Ask a Trainer8 Things I've Learned from My Dog-Training Clients

Dogster

Dehydrating Stuff

This is a dedicated place for all of your questions and answers about Raw Diets. There are also some really cool groups like "Raw Fed" on the topic you can join. This forum is for people who already know they like the raw diet or sincerely want to learn more. Please remember that you are receiving advice from peers and not professionals. If you have specific health-related questions about your dog's diet, please contact your vet!

Sanka

The ground is my- newspaper.

Barked: Tue Dec 25, '12 5:15pm PST


	Hey all, I just got a nifty dehydrator for Christmas. Although I'll mostly use it for my own goodies, I'd like to also use it for treats for the dogs. I know the stores here sell raw livers and gizzards pretty cheap. Has anybody tried dehydrating them? Would they even be worth dehydrating?

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Maxwell

I'm triple- superior MAD- now!

Barked: Tue Dec 25, '12 5:22pm PST


	Liver is definitely worth dehydrating. Dry it cooked and it can break into tiny bits for training. Dry raw and it is a bit chewy. I found a $.75 a pound sale on beef liver a couple years back [sliced to boot!] and tried both ways. The raw lost about 40% its weight in water in case you are interested in figuring out actual cost of the dried liver. It will be cost effective for sure, you know how much dry liver from the pet store costs! Cartilaginous stuff like gizzards wouldn't work here. Max doesn't digest cooked cartilage. Chunky things would take a longer time to dry out too. Lots of people use chunky stuff like dried heart though, depends on the dog I guess.

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Sarah,- CW-SR,- CW-G1, CGC

Million Dollar- Mutt

Barked: Tue Dec 25, '12 6:14pm PST


	I have done dehydrated liver. It's really easy if you buy it pre-sliced. Just lay the slices down in the dehydrator and let er rip! I've done heart, gizzards, chicken breast, tripe, and shrimp. The heart, breast, tripe, and gizzards have to be sliced thinly or they will not dry out all the way. My dogs love e erythema that comes out of that machine. I've done sweet potatoes for them too! Those come out chewy. Have fun!

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Sanka

The ground is my- newspaper.

Barked: Tue Dec 25, '12 7:54pm PST


	Sweet Potatoes drool I'm going to have a hard time doing fruits and veggies for the dogs as I'll probably end up eating them myself. Figured livers and gizzards were less tempting. Thanks for the info! Edited by author Tue Dec 25, '12 7:54pm PST

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Sarah,- CW-SR,- CW-G1, CGC

Million Dollar- Mutt

Barked: Tue Dec 25, '12 10:23pm PST


	Oh dear... autocorrect strikes again. My dogs do not love "e erythema" that comes from the dehydrator... they love EVERYTHING that comes out... sheesh... I was not tempted to eat the sweet potatoes, they kind of looked weird... moldy? but, I cut them really thick to try to make chews. If I'd cut them thin then they would have been crispy and maybe not strangely colored...