It’s the morning after Thanksgiving, and you have heaps of turkey leftovers waiting to be devoured. And lo and behold, as you gather the ingredients for your turkey sandwich, and other turkey meat recipes, your dog is there wagging his tail and looking at you with his begging eyes.
What would you do? Would you share a bit of your holiday meal with your pup? But, can dogs eat turkey?
As pet parents, we often give some human foods to our dogs. So, this time, it’s pretty much the same and you should know the drill on how to do it safely.
You can give your dog turkey for his snack or dinner, but definitely not from your turkey roast during Thanksgiving.
Why? Well, apparently, Thanksgiving turkeys are rubbed, soaked, and stuffed with ingredients that are toxic to our canine companions.
When giving turkey meat to your pup, just keep it plain and simple – no seasonings, spices, and other ingredients that can be harmful to him, such as garlic and onions. Also, don’t give your dog turkey skin and bones. Find out why later in this article.
To us, feasting on this special bird meal is a delightful treat, but for our dogs, it can be a recipe for disaster.
Turkey is considered an essential ingredient in the diet of many dogs. And with its high protein content, no wonder there are plenty of dog owners who rely on it as their dogs’ lean protein source.
Moreover, the protein from turkey’s white meat is also highly digestible, so dogs’ digestive system doesn’t have to strain so much. As a result, the risks for indigestion, bloating, and stomach upsets are also decreased.
Just like chicken, the lean white meat of turkey helps dogs in building muscles. And turkey is an excellent alternative for dogs with sensitivities or food allergies to chicken, beef, and other meat products.
If your pup has allergies, it’s still best to talk with your vet, though there’s a high chance that he may recommend turkey-based dog food for your pooch.
Turkey is also a common ingredient in a lot of commercially sold dog foods and treats that you can easily purchase in a pet store near you.
So, if you are having second thoughts on how to add turkey into your dog’s menu, but you still want him to enjoy the benefits of this meat, then, consider buying dog foods with turkey as the main ingredient.
Commercial pet foods with the term “turkey meal” on their label use a rendered type of turkey meat with higher protein and lesser water than fresh turkey.
When you encounter this term, don’t be alarmed. This is a perfectly acceptable form of protein and offers your dog plenty of benefits.
Finally, if you want to feed your dog some fresh, cooked turkey, make sure to remove the skin, which is high in fat, and usually absorbs a lot of the added seasonings and spices if there are.
Once again, giving your pup plain turkey meat without skin and bones is non-negotiable.
Benefits of Turkey Meat for Dogs
Turkey is not toxic to dogs, and it is packed with essential nutrients that can help with your pup’s overall health, growth, and development.
Turkey is rich in protein and low in fats; so, it can be a perfect addition to your dog’s diet, especially when he is fighting obesity, and trying to replace his fat weight with muscle weight.
Turkey is also loaded with riboflavin and phosphorus. Vitamin B2 or riboflavin helps in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates into energy, so they can be used by the body in performing its daily functions.
In addition, riboflavin also plays a vital role in the body’s cellular respiration, particularly in producing the red blood cells that carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
The phosphorus content in turkeys helps promote the overall health of the kidneys, so it can efficiently do its function which includes the flushing of urine and toxins outside of the body through urine. This, in turn, helps in promoting a dog’s optimum level of functioning.
Not only that, but phosphorus also plays an important role in muscle contractions, which in turn, help dogs with their motor functions.
This includes helping a dog with his ability to exercise, run, jump, and implement verbal commands by their owners. Also, phosphorus aids in keeping a dog’s heart rate at normal levels.
Unless your dog is allergic to turkey, he would just be fine munching on this nutritious white meat. However, no matter how tasty and healthy this treat is for your pup, you should not overwhelm him with plenty of turkey meat all day.
A word of advice, if it’s your dog’s first time eating turkey, make sure to only give a small amount and observe his reaction thereafter. Just like any food that is not part of his regular diet, your pup may show untoward reactions.
It’s better to stay on the safe side by only giving him a small amount first. Hence, just in case he exhibits unusual symptoms such as tummy pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, the side effects won’t be that severe, and he won’t be affected that much.
Also, turkey’s nutritional benefits won’t matter if you are going to season the meat with salt, soy sauce, spices, and mix with other toxic ingredients. At the end of the day, the dangers will far outweigh the benefits.
Similarly, giving your dog turkey skin is also risky since this is a fatty part, and it also absorbs most of the additives just in case there are.
