her liver problem solved. 

Not so fast! Suddenly last week she started eating around the liver, taking it out of the bowl, and leaving it lying in her crate. Besides being gross to pick up I also have to make sure Buster doesn't rush in and eat it before I can stop him. I have no issues getting Buster to eat anything so I must be grateful for small favors. Last week she basically had no liver at all. This week I decided that I would cut it up the whole week's worth in itty, bitty pices, freeze them, and add them in with each meal. That worked last night but this morning she took them out of her bowl and left them on the crate floor again. The only thing different is that this is new package of liver. It came from a home butchered cow rather than from the supermarket. It is still beef like I had been feeding. 

This is SO frustrating! I don't know what to do to make her eat liver. I just don't see myself having to force it down her thoat weekly. That is just not how I want to do it! I truly hope that this is just about this one chunk of liver and not that she is not going to ever eat liver for me. Argh!!


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

i don't have a picky eater so I can't say what works but here's some things you could try.......could you package her liver for the week in ground tripe so she's tempted by the tripe smell to eat it? or what if you gave her liver first and nothing else until she eats it? or make her do tricks or commands for it like it's a treat....toss it to her to catch in her mouth so she can't examine it


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

I have tried giving to her like a treat and that works sometimes. At other times she just spits it out when she realizes what it is. I have considered putting it inside ground meat but I don't especially want to feed that much ground meat every week. In the past pouring blood over it worked but now she won't even lick the blood around it once she knows it is liver.


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

what about slipping it inside of a chicken or turkey heart? not sure if little dogs chew those up before swallowing though...


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

how much is she supposed to get per week?

i guess i'm lucky. they hate liver, both of them. so i freeze them rock solid and they get it as their treat after exercising. i rotate with kidney, so i don't feed it every day. and if i have another one, they get it every third day.

they only get a 1/2 ounce at a time, tho.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

magicre said:


> how much is she supposed to get per week?
> 
> i guess i'm lucky. they hate liver, both of them. so i freeze them rock solid and they get it as their treat after exercising. i rotate with kidney, so i don't feed it every day. and if i have another one, they get it every third day.
> 
> they only get a 1/2 ounce at a time, tho.


Lola gets 40 grams of liver per week which is about 1.5 oz. I tried giving it to her frozen solid his morning and as soon as she figured out it was liver she spit it out. I have to watch because Buster will eat it up and I don't need him overeating liver. Feast or famine...


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Just so you know you're not alone, I have to do the 'down the hatch' thing with Mol. She will not eat liver (or kidney) in any way, shape or form. I know, I've tried them all. Down the hatch isn't too bad, you get a snotty look as your'e approaching, open the mouth, put liver on very back of tongue, close mouth, wait for the tip of the tongue to touch her lips and she's swallowed it. If the tongue doesn't come out and I let go, she spits it out on the floor.
No biggie anymore, I hated doing it at first, but now it's just our routine.


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

kathylcsw said:


> The only thing different is that this is new package of liver. It came from a home butchered cow rather than from the supermarket. It is still beef like I had been feeding.


I'd suggest trying the supermarket beef liver again. Chicken, pork or other liver may be more acceptable than beef.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

kathylcsw said:


> Lola gets 40 grams of liver per week which is about 1.5 oz. I tried giving it to her frozen solid his morning and as soon as she figured out it was liver she spit it out. I have to watch because Buster will eat it up and I don't need him overeating liver. Feast or famine...


you could put it in a blender (someone, i forget who, suggested this) with some hamburger or a protein she likes and blend it, then freeze it.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

BeagleCountry said:


> I'd suggest trying the supermarket beef liver again. Chicken, pork or other liver may be more acceptable than beef.


She won't eat chicken liver at all! I may try hiding it in a hunk of ground meat and see how that goes. I really hope it is just something about this pack of liver that she doesn't like. Buster is eating it just fine and it looks and smells ok.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> Just so you know you're not alone, I have to do the 'down the hatch' thing with Mol. She will not eat liver (or kidney) in any way, shape or form. I know, I've tried them all. Down the hatch isn't too bad, you get a snotty look as your'e approaching, open the mouth, put liver on very back of tongue, close mouth, wait for the tip of the tongue to touch her lips and she's swallowed it. If the tongue doesn't come out and I let go, she spits it out on the floor.
> No biggie anymore, I hated doing it at first, but now it's just our routine.


