# Won't eat organ meat



## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

It's been a couple months now, dogs are doing pretty good on raw, they do have some issues though! They won't touch the chicken backs anymore, they ate them really good for probably 3 weeks, (have a freezer full) we tried 
turkey necks, they ate them but my female would gulp them and end up throwing them back up, the last time when it took her 10 min. and I thought she was chocking, I had enough. Took her to the vet to make sure there was no damage,now I'm only feeding chicken necks, chicken wings, drums and turkey wings, tried drums but they won't touch them. (too big). I've tried
giving them the organ meat, they won't touch any of it. They eat canned salmon, mackerel, pork, venison and beef just fine. I did try a whole tilapia, but they wouldn't have anything to do with it. Any suggestions


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

whiteleo said:


> It's been a couple months now, dogs are doing pretty good on raw, they do have some issues though! They won't touch the chicken backs anymore, they ate them really good for probably 3 weeks, (have a freezer full)


Hold off on the backs for a few weeks then try them again. They will probably eat them at that time.



> we tried
> turkey necks, they ate them but my female would gulp them and end up throwing them back up, the last time when it took her 10 min. and I thought she was chocking, I had enough.


I have forgotten what kind of dogs you have and how old and big they are.



> Took her to the vet to make sure there was no damage,now I'm only feeding chicken necks, chicken wings, drums and turkey wings, tried drums but they won't touch them. (too big).


Drumsticks shouldn't be too big for any dog. My cats eat drumsticks. They leave about 1/2 the bone but thats ok. I don't care. The turkey wings I have fed are MUCH larger than a chicken drumstick.



> I've tried
> giving them the organ meat, they won't touch any of it. They eat canned salmon, mackerel, pork, venison and beef just fine.


It's not unusual for dogs to balk at organ meat in the beginning. I think its the texture that they aren't used to. There are several tricks you can use to get them to eat organs. I used to mix JUST A LITTLE liver in some canned salmon or mackerel. Gradually I increased the amount until I got it where I wanted it. Now they will eat liver straight out of my hand. Another thing you can try is to serve it partially frozen so it's not so squidgy.



> I did try a whole tilapia, but they wouldn't have anything to do with it. Any suggestions


The only way my dogs will eat talapia is if I cut it crossways every few inches so they get chunks of it instead of the whole thing at once. I don't think they can figure out how to bite chunks off it by themselves.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Thats really helpful info, my dogs do eat chicken drumsticks, they won't eat turkey drums, I was also wondering if you only feed an egg once a week?


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Yes, my dogs generally get an egg a week. Sometimes I miss a week. Sometimes they may get two through the week.


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

My Owen wouldn't touch tilapia either, he will only eat perch so far. Not that big of a fan of fish.
But, he loves organs. He also loves the turkey wings, and leg quarters. Although he wants me to hold it for him so he can get the good anges on it.  I don't mind too much, that is why there is hand soap and water!!  Owen also likes porkchops and Christmas cookies... He stole the cookies when they were cooling on the table and I was not watching putting the next batch into the oven!
Owen doesn't seem to like the poultry backs either. Might just be the texture/ too much bone to want to work with. Hope something helps, but I don't think they will let themselves starve! Good luck!


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

They definitely aren't starving, I couldn't stand it if they didn't eat something before I left for work, so I just get something else out for them. I did buy a chest freezer just for their food. (spoiled don't you think) My dogs would love it if I would stay and hold their food for them, sometimes I do just to get them started. Don't you think bull terriers are funny with their food?


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

They sure are funny about their food. I don't know that it stops with just the EBT's, I have a 13 year old terrier mix and she will only eat her 'special food' in her 'special spot' and refuses anything else!  I love terrier breeds though. They are fun to have around. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to have a terrier of some sort around me at all times! 
Sometimes, by the way Owen eats, you would think that I starve him also. I love that Owen has his own little frige outside with his food in it and he knows what is coming when I go to it and open it up. It used to be further away from the wall then it is now, but he figured out that if I do not get him his food in the morning, he was able to get it for himself... He went through his week of food in one meal one day!!!  Special measures are taken to ensure that he doesn't do that again!! 
As I said, I don't know what I would do with out a terrier!!


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## muttlover87 (Jan 13, 2009)

Maya wouldn't eat organ at first either. She also refuses heart. I did get her to eat a turkey heart once though. 

Two ideas that worked for me. 

1. Freeze organ. I take my organ meat straight out of the freezer to Maya, she will eat it thawed now that she's used to it, but she prefers it frozen. 

2. Feed organ last after a smaller meal. There's something about a dogs stomach acid that makes them want to eat more. Their stomach acid is the reason they have bile if they are fed at the exact same time everyday and then aren't fed on time one day. I don't really know if I can explain it clearly but a dogs stomach acid produces once food hits the stomach. If a dog is fed at the same time every day and then one day they don't get fed right on time, their stomach acid is used to producing at that moment and will and that's where you get the bile. So using this to your advantage, since the stomach acid produces once food hits the stomach, you can feed a small amount of the meal, then try the organ, and your dog is more likely to eat it.


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