deer liver problem

[isiaha]

I have a question about a deer I took.
This is what the liver looked like.


When I took it out this morning to clean up well, it felt decidedly spongy and "bloated" rather than firm. The outside appeared normal, however slicing it revealed these spots throughout.

The color was normal - dark red - the flash of the camera made it appear lighter...

I discarded the liver, but I am wondering if the remainder of the venison is fine to eat? What is wrong with the liver?

[turkeygirl]

How fresh was the liver? I think the meat should be fine unless you find a reason for it not to be. When the neighbors killed a deer in our woods one time(no permission to), the liver had cysts on it and looked kind of like your liver, not as bad. We eat liver but only from does and we definitely didn't eat that liver. I know what you mean by spongy, I've felt livers like that. Could be some type of liver disease problem.

[Tominator]

I forget what that's called. From what I remember, you might want to discard the entire deer. I could be thinking of rabbits though. The malady I'm thinking of starts with a "T."

Can't remember. PM Dogdoc, see what he says.

[buckee]

It could be the liver fluke
Fluke

The liver should be discarded but the meat should be fine.

[rossman]

Maybe the deer was an alcoholic!!!!

[Xen]

hmm, there was a disease we were supposed to look for out here in utah, i'm not sure what it was called, i'll look it up and try to post a link - nm, found it - called Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease

[dogdoc]

with out actually being able to cut into the liver and make slides it looks to me like a disseminated hepatic absedssation. Bacterial infections of the liver can range from small foci of hepatic necrosis (like pictured above) to large abscesses. I'm not up on what type of bacteria can cause that in deer without pulling out the book.

Buckee---I don't think it is the liver fluke. You usually don't get small abscesses (small white spots) with the fluke. You will usually get larger areas of necrosis due to the migration of the fluke thru the liver.

I don't really know about whether the rest of the deer is ok---if the rest of the deer looked fine (spleen, lymph nodes, lungs, muscles) then I'd eat it without a second thought!

todd

[VermontHunter]

Interesting....

This is why when I field dress my deer I bag the liver and heart. The wardens at the check stations usually like to examine both of them, If they don't ask about them I show it to them anyhow,, just something I've always done.... Because I really like those two parts of the deer, and usually eand up with more than my share of them, considering most people don't like heart and liver....

Back to your question,, when you dressed this deer and discovered this abnormal liver, I personally would have taken it to have it checked... Atleast this way you would have known 100% about the rest of the animal......JMHO

[hutchies]

Liver is one thing I can't eat. Just the smell makes me sick. I have never tried the heart. I am guessing you guys cook the heart slice and chicken fried?

[HEAVIER_THAN_STEEL]

I would get rid of the whole deer if i was you its always better to be safe than sorry.

[wtnhunt]

Not too sure what I would do. Would probably have someone like a processor or game warden check it out for me, and if it was questionable I would have to discard the entire deer.