Turkey is a popular meat in the Latin America and can be binged on in many ways. While we happily eat this delicious meat our pooches beneath are seen drooling. But the question that arises in every pet parents mind is ” Can turkey be fed to the canines?” This article not only enlightens about this topic but will also give tips and recipes as to how one can serve turkey to their pet pals.
Is turkey safe and healthy for my dog?
The meat of turkey is not toxic to canines, but the turkey leftovers of prepared for human consumption is not an ideal snack for the dog. Mostly because humans prepare turkey smothered with butter or oil with seasonings and herbs for flavor. This version of the meat does not suit dogs. Unflavored cooked turkey meat without the skin, bones or extra fats have great advantages for the pooches.
What are the benefits of feeding turkey meat to the dog?
Turkey meat is protein-rich and are fairly low in fat and is rich in riboflavin and phosphorus. This is the reason for turkey meat being the major constituent of many commercially available dog food as well as homemade food diets.
How to safely feed turkey meat to the dog?
The following pointers need to be pondered before feeding the meat of turkey to the four-legged creatures.
1. Refrain from feeding the skin.
The skin is majorly composed of the fat and the seasoning which is dangerous for the fidos. The fat content is seen to cause damage to the pancreas and the seasonings irritate the dog’s stomach.
2. Feed the pooch only the meat portion in small amounts.
Onions are toxic to dogs and garlic is potentially toxic if fed in large quantities. Only small quantities of turkey meat need to be fed to the fidos. Experts highly recommend consulting a vet before adding any food scraps into the dog’s diet, especially if it has any preexisting health disorders like diabetes, respiratory problems and so on.
3. Eliminate the bones from the meat.
Make sure no bones are present in the meat that is fed to the dog.
What are the side effects of feeding turkey to the pet pals?
All dogs love to binge on bones, but like all poultry, the turkeys also have brittle bones. This means when fed to dogs they are likely to break and choke them. Smaller bone fragments are also seen to create problems further down the digestive tract. Hence one needs to completely remove all turkey bones before feeding the meat to the dog.
Some dogs are also seen to develop an allergic reaction to turkey. The prominent symptoms of an allergy include scratching, hair loss, paw biting, skin rashes, and vomiting. If one notices any signs of allergy while feeding turkey meat, they need to immediately stop feeding it and give the pet a cool bath to soothe any rashes. For severe reactions, one must consult the vet without any delay.
Many pet foods and treats may contain traces of turkey. Hence it is generally recommended to check the label before these condiments are given or used on dogs.
How can turkey be included in the dog’s diet?
Turkey meat can be introduced into the dog’s diet in the following ways
1. Unflavored cooked meat without skin.
One can feed the canine with homecooked boiled turkey meat in water without any seasoning as well as the skin and the bones.
2. Turkey and veggies rice
The turkey can also be cooked with rice and veggies without any seasoning.
Ingredients
- Brown rice – 1.5 cups
- Cooking oil- 1 teaspoon
- Turkey- 3 pounds of ground or minced turkey without skin, bones or fat.
- Spinach- 3 cups
- Carrots – 2 shredded
- Zucchini- one shredded
- Peas- ½ cup
Cooking procedure
# Pressure cook or cook the rise in the open pan, allow to cool and set aside.
# Add the turkey to a wok with oil and stir slowly for an even cook. Break up any large chunks of meat if present.
# To the cooked turkey add all the veggies and the boiled rice and continue to cook until the spinach wilts.
# Cool the prepared mixture before serving and freeze the leftover portions for later use.
3. Turkey treats
Turkey can also be fed to the fidos in the form of treats.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour- 1 ¾ cups
- Instant oats- 2 ½ cups
- Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
- Turkey or chicken broth- 1 cup
- Shredded turkey- 1 ½ cups
Cooking procedure
# Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
# Grease and line a baking sheet on the baking tray.
# Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
# Blend the broth and the turkey meat until to a paste-like consistency and add it to the dry ingredients. Combine to form a smooth dough.
# Roll the dough out and use a cookie cutter to make cookies of the desired shape and place these biscuits onto the baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes until golden brown.
#Allow cooling completely before serving and store the cookies in an airtight container and feed the dog when required.
4. Dog kibble or wet food topping
One can top the dog’s regular kibble or wet food with shredded or minced cooked meat.
5. Turkey meatballs
Ingredients
- Sweet potato- 2 cups
- Shredded turkey- 3 cups
- Brown rice- 1.5 cups
- Eggs- 1 to 2
- Cooking oil- 3 to 4 teaspoons
Cooking procedure
# Cook the rice and set aside to cool down.
# Pressure cooks the sweet potatoes completely and mash the potatoes post cooling and peeling the skin.
# Cook the shredded turkey in an open pan till it is evenly cooked and set aside
# Scramble the eggs with a teaspoon of cooking oil and allow to cool.
# Combine all the ingredients together to form a dough. Divide this prepared dough into small parts and feed the pooch.
# The leftover balls can be frozen for future use.
What are the alternatives to turkey meat?
If your dog has an allergic reaction to turkey meat, he or she may not be allergic to all other protein types. Duck is the next poultry replacement for turkey, but one could also see try to feed the pooch with the cheapest protein source that is chicken and check for the allergy response.
When one begins with any new meat, only a small amount needs to be introduced in the begin. The chances of an allergic response are less with more exotic bird’s meat however, these are seen to hit hard on the pockets.
Final thoughts
If one cooks the dog’s turkey properly using a dog specific recipe and consults a vet prior to the introduction of new food to its pal. There will be no problem with introducing turkey meat to the homemade diet of their pets.
Sources
- https://trupanion.com/pet-care/can-dogs-eat-turkey
- https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/blog/2017/11/21/can-dogs-eat-turkey
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-turkey/
- https://dogtime.com/dog-health/dog-food-dog-nutrition/70709-can-dogs-eat-turkey
