Who doesn’t love turkey every now and then? Whether it’s on a sandwich, in a salad, or drowning in gravy on Thanksgiving!
But as many humans enjoy turkey, can dogs eat turkey?
Get the answer below so you know how to keep your doggo safe.
Can Dogs Eat Turkey?
Yes, they can! Turkey is not toxic to dogs. In fact, there are plenty of packaged dog foods out there that contains turkey as their main ingredient. After all, this bird is rich in nutrients that are our dogs need. This includes protein, phosphorous, and riboflavin.
With that said, turkey is only good for our pets when it is cooked plainly. This means no additives like salt, oil, and other flavorings.
You can even ask your veterinarian for advice on how to best cook turkey for dogs. To be safe, baked or boiled plain turkey is the best.
Make Sure Your Dog Skips The Thanksgiving Turkey
On the other hand, Thanksgiving turkeys are rarely cooked plain. We add a lot of spices to these birds to give them a richer flavor. This can include seasonings like salt, pepper as well as different herbs and spices to boost the flavor.
Of course, who could forget the oil and butter rub? Some even cook their turkey with beer and other alcoholic beverages. While this makes a delicious meal for us, all of the ingredients mentioned are a recipe for disaster in dogs.
At best, feeding your dog flavored turkey can cause a digestive upset. Worst case scenario, our beloved fur babies could end up with a serious health issue like pancreatitis.
Also, to be safe, it is best not to feed your dog’s turkey skin. After all, the rubs and all the seasonings are found mostly on the skin. The skin fat can also cause pancreatitis for dogs.
Turkey bones are also a big no-no as they can lead to choking.
If you are unable to resist your dog’s loving eyes during your turkey meal, giving them a little bit of turkey meat wouldn’t hurt. As long as there are no onions and garlic in the meat.
As always, moderation is key here so be sure to feed your dogs just small quantities of turkey. If your dog has any preexisting medical conditions such as obesity and diabetes, be sure to check with your vet first.
Learn More About What Human Foods Are Healthy or Harmful for Dogs
This article is part of our special series of articles about “What Human Foods Can Dogs Eat?”
Please check out other articles in the series including: Can Dogs Eat Watermelon?
