Can dogs eat braunschweiger?
As a responsible dog owner, we all want to provide the best diet to our lovely dog for their proper growth and development. Due to intimate friendships of dog with humans, people share some of our foods with them. Braunschweiger is one of them. Many dogs really like this human food as a treat. But, is braunschweiger safe for dogs?
Let's find out…
What does braunschweiger contain?
Braunschweiger (also known as Liverwurst, Leberwurst) are seasoned sausage made primarily of pork or beef liver [1]. Additionally, people use meat, fat, spices, olive oil, and salt for taste enhancement. In Germany, they call it Braunschweiger Mettwurst, which is a liver sausage made of raw minced pork liver. This is usually tender, smoked, and has various spices [2]. In USA, the term Braunschweiger refers to a pork liver or beef liver sausage which is always smoked. In contrast, liverwurst does not contain bacon and is not smoked.
Is braunschweiger safe for dogs?
Yes, dogs can eat liverwurst in moderate amount with no hesitation. Avoid giving too much liverwurst, which can cause an adverse effect on your dog. Veterinarians considered liverwurst as a high-value treat for dogs. Also, this is really helpful for dog owners to hide pills inside of it and let their dog to eat. Small quantities of this treat can easily help you to build a strong connection with your dog. Due to its strong, smelly flavor, braunschweiger attracts dogs, which helps to grab dog's attention during training. You can also make high-value treats by mixing liver pate with your dog's food. But never use any onions or garlic, which are toxic for dogs.
While you’re cooking, suddenly, your dog looks at you. You want to give them a little treat but wonder if they can eat the food you are holding in your hand.
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The health benefits of braunschweiger for dogs
Braunschweiger has all the essential nutrients to fulfil the nutritional requirements of your dog. This sausage offers various health benefits, such as:
- Proteins: With its 14.5g of protein per 100g of liverwurst, this is an excellent way to fulfil the daily protein requirement of your dog, which helps to grow bodily structures and multiple organs.
- Minerals: Braunschweiger comprises almost 11.2mg of iron per 100g which helps in oxygen transportation and supports proper growth and development of your dog.
- Vitamins: As a rich source of nutrients, this comprises vitamin A, B, D, E, and K. These vitamins with other nutrients maintain the normal body function and boost the immune system.
Disadvantages of Braunschweiger for dogs
Eating liverwurst isn't always beneficial for your lovely dog. Therefore, now we’ll discover some adverse effect of liverwurst on our furry friends.
• Eating liverwurst in an excessive amount can cause serious health issues like heart diseases and diabetes due to its high carbohydrate components. Small dogs should receive small quantities of liverwurst based on their size.
• Liverwurst contain a huge amount of fat that can easily make your dog overweight and produce other complications like diabetes.
• Some producers use onions and garlic to make up liverwurst, which is toxic for dogs and consuming onion and garlic can produce symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. [3]
Therefore, avoid feeding too much liverwurst and always take suggestion from the veterinarian while adding certain food in your dog's diet.
DogsPlanet.com is one of the main websites for dog owners, future owners and dog lovers. Our team of authors seeks to answer the questions that you frequently ask yourselves.
The title of the article is “Can dogs eat braunschweiger?” In the article you state that braunschweiger is also known as liverwurst and then state “yes dogs can eat liverwurst”.
Although many people such as yourself use the two names interchangeably, Braunschweiger & liverwurst are two different meat products. They both use pork offal & scraps however are prepared differently and one is smoked while the other is not. Therefore, they are not the same thing so your article didn’t answer the question posed by the title.