Is it okay for dogs and cats to eat turkey?

[Catshrink]

My sister says it's bad for them -- too rich. What does it do? Give them the runs? Make them hurl? Their eyes are imploring me: Please mom, I want some turkey!

[Madrone]

1. Mine eat it.

I've never heard anyone say it's bad for animals, except for the bones, of course. People that feed the BARF diet give their dogs raw turkey necks. My diabetic kitty is prescribed raw (sometimes lightly boiled) meat, including turkey, as the larger part of his diet. So no, I wouldn't say it's bad for animals.

[pokerfan]

2. I've never had any problem

It is meat after all. Avoid the skin and don't give them any bones of course. And don't overfeed them.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. We gave some to my sister's dog last night....

He loved it.

Didn't give him the pan with the gravy because it was too rich.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Try to NOT feed it to them if you're trying to eat some.

I almost needed a whip and a chair to keep my cats away from my turkey sandwich. I had to bribe them so I could eat in peace without getting nipped fingers and cat ass in my face.

[LeftyMom]

5. It's probably better for the cats than commercial food.

My mom always boils the inner bits (gizzzards?) for stock and then cuts them up for the cats. They actually like them better than the muscle meat, which makes sense when you think about it- in a more natural state they'd be eating mice and small birds, which are mostly skin and guts with not much muscle or fat.

My worry would be the added salt, which is definitely not good for them- most commercial turkey has salt water added to increase it's weight.

[baldguy]

6. 15% of the turkeys produced each year end up as pet food.

[Catchawave]

13. So the republicans do have a future ?

[baldguy]

16. ...but its not very good pet food.

[cordelia]

7. My friends fed their

3 Dachshunds, plus a guest's doggie some turkey bits, and not a problem for any of them.

[xchrom]

8. it's the fat -- the skin

that can give them GI trouble.

just the meat -- or defatted broth won't hurt them.

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Right....

We threw the skin out. It tends to be tough, anyway.

[xchrom]

10. i used to mix it with rice for my old boy

and he thought it was a treat -- and me i was glad to eat little less left over turkey.

he was the love of my life, that boy.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. That dog...he is 13 now....

is usually all over me.

Last night he was all over my nephew and his wife. Because they now have a yellow labrador and so they smelled like dog. And I didn't. Though he usually sniffs me for other dog smells. Where I live, I cannot have a dog.

Still, I love that dog. He's a Brittany spaniel.

I love dogs.

[Catchawave]

12. My friend's two weiner dogs finished off a carcus after a trash raid...

They were totally fine, but passed enough gas for the next several days to keep the Macy's balloons up for another year

[pokerfan]

19. I hope that they didn't yack on a bone!

http://www.gotwavs.com/php/sounds/?id=gog&media=MP3S&ty...

[porphyrian]

14. It depends on the turkey, the dog and the diet they are used to.

Too many factors are involved to make a definitive statement like that which applies to all dogs.

[XemaSab]

15. DO NOT give a dog too much turkey

My mom's colleague's dog DIED of pancreatitis after too much turkey.

[carly denise pt deux]

17. it's ok....just put them in another room later because they will be gassy

Carly

[VenusRising]

18. Let them have some.

Everything in moderation.

Our cat would kill us in our sleep if we made turkey and didn't give him any.

Perish the thought. I think he may be watching right now.