Dog owners are well aware that the main part of the animal diet should consist of meat products. Meat is a source of protein, it positively affects the body of the pet. If the dog regularly uses such a product, then it has no problems with digestion and functioning of internal organs.
Useful types of meat
Experts believe that for a dog diet they are suitable:
- Young lamb;
- Horsemeat;
- Deer meat;
- Beef.
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As you could notice, the list is small, and these meat products are quite expensive. But not every owner is ready to spend a large amount of food for his pet, so they choose something more modest: chicken or turkey. This option is also suitable for the diet of a dog.
The benefits of turkey
Poultry meat has always been considered a dietary product for humans and animal. The turkey is quickly absorbed by the dog organism, since it has few calories and fats. It also contains various nutrients, vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and sodium, which is able to normalize metabolism.
So the turkey can fit perfectly into the diet of a dog. In addition, it is ideal for nutrition of small breeds.
By the way, if your dog has problems with metabolism, it is better to feed it with turkey, not beef. There is much more sodium in poultry meat.
What to choose: chicken or turkey?
If you compare these two types, then the difference in price is obvious here. Why does this happen? It all depends on the life expectancy of the bird itself and its nutrition. The chicken lives in a factory for about six months. In addition, the bird is constantly fed with various additives that help it grow quickly. Naturally, all these hormones and antibiotics negatively affect the meat itself.
The turkey is growing in good conditions, and her life expectancy is two more years oldch a bird simply will not survive in extreme conditions, so it needs care so that in the future the meat turns out to be useful and nutritious.
If we talk about the compositions, there are vitamins and minerals in the chicken, but they are practically absent in the meat product from the store. In poultry, there are enough useful substances for the dog, but this will cost this much more expensive.
Do I need to cook meat?
Any meat should be given raw. The dog’s stomach is different from the human, and it is designed to digest such food. There is practically nothing useful for the animal in boiled meat. During cooking, the process of protein denaturation is launched, and the dog body is not able to digest such a component.
In meat processed by thermal method, the percentage of digestibility is 10, but in the raw product-50-60. The difference is obvious.
Disputes of veterinarians
Not all experts agree that the dog should eat exclusively raw meat. Some veterinarians have a different point of view. They believe that a boiled turkey is better for a dog.
Supporters of this theory are sure that only after heat treatment can the meat be safe. In raw form, there are a lot of bacteria in it, which further provoke the development of various diseases.
How to treat meat from various parasites?
People always cleanse the meat by heating (boil, fried, bake), and another method is suitable for the animal – cooling. Before feeding the dog, it is better to freeze the turkey. Any meat should be premracted first to solve the problem with parasites and other harmful bacteria.
Deep frost is best coping with this task. After such processing, the meat will definitely be safe for the dog. If you do not have the opportunity to process the purchased “product”, the product must at least pour hot water.
In what quantity can you give a turkey?
Any poultry meat in a dog diet should not exceed a mark of 40%. It is also necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the dog (activity, age, size, etc.). For an active pet, a proportion of 30 g per 1 kilogram is suitable.
The turkey should be alternated with a fish and other offal. It must be introduced gradually. If the dog does not digest the turkey and after eating it has side effects (diarrhea, vomiting, allergies), then it should be refused to use turkey meat.
The turkey should also be cut into pieces and cleaned from the skin so that it is easier for the dog to eat. The ideal option for puppies is minced meat. This species is suitable for babies up to two months.
Allergy to turkey
First, try to treat the dog with a small piece of turkey. If after eating, the dog feels good, then you can gradually introduce meat into the diet. When identifying allergies from the product, you should refuse and choose another option.
