The minute I hear the word liver, I instantly think ewww! While it may not be my favorite thing to eat, dogs love liver. Actually, they're big fans of organ meat in general. It has a strong, enticing smell and a potent taste that will drive your dog wild.
Not only will your dog love eating liver, it also packs a lot of nutritional benefits. Liver contains 10 to 100 times the nutrients of muscle meat. It will provide your dog with Vitamin A, protein and healthy fat. It's a great source of other nutrients as well, including:
- copper
- niacin
- iron
- zinc
- phosphorus
- B Vitamins
- Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and other amino acids
As you can see, liver is one of the most nutritious foods you can feed your canine companion. So what better to give him for a snack or reward than a dehydrated chicken liver dog treat?
MORE RECIPES HERE: Homemade Dog Food & Treats Recipes
Dehydrated Chicken Liver Dog Treats Recipe
Before you begin, one thing to keep in mind is that you'll be cooking these treats in your oven for a few hours, and the odor of the organ meat will stink up your house.
These one-ingredient dog treats are super simple to make. While cooking them is quite time consuming, the prep work is easy. And, the only ingredient you'll need is chicken livers.
You can substitute any type of organ meat for chicken livers if you choose.
I chose chicken livers because they are easily found at most supermarkets or butcher shops. You could also substitute lung, heart, kidney, pancreas or any other type of organ meat that you can find. It may be from a pig, chicken, cow or any other animal as well.
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First, preheat your oven to 200°.
As you'll see in my video guide above, these dehydrated chicken liver dog treats are easy to prepare. Chicken livers are quite small, but if you use a different type of organ meat you may need to cut it into smaller pieces (about 2″ X 2″ squares).
Lay the pieces of meat on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Press each piece down with a fork until flattened. This will cut down on the length of time it takes to dehydrate the pieces.
Depending on the thickness of the meat, you'll need to cook these in a 200° oven for 3-4 hours – possibly longer. You'll know when they are done because the pieces will be completely dried out like beef jerky.
Once they've cooled, you can feed them to your dog immediately. You can store the leftover treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can also freeze the treats in an airtight container for storage up to 3 months!
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