Giving your dog foods that are rich in fat can also jeopardize your dog’s pancreas, causing pancreatitis and other complications. So, for your pup’s health and safety, just give him plain turkey meat without skin and bones.
There are different ways to make turkey more appealing for your pup. For instance, you can follow several turkey recipes for dogs online, make or buy frozen turkey treats, or sprinkle ground turkey on top of your pup’s favorite dog food.
Can You Give Your Dog Turkey Bones?
Bones from birds especially cooked poultry bones from duck, chicken, and turkey are delicate. Hence, these bones could be a potential choking hazard, and they may cause internal bleeding and/or blockages as they can easily splinter inside the body.
Veterinarians are cautious about giving any kind of bones to dogs to prevent the occurrence of any of the following problems:
Mouth and tongue injuries
Throat or intestinal tract obstruction
Choking
Internal bleeding since the bones can splinter and poke the lining of the stomach and the intestines
Rectal bleeding from the sharp edges of the bone fragments
Blockages that may even require emergency surgery
Constipation
If you want your dog to munch on bones, you can buy a hard nylon toy, or chew toy bones that are specially designed for dogs. Also, when buying one, you can invest in a long-lasting chewy bone that is durable and helpful with the dental cavity.
Or you can purchase something long-lasting and digestible. Some of these edible toys are flavored, and you won’t have to worry about your pup’s health and safety.
How to Safely Feed Your Dog Turkey?
Whether it’s for Thanksgiving or just an ordinary day, you can go on and reward your pooch with healthy and tasty turkey meat for snacks or dinner.
However, as mentioned in this article, there are safety guidelines that you need to observe to prevent the occurrence of potential health issues. Let’s take a look at these safety tips once again:
Make sure to only feed your dog plain turkey meat. Don’t add salt, soy sauce, spices, sugar, and other toxic ingredients. Onions have a popular reputation as toxic ingredients for dogs, while garlic can also be harmful when consumed in huge quantities. And while sugar is not toxic, your pup won’t taste it anyway, and it would just put him at risk for diabetes, and obesity.
Save the skin for yourself and save your dog from ailments and complications. Your best choice is to give him the lean meat of the turkey or the “white meat.” So, you should also avoid frying the turkey because it will just add unwanted fat to your pup’s diet. And as mentioned earlier, the skin is also rich in fat. So, the combined high-fat content both in the skin and the oil could just increase your dog’s chance of having pancreatitis. In addition, the skin also acts as a sponge of all the seasonings and spices that you add while marinating and cooking.
If it’s your dog’s first time eating turkey, it would be better to ask your vet’s expert advice, especially if your pup has an underlying medical condition, such as diabetes.
Give turkey meat in moderation, especially if it’s your dog’s first time. This can help prevent unwanted side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
Finally, make sure to remove the bones before giving the turkey meat to your dog.
Final Thoughts
Turkey is healthy and highly nutritious meat for dogs. So, clearly, you can feed it to your dog. In fact, a lot of commercially sold dog foods and dog treats have turkey in them, either as scraps or as the primary ingredient.
This only shows that turkey is safe for dogs, and it can even serve as an excellent protein source for dogs with allergies to beef, chicken, and other meat products.
And of course, giving turkey to your pup is an exciting and healthy way to add variation to his diet. This way, he won’t easily get bored with his meals and he would feel your love and affection even more.
Can turkey upset a dog's stomach?
Can turkey upset a dog's stomach?
Turkey is often seasoned with garlic and onions, both of which are toxic to dogs. Deli meat, turkey hot dogs and other kinds of processed turkey meat contain high amounts of salt and preservatives that could be harmful to your dog's health and can upset their stomach.
Does turkey Make My dog sleepy?
Turkey is an excellent source of the amino acid tryptophan. While too much tryptophan and turkey for humans may make us feel tired, large quantities of turkey for dogs can cause an increase in flatulence. Feed your dog too much turkey and expect some toots!
Is turkey better than chicken for dogs?
Turkey wins by being the more suitable choice of meat for dogs of all ages and health needs!
Why does my dog throw up after eating turkey?
The cooking process usually kills all of the bacteria, but occasionally the center of the turkey may be undercooked, especially if it's large or full of stuffing. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, listlessness, fever, and loss of appetite.
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He is a seasoned writer who has more than 10 years of experience in creating engaging and optimized content for various platforms and audiences. He has worked on diverse projects ranging from articles, social media posts, newsletters and ebooks, covering different topics and niches.
