Even if you already feed your dog a
, it’s not recommended to giving the giblets to your dog raw. Instead, wash them with water and then boil them for five to 10 minutes or sear them on the stove top for a few minutes on each side.
Safely Feeding The Thanksgiving Turkey Neck To Your Dog
The turkey’s neck is made up of small, lightweight bones that are easy for most dogs to crunch up into tiny pieces, easily broken down in their acidic stomach.
It’s a wonderful source of calcium and cartilage – excellent for active dogs and senior dogs with arthritis. It also helps clean your dog’s teeth – I call it Nature’s Toothbrush!
However, if your dog does not normally eat raw bones – and even if she does – you will need to supervise her while she eats it to make sure she does not choke.
The neck is, after all, neck-shaped, meaning it can lodge in your dog’s windpipe if she gulps it down too quickly. You can hold one end while she chews to make sure that she does not try to swallow it whole.
You can also freeze it the night before Thanksgiving morning. If it’s frozen, she will have to slowly tear away pieces of the neck. This year, I gave Cow a frozen neck for Thanksgiving breakfast, though she has eaten it raw.
Remember: cooked bones are dangerous.
I’ll write it again because it’s really that important:
“Cooked” includes boiled, steamed, fried, baked, even dehydrated, freeze-dried and smoked bones found at your pet supply store can be dangerous. Cooking causes the structure of the bone to become hard and splintery.
Do not cook the turkey neck before you feed it, and do not let your dog have any turkey bone after cooking. For dinner, pieces of white meat without visible fat or skin is totally fine.
For Cow, a turkey neck is almost twice the weight of her average meal, so it’s a feast, but it’s not too much for her to handle. She’s about 27 pounds.
If I had two turkey necks, I’d chop one into chunks and give it to Matilda over a few weeks. The pieces would need to be about the size of her head or bigger to encourage her to rip off small pieces instead of trying to swallow the whole chunk. I would definitely freeze it for her to slow her down because she is a wild eater.
As with any raw meat, wash your hands after handling, as well as any surface the meat touches. Most dogs can handle raw meat because they have a short, acidic digestive tract that keeps bacteria from festering in their body long enough to make them ill.
If your dog normally eats kibble or other processed food, the turkey neck can make them sick because they are not used to it. However, I used to give Cow the turkey neck when she ate kibble and she was fine.
Don’t want to feed the turkey neck? Use it to make bone broth!
Reduce to medium and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until giblets are cooked through.
Sarah Whitmans work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, websites and informational booklets. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in nutrition, and her projects feature nutrition and cooking, whole foods, supplements and organics. She also specializes in companion animal health, encouraging the use of whole foods, supplements and other holistic approaches to pet care.
Remove giblets from turkey cavity. If they are within a bag or other package, remove them from packaging.
Most dogs will do just about anything for meat — any type, any cut, anywhere. This includes turkey giblets, which includes the liver, kidneys, heart, gizzard and neck. Most of these make delicious doggy snacks. The only exception is the neck, as it contains bone.
Can dogs eat turkey necks? Yes, if they’re raw!
Turkey necks, chicken and duck necks fall into the category of raw meaty bones (RMBs). Without them, a raw diet cannot be considered a balanced one.
That’s because raw bones for dogs:
Even if your dog is not on a raw diet, he can still benefit from chewing on a raw turkey neck.
Poultry necks in particular are chock full of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are important for joint health and a wonderful means of preventing arthritis if fed on a regular basis.
I’ve seen the benefits of feeding my two Boxer mixes raw meaty bones on a regular basis.
I believe dogs should be offered raw bones such as turkey necks several times per week. Just make sure they are, in fact, raw. Cooked bones become more brittle.
Canine digestive systems are highly acidic and designed to effortlessly break down raw meaty bones such as turkey and chicken necks. So there’s no need to worry about their digestibility – just feed them raw.
See my general post, how to safely feed a dog raw bones.
Tip: Raw poultry necks can also be used to make bone broth. I shared a recipe for homemade bone broth here.
*Get our three FREE raw dog food recipes now! Click Here
FAQ
Is it safe to feed dogs raw turkey giblets?
How do you cook turkey giblets for dogs?
Can I feed my dog raw turkey organs?
- Remove giblets from turkey cavity. …
- Rinse giblets with water.
- Put giblets in small pan and cover with water.
- Put pan on stovetop and bring to boil.
- Reduce to medium and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until giblets are cooked through.