Can You Feed Dogs Turkey Necks? A Complete Guide for Dog Owners
Turkey necks have become an increasingly popular food for dogs in recent years. Many dog owners are interested in feeding their furry friends a raw, species-appropriate diet that includes raw meaty bones like turkey necks. However, some owners have concerns about the safety of feeding bones to their dogs. This article provides a complete guide to feeding dogs turkey necks, including the benefits, safety tips, and how to integrate them into your dog’s diet.
What are the Benefits of Feeding Turkey Necks to Dogs?
There are several health benefits associated with feeding dogs raw turkey necks
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Dental Health – Chewing on raw turkey necks helps clean tartar off dogs’ teeth and massages their gums. This reduces bacteria in the mouth and helps prevent periodontal disease. The abrasive action scrapes plaque and helps maintain healthy teeth.
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Mental Stimulation – Working through a turkey neck provides dogs with mental enrichment. Chewing satisfies their natural instinct to tear meat off bones. It keeps their brains active and prevents boredom.
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Nutrition – Turkey necks provide a great source of protein, minerals like calcium and phosphorus, glucosamine, chondroitin, and other nutrients. The bone, cartilage, and soft tissue are loaded with vitamins and minerals dogs need.
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Weight Management – Turkey necks are low in fat but high in protein. The meat and bone offer a satisfying meal that digests slowly. This helps dogs feel full longer and prevents overeating.
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Joint Health – The natural glucosamine and chondroitin found in turkey necks support joint health and mobility in dogs. These nutrients rebuild cartilage to improve joint function.
Is It Safe to Feed Dogs Turkey Necks?
Yes, when fed properly, turkey necks are a safe, healthy treat for dogs. Here are some tips for safe feeding:
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Feed raw, never cooked. Raw bones are soft, flexible, and digestible. Cooking makes bones brittle and dangerous.
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Introduce slowly if new food. Gradually transition over a week or two to monitor stool quality.
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Supervise your dog closely the first few times to observe how they chew. This allows you to recognize any potential problems.
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Hold the turkey neck steady for aggressive chewers to slow them down and prevent choking. Some dogs may try to gulp large pieces.
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Select an appropriate sized neck based on your dog’s weight. Don’t feed necks that are too large.
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Feed no more than one turkey neck per day, and limit to a few times per week at most. Too much bone can cause constipation.
As long as proper precautions are taken, turkey necks are a safe way to provide dogs with nutrition, dental health, mental stimulation, and joint support all in one tasty treat!
How to Integrate Turkey Necks Into Your Dog’s Diet
Here are some tips for successfully adding turkey necks to your dog’s regular diet:
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If your dog is new to raw food, introduce turkey necks slowly and in small amounts at first. This allows their digestive system time to adjust.
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On days when feeding a turkey neck, reduce the amount of muscle meat and other bone content served at that meal accordingly. Monitor stool quality.
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Turkey necks can replace recreational bones a few times a week for dental and mental enrichment.
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For picky eaters, serve turkey necks frozen, which enhances the chewing experience.
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Hold the narrow end of the turkey neck to help control aggressive chewers and prevent them from swallowing chunks.
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For older dogs with dental issues, cut the turkey neck into smaller pieces for safety before feeding.
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To add variety, feed turkey necks along with other raw meaty bones such as chicken backs, lamb necks, or duck feet a few times a week.
With a few simple precautions, turkey necks can be an excellent addition to any dog’s raw or home-cooked diet. They provide a whole host of health benefits in a tasty, nutritious package dogs will love. Monitor your dog while they eat turkey necks, feed the appropriate size and quantity, and slowly integrate them into your dog’s regular diet for a healthy, happy pup!
Frequency of Entities:
turkey necks: 21
raw: 8
dogs: 21
feed: 7
bone: 7
teeth: 3
dental: 3
mental: 2
nutrition: 2
weight: 1
management: 1
joints: 1
health: 2
safe: 4
cooked: 2
supervise: 1
choke: 1
gulp: 1
treat: 2
digest: 1
adjust: 1
recreational: 1
frozen: 1
chunks: 1
dental issues: 1
chicken: 1
lamb: 1
duck: 1
What are Raw Meaty Bones (RMB)?
Dogs and Cats have a nutritional requirement for calcium. Raw edible bone provides this essential mineral in a raw diet. Raw Meaty Bones are all-natural, soft, pliable bones your pet can crunch, tear through and eat. Raw Meaty bones are also rich in phosphorus, amino acids, protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, enzymes, and antioxidants. They’re great for pets with sensitive stomachs and food allergies as a single-ingredient treat. Our signature raw meal blends contain ground-up raw meaty bones mixed in. Some examples include Chicken necks, feet, Pork riblets, and Duck wings.
You can hand-feed RMB using a paper towel to encourage slower eating if necessary. It is perfectly safe and healthy for your pet to enjoy appropriately sized, non-weight-bearing raw bones. In fact, feeding RMBs provides jaw exercise, mental stimulation, and natural teeth cleaning. For teething puppies and kittens, RMBs are a great alternative to furniture and shoes!
Unless your pet has an underlying condition that prevents them from being able to chew bones (missing/fractured teeth, gulper feeding style), whole raw meaty bones are an excellent addition for them regardless of their primary source of food.
General RMB Diet Requirements based on age:
Kitten and Puppies- 17%
*Very small kittens and puppies may require ground bone until their jaws are strong
*Kittens get their adult teeth around 6 months and can move to larger bones
Benefits that Exceed the Tail Wags
Rich in glucosamine and chondroitin, Raw Turkey Necks offer a load of benefits and additional bone content to your pet’s raw diet.
- These meaty bones act as a natural toothbrush, scrubbing the teeth and freshening breath!
- RMB’s exercise the jaw, providing mental stimulation and stress relief
- High protein levels supply amino acids to strengthen hair, skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage
- Balanced source of calcium, phosphorous, and fats for strong bones and a healthy gut biome
- Contains essential vitamins for joint health
- Rich amino acids keeps your pet’s skin and coat glowing
- Great for larger dogs, or to make bone broth!
- Preventative for teeth and gum disease
- Feeding our dogs Raw Meaty Bones allows them to chew and tear through meat and bone like their ancestors, meeting their natural needs while reducing stress and anxiety
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FAQ
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