Feeding Liver - Potential Toxicity?

[PaigeW]

Hi Holistic Actions Team!

I've been studying canine nutrition and as I have a background in holistic nutrition for humans, I'm always trying to better understand the differences and the overlaps between the two. Something that has come up in my studies is the benefits of liver for dogs. When putting a fresh food diet together, I can see how liver can play a key role in filling vitamin and mineral needs.

But because of my knowledge in human nutrition, I am hesitant to feed liver to my dogs due to toxicity issues. Because I know most of you are familiar with Medical Medium information I wanted to run these excerpts from Medical Medium Liver Rescue by you:

"First of all, it's rare to almost impossible to find a truly clean, healthy liver on Plant Earth, whether human or animal. If we did find a beautifully healthy liver from a creature raised in a pure, pristine environment, it would still be filled with toxins collected from that animal's own body."

"For your own protection, take your cue from predators in the wild. When they eat an animal they've caught, they'll avoid eating the liver. It's the last-ditch organ that animals go for, usually left for scavengers and creatures pushed to starvation. Those animals forced to eat liver will end up eating more wild shoots and roots in the spring to cleanse their own livers of what intoxicated them. There's an instinctive, innate reason for these animal behaviors."

Curious what your thoughts are on this and if you have any suggestions of other foods or supplements that could fill the gap of liver in the diet. As I am working to address existing digestive and vaccinosis issues in my dogs, I'm doing my best to avoid any unnecessary toxins in their diet.

Any insights appreciated!

Paige

 

[GinnyW]

I've always felt that the liver is NOT a storehouse of toxins, but rather a factory that processes them out into the eliminative system. We'd all be overwhelmed with poisons were this not the case. I can't help think of my alcoholic mother, who at age 80 was hospitalized with an estimated 10% of liver function. She quit the sauce, and gradually regained ALL liver mass and function, lived several more years and died of cancer in various other organs. It's a pretty amazing organ And - it has not been my experience that carnivores avoid the liver - just the opposite. (I guess what's his name and I should go out and watch together, to see the lions and cheetahs dodge around it when tearing into a meal.) Many prey species are eaten whole, without a thought to selectivity.

Constructively speaking, your guys' digestive and/or vaccinosis issues would, I feel, be better addressed with a bountiful and varied raw food diet, and then treatment with energy medicine such as TCM and classical homeopathy to correct and support their systems. Avoiding items, or administering adjuncts to diet, will not, I feel, encourage thorough healing, and their use may cause their own deficiencies, especially if used long-term. A diet of well-raised animals, in generous variety, is, I feel, the best way to provide all possible nutrients in support of healthy function. If you are seeking a resolution, the answer must start there, I feel, and progress to positive application of energy medicine.

I remember visiting a newbie raw feeder 25 years ago, who double-dog-dared me to eat raw liver in front of her. I did. Still do. And heart, and kidney. Just not green tripe....

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Paige!

Welcome to HA! and thanks for making your first post.

Thanks as well for your thoughtful question about feeding.

And thanks so much for your input Ginny.

take your cue from predators in the wild. When they eat an animal they've caught, they'll avoid eating the liver

I'm now aware of that, and will investigate with some wolf and other wildlife conservationists.

What do you think @Dr. Christina and @Dr. Jean Hofve?

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

I looked at wolf eating behavior many years ago; I studied it pretty intensively because I read stuff like that (though way before MM's time!) and wondered. Nature doesn't waste much. Wolves do eat the liver. They carefully excise the stomach(s) and intestines and pull them away from the carcass and don't eat them. (They will eventually eat all that if they get hungry enough later, once they empty the contents.)

Liver is an extremely valuable food, and contains nutrients not found elsewhere, like vitamins A and D. The liver processes toxins and discards them, mostly in the bile, there isn't anywhere to store them in the liver (other than the interstitial tissue in a sick liver). The whole job of the liver is to detox and eliminate.

Technically, there is really no healthy liver--or meat, plant, air, or water--left on the planet! We just do the best we can, and get the healthiest ingredients possible. Don't believe any one source (not even HA!), and do keep asking questions!

 

[PaigeW]

@Dr. Jean Hofve @Dr. Jeff Thank you both so much! I really appreciate these insights. Exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks for your perspective too @GinnyW

@Dr. Jean Hofve Curious if there are any resources you would recommend regarding wolf eating behaviour? Similarly to you, I love reading stuff like that.

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Yes! David Mech (pronounced "meech") is the authority on wild wolf behavior. He has a number of excellent books. He mostly works in Minnesota.

 

[PaigeW]

Yes! David Mech (pronounced "meech") is the authority on wild wolf behavior. He has a number of excellent books. He mostly works in Minnesota.

Thank you!

 

[Dr. Christina]

Variety is the spice of life - AND prevents the concentration of toxins. I would do liver 1-2 times a week and look for the best raised (especially local) sources.

Pay attention to BEAM and Early Warning Signs of Internal imbalance.

Dr. Christina