Can Dogs Eat Turkey? When it is or isn’t an Emergency

Most dogs can eat turkey meat in moderation as long as it’s plain and comes with no bone. Turkey meat is already used in many commercial dog food products and can play an important role in a dog’s diet as it is rich in protein and other important nutrients.

Can turkey upset a dog’s stomach?

It’s unlikely but there can be cases when eating turkey meat can upset a dog’s stomach. For example, this can happen if the turkey was cooked with ingredients that are unsafe or unhealthy for dogs when consumed in large amounts. This may include cooking oil or additives like salt.

Turkey meat can also dangerous for dogs if it was cooked with toxic ingredients like garlic and onion. You should avoid letting your dog eat any turkey dishes that aren’t plain. This especially applies to the turkey you may cook for thanksgiving or other holiday events.

There’s also the danger that turkey bones can introduce. Cooked turkey bones are quite brittle and may end up causing a number of issues in the dog’s gastrointestinal tract once consumed. It will become even more problematic if the bones are splintered. Discard the bones first before you let your dog have any piece of the turkey meat.

How much turkey can a dog eat?

It will depend on a number of factors such as your dog’s weight, age, and general activity level. The most important thing to note is that a dog’s diet shouldn’t primarily consist of turkey meat. It’s important for dogs to have a well-balanced diet as turkey meat alone wouldn’t provide all the nutrients and minerals a dog’s body requires.

Can turkey cause seizures in dogs?

While the chances are minimal, any food including turkey could indirectly trigger seizures in dogs. It’s possible that this can happen with turkey if the meat is “polluted” or of very bad quality.

Turkey is known for containing an amino acid called tryptophan which has been linked to effects such as inducing drowsiness. The amount of tryptophan that turkey meat contains is not thought of as high-risk but you may want to check with your vet if you have any specific concerns on this when feeding turkey meat to your pets.

Turkey meat isn’t the only type of meat dogs can enjoy. Find out what else is or isn’t safe for dogs to eat by visiting our human food for dogs database.