Dogs love the smell of turkey, so your pup might be looking at you with expectant eyes when you cook it on thanksgiving. But can dogs eat smoked turkey necks? Let’s find out
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Many dog owners are confused about feeding smoked turkey necks to their furry friends. Well, the short answer to the question is, Yes, you can give your dog smoked turkey necks, but only for chewing.
However, some rules should be followed, in order, to get the maximum nutritional value out of the food while ultimately minimizing its risk factors. Read on to know more about how you can cook this delicious food for your dog properly!
Can Dogs Eat Smoked Turkey Necks?
Yes, smoked turkey necks are safe as long as they are meant only for chewing. The bone can be dangerous if the dog ingests it.
Turkey necks are rich in high-quality protein, which can be healthy for your furry friend. It’s taste and smell both attract dogs to turkey necks, and we want to clear the confusion once and for all; turkey necks are safe for your dog to eat and enjoy!
Keep the bones at bay
However, smoked turkey necks also contain the bones of the turkey, which can be brittle and easily shatter and get lodged in the dog’s mouth if eaten. So you should always give smoked turkey necks only under supervision.
Keep the quantity limited
Secondly, dogs can only handle a limited amount of protein daily. Thus, it is essential to treat them with their favorite turkey neck treat occasionally and not daily.
Many dog owners have questions about the consequences of feeding their pup with turkey neck regularly. Well, dogs can take in only so much protein, and overdose of the same can damage their digestive system and affect their overall health. Too much protein intake can also lead to obesity which is again not healthy.
However, you must make a point that health problems can occur only when overfeeding a turkey neck to your four-legged friend. If you are wondering how to know if you are feeding too much of the threat to your pup, watch out for the below signs
- Fatigue
- Lethargy or decreased level of activity (especially if your dog loves to jump around the house)
- Loss of appetite or reduced meal intake
The simple check is that if your dog is being more lazy than active after having turkey neck, more than usual, it is time to decrease their intake.
However, the benefits of your dog having a turkey neck are quite many as well. We have discussed some of them below –
- A high level and quality of protein will improve the health and energy of your dog.
- The presence of glucosamine and chondroitin affects dogs’ bone and joint health.
- Calcium, phosphorus and several other minerals are also found in the turkey and thus, will help in enhancing your pup’s health.
What To Do if a Dog Eats Turkey Bones?
Cooked or smoked turkey bones can get lodged in the dog’s throat and cause choking.
You should be proactive when disposing of cooked turkey bones after having your meal, or your dog will find them and chew hard on them, and it might end up swallowing them as well.
Turkey bones can become brittle once they are cooked and thus, can easily splinter. If your dog eats them, it might choke on them, or the small bones can get lodged in their throats or damage their digestive tract.
You can prevent your dog from eating bones by safely taking the trash out of the house. However, if you somehow forget to do that and your pup ends up eating turkey bones, below are some of the things that you can follow
Do not Panick
If your pup has eaten or wholly swallowed the bones, the chances are that you will panic to the max. Even if it can lead to severe issues, this wouldn’t be the time to lose control. You must immediately connect with your vet, explain the entire situation and follow their advice.
Don’t try to make them vomit
Please do not risk your furry friend’s health by choking them to vomit the bones out. It can also lead to throat soreness or, worse, injury. It is way too better to give your dog the medicines suggested by your vet and allow him to pass the pieces via stool.
You might have to keep a check on his motions for a few days and check for the pieces. However, if you do not see any bones coming out, you must inform the vet again and get to the following best way to get them out.
Check their throat for any wedged bone piece
If you see your dog acting funny, like choking, gagging, breathing unevenly, retching, drinking a lot of water, pacing anxiously, licking their lips, etc., it is time to check their mouth and throat to look for any stuck bone piece.
Make them lie on the floor comfortably and thoroughly check the mouth, teeth, tongue, and throat. Also, remember to brush their teeth twice a day to ensure that any stuck bone piece is removed from their mouth.
