Can Dogs Eat Turkey?

[DawnCt1]

I have been making Jude's meals, boiled chicken and hamburger that I mix with puppy food, so he will gain some weight. He LOVES turkey but I have been hesitant to give him very much. Can dogs eat turkey?

 

[phorsenuf]

I have been making Jude's meals, boiled chicken and hamburger that I mix with puppy food, so he will gain some weight. He LOVES turkey but I have been hesitant to give him very much. Can dogs eat turkey?

I don't see why not.

 

[LindaR]

Yes.

 

[Darsa]

According to one of the dog sites I check out...

In case you're wondering, yes you can give your dog some turkey and even a little gravy.

When placing the meat in his bowl, be sure to remove all pieces of bone. Dogs and turkey bones aren't a good combination. Just like chicken bones, turkey bones splinter and can cause blockage or perforation of the intestine.

Also use caution when feeding your dog turkey skin. It's great for a treat, but too much can cause a case of canine pancreatitis. This causes severe diarrhea and vomiting which can lead to dehydration. Other symptoms include: severe pain, refusal to eat, crying, weakness and irritability.

Hope this helps!

 

[doxdogy]

Has he eaten before? If so, I don't see why not. We had one dog that loved turkey, but it didn't love her.

 

[DawnCt1]

Thank you all very much. I have been giving him little bites of turkey after I give him his pills, to be sure they went down. He has tricked me a couple of times. For some reason, he likes the turkey better than chicken.

 

[The Mayor]

Have the air freshener handy...any poultry we give Max is soon turned into a very putrid and pungent gas

 

[Tosie]

Our German Shepherd eats raw ground turkey (mixed with bone meal and veggies) and is a very happy girl. No gas whatsoever.

 

[Pakey]

Both of my dogs have pancreatic issues so they have been on a diet of baked poultry and white rice, as recommended per our vet, for two years now. Just make sure that you cook the poultry without any seasoning. I also remove all of the skin. We have used both chicken and turkey, my dogs don't seem to have a preference.

The odd thing that our vet recommended was canned pumpkin. It's filling, easy on the digestive system and they like it. It's their "treat" since they can't have any kind of doggie biscuits.

No gas issues at all either.

 

[Mom23Disneybelievers]

Our German Shepherd eats raw ground turkey (mixed with bone meal and veggies) and is a very happy girl. No gas whatsoever.

Is there a reason for giving her raw meat? Does your dog have dietary issues?

We have a german shepherd with regular digestive problems..the vet says that it is a common problem for GS dogs. We are on a special food, mixed with probiotic packets and raw pumpkin. (This has been working for 2 months.)

 

[DVC-Don]

.................. Can dogs eat turkey?

They do in A Christmas Story.

 

[denisem]

Is there a reason for giving her raw meat? Does your dog have dietary issues?

We have a german shepherd with regular digestive problems..the vet says that it is a common problem for GS dogs. We are on a special food, mixed with probiotic packets and raw pumpkin. (This has been working for 2 months.)

Not to speak for Tosie, but we've been feeding raw chicken to our cats for almost 5 yrs. Started because of MAJOR dietary issues for one - we also went through all the special foods, probiotic, etc. and even our vet was stymied. Tried raw as a last resort and had amazing results within 24 hours. :thumbsup

The premise is that in nature animals eat raw food, and their digestive systems are shorter & more acidic than humans so complications we associate with raw meat (e.coli, salmonella) don't affect meat-eating animals (providing you use fresh, high quality meat, of course.)

 

[kirbydog48]

I give it to both of my dogs. I'd stick to white meat and remove the skin. Sounds like he's eating better.

 

[Poohbear123]

Yes, but not too much, and NO to the Deli Turkey...has too many preservatives not good for dogs.

 

[MyDizneyBoyz]

Turkey and duck are meats that can be too rich for some dogs and cause diarrhea or gas. If that's the case, give in small quantities.

Canned pumpkin is great for firming up loose stools as it is very high in fiber, however, too much can have the opposite effect. One spoonful is generally enough for an average sized dog.

Plain unflavored yogurt is also great for dogs and just like with humans can help with digestive issues, esp. if taking antibiotics.

