UNDERSTANDING FLAVOUR ACCEPTANCE, ALLERGIES, CALORIES, & THE DIFFERENT MEATS
" What will my dog/cat/ferret like the best ? "
Please don't ask us this in an email. We cannot possibly know what your animal likes. Below, you will find a wealth of information to help you choose appropriate meats for different animals & purposes.
Many dogs eat almost anything, but can finicky about fish. Toy breed dogs can also be a bit more finicky than larger ones. Cats and ferrets tend to be more finicky in general. As explained above, premium grade freeze-dried meats have better, more natural flavour than standard grade ones.
Next, greasier meats (heart & poultry necks) will often taste better than the less oily ones (liver). Animals (just like humans) like the taste of a little extra fat or oil in their food. Also, greasier meats are a bit higher in calories. Higher caloric content is desirable for dogs that are athletic, hard working, or underweight, and is less desirable for senior and overweight dogs on a diet.
So, if your animal(s) already love " GOT 'nymore MEAT ? " or " Benny Bullys " standard grade freeze-dried beef liver, then you're in good shape. They should like just about any of the mammalian or poultry meats, but experimentation with fish may still be required.
THE MEATS
Heart: Heart meat has more fat & oils than leaner meats. This is because there is exterior fat on the outside of the upper heart, as well as oil throughout the meat of the heart wall. For the mammalian hearts, exterior fat is hand trimmed prior to dicing, removing most of it. Poultry hearts are too small for hand trimming and that exterior fat stays attached. Nature's Kitchen has an interesting source of pork heart as explained on the product pages, resulting in an unusually lean source of heart meat.
" Why are poultry hearts offered in both diced & whole form ? " To give you, the pet owner, maximum choice. Poultry heart offers bite sized pieces whether diced or not. While drying removes mostly water, some fat evaporates as well. Diced hearts lose slightly more fat to the process, while whole hearts retain a bit more fat (and higher calories). Whole hearts are less expensive per unit weight. Some people find whole hearts more gross to handle, so if you're squeamish, you may prefer diced. Diced hearts are easier to break if there is a need to do so.
Liver: Liver is the best known meat treat, as it has been available for many years. It is a rich dietary source of vitamin A because the liver is where the body stores this very important vitamin. Under certain circumstances it is possible to feed too much liver, causing a toxic reaction to too much vitamin A. This is very rare (not really something to worry about) and it requires a gross over-feeding of liver over several weeks or months. "Too much liver & vitamin A" is a function of the amount fed & the bodyweight of the animal. It is highly unlikely to ever occur in a medium or large dog, as the amount of freeze-dried liver required would be incredibly expensive. Toy breed dogs, cats, ferrets are more practically susceptible, and even then, it still takes a lot of liver. Solution ? Mix up your treat meats, effectively diluting the vitamin A. Don't use all liver for any animal's treats, and you never have to think about it again.
still under construction more coming soon...
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