If you can see visible signs of choking, you can also consider giving your dog the canine Heimlich maneuver, as shown below.
Feed soft food to your pup for the next week
You must avoid giving them any more treats for the next few days and offer soft foods like cooked rice, bread slices, peanut butter, yogurt, etc. to help the bones, if any are stuck in their throat area, to smoothly pass through their system, along with the soft food.
If none of the above methods helps your dog calm down and continue fidgeting, pacing, licking their lips, drinking an unusual amount of water, retching, breathing heavily and unevenly, etc., take them to the vet or nearby animal hospital.
A piece of advice for the dog owners is that it is still safe for dogs to have uncooked turkey bones, for they do not become as brittle as the cooked bones.
So, if your dog eats uncooked bones, you shouldn’t worry as much. However, turkey bones are usually cooked in most households, so you need to be aware of letting any of those falls on the floor.
Answers to Some More Questions
Can dogs eat cooked turkey necks?
Cooked turkey necks are brittle and can get wedged in the dog’s eosophagus.
While boiled, smoked or raw turkey necks are good for your pup’s health since they are rich in protein and other minerals and vitamins, feeding cooked turkey necks to your dog is a big NO!
The reason why you should avoid giving cooked turkey or any form of animal meat to your dog is that high temperatures are needed to thoroughly cook the turkey’s heart, which turns its bones into glass-like structures.
That is, the bones become extremely brittle, and they can easily splinter or crush when they come in contact with any sharp object; in this case, it’s your dog’s teeth.
The pointy pearls of your furry friend will crush the bones to the point that they will get wedged in the tooth, throat or digestive tracts of their body, leading to considerable damage to their stomach and, thus, overall health.
On the other hand, raw, dried, frozen or dehydrated turkey bones are welcome to be eaten by your dog since they are safe for their throat and stomach.
Can dogs eat smoked turkey bones?
No, those are dangerous as mentioned earlier.
It is recommended to not give either cooked or smoked turkey bones to your furry pup. They should never eat up smoked turkey bones since it can be risky for their throat, stomach, and entire body.
Some of the many troublesome issues dogs are eating smoked turkey bones might have to include broken teeth, mouth injuries, constipation, wedging of bones in their teeth or throat, leading to blockages, and other problems.
Suppose you find any of the given conditions in your dog after eating smoked turkey bones. In that case, it is recommended to immediately consult a medical professional or your vet and follow their advice.
Can dogs eat turkey smoked?
The answer is yes as well as no.
The reason behind this answer is that if you are cooking turkey smoked according to the guidelines and advice of your vet; it is safe to serve it to your dog.
You must cook it plain and avoid adding any spices, salts, or preservatives. In this way, the bones do not become highly brittle, and the dog can thoroughly chew on them without getting lodged in its throat.
However, if you are cooking it the way humans like it, it is advised not to feed it to your dog. The same is that it can cause blockages, choking, intestinal obstruction, gastronomical issues, constipation, etc.
In worse cases, it can cause rectal bleeding and mouth injuries. Thus, it is suggested to occasionally give turkey smoke to your dog to avoid any such accidents.
A Few Final Words
Turkey necks (especially bones) should be fed to your dog under the supervision and advice of your vet. You must remember that it is your dog who will suffer the consequences if you fail to feed them good bones (that is, uncooked or raw).
Also, if your dog is already old or deals with some dental issues, avoid giving it any bones, or talk to your vet about the same. As for young and middle-aged dogs, they can be given turkey necks twice or thrice per week.
Rest assured, your little one will feed on turkey necks without a doubt and get high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals from them.
We thank you for reading thus far, and we hope we answered all your questions in a detailed manner. If we left out any, please don’t hesitate to write to us in the comments.
We have written extensively about things that can be dangerous for dogs such as scrunchies, expired chicken, leather, rawhide etc. Please do read these guides and keep your dog safe!