Can Dogs Eat Turkey?

When you’re planning out your Thanksgiving menu and writing down your shopping list with your favorite four-legged family member at your feet, you might be wondering, “Can dogs eat turkey?” Should you pick up special foods or treats for your pup this holiday or can you just give them a nice plate of Thanksgiving turkey to enjoy? They’ll be hovering around the kitchen all day inhaling all of the delicious smells and giving you those eyes that say, ‘Don’t forget about me!’

Sure, some of your dog’s food has turkey listed as an ingredient so it seems like it should be safe. But should you give your dog a few slices of the Thanksgiving turkey? The short answer is, it depends.

It’s generally safe and healthy for dogs to eat plain, skinless turkey breast and it’s a good source of protein and phosphorus and riboflavin. That’s why you’ll find it as an ingredient in many dog foods and dog treats!

If your Thanksgiving turkey isn’t seasoned at all or filled with stuffing or topped with fat, it might be safe to carve off a slice or two of a skinless portion.

The problem with giving your dog a slice or two of the Thanksgiving turkey is that it’s probably seasoned from the inside out with delicious ingredients that add flavor – like garlic and onions—but that can be harmful to dogs. The holiday turkey may also be covered with a fatty ingredient like butter or oil which isn’t healthy for dogs. All of these components can cause gastric upset to your dog (think throwing up or diarrhea) or worse, painful inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis.

We know you have good intentions to show your dog you love them by sharing one of Americans’ favorite meals, but no one wants to spend this holiday caring for and cleaning up after a sick dog or heading out for an emergency vet appointment.

Make sure you remind family and guests that it’s not good to give the dog Thanksgiving table scraps, no matter how cute they look and how much it seems that they want it.

Instead, stick to your regular feeding schedule and foods and give your dog a flavorful treat that day that’s made with turkey, like Wellness Old Mother Hubbard All the Fixins dog treats.

With an ingredient list that includes potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas and rosemary extract, it’ll taste like a mini Thanksgiving dinner in their mouth. Your dog might also go crazy for our Chicken Pot Pie treats.