Can Dogs Eat Turkey? Safety Precaution for Feeding Dogs Turkey

The essence here is that turkey often appears on the menu for American festivities such as Thanksgiving, which is affectionately referred to as Turkey Day, among other events. This situation leaves numerous dog owners who are fond of turkey puzzled, as they’re unsure about sharing it with their beloved animals.

This always raises a question;  is turkey bad for dogs, or instead is turkey good for dogs?

But are there not commercial pet foods with turkey meals on the list of ingredients?

Feeding turkey to dogs is both bad and good. When you meet dog experts, they will tell you one thing; as a precaution, never feed turkey to dogs.

Usually, we fail to ask why.

This is why we’ve taken time out to unravel the mystery behind turkey and dogs in this blog post.

Why Turkey Can Be Bad For Dogs

Ordinarily, without any known allergies, you can feed your dog turkey. However, due to the following reasons, turkey isn’t always advisable for dogs;

1. Can Dogs Eat Turkey Bones? No.

It’s not just turkey bones, but bones from chicken, duck, or other birds are fragile and can splinter in the throat.

When turkey bones or bones from birds are fed to dogs, they are exposed to bleeding in their digestive system.

2. Turkey Seasoning Can Be Toxic

To enhance the natural taste of turkey, additional seasonings are added, especially your Thanksgiving turkey.

You cannot avoid seasoning your Thanksgiving turkey just because you intend to carry along your dog during the Thanksgiving buffet.

3. Turkey Stuffing Put Dogs At Risk

Different stuffing comes along with Turkey, most of which are not encouraged for dog’s consumption.

For instance, you stuff your turkey with onions, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and many other herbs that are prohibited by a dog’s digestive system.

4. Preserved Turkey Isn’t Easily Digestible

You cannot be sure of the freshness of your Turkey. Let’s assume it’s one that has been kept fresh using preservatives, and this can be harmful to the dog.

While the dog will be able to chew the meat, digesting will pose a big problem. In the end, it’s not worth the risk.

How Can Dogs Eat Turkey Safely

If you want to proceed to feed your dogs Turkey, there’s no harm in it so far you adhere strictly to these guidelines;

• No Skin and Seasoning

You will be putting your dog in harm’s way if you allow them to consume Turkey’s skin and seasonings that come with it. The skin contains much fat that increases your dog’s chances of suffering from pancreatitis.

As for the seasonings, your dogs’ stomach will get easily irritated. You don’t have to be reminded of what onions, garlic, and other herbs can do to your dogs. In essence, when asked, can dog eat turkey skin, the answer is NO!

• Zero Turkey Bones

Can dogs eat turkey bones? The answer is a No. or can dog eat raw turkey necks, please never try it. Just as explained earlier, bird bones are fragile and can splinter in the throat of your dogs.

You will be putting your dogs through a lot of pain if you give them raw turkey necks. It’s not advisable and can lead to unnecessary pain.

• Feed Them Only In Small Quantities

Of course, there’s no harm in feeding dogs with turkey. There are ready-made dog foods that have turkey in them. However, if you’ve decided to abide by the above instructions, them ensure you feed only in small quantities.

This is after you must have sought the professional opinion of your vet on introducing turkey into the diet of your dogs.

Why You Should Panic When You Dog Eat Turkey Bones

There’s a chance that your dog will eat turkey bones regardless of your best effort. When this situation appears, look out for bone fragment in their poop within 72 hours. When this does not happen, put a call through to your vet. Your dog is likely to display these symptoms also;

1. Lethargy
2. Vomiting
3. Constipation
4. Bloody stool
5. Bloated abdomen
6. Restlessness

Final Verdict

We’ve established the standard operating procedure on turkey for dogs.

Never feed turkey to dogs out of love without following these rules strictly. You should also know that you are increasing the chances of your dog’s obesity with regular consumption of turkey.

Regardless, we’ll love to know your opinion on turkey for dogs. If you’ve ever feed turkey for dogs, we’ll love to hear from you.