Any idea the nutritional difference between raw and cooked organ meats?

For the last couple of months, every time I've offered small amounts of organ meat (beef liver, pork kidney, chicken liver) to my four dogs, two of them refused to eat it. The two others ate it without pause, so I don't think there was anything "off" about it. Different organs, purchased at different times, different sources--same reaction every time.

None of the dogs has ever been picky about eating before. They all lick the bowl clean every meal, always have. Except two of them with this new refusal of raw organs.

Yes, I did the tough love thing, re-serving it to them at the next meal, etc. for days on end. But I finally just cooked the damned livers and then, of course, the picky ones are them like delacies.

So my question is, I know that organ meats are a critical part of a raw diet. By cooking the organ meat (everything else is raw), what are they missing, if anything? I don't mind cooking the livers if that's what it takes to get them to eat it.

(BTW, hiding the organ meat didn't work either--I tried grinding it into a batch of raw food and the same two dogs refused the entire batch.)

Good question, my only thoughts would be that the "good" stuff, or reason for health benefits feeding raw, are lost with the cooking.
Maybe a lite browning, or flip in the pan?

Connie is the one for this question!!
(My dog's favorite part = is organ meat!)

This is an "after" thought, but my dog has Always been smarter about raw feeding than me! If too much bone, she will not eat, till more meat given; & vise versa.

Just a thought, but maybe this is an indication, they may need more bone, with the organ (which loosens things up)

Anyway, good luck! Like to hear the outcome!

Darn, I was going through food stuff the other day, but can't find the site again it had all the nutritional facts of offal both raw and cooked I'll keep looking and post it here for you when/if I find it again!

I have to cook chicken liver for two dogs (so I do it for all) to have it not become a permanent decoration for the dog dish.

I just figure that slightly cooked beats none. The Pottenger cat study on raw versus cooked meats and the effect of heat on taurine was an eye-opener, but dogs (and most mammals) synthesize their own taurine. I would be concerned about other as-yet-unidentified heat-sensitive nutrients, but I'm feeding almost all raw. So I'm not.


eta
Alternatively, they did eat in when it was blendered up in yogurt, but I tell ya, that pinkish yogurt looked way different from raspberry yogurt and was not appealing to prepare.



Edited by Connie Sutherland (02/11/2011 05:44 PM)
Edit reason: eta

Slightly cooked better than none. That's where I was too. Just wanted to make sure that this wasn't a huge deal, or something easy to fix with the addition of something else to make up for the loss. Oh, I don't know--a dash of cinnamon, half a baby aspirin. Something.

I hate the smell of liver cooking. Ew ew ew!

Dom hates gizzards. I simply chuck them in the air at him and he can't help himself and snaps them up. He's got a quirky reflex to catch and eat whatever goes soaring through the air (cats included). If he leaves anything in the bowl, I just toss them at him and problem solved.

 Quote: Jessica Pedicord

I hate the smell of liver cooking. Ew ew ew!

I cook a lot of liver and too, absolutely despise the smell. Much like tripe (different smell but same assault on the olfactory system).

But it’s Echo’s highest value reward and sometimes the only thing that will motivate him. In desperation, you can become accustomed to it. The things we don’t do for our pups.

I cook it quite long on a very low heat. 200 degrees for 2 ½ to 3 hours. This co-insides perfectly with the majority of our walks. I shove it in as we’re leaving and the house is good and stinky when we get home. A quick stoke of the wood stove, on with the ceiling fan and open the door, the strong odor is gone in a few minutes. Once chilled in the fridge, I don’t notice the smell anymore.