Can Dogs Eat Turkey Bones?

Can dogs eat turkey bones? Thanksgiving is an occasion for sharing with friends, family, and your furry four-legged friend. So, at thanksgiving, can we share the main dish of this occasion, i.e., turkey, with your pup? Are turkey bones safe for your dogs?

Can dogs eat turkey bones? No, dogs cannot eat turkey bones.  So, to express your love and appreciation for your dog, avoid giving the thanksgiving scrap, particularly bones. To keep your puppy safe, resist your urge to feed him turkey bones.

Can dogs eat cooked or raw turkey bones?

Can dogs eat turkey bones? No, dogs cannot eat raw or cooked turkey bones since the cooked bones become more brittle and split into sharp pieces when chewed, leading to a medical emergency. However, a raw turkey bone is less likely to break into sharp pieces, and dogs like the taste of raw ones.

Gnawing on the raw bone can provide brain stimulation and be an excellent exercise for your dog’s jaw muscles. To avoid choking, raw bones should be larger than the length of the dog’s muzzle, making it impossible to swallow.

On the other hand, raw bones or meat can have other potential health risks like food-borne illnesses or can be the source of salmonellosis.

Can dogs eat turkey?

Turkey is not toxic to dogs; it is rich in nutrients like protein, riboflavin, and phosphorous. Feed your dog a small amount with the dog’s regular food.

Feeding the turkey to your dog safely removes the skin and avoids the onion, garlic, fat, and seasoning, which is dangerous for dogs.

The fat content can cause pancreatitis, onions and garlic can cause red blood cell distortion, and the seasonings can irritate your dog’s stomach. Make sure there are no bones in the meat you feed your dog.

Why turkey bones shouldn’t be fed to dogs?

Because turkey bones are softer and more pliable and are not bone marrow filled, so they can break easily, and when a dog chews on bones, they break into very sharp pieces which can stab in the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines.

Intestines can get holes in them, resulting in severe pain and bleeding or passing out blood mixed stool. These bone pieces can also make your dog constipated and blockage the gut. Bone pieces stuck in the dog’s mouth, stomach, or intestines usually require surgery for removal.

What happens if a dog eats turkey bones?

Consumption of the turkey bone can cause several health issues like; constipation, severe rectal bleeding, broken teeth, periodontitis, mouth or tongue injuries, and bones stuck in the esophagus, windpipe, and stomach.

In severe cases can cause peritonitis, i.e., a bacterial infection in the abdomen due to hole formation in the digestive tract.

What to do if a dog eats turkey bones?

First, do not panic if your dog ingested a whole or part of a turkey bone. If the dog hasn’t swallowed the bone, try to remove the bone from his mouth gently. Ingested bone does not mean it must be splintered. Dogs have strong stomach acids to aid bone digestion.

Carefully observe your dog for the next forty-eight hours for any symptoms of uncomforting, pacing anxiously,  gagging, retching, drinking a lot of water, licking their lips, blockage, bleeding with stool, vomiting, bloating, or choking.

The appearance of any of the above mentioned symptoms can be an emergency condition. Avoid strenuous exercise, excessive jumping, or rough play, and keep your dog calm until the bone is passed out. Feed your dog with soft food which can cushion the bones. Do not try to induce vomiting.

How to keep your dog away from turkey bones?

Here are the tips to help your dogs stay in good manners around the delicious-smelling dinner;

• Don’t make a habit of feeding your dog from the table.
• Keep the turkey covered with aluminum foil, as the crinkle of foil is enough to discourage the dog.
• Keep the turkey and all other food items out of the reach
• Put away leftovers. Get the temptation out of sight and smell
• Take the trash out to the garbage can

Conclusion – Can dogs eat turkey bones?

The final verdict on, can dogs eat turkey bones?  Is that No, dogs cannot eat turkey bones, as they do not have any nutritional health benefits for your dog.

Turkey’s bones are brittle and, on chewing, can split into sharp fragments, damaging the digestive tract, and resulting in pain, choking, bloating, vomiting, teeth damage, and stool bleeding.