Can Dogs Eat Turkey?

Turkey is a fan favorite among humans, especially on Thanksgiving. But can your dog eat turkey? Yes, plain turkey isn’t toxic to dogs, but there are certain safety precautions to take before tossing your dog a turkey leg on any occasion. Let’s dig into the meat and sweet potatoes of safely feeding your dog turkey.

Is Turkey Good for Dogs?

In general, turkey can be good for dogs and a healthy addition to your dog’s diet throughout the year. Similar to chicken and fish, turkey is a common protein found in dry and wet foods produced by major dog food companies. A few benefits of turkey meat include:¹

• Protein: Full of lean protein, turkey is a great way for your dog to boost their energy and keep muscles strong.
• Phosphorus: This mineral is great for your dog’s bone health.
• Zinc: Turkey contains this mineral, which helps support your dog’s immune system.
• Selenium: This mineral helps regulate your dog’s metabolism.

Overall, turkey can be a great protein-packed option for your dog to supplement their daily diet and serve as a high-value snack during training or for other rewards. That said, always double-check with your veterinarian before adding new foods to your dog’s diet.

Can My Dog Eat Thanksgiving Turkey?

Turkey is best served to dogs when it’s fully cooked and free of any additives and seasonings, including butters, oils, and spices, especially garlic, which is toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, that means no Thanksgiving turkey for your pooch (unless you cook them a plain one separately!).¹

Can My Dog Eat Turkey Parts?

Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey means dealing with various parts and pieces of the bird. But what can your dog eat, if anything?

Can dogs eat raw turkey?

Feeding a dog raw turkey increases their risk of contracting parasitic and bacterial infections like salmonella, E. coli, and listeria.² As always, talk to your vet if you’re considering incorporating raw food into your dog’s diet.

Can dogs eat turkey bones?

Vets recommend not feeding your dog turkey bones to avoid a potential medical emergency. Turkey bones turn brittle when cooked and can be highly dangerous for dogs. Complications associated with consuming them can include choking, splintering that causes internal damage, and intestinal or esophageal obstruction — which could require surgery.^1,2

While dogs love chewing on bones, it’s best to avoid giving your dog any poultry bones, including those from a turkey.

Can dogs eat turkey necks?

Yes, dogs can eat turkey necks, but the risks depend on how they’re prepared.²

You can give your dog raw turkey necks, but they have many little bones in them, and raw meat carries the risk of spreading harmful bacteria. One of the safest ways for your dog to eat turkey necks is when they’re freeze-dried or dehydrated. These preparation methods remove the risks of eating raw meat and make the bone more digestible and less harmful compared to cooked bone — which is why cooked turkey necks are generally advised against.²

Turkey necks can be a good source of protein, support joint health, and have dental benefits — helping to remove build-up on teeth and improve bad breath.² Always consult your vet before serving them treats with bones in them, as there are still potential risks.

Can dogs eat turkey skin?

Dogs shouldn’t eat turkey skin due to its high fat content and potential choking hazard. Like other poultry, remove the skin before feeding it to your dog. No need to worry if you accidentally left a little skin on the turkey, though. While it’s not recommended, it won’t hurt your dog if it happens once or twice.¹

Other turkey preparations

Turkey can be prepared in a variety of ways — the more it’s been processed to get to its final state, the less safe for your dog it generally is. For example, if turkey is packaged with a lot of sodium, it might be best to avoid feeding it to your dog. Let’s review a few common turkey preparations and their potential risks for dogs:¹

• Can dogs eat ground turkey? Yes, as long as it’s fully cooked without extras like oils or seasonings.
• Can dogs eat turkey bacon? No, it’s not a good idea because turkey bacon is high in sodium.
• Can dogs eat deli turkey? No, due to the high sodium and fat content, plus additional seasonings, eating deli turkey isn’t considered safe.

How Much Turkey Can Dogs Eat?

Every dog handles turkey differently — some dogs may digest it well, others may experience gastrointestinal upsets. It’s a good idea to start with a few small bites of fully cooked, plain turkey to see how your dog reacts before giving them more.¹

If you want to include turkey in your dog’s diet as a food topper or source of protein, chat with your vet to see how much of their normal food you should replace with it. Feeding dogs too much turkey could lead to digestive issues or pancreatitis.¹

Can Dogs Eat Other Thanksgiving and Holiday Foods?

You’re probably wondering if your dog can eat other favorites from the dinner table during the holidays. As a general rule of thumb, the foods dogs can eat are only under the condition that they’re prepared plain – that means free from any additional sodium, fats, spices, herbs, and other things that can harm your dog.

Dogs can eat plain human foods like sweet potatoes, apples, pumpkin, carrots, cranberries, and green beans. Dogs can’t eat human foods like ham, stuffing, onions, pies, candied yams, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole.

Feed Your Pup Plain Turkey Meat, but Not Every Holiday Treat

Giving your dog plain, skinless, boneless turkey meat is a great way to incorporate this type of poultry into your pup’s diet or as a yummy treat. Of course, accidents do happen. If you find your dog has ingested a part of a turkey or another holiday food that could make them sick, contact your vet to see if it’s an immediate concern and determine next steps.

A dog insurance policy from MetLife Pet could help you offset the costs of emergency visits if your dog eats something they shouldn’t. Like Hero, a young golden retriever from California who accidentally ate a cooked turkey leg bone that got stuck in his intestines. The surgery to remove the bone cost nearly $3,000, but MetLife Pet reimbursed Hero’s family about $2,400.³

Enroll with award-winning⁴ MetLife Pet Insurance today, starting with a free quote, and have coverage for accidents tomorrow with our 0-day waiting period.