There is no thanksgiving without turkey! But is the turkey meal in dog food a good idea?
The popularity of the turkey is that it’s a native bird to North America and is equally cherished by us and our furry buddies.
So like us, our dog too won’t mind turkey in their dinner bowl! But it has been a topic of debate whether feeding turkey to your dog, is a good or a bad idea.
Our main idea behind this article would be to know the truth about turkey meal in dog food and not turkey meat.
So, how about moving to a turkey meal for your furry friend? It’s definitely a good decision!
Contents
All About Turkey Meal in Dog Food
In this article, we have included all recent and relevant Information on turkey meals in your dog food.
We have mentioned what to consider when choosing a turkey meal for your dog, As well as some of our favorite turkey meal recipes in your dog food.
What Is Turkey Meal in Your Dog Food?
Turkey meal in your dog food is created by drying raw turkey to remove most of the moisture.
Generally, this meal is prepared by the process of rendering.
The quality of the turkey used in dog foods can vary considerably.
So it is best practice to contact the manufacturer directly for more details on the turkey found in your dog’s food.
Turkey meal in your dog food can be found n both dry dog food as well as canned semi-moist food.
Why Turkey Meal in Dog Food?
Turkey meal in dog food is known to be particularly palatable. It offers an impressive novel protein source. As per AKC “Turkey is not inherently toxic to dogs. It is an ingredient in many commercial dog foods and is rich in nutrients like protein, riboflavin, and phosphorous.“
It is lower than chicken in calories and fat and is mostly used as a light meal for dogs.
It is also the best meal alternative in the diet of aging senior dogs, who can’t digest heavy protein meals.
The Turkey meal is rendered with a higher content of protein and less water than fresh turkey.
The turkey meal in dog food ensures that the dog food can be stored for a longer time. As compared to the traditional raw fresh turkey itself!
So, turkey meal in your dog food is always the best option for a whopping high amount of protein and less water
Benefits of Feeding Turkey Meal
Turkey meal is not only a novel source of protein, but it serves other important health benefits to your dog too.
The following health benefits mentioned below highlight turkey meal as a great alternative to other meat meals.
Strong Bone health
The turkey meal contains calcium and phosphorus to promote bone and tooth health.
Healthy bones promote good mobility and flexibility to your dog.
Having stronger bone health will help avoid bone health problems like Arthritis and low bone density in your dog.
Healthier skin and Coat
Omega 3 and Omega 6 in turkey meal help in promoting healthy skin and furry coat of your dog.
This healthy fat helps to even support a healthy brain and heart health.
Potential Anti-Cancer properties
Turkey also includes anti-cancer properties. Turkey is a good source of trace mineral selenium.
It is an essential component needed for the metabolism of thyroid hormones, antioxidant defense systems.
Immunity Booster
Apart from being a great source of novel protein, a turkey meal is also known as a great Immunity booster.
It contains various essential vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin B6 found in turkey meal is vital for supporting biochemical reactions in the immune system.
So it keeps the immune system of the dog in proper functioning.
Turkey Meal in Dog Food: Things to Consider Before Buying
Remember the following key points as mentioned below before you purchase a turkey meal for your next dog food!
By selecting a product that has a turkey meal in your dog food, following these points will be worth every penny!
Just Turkey meal, or other proteins as well?
Looking for turkey meal in dog food will also lend you a question.
Whether to select a dog food that has just a turkey meal as a sole protein source or a combination of meat meals.
So the answer to this depends on the owner’s choice. If your dog is allergic to other meals like Chicken/beef/pork/lamb.
It is best to look for dog food that has just turkey and turkey meals as a single source of protein.
But if your dog is not allergic to other meals like chicken meal or lamb meals.
Then there are other dog meal recipes available in combination with turkey meal.
So, selecting turkey meal alone or turkey meal with other meals such as turkey-chicken meal, or turkey-lamb depends upon your dog’s health and energy needs.
Always eye for First five Ingredients
The first three ingredients of the dog meal are considered to be way significant in selecting a meal in dog food.
For trying turkey meal, it is essential to have turkey, turkey meal in the first three ingredients of dog food itself.
Other meal options should be in the first three-ingredient list of dog food. If it is a combination meal, other meal options can be used but not in the first three ingredients.
Grain free or with grain?
For dogs that have allergies to grains, it is always best to choose a grain-free turkey meal in your dog food. Some dogs have selective grain allergies.
Like some dogs are hyper allergic to corn particularly. So in this case it is in the best interest to avoid turkey meals in dog food having corn.
Gluten allergy from wheat is the most common grain allergy to be found in dogs. So that case looks for a grain-free turkey meal in your dog food.