I REALLY am hoping to avoid that. I don't want to have to wrestle her down and force something down her throat 2x per week forever. I just can't see how that doesn't interfere with the relationship over time.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Ours all eat beef liver fine, but hate chicken liver. So, when I feed chicken liver, its shove shove! Usually, all I have to do is just put it at the back of their tounge and hold their heads up and they swallow on there own. Its really not a big thing anymore. Just routine.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yeah, at first I felt terrible having to do it, wondered the same thing, that Mol would hate me forever.
Now though I just laugh at her - give her a little piece every night before she eats, so she knows, it's a piece of liver then a nice reward of a pat and dinner. Hasn't affected her at all and she's a sensitive little thing.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

I will see how it goes tonight. I may cut a little slit in her meat and stuff some liver in that. I guess I need to exhaust all options before I try just forcing it down her. If she would just give in and eat the stuff it would be so much easier (says the pickiest eater in the wrold).


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

magicre said:


> you could put it in a blender (someone, i forget who, suggested this) with some hamburger or a protein she likes and blend it, then freeze it.


I would give this a try, I make a raw "soupie" for my ferrets and I can put kidney in it which they normally will not eat and I just freeze it in ice cube trays to feed as needed. Someone on here does this with organs for their dog.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Tonight I tried to stick it in slits I cut into duck wings. She _may_ have gotten a tiny sliver. She pulled the rest out and took them out of her bowl. I even tried to force her to finish what she didn't eat. But she is a master cheeker! She swallowed and acted like she ate it and then spit it out. I got a bit more in her when I put peanut butter on it. I hate this! She used to eat liver fine. What happened??


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Ok, that does it. You and me. Me and you. We are going on a road trip. Taking our spoilt little so and so's and hooning down to Mexico. Then, we are dropping them off, both of them, in the middle of nowhere with the Mexican street dogs. They are going to stay there for a month. By the time we pick them up, betch ya anything you like, they will eat liver. And kidney. Happily. Very happily. 
Better start teaching Lola some Spanish, ok?


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## lab mom (May 6, 2012)

magicre said:


> you could put it in a blender (someone, i forget who, suggested this) with some hamburger or a protein she likes and blend it, then freeze it.


One dog of my five will pick out the tiniest pieces of liver. I might try pureeing the liver and pouring it over his food. I Hope he thinks it is just they bloody juice!:wink:


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I would try grinding it with some muscle meat for a bit so it can't be picked out. I had got some rabbits that were a little big and they didn't like it so I ground it with some chicken, they ate it. Don't grind stuff up now but you might want to try that. Good Luck, my youngest female would pick liver out but after she would finish her meal and the other dogs would go to get her liver she would gobble it down just so they wouldn't get it, funny.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

I don't think she would eat it pureed either. She won't even lick the liver blood out of her bowl. This morning I got a bit more in by sticking it in slits cut in her steak. She did manage to pull one piece out and throw it in the back of her crate. I think I am going to thaw out some ground meat and make meatballs with the liver inside and then refreeze and see how that works. I am not happy at the thought of feedling that much ground meat but she has to have liver.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

kathylcsw said:


> I will see how it goes tonight. I may cut a little slit in her meat and stuff some liver in that. I guess I need to exhaust all options before I try just forcing it down her. If she would just give in and eat the stuff it would be so much easier (says the pickiest eater in the wrold).


Thats how Aussie was at first. Our blue merel HATED beef liver so I was having to force it. After some time, he decided it wasn't so bad and he just started eating it on his own. I always gave him the option to eat it on his own first before forcing it. And one day, he just started eating it and now he loves it. 

So, there is hope! keep at it and maybe.........