We give our dogs a huge variety of healthy extras (= no carbs) mixed in with their regular dog food. Some of their favorites are:
- canned sardines in water (they love "stinky stinky fish" night! )
- scrambled eggs
- homemade meatballs
- crumbled pieces of Natural Balance food rolls (also known as puppy crack as they're total addicts)

Dogs will thrive on a high protein, low carb diet as that's what they're designed to eat. One of my favorite vets gave us the analogy that the ideal meal for a dog is a whole rabbit, freshly caught. Muscles and organs provide protein and a concentration of vitamins and minerals, skin and fur provide fat and insoluble fiber, bones have rich marrow and calcium/phosphorous and the stomach contents provide a pre-digested serving of vegetables. Very little in the way of carbs.

We try to mimic this for our dogs while still taking advantage of the convenience of dog food by making sure they eat a variety of healthy proteins and the occasional handful of steamed veggies added into their meals.

Before having kids, I had my dogs (at the time, a Boxer and a Boston Terrier) on a raw diet as it is extremely healthy for a dog that is otherwise healthy and doesn't have any medical issues. But, it is difficult to do "right" if you feed completely raw as there are all sorts of proportions you have to get right to avoid giving too much of one thing and not enough of another. Probably not something you'd want to try with Jude.

Jude is a cutie - I saw his pic in another thread.

 

[Mom23Disneybelievers]

Not to speak for Tosie, but we've been feeding raw chicken to our cats for almost 5 yrs. Started because of MAJOR dietary issues for one - we also went through all the special foods, probiotic, etc. and even our vet was stymied. Tried raw as a last resort and had amazing results within 24 hours. :thumbsup

The premise is that in nature animals eat raw food, and their digestive systems are shorter & more acidic than humans so complications we associate with raw meat (e.coli, salmonella) don't affect meat-eating animals (providing you use fresh, high quality meat, of course.)

That is very interesting. I'm going to ask the vet about that...it sounds like it may be an option for us. It certainly makes sense! It would be wonderful to be rid of the dietary issues!

 

[Hercules10]

My wolf pack scarf down lean ground turkey. I did find they tolerate the lean stuff much better. The turkey with a little more fat gave them the farts ....do they make a bean-o for dogs?

 

[Tosie]

That is very interesting. I'm going to ask the vet about that...it sounds like it may be an option for us. It certainly makes sense! It would be wonderful to be rid of the dietary issues!

You can google "raw food diet" or "Barf diet" and you will get lots of info! That's how we got started!

 

[Tosie]

Is there a reason for giving her raw meat? Does your dog have dietary issues?

We have a german shepherd with regular digestive problems..the vet says that it is a common problem for GS dogs. We are on a special food, mixed with probiotic packets and raw pumpkin. (This has been working for 2 months.)

She didn't have any dietary issues -but she became very bored with her dry, commercial dog food. I had been doing some research on raw diets for some time before we made the switch. I was VERY hesitant to make the change because at first it seemed so WRONG. How could I give my dog raw food? Wouldn't it make her sick? What if she got e coli or some other yucky bug? How much would this cost me? How time consuming would this be?

The more I read, though, the more sense it made. Commercial dog food hasn't been around THAT long, and dogs have. They survived on raw food way before we started making food for them.

As a PP mentioned, dogs have a shorter digestive tract so the chances of becoming sick from contaminated food are waaaay less than for humans.

As far as cost, in one month it costs just about the same as the dry dog food we were buying. We buy a large container of bone meal that easily lasts us 3-4 months. We chop up carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash and add it to the ground turkey.

When we went to WDW in August and my mom watched her, we made little patties and froze them. My mom just had to defrost and feed - simple.

Some pet supply stores now carry raw food and raw meaty bones. I find them a little pricier so I stick to the do it yourself method.

We also purchase marrow bones in the grocery store and she gets a raw, frozen one every night - a treat she looks for with gusto!

And now a brief word about poo....

Dogs on a raw diet produce less poop and it often will turn white and disintegrate. Less poop is a good thing. The reason for less poop is simply because all the nutrients are sucked out of the raw food and there is little waste left.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[DawnCt1]

Thank you so much everyone. DS#1 called me and said he pee'd blood again today. DH said that it will happen. The tumor is "friable". That said, he doesn't like his new kibble so I hand fed him turkey. He is perfectly capable of eating but I think I am spoiling him. Tonight DH said, "just pour the steak juice over his old dog food (Canidae) and see if he wants it." He loved it. I gave him some steak, no seasoning. He ate well. He seems happy. I just want him to live a normal life span. Its hard enough to lose a dog at any time, but its awful before their 'time'. Today I made turkey 'soup', boiled hamburger and heated up chopped chicken. He doesn't like sweet potato. He likes scrabbled eggs. Is that okay?