Additional Beneficial Ingredients
The turkey meal in dog food also includes additional beneficial ingredients. The most common ingredient in dog foods with turkey meal includes glucosaminesome, chicory root, and other probiotics.
Glucosamine is the most crucial additional beneficial ingredient to look for in dog food. It is most important for a dog’s joint and bone health.
Chicory root is an abundant source of beta-carotene. The moderate laxative effect of chicory root increases bile from the gallbladder and promotes overall digestive health.
Some of the turkey meals also have probiotics added to them, to help in proper digestion.
Depending on the needs of your dog, these bonus ingredients can differ in value and in turn provides added health benefits.
Suggested Turkey Meal in Dog Food
The market shelves have many options for turkey meal in dog food. But here we have suggested some of the products for turkey meal in your dog food, that you might like.
Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Grain-Free Turkey, and Potato Recipe.
With 4.7 stars Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Grain-Free Turkey, and Potato Recipe. is our suggested first choice for only turkey meal in dog food!
It is grain-free dog food and has turkey as the main protein. It has no chicken, beef, dairy, or corn products in it!
Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food
Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient Dry Dog food is our second suggested choice for No artificial colors, flavors, and preservative choice of Turkey Meal. Best formulated for food sensitivities. Has Deboned turkey and Turkey Meal.
How to Identify Lower Quality Turkey Meal
Identifying and differentiating a lower-quality turkey meal from your dog food is very important.
The labels mentioned on the back of dog food can be misleading if you are not aware of what lower quality turkey meal is!
What to look for
Look for any meat meal that specifically describes the kind of animal from which it comes from. Some examples of balanced, safe meat meals include:
- Turkey Meal
- Premium Turkey meal with deboned turkey
What not to Opt
Limit foods for dogs that contain any meat meal that:
- Includes in its ingredient name the words “by-products”
- Fails to classify the particular animal source from which the meal was prepared.
Here are some examples of words that suggest inferior or low-quality protein ingredients. Note the generic existence of the sentences:
- Just the term, Meat Meal Meal for animals
- Turkey meal by-product
- Food and meal with bones
It’s a sign you’re probably looking at a lower quality dog food when you see ingredients like these in any recipe of dog food.
Helpful Tips While Feeding Turkey Meal
As such turkey meal in your dog food is a novel protein source. but still, there are some potential risks to be considered if you are trying turkey meal in dog food for the first time.
- Look for the poop quantity for your dog. While trying turkey meal in dog food for the first time, a slow, steady transition of feeding is required.
- If you have fed higher amounts of turkey meal then chances are your dog would remain constipated for while.
- Always feed turkey meal in dog food as per the guided feeding instructions mentioned on the label of dog food.
- Observe the turkey meal diet of your dog continuously for a period of 7-14 days.
- Always report uncommon signs and new changes in your dog’s health to the Vet.
Relevant FAQs
Is turkey or chicken meal better for dogs?
According to Healthy Journal “Plain, cooked white turkey meat is a suitable alternative for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities to meats like chicken or beef. However, turkey is similar to chicken and may not be appropriate for some dogs.”
Both chicken and turkey meals are rich sources of protein in dog food. But turkey meal is higher in protein and lower in fat as compared to chicken meal.
Is turkey meals good for dogs?
Turkey meals are an excellent source of a novel protein, niacin, vitamin B6, and the amino acid tryptophan. And turkey meals are a good choice for your dog in place of raw fresh turkey because it has a more concentrated form of protein and less water.
Is turkey meal good for dogs with allergies?
Turkey is a perfect meal in dog food, especially if your dog has an allergy to chicken/beef/ lamb meal.
Still, it is best recommended to consult your Vet first while buying any new meal recipe for your dog food.
Is there any dog food that has turkey, as the only animal source of protein?
Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe, that contains only turkey-only animal-source protein.
Conclusion
So, the takeaway from the Truth about turkey meal in dog food is that is a novel source of protein with less fat content than other meals!
So, be it a Thanksgiving dinner or a Christmas Eve with the family, now your paw-buddy gets its own turkey meal!
Resources
- Can Dogs Eat Turkey? (2022, October 28). American Kennel Club.
- Okin, G. S. (2017, August 2). Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats. PLOS ONE.
- Turkey Facts – Turkey for Holidays – (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2022, from University of Illinois Extension.
- Simple Foods for Sick Dogs. (2021, March 27), from True Care for pets.
Julia is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, practicing veterinarian in a non-profit animal hospital and feline sanctuary located in Rochester, NY. She is also a full-time veterinary advisor at DogLikesBest. She focuses on writing healthcare-related topics including dog foods, treats, veterinary diets, food for specific healthcare features, etc. Moreover, any article on DogNeedsBest that has to concern feline health in any way, goes under her scrutiny before being published.
