Can dogs eat turkey?
When it comes to a →healthy dog diet, turkey meat is right at the top. Versatile in preparation, it contains few calories and is easy on the stomach. But what about raw turkey meat, and when should you avoid giving turkey to your dog?
Turkey meat (or turkey) is also a welcome and especially healthy treat for dogs. Lean, low in fat, rich in protein, vitamins B12 and B6, as well as magnesium, zinc, iron, and potassium. So if your dog enjoys turkey meat: Give it to him!
Especially active dogs or those who could benefit from losing a few pounds could do well with turkey meat. However, you should avoid the skin! Unlike the lean breast and muscle meat, the skin is significantly fattier.
Can a dog eat raw turkey meat?
Turkey, like chicken, is poultry and is therefore susceptible to salmonella. If you want to treat your dog to a nice piece of meat or start raw feeding, you should be particularly cautious with raw turkey meat.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Bei der Rohfütterung, auch bekannt als BARFen, werden frische Zutaten an Hunde verfüttert. Möchtest du das einmal ausprobieren, solltest du dich vorher gut informieren.
To ensure that the purchased meat is still fresh, you should follow these steps before feeding:
1. Turkey breast belongs to the light meat types. The leg, on the other hand, can be a bit darker. As soon as you notice that the meat has an unhealthy color, it’s better to avoid it. The lighting at the meat counter can sometimes be misleading, so be sure to check the meat again before feeding.
2. The piece of meat should be firm. Just test it by pressing it with your finger. If the firmness has significantly diminished, throw it away. As with any raw meat, you should definitely wash your hands after direct contact. And depending on where your fingers were before, maybe even before, to avoid transferring germs.
3. If you buy your meat at the meat counter, you should feed it relatively quickly after purchase. If it has been in the refrigerator for more than a few hours (where you should definitely keep it until feeding), take it out of the plastic bag, place it on a clean plate, and cover it. Meat in bags tends to "sweat" quickly - creating a breeding ground for germs.
4. Also, when purchasing, make sure you don’t buy meat from packaging and don’t necessarily choose the cheapest option. Large-scale turkey farming (hence lower prices) often involves medications. And your furry friend should gladly avoid those.
Alternatively, you can also buy your meat for dogs in BARF shops. There you can get various types of meat fresh or frozen. Are you interested in raw feeding, but find BARF with its complicated rules too cumbersome? Then try our "BARF Complete." The menu already contains everything your dog needs daily. Fresh meat as well as crunchy fruits and vegetables, valuable oils, and minerals already measured and coordinated. Pre-portioned and still fresh like with BARFing.
Für Einsteiger & Zeitsparer! Unsere Komplett-Menüs sind deine beste Wahl. Vollwertig & sofort im Napf!
Is it better to feed raw or cooked turkey?
Feeding raw turkey meat to dogs
We have already outlined the advantages (but also the dangers) of raw turkey meat for your dog. As an alternative to raw meat feeding, you can of course also take the cooking spoon. However, you need to pay attention to several things to ensure your furry friend receives all the important nutrients. Most dogs love home-cooked meals, and especially dogs with →intolerances and allergies can benefit from it - it’s definitely worth a try.
Feeding cooked turkey meat to dogs
In contrast to raw feeding, cooking turkey meat does remove some vital nutrients, but at the same time improves the absorption of those very nutrients. Since these minerals and nutrients are not "overcooked" during cooking but merely leached out, you can reuse the broth after cooking as a tasty broth (for your dog or yourself).
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Neben Fleisch benötigen unsere Vierbeiner auch Gemüse und Obst sowie Mineralien und gesunde Fette für eine artgerechte Ernährung.
However, meat alone does not make a complete meal for your four-legged friend. To directly address a widely [→spread myth](/magazin/hunde/hunde-ernaehrung/die-5-groessten-futterirrtuemer-bei-hunden): **
Is turkey meat good for dogs?
Yes, turkey meat is a healthy protein source for dogs. However, keep in mind that our modern dogs are not wolves and therefore need more than just meat to eat. Yes, they descend from wolves, but there are some important nutritional differences. Dogs need vegetables in their diet in addition to meat (or they →might even completely avoid it). A purely meat-based diet does not cover all of a dog's nutritional needs. Therefore, cooked vegetables (e.g., →potatoes, →broccoli, →carrots, or →pumpkin) should be added to the cooked meat - where we come back to BARFing, or raw feeding. You should not swing the cooking spoon without expert advice anyway, because if you do not plan to serve your dog bones and offal, you need a →mineral mix as a supplement. Without enough minerals, you risk undernourishment.
Even if your dog is struggling with →diarrhea or →vomiting, you can treat him to 3-5 days of home-cooked bland food**. For this, cook some turkey meat or better yet chicken meat with rice and carrots. Save yourself some time and feel free to throw everything into one pot. But definitely avoid any spices! Or if you need something quick, our →wet food "Vet" Stomach & Intestine Fit is ready-made and can assist you in treatment.