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

kathylcsw said:


> I don't think she would eat it pureed either. She won't even lick the liver blood out of her bowl. This morning I got a bit more in by sticking it in slits cut in her steak. She did manage to pull one piece out and throw it in the back of her crate. I think I am going to thaw out some ground meat and make meatballs with the liver inside and then refreeze and see how that works. I am not happy at the thought of feedling that much ground meat but she has to have liver.


i wasn't all that happy about feeding ground, but it's how i get their supps into them without issue.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Have you tried other types of liver? I imagine grass fed liver tastes stronger/gamier than the store stuff so that may be the problem but give some turkey or chicke liver a try. My dog, cat and ferrets all gobble up liver but they aren't huge fans of the rabbit livers I have for some reason.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

GoingPostal said:


> Have you tried other types of liver? I imagine grass fed liver tastes stronger/gamier than the store stuff so that may be the problem but give some turkey or chicke liver a try. My dog, cat and ferrets all gobble up liver but they aren't huge fans of the rabbit livers I have for some reason.



I have given her chicken liver and she hates, hates, hates it the most. There is nothing I can do to chicken liver to get her to eat it. She was eating pork liver when she was ok with beef liver so I don't know how she would be with it now. I have never seen turkey liver in any store where I live. I would try it if I could find it. I am hoping that once I get through this current pack she will eat the next pack I get. She better get used to grass fed or finished beef liver because I have 12.5 lbs in the freezer. No way can Buster eat all that by himself!


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Using various nefarious means I have managed to get a decent amount of liver in Lola today. As I mentioned earlier I stuffed some in slits I cut in her steak this morning. I also put peanut butter on some and stuck it in her Kong while I was at work. She ate some of that but still left a little piece in her crate. I dabbed PB on that too and got her to eat it while I got their dinner ready. She had pork loin for dinner and I cut about 4-5 slits and stuffed more in that. She ate all of it. 

For tomorrow I made a little meatball for her breakfast with liver inside and froze it. I also stuck more in her Kong for tomorrow. The amount of extra work is crazy but I am getting it in her.

As for Buster I put it in his bowl and he ate it.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

the things we do for our dogs.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Rightio, if you got Lola to eat liver with peanut butter and hidden in slits in meat, you're as right as rain.
I swear, Mol can smell liver or kidney a mile away. If I hide a piece, half the size of a one cent piece in a lb of ground beef, she will pick it out. Any liver blood at all, and she will not touch any of her meal.
You're lucky, seriously, you are.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> Rightio, if you got Lola to eat liver with peanut butter and hidden in slits in meat, you're as right as rain.
> I swear, Mol can smell liver or kidney a mile away. If I hide a piece, half the size of a one cent piece in a lb of ground beef, she will pick it out. Any liver blood at all, and she will not touch any of her meal.You're lucky, seriously, you are.



I don't feel especially lucky but hearing your story I know that I appreciate my situation much better. I really do feel for you. Why can't these darn dogs just eat what they need to and not give us all this trouble?? 

I tried Re's mini meatballs for her breakfast and it worked! She ate it liver and all. So I guess I will be making up mini meatballs for her breakfast for the forseeable future. Luckily I have a bunch of ground venison, bison, and beef to use so that won't be a problem. I also use ground meat in their Kongs so she is getting a double dose. It is only a little bit in the morning though. She gets 115 grams per day and I give her about 10 grams in the morning so she won't feel left out when I feed Buster.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

kathylcsw said:


> I don't feel especially lucky but hearing your story I know that I appreciate my situation much better. I really do feel for you. Why can't these darn dogs just eat what they need to and not give us all this trouble??
> 
> I tried Re's mini meatballs for her breakfast and it worked! She ate it liver and all. So I guess I will be making up mini meatballs for her breakfast for the forseeable future. Luckily I have a bunch of ground venison, bison, and beef to use so that won't be a problem. I also use ground meat in their Kongs so she is getting a double dose. It is only a little bit in the morning though. She gets 115 grams per day and I give her about 10 grams in the morning so she won't feel left out when I feed Buster.


i have to give credit where credit is due. liz turned me on to the meatballs. the dogs love them. and the ease is awesome.

glad something worked.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

And on subject I had taken out some rabbit liver for the dog today. She left it on the floor. Usually she will eat liver first, wouldn't touch it this time. Tried shoving it down her throat, yeah I don't know how people do that. Ended up slathering it with coconut oil to get her to eat it.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

GoingPostal said:


> And on subject I had taken out some rabbit liver for the dog today. She left it on the floor. Usually she will eat liver first, wouldn't touch it this time. *Tried shoving it down her throat, yeah I don't know how people do that*. Ended up slathering it with coconut oil to get her to eat it.


