Can My Dog Eat Turkey Leftovers?
December 12, 2019
When the holidays roll around, you want to include your pets in all the festivities as much as possible, right down to a big plate of turkey. That’s everybody’s favourite part and who can resist those big puppy-dog eyes and drooling chops when you’re sitting down to dinner? But the delicious bird you prepare for the holidays might not agree with your dog’s constitution.
Turkey is a delicious ingredient found in many dog foods that offers a wide variety of essential amino acids, as well as vitamins and minerals like riboflavin (for energy), phosphorus (for healthy teeth and bones) and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). So in its natural state, turkey is a perfectly good choice of protein for your dog.
But the turkey we enjoy when we’re celebrating the holidays is seasoned and stuffed and comes with slatherings of gravy, which is a recipe for great upset for your dog. Some of these include:
Butter and oils used in basting can irritate your dog’s bowel system, causing inflammation and diarrhea. Dogs cannot tolerate dairy products and some may experience stomach cramps and vomiting as a result of eating butter and other milk-based foods. In severe cases, it can lead to pancreatitis.
Onions (and garlic) contain toxic compounds that can negatively affect your dog’s red blood cells’ ability to produce oxygen, causing hemolytic anemia. This condition, known as onion toxicosis, can last for days and cause severe stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums, rapid heart rate and panting, and will require immediate veterinary attention.
Salt is not something your dog should ingest, as they get more than enough from their dog food. If your dog eats too much salt it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, shaking, elevated body temperature and seizures. In severe cases, too much salt can be fatal.
So that means no skin, no fat, no turkey bones and no trimmings for poor Fido. But there's something your dog will enjoy a whole lot better than human food and that's the turkey giblets. Just remove the neck or gizzard and boil up the rest of the giblets in some water, allowing it to cool before your dog digs in. It's the perfectly safe and delicious canine treat for the holidays. Gobble! Gobble!