Home » Dog Care » Irresistible Dog Liver Treats: Homemade and Healthy Options

If you’ve been looking for a new high-value treat to try with your dog, dog liver treats are great – My dog ‘Turr’ goes crazy for them. Liver treats work great as training treats. Many people don’t like the thought or look of the liver, which I can understand liver may not be the prettiest dog treat you can make or buy – but trust me liver treats will be an instant hit and it is inexpensive. Organ meat such as liver is always great to include in your dog’s diet. It helps boost their nutrient levels.

The Benefits of Dog Liver Treats

• Contains 10 to 100 times the nutrients of muscle meat
• It has a large amount of vitamin A and iron
• Great source of protein
• It provides many B vitamins
• Contains omega-3, omega-6, and essential amino acids
• The liver is very high in copper, an important nutrient that can be low in homemade diets

Whilst liver is a wonderful food and a real favorite with most dogs, limit liver to 5% of your dog’s total diet to avoid giving your dog too much vitamin A.  That’s why giving liver as a treatment works better than as a food source.

It is important that dogs have liver in their diet as it helps with digestion, and blood clotting and also remove any nasty toxins from their body.

Organ meats such as liver, kidney, gizzards, hearts, and tripe are full of vitamin A, D, E, and K and minerals. If you are feeding a homemade diet, up to 10% of your dog’s meal should include organ meats.

Simple, Homemade Dog Liver Treats

Homemade liver treats are easy to make are extremely tasty and healthy for your dog.  Whether you prefer hard or soft treats there’s a liver recipe that you can find below.  The dehydrated treats can be as soft or as a firm, as you like, just leave them in longer and they’ll be crunchier.  If you prefer a soft liver treat then the Liver Sponge Cake is your best option and for a chewy treat, you can’t do better than the Chewy Liver Boats.

Whatever your (or your dog’s preference) we have a dog liver treat recipe here.

Dehydrated Liver and Oregano Strips

For best results, I would recommend using a dehydrator. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can make these treats in the oven on its lowest temperature setting. Bake on a light greased cookie sheet and flip the liver pieces after 2 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1lb of lamb, beef, or chicken liver
• 1 teaspoon of oregano, fresh or dried (Oregano can help with digestive problems, diarrhea, and gas)

Method:

1. Thinly slice the liver into strips. (If any livers are too thick, use a fork to flatten them slightly)
2. Spray the dehydrator trays with non-stick spray.
3. Layout the livers on the dehydrator trays, leaving space between them as this helps with the air circulation throughout the trays.
4. Set the dehydrator to 160F and allow the livers to dehydrate for 6 hours. (Drying times will vary with the model of dehydrator)
5. Once done, allow the liver piece to cool down and then store them in the fridge. They can last up to 1 week in the fridge and for up to 6 months in an airtight container.

Chewy Liver Boats

These chews will help freshen your dog’s breath. Celery contains nutrients that promote a healthy heart and freshen your dog’s breath. The string of the celery helps your dog floss!

Ingredients:

• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2lb lamb, beef, or chicken liver
• 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

1. Remove the cottage cheese from the fridge and let it soften while you prepare the liver.
2. In a medium skillet, fry the liver in the olive oil until it is no longer pink. Remove from the heat and use a fork to break up the liver into small pieces.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the cottage cheese and liver together with a hand mixer or wooden spoon.
4. Wash the celery and trim the ends (not the leaves). Then fill with the cottage cheese and liver mixture. These treats can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Liver Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup spelled flour (or regular flour)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 pounds of lamb, beef, or chicken liver

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line a 10″ x 15″ silicon pan with a spray of olive oil (or parchment paper if you’re using a baking tin)
3. Place the liver in a food processor, until it is finely chopped.
4. Transfer the liver into a mixing bowl, and stir in the flour and eggs using a wooden spoon.
5. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the center is firm.
7. Let the sponge cake cool down. Once cool, remove it from the pan and cut it into squares.

lets mix…

Beef Liver Paw-Licking Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked beef livers, pureed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or dried)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Puree the beef livers in a food processor.
3. Blend the olive oil, beef stock, and parsley with the beef liver puree, then mix in the flour and oats to form a firm dough.
4. Roll the dough to 5mm thick and cut using cookie cutters. (If you don’t have cookie cutters, you can cut them into small bite-size pieces)
5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until firm and crisp.
6. Allow them to cool before giving them to your dog. These cookies will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. I will be surprised if they last that long!

Best Store-Bought Dog Liver Treats

If you have a busy lifestyle and don’t have the time or just don’t want the hassle of making your dog treats, then you can make healthy choices for your dog. When you are looking for dog liver treats, make sure they are not manufactured in China. The FDA has received thousands of complaints of serious illnesses and even death related to Chinese-based treats.

Make sure you check the ingredients. Many dog treats contain additives and nasty meat byproducts, which can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and many other illnesses and diseases related to an unhealthy diet.

Look for a treat that has liver as the main ingredient, ideally, it should be the first ingredient listed. Freeze-dried dog liver treats are perfect. They are still loaded with vitamins that your dog will benefit from and they are less messy and easy to carry around in your training treat bag.

To Sum Up Dog Liver Treats…

They are high-value treats that are full of vitamins and nutrients your dog needs. An added bonus is that liver is inexpensive compared to other meats. If you’re up for the challenge we have plenty of recipes that can be made at home. Alternatively, if you would rather buy some already made, we show you the healthy options and what to avoid in store-bought brands.

Whichever option you choose, I’m sure your dog will love these treats that are great for reward-based training.