I totally agree about shoving it down their throats. I tried a small piece with Lola the other day and all I can say is ICK! It was all slimy and squishy and my fingers were covered in blood. Even with all that she still spit it back out. It was nasty AND unsuccessful.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

kathylcsw said:


> I totally agree about shoving it down their throats. I tried a small piece with Lola the other day and all I can say is ICK! It was all slimy and squishy and my fingers were covered in blood. Even with all that she still spit it back out. It was nasty AND unsuccessful.


I'm mean!!  I stand over the top of Mol, pull her head back towards me, open her mouth and put it on the back of her tongue, then hold her jaw lightly shut. Once she sticks her tongue out, just a touch, then it's swallowed. No tongue, no swallow. The more you do it, the quicker they know they have to swallow.
They'll try to fool you at first and you think its gone down the hatch, but, nope, it's a slimy little mess on the floor.
Maybe other pups don't' do the tongue thing, but thats my cue with Mol. It's all over and done with in like 5 seconds nowadays.
Now a cat?? No way in hell!!!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

malia, poor thing, has a tooth missing....so when i need to shove something in there, i just go in that way. and hold her mouth closed and rub under her chin. 

usually it's pills or supps or whatever.....because she now knows better than to not eat.

i love miss whiny pants to death, but there are starving dogs in mexico and she will eat or starve.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

I shoved it in her mouth and held it closed for awhile, let go, she spit it out. Then of course she was holding her mouth shut round 2 so I had to pry it open, stuck the liver as far down as I could, held her mouth closed and told her to eat it. Looked like she had, let go. Liver back on the floor. I'm slimy and gross, so is the floor and the dog looks disgusted. Meanwhile the other two dogs are staring at us through the gate like "we'll eat that".


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

GoingPostal said:


> I shoved it in her mouth and held it closed for awhile, let go, she spit it out. Then of course she was holding her mouth shut round 2 so I had to pry it open, stuck the liver as far down as I could, held her mouth closed and told her to eat it. Looked like she had, let go. Liver back on the floor. I'm slimy and gross, so is the floor and the dog looks disgusted. Meanwhile the other two dogs are staring at us through the gate like "we'll eat that".


she's a stubborn one, isn't she? what if you melted some coconut oil and soaked it in that?


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

GoingPostal said:


> I shoved it in her mouth and held it closed for awhile, let go, she spit it out. Then of course she was holding her mouth shut round 2 so I had to pry it open, stuck the liver as far down as I could, held her mouth closed and told her to eat it. Looked like she had, let go. Liver back on the floor. I'm slimy and gross, so is the floor and the dog looks disgusted. Meanwhile the other two dogs are staring at us through the gate like "we'll eat that".


EXACTLY!! That is what happened to me! I pushed it down twice and watched her swallow! As soon as I let her mouth go she spit it out. Meantime I was having to beat Buster off of me because he wanted that liver bad!


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Here is the update in today's battle in the Liver War. There was no liver in the crate so she ate what I put in her Kong. I was feeling all cocky so I thought "wow this is getting easier!" So for dinner I have her chicken thigh/back and pushed pieces of liver in little nooks and crannies. She spit ALL of them out on the crate floor. I did put peanut butter on 2 small pieces and got her to eat them. A third piece didn't work because she licked the PB off and spit out the liver. Buster got to it before me. I think we kind of fought to a draw today...


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i don't mean to laugh, but it seems as if someone has gotten the best of you...

at this point? dog wins. get some cream cheese, peanut butter, whatever you can hide it in...and call it a day LOL


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