Who’s excited for Thanksgiving already? The right response is everyone, including the family pets! It is only natural for your dog to get excited about Thanksgiving because all of his or her favorite people will be in the same place, there will be lots of belly rubs, dog toys and dog treats will appear out of thin air, and in the midst of the chaos caused by the feast, food scraps will “accidentally” fall onto the floor.
If your dogs are anything like Ree Drummond’s, they will be hanging around the table during mealtimes in order to retrieve any dropped treats that may have fallen to the floor. According to Ree, the Drummond family pets enjoy Thanksgiving even more so since “they really love gravy!” (Because of the high fat content, she only gives it to them occasionally as a special treat, and she tries not to give them too much of it.)
Nevertheless, when it comes to feeding puppies human food, it is essential to take into consideration the animal’s health. Is it even possible for dogs to consume turkey? Can dogs eat bones from a turkey? Here are some things you should know before you try to sneak them some leftover turkey or give them the responsibility of cleaning up after dinner.
In a word, yes, but with a few important qualifications. Turkey is safe for dogs to consume and can be found as an ingredient in a variety of commercially available dog meals. The bird is an excellent source of numerous B vitamins, as well as a lean protein that is high in potassium and selenium.
According to Dr. Katy Nelson, the senior veterinarian at Chewy, “turkey, when properly prepared, can be a healthy supplement to any pup’s diet, making it a terrific alternative to mix in with some kibble.” When it comes to feeding your dog turkey, it’s better to give them the meat in its natural state, without any seasonings or fatty additives.
Unfortunately, the fact that Thanksgiving turkey isn’t boring is one of its best qualities. The turkey brine, butter, oils, stuffing, garlic, and onions are some of the elements that contribute to the incredible flavor of a holiday turkey, but they are not good for a dog’s health.
The recipe that we use to ensure a successful Thanksgiving is their recipe for disaster… or at the very least an upset stomach. You could supplement your dog’s diet with a few pieces of food here and there, but you should be sure to prepare them in a way that is good for them. Before you give your dog any of those scraps, there are a few things you need to do first:
Make sure that the only thing they are consuming is turkey flesh, and take out any and all other ingredients. Garlic and onions, especially when consumed in big quantities, are both harmful to dogs and will cause gastrointestinal discomfort in them.
Take the skin from the turkey. Even for humans, the skin is normally the part of the bird that is least healthful because it has the highest percentage of fat and is typically strongly seasoned. This is due to the fact that the skin contains the most fat overall.
Check to see that none of the bones are still attached to the meat.
Turkey should only be given to them in very little amounts.
Your dog like the bones they get at the shop, but the bones from chicken are a different story. According to Dr. Nelson, “Dogs should not consume turkey bones in any form, either cooked or raw.” The bones of poultry are fragile and often shatter into jagged, potentially harmful fragments.
These bones are known to result in a variety of adverse health effects, including but not limited to constipation, choking, and internal bleeding.
Choose instead a chew made of bone or a treat made of hard bones! The act of chewing can be beneficial to the oral health of your dog, and many of these treats also contain additional nutritious elements.
In any other case, a tasty dog treat bag might be just the thing to win over your canine companion’s affections.
Be the first to comment