Our Freeze-Dried Duck Organ Bites are a fantastic alternative to all-too-common freeze-dried beef liver dog treats. An amazing way to show your pup love without all the excessive copper and pre-formed vitamin A found in beef liver.

We know that freeze-dried beef liver dog treats are extremely popular and for a good reason. Liver is a very high-value treat for most dogs; even cats love freeze-dried liver treats.

The problem is that while most dogs and cats do love beef liver treats, too much liver isn’t necessarily good.

We have written about the issue of too much copper in dog food, and by all appearances, AAFCO does not seem to be moving in the direction of setting even a reasonable maximum level for copper in dog food anytime soon, because it is complicated by the bioavailability of different sources of copper used in pet food. 

While it’s possible that some manufacturers will adjust the levels of copper in their dog food, many will keep them at extremely high levels. IE, the minimum is 1.83 mg per 1000 kcals, but the food is 15 mg per 1000 kcals.

It’s possible that it has more to do with the use of more bioavailable forms of copper, such as copper proteinate, than the use of copper-rich ingredients such as beef liver, but that isn't a good reason to provide significant amounts of copper above that which is already in your dog’s food.

While Feed Lot Beef, Lamb, and Bison Liver are all higher in copper, Grass-Finished Beef, Lamb, and Bison Liver are all still high in copper, and thus not best suited for use as a training treat, which is the very reason that many consumers are purchasing them. This is why we never made liver training treats.

Our Freeze-Dried Duck Organ Bites are a mixture of Duck Gizzard, Duck Heart, and Duck Liver. We combined them to maintain the treat’s high value while also concentrating on the value of several micronutrients—namely Copper and preformed Vitamin A.

Even though the values are lower, this doesn’t mean the treats should be used excessively. We recommend using these treats in conjunction with our other training treats and bites while relying on these treats more as the very high-value option.