Can Dogs Eat Turkey?

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Can dogs eat turkey or should we avoid it? Most of us love to spoil our dogs, even though we know we shouldn’t always. Whether we’re looking for a quality treat to use in training or just can’t bear to draw a dog’s attention, much of the food on our plates often ends up in our dog’s mouth. Then, of course, there will be times when our dogs won’t wait to be rewarded and go get something to eat themselves.

Turkey vs Pork

Bacon, whether it’s made from pork or turkey, isn’t toxic to dogs. Pork is considered dangerous because it contains a lot of fat and salt. This puts dogs at risk for pancreatitis and obesity, and their salt levels can lead to dehydration. Turkey meat sounds healthy at first. After all, the smoked meat alternative is definitely better for you, right?

The reality is a little different. While turkey contains less fat than pork, the difference isn’t as big as we’d like to think. Turkey meat comes from both dark and light turkey meat that is seasoned like pork before being processed into smoked meat. Unfortunately, this means the turkey is still high in saturated fat and sodium.

Let’s take a look at some nutritional information. According to nutritionists, turkey contains about 218 calories per 2-ounce serving and pork contains 268 calories. Turkey meat contains 14 grams of fat while pork contains 22 grams. Some brands of turkey may even contain more sodium than regular meat. In terms of nutrition, pork actually contains more vitamins and minerals than turkey.

Is Turkey Good For Dogs?

Even low-sodium meats like chicken can add unnecessary calories. Veterinarians advise us to follow the ten percent rule: treats shouldn’t make up more than ten percent of your dog’s diet. Feeding your dog small amounts of healthy fruits and vegetables (perfect for dogs) or low-calorie dog food will keep your dog healthy, happy, and motivated.

Is Turkey Meat Bad for Dogs?

Fat and sodium pose a serious risk to dogs in significant amounts. In small amounts, meat may not cause problems in a healthy dog. However, figuring out how much is too much isn’t as easy as it sounds. For example, feeding your Labrador Retriever a slice of turkey every few months isn’t necessarily good, but in most cases, it won’t do him any harm. However, feeding a Chihuahua or Yorkshire Terrier the same sliced turkey can cause indigestion. If you feed your Chihuahua rashers regularly, your dog may get sick. Sometimes we accidentally feed our dogs bad food. If your dog is wolfing down a whole plate of bacon, you need to keep an eye on him.

Pancreatitis

Turkey’s meat is very high in fat. This can lead to pancreatitis, a potentially life-threatening bowel infection that can be caused by eating fatty foods. Symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, loss of appetite, and stomach pain. Mild cases of pancreatitis usually have a good prognosis. Your vet will provide supportive therapy as needed and temporarily place your dog on a new diet to help him recover. Severe cases of pancreatitis can be fatal. If you suspect your dog has pancreatitis, contact your vet immediately.

Obesity

Regularly feeding your dog turkey carries another risk, which is obesity. More than half of the dogs in the US and UK are obese. Obesity can lead to diabetes, heart disease, respiratory problems, and arthritis. This condition can affect your pet’s quality of life and is often expensive to treat. Luckily, there’s a simple solution: keep high-fat foods away from your dog.

Can Dogs Eat Raw Turkey?

But what if you didn’t want to feed your dog raw turkey bacon? If your dog is stealing raw turkey bacon, unless he has a history of pancreatitis, there is no need to panic. However, you should monitor it carefully for signs of digestive upset, such as vomiting or diarrhea, or other behavioral changes.