# So do you think giving freeze dried liver as a treat when she goes potty on her



## Cassievt (Apr 24, 2013)

I give Cassie 2 tiny pieces each time because they come in squares that are to big for her
How much protein is good for Maltese? Why is too much protein bad? 




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## dognut (Jun 27, 2013)

Dear Linda, 

The good thing about dried liver treats is that most dogs love 'em and so it makes toilet training much easier for us. Now the bad news.... I'm pretty sure that it, among other high quality no-preservatives-artif flavoring-hormones treats like lamb puffs, chicken jerky, is the culprit that caused my baby's blood ammonia level and prob. her bile acid to shoot up like crazy. Ammonia comes from eating protein and it is hard on our pups liver. And if the liver can't filter it effectively, it'll go to the brain. Too much ammonia is toxic. It can cause seizure and more. 

So I'd really watch the amount you give her. I didn't think I was giving my baby that much either. I failed to realize that all her treats were pure protein and that's bad. I mean who would have thought protein for a growing puppy would be bad ? 

Have you gotten any blood work done on your baby ? Bile Acid test ? If everything is normal then some of that to help you toilet train for a while is fine, especially if you are having difficulties. But if there are signs that her liver might not be functioning properly, or if she's had seizures, I'd be super careful about the protein intake. I had to put the plan to have my baby spayed and take out retained teeth on hold because her BAT and ammonia test results were very disconcerting. I'm driving myself nuts now to get it them down to normal and rule out a liver shunt. Hope you can benefit from my mistakes. 

I've recently switched to more fresh fruits (no grapes) and baby carrots and Kaotang loves it. Maybe you can mix it up and keep the protein amount low. 

Hope this helps!

Lots-a-licks,
Kaotang & Dawn


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Linda, if Cassie doesn't have other problems it should be fine. I just give my dogs a little less food if I know they've had a lot of treats. 

I do agree it's very important to make sure our dogs get balanced nutrition, but I don't worry too much about the exact numbers as long as it all evens out more of less. For example, if you're giving them a lot of high protein treats, just give them less protein for a few meals a week. 


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

It's likely that the small amount in treats won't cause a problem, unless you give them more than a couple of small pieces at a time. My girls get some freeze dried buffalo treats but they also get a lot of veggie treats too.

Higher protein in food, though, can be an issue for our little ones.


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## dognut (Jun 27, 2013)

One more thing I wanna caution. I think I was giving Kaotang too much unknowingly (even though it was only a small piece each time) because she goes like 7-8 times per day, especially if I or my family are around because she knows she gets a treat. I don't think she physiologically needs to pee that often. At 4 months, she could hold it in fine through the night, even when I didn't let her out (overslept) till noon. So, if your baby is one of the cunning ones, beware.

Lots-a-licks,
Kaotang & Dawn


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

dognut said:


> One more thing I wanna caution. I think I was giving Kaotang too much unknowingly (even though it was only a small piece each time) because she goes like 7-8 times per day, especially if I or my family are around because she knows she gets a treat. I don't think she physiologically needs to pee that often. At 4 months, she could hold it in fine through the night, even when I didn't let her out (overslept) till noon. So, if your baby is one of the cunning ones, beware.
> 
> Lots-a-licks,
> Kaotang & Dawn


Dawn, that's a really good point - I used treats generously for a few days at the very beginning along with HEAPS of praise, and tapered off to just praise. Every once in a while they get a treat for going, but it's usually just praise these days!


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## Cassievt (Apr 24, 2013)

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I will be definitely be limiting her liver treats. I have been giving her Cheerios. I did call the vet and asked about freeze dried liver treats. Her staff said no problem! I guess it goes to show how little they know about MAltese. Cassie will be one year old sept.8th!😃


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I give my kids kibble for treats. Their regular food is now freeze dried, but they still love that kibble. I would not give freeze dried liver...reconstituted, maybe, but not dry.

As for Cheerios....there is no way in he** I would put that manufactured junk in my mouth. Good grief people...Cheerios is the ultimate junk food mascarading as wholesome. JUNK FOOD. Please listen carefully to the commercials which try to persuade you that it is good for you...Listen to the careful wording...May...help.
Cheerios are sugar and flour and corn syrup. It isn't healthful for you and it isn't healthful for you dog. I would sooner eat dirt that Cheerios...at least dirt is organic.

I'm sorry, but those deceptive commercials really make me angry.


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Cassievt said:


> Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I will be definitely be limiting her liver treats. I have been giving her Cheerios. I did call the vet and asked about freeze dried liver treats. Her staff said no problem! I guess it goes to show how little they know about MAltese. Cassie will be one year old sept.8th!😃
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Linda, I wouldn't hold this against your vet. I think this comes down to an individual case basis. We cannot make a blanket statement that freeze dried treats are not good for Maltese. 

Anything in excess is not good for anyone. There is nothing wrong with a healthy dog getting few freeze dried treats if he drinks a lot of water and gets a low-moderate protein diet. 

