Is it true that turkey is bad for dogs (and other animals)?
Question by Michelle J: Is it true that turkey is bad for dogs (and other animals)?
I have heard the tryptophan in turkey can put a dog into a coma. Is this true, or just an urban legend? There is just as much, if not more, tryptophan in other things like cheese, chicken, beef, pork… so I have a hard time believing this is true. Anyone hear from a reliable source about this one?
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5 Responses to Is it true that turkey is bad for dogs (and other animals)?
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Hmmmm…..if turkey was bad for dogs, I don’t think it would be listed as the first ingredient in a lot of high quality dog foods.
Loves Dogs
August 4, 2012 at 10:58 am
Completely false. Turkey is fine for dogs and contains no more tryptophan than other poultry meats (i.e. chicken).
Chicken and turkey are both meats in many dog foods. Turkey is more common in the higher quality dog foods (Merrick, Innova, Canidae, etc.) than in lower quality dog foods (Pedigree, Beneful, Kibbles n Bits, etc).
Usually people think turkey makes them sleepy, when in fact, it’s just because when we eat a lot of turkey (Thanksgiving and Christmas), as eat a lot of food period, which can make you drowsy and want to lounge around.
Another reason people think turkey is bad for dogs is that the dog may get an upset stomach or have dirrhea after eating turkey. This is caused by a sudden change in diet (even from one dog food to another) and also because again, at the holidays where turkey is most prevalent, the dog is not only getting turkey, but probably being fed everything else under the sun that is on the table that day, such as pie, side salads, etc..
In short, turkey is fine for dogs.
.
abbyful
August 4, 2012 at 11:05 am
Turkey and chicken “bones” are bad for dogs. The bones of turkeys and chickens have a tendency to splinter when chewed and can puncture the stomach or intestines of the dog and cause pain and even death.
Farm bred, grain fed, all natural
August 4, 2012 at 11:54 am
Not true, what CAN effect dogs is if they already have a high level of lipids in the blood stream and then consume the fattier skin or other chunks of fat as those can cause pancreatitis.
The key is just to avoid giving dogs large amounts of fat. A lot of people would give their dogs just the leftover skin and fat which caused the problems.
JenniferinNY
August 4, 2012 at 12:04 pm
False it can be fed to any carnivore
bender
August 4, 2012 at 12:31 pm