It isnt a big mystery as to whether turkey is safe for dogs to eat or not. Spoiler alert: turkey is not only safe, but its a commonly used protein source in commercial dog foods. Throwing your dog bits of turkey while you prep dinner can be a perfectly healthy treat, but not all parts of the turkey are safe. So whats a dog-owning foodie to do?
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Turkey Necks?Turkey necks have become a popular treat for dogs in recent years. They provide a natural source of protein, beneficial nutrients, and dental health benefits from all that chewing. But with the risks associated with cooked bones should you be giving your dog cooked turkey necks? This detailed guide will explain everything you need to know about feeding cooked turkey necks to dogs.
What are Turkey Necks?Turkey necks are the neck of a turkey including the vertebrae, muscle meat, cartilage, and connective tissue. Fresh turkey necks are usually about 6 inches long and ideal for medium to large breed dogs. Smaller breeds may struggle with such a large, meaty bone
Turkey necks can be fed fresh, frozen, freeze-dried, or air-dried. They should never be cooked as the high temperatures cause the bones to become brittle and prone to splintering. These bone fragments can damage your dog’s mouth, throat, and digestive tract.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Turkey Necks?
No, dogs should not eat cooked turkey necks under any circumstances. The reason is that cooking causes turkey neck bones to become brittle and likely to splinter into sharp fragments.
These bone shards can:
- Cut your dog’s mouth, gums, and tongue
- Get stuck in your dog’s throat, causing choking
- Perforate your dog’s esophagus, stomach, or intestines
- Cause life-threatening blockages or obstructions
So while raw turkey necks can make a healthy treat, cooked turkey necks pose a serious risk of injury and should always be avoided.
Risks of Cooked Turkey Necks
Here are some of the specific risks associated with giving your dog cooked turkey necks:
Choking Hazard
Cooked bones tend to splinter into small, sharp fragments that can easily become lodged in your dog’s throat, causing them to choke. This is extremely dangerous and requires emergency veterinary treatment.
Throat/Mouth Damage
Sharp bone shards can cut your dog’s gums, tongue, cheeks and other soft tissues in their mouth and throat. As well as being painful, these wounds can become infected.
Internal Injury and Perforation
Bone fragments from cooked turkey necks can perforate or puncture your dog’s esophagus, stomach, or intestines. This allows digestive juices and bacteria to leak into the abdominal cavity causing inflammation, infection, and even sepsis.
Obstruction/Blockage
Larger pieces of bone may cause a blockage or obstruction in your dog’s esophagus, stomach or intestines. This prevents food and water from passing through the digestive tract. Obstructions require emergency surgery to remove.
Constipation
Bone fragments that remain undigested can accumulate in your dog’s colon causing constipation. Mild cases cause discomfort, but severe constipation requires veterinary treatment.
Nutritional Imbalances
Cooked bones tend to be higher in phosphorus than calcium. This imbalance can prevent proper bone mineralization and growth in puppies.
As you can see, the risks associated with cooked turkey necks are extremely serious. The dangers lie in the fact that cooking causes the bones to splinter, compared to raw bones which are more flexible.
Benefits of Raw Turkey Necks
To gain the many benefits of turkey necks, they should always be fed raw. Here are some of the biggest advantages:
Natural Source of Calcium
Turkey necks provide a balanced source of calcium and phosphorus to support healthy bones and teeth. The ratio of these minerals is ideal in raw bones.
Dental Health
Chewing on raw turkey necks helps scrape away tartar and plaque. This reduces bacteria in your dog’s mouth and improves bad breath.
Mental Stimulation
Gnawing through turkey necks provides mental enrichment which helps relieve boredom and anxiety in dogs. The chewing motion releases endorphins too.
Joint Health
Natural collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin in turkey necks may support joint health and mobility in dogs. But you can’t guarantee the quantities.
Lean Protein
Turkey meat is an excellent source of lean, low-fat protein to support your dog’s muscles and organ function.
As you can see, raw turkey necks offer some great advantages. But these benefits are lost as soon as the neck is cooked and the bones become brittle.
How to Feed Raw Turkey Necks Safely
To feed raw turkey necks safely, follow these tips:
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Choose human-grade turkey necks from a reputable source
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Wash necks before feeding and follow strict hygiene practices
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Introduce slowly if your dog is new to raw feeding
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Supervise your dog closely while eating
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Avoid gulpers – feed large necks to dogs who like to chew
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Limit to one neck 2-3 times per week
Following the above guidelines will help make raw turkey necks a healthy addition to your dog’s diet. But extra care and supervision is essential for safe feeding.
Alternatives to Cooked Turkey Necks
If you want to avoid the risks of cooked turkey necks, here are some safe alternatives:
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Raw chicken necks – more manageable size for small dogs
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Beef kneecaps – nutritious cartilage and bone
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Recreational bones – from grass-fed beef or bison
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Bully sticks – high in protein, low fat
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Antlers or horns – hard, long-lasting natural chews
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Dental chews – look for VOHC approved products
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Stuffed Kongs – smear with peanut butter, cream cheese etc
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Treat dispensing toys – mentally stimulating and rewarding
So you have plenty of options to provide enrichment and dental health benefits without having to feed cooked poultry bones.
However, raw turkey necks from a trusted source can make a healthy, natural treat in moderation. Make sure to supervise your dog closely and follow food hygiene practices.
For maximum safety, there are many bone-free alternatives that will provide similar benefits without the dangers posed by cooked bones.
Turkey as a Protein Source
Turkey is a highly digestible protein source for dogs. It contains various macronutrients (that is, any nutritional component that is required in large amounts) like protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It also contains micronutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. While it is very similar in quality to chicken, turkey can contain slightly more concentrations of certain vitamins and minerals than chicken.
There is some thought among integrative practitioners that turkey is a cold protein while chicken is a hot protein. In integrative medicine terms, this essentially means turkey isnt as inflammatory as chicken. So if your dog suffers from an acute or chronic inflammatory condition, be it gastrointestinal upset, environmental allergies, etc. there are those that feel that turkey is a better protein than chicken as turkey wont exacerbate any inflammation already in the body. It should be noted, though, that chicken is the most common food allergen in dogs. Since chicken and turkey are so similar, depending on how sensitive your dogs immune system is, they may generalize their chicken allergy to turkey as well.
Parts That Are Safe for Dogs
White meat and dark meat are both safe and healthy for your dog. However, the white meat is leaner and is more protein-dense than the dark meat portions. So while both are safe and healthy, the white meat is considered to be ever so slightly healthier than the dark. Even healthier, though is something called turkey meal. This is created when fresh turkey is rendered (essentially a fancy cooking term for intentionally overcooking) to the point where most of the water is cooked off and what is left is something that is incredibly protein dense.
Oftentimes the turkey giblets, which can include the liver, kidneys, heart, gizzard, and neck, are included in store-bought turkeys. Most of these extras are perfectly safe for your dog to eat when fully cooked (so long as they wont be missed by any of your dinner guests). The only part that is not recommended for your dog is the neck as there are bones in that part. Even if you already feed your dog a raw meat diet, its not recommended to giving the giblets to your dog raw. Instead, wash them with water and then boil them for five to 10 minutes or sear them on the stove top for a few minutes on each side. As with any new food item, though, if you add in too much too fast you can cause a gastrointestinal flare up in your dog. So if you opt to give the turkey giblets to your dog, cut them into small pieces and portion them out as special treats over a few days.
Can dogs eat cooked turkey necks?
FAQ
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