So if you call a vet and ask if you can give your dog freeze dried liver, "no" is not necessarily the preferred answer. 

I am with Sylvia on Cheerios. Are other treats any less processed? Maybe not. But I don't see how feeding your dog corn starch and sugar is better than feeding them meat. 

I personally cycle treats. Right now my dogs are eating treats Yaky Yams (yak milk, sweet potato, carrot, garbanzo, cabbage, broccoli, celery, green bean, flax seed, salt and lime juice). Once we get through this they will get something completely different. 

Disclaimer: I am no nutrition expert. This is just what works for us. 


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## Dominic (Nov 4, 2012)

Cassievt said:


> Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I will be definitely be limiting her liver treats. I have been giving her Cheerios. I did call the vet and asked about freeze dried liver treats. Her staff said no problem! I guess it goes to show how little they know about MAltese. Cassie will be one year old sept.8th!😃
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I don't think your vet knows very little about Maltese for saying freeze dried liver is an okay treat because its a great treat actually!

My dogs only get freeze dried treats and they would never know what Cheerios are. It's beyond me why someone would eat it give it to a dog. 

Back to the treats - they are supposed to be a very small portion of your dog food intake and as Aastha have said, you have to balance it out. If your dog is having lots of treats for training lower the amount of protein on the food. I don't think my dogs ever got more than a tablespoon worth of treats a day. 

Make sure they drink water, mine have no problem with that but if that's a concern, rehydrate the freeze dried. 

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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

I am with the no to Cheerios and yes to the dried liver. I have always given my girls dried liver, it is an excellent treat, but yes you do have to be aware and careful how much you give. I sometimes give fruit, neither will eat veg. as a treat. I tend to give liver in very small amounts, they are just as happy if the treat is virtually just a pinch of the powder that accumulates at the bottom of the bag. I take the time to cut up the liver into teeny tiny pieces.  If I am doing a training session then I hold back part or all of their meal and make them work for it  so mean........


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## 4furkidsmom (Nov 29, 2009)

Liver is very rich and can cause tummy upsets as well as loose stools. I make my own treats. Boil chicken breast in water, cut into very small pieces and freeze. You can give it frozen or thawed out. Mine love it either way.


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

Nutrition (whether it is dog or human) is very, very specific to each individual being. I don't know the health details of your pup. In general, many maltese have asymptomatic microvascular dysplasia (MVD) which affects the way the liver does its processing. A bile acid test is used as a screening tool for MVD. The reason why most people advocate moderate levels of protein in maltese is because the majority have it and to not cause excess stress on the liver. My two boys have normal BAT levels but I still prefer not to overdo it because my personal philosophy is "everything in moderation." 

That being said, given the assumption that everything is normal with your pup, a few freeze dried liver treats should be fine. In addition, I will also say that a few Cheerios here and there shouldn't be harmful either. As long as neither of these is in excess. Cheerios (or the Organic type from health food stores) may not be the most healthful, but they aren't the worst either (just my opinion). I have never seen a recall on cheerios/equivalent yet I see recalls on dog treats/food almost weekly. 

90% of the treats I give are homemade with dehydrated chicken, snap peas, fruit. But, I do also give Stella and Chewy's freeze dried, some treats from our BarkBox subscription, and occasional cheerios equivalent. 

Basically, there are MULTIPLE ways to feed our dogs properly and you just have to do what works for you and what is in your budget. On the contrast, there are clear wrong ways to feed a dog (like unbalanced diets, very poor quality kibble, etc...)

Hope this helps!


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

hoaloha said:


> Nutrition (whether it is dog or human) is very, very specific to each individual being. I don't know the health details of your pup. In general, many maltese have asymptomatic microvascular dysplasia (MVD) which affects the way the liver does its processing. A bile acid test is used as a screening tool for MVD. The reason why most people advocate moderate levels of protein in maltese is because the majority have it and to not cause excess stress on the liver. My two boys have normal BAT levels but I still prefer not to overdo it because my personal philosophy is "everything in moderation."
> 
> That being said, given the assumption that everything is normal with your pup, a few freeze dried liver treats should be fine. In addition, I will also say that a few Cheerios here and there shouldn't be harmful either. As long as neither of these is in excess. Cheerios (or the Organic type from health food stores) may not be the most healthful, but they aren't the worst either (just my opinion). I have never seen a recall on cheerios/equivalent yet I see recalls on dog treats/food almost weekly.
> 
> ...


This is great advice! My girls get a limited amount of a variety of treats: freeze-dried buffalo, Coco-therapy stars, Fruit crunch, and others that are grain free and healthy. I've even used small amounts of the Fromm Salmon Tunalini that I still have since I've switched them to Addiction dog food. As long as the treats are a small portion of their day, they will be fine.


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## Cassievt (Apr 24, 2013)

Aastha, where do you buy the 


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## Cassievt (Apr 24, 2013)

Whoops! Sorry.. Meant to say where do you buy the Yacky Yams?


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