A substantial portion of Silas’s diet is raw turkey. So, obviously, this time of year I stock up. This year I was efficient, determined not to suffer from last year’s problem, where I had whole turkeys taking up my valuable freezer space all year. Plus, the ones I bought on Sunday were alarmingly defrosted already, so refreezing them seemed silly. That means I spent all afternoon yesterday jointing turkeys. Yay.
I turn the turkey bones that Silas can’t eat raw into very basic broth, which I mix with his dried food. In the past I’ve just left the little cooked meat scraps that result from this process in the broth, so he gets a bite or two per rehydrated meal. As far as I can tell, he’s never noticed them one way or the other.
Last night, I taking the broth off the stove when Silas walked by, sniffing the air. I knew he hadn’t eaten a lot yesterday, so I fished him out a little cooked bite of turkey and handed it to him.
Silas: WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME YOU COULD COOK IT? THIS IS AMAZING.
Oops.
My Imperfect Dog 
Good for Silas! Great story! And thanks for the link to your older post about what parts of turkeys are suitable for dogs – and what are not. I scored a few pounds of turkey necks today (have never before seen them sold without the turkey), and after bringing them home started second-guessing myself. Glad to find your reassurance that they are OK to feed. Dogs will be THRILLED on Thanksgiving. Speaking of which, have a great one!
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Turkey necks are a staple for us–thank goodness I can get them year-round. You have bigger dogs, right? They shouldn’t have any trouble. Necks are probably the safest turkey bones. The rest are really only okay for careful chewers, because they do splinter even raw.
The main caution with necks (aside from standard raw-food stuff) is that sometimes they’re skinny enough that larger dogs can slurp them down like a noodle. Not ideal for digestion, and something of a choking hazard.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the dogs!
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You raised an interesting question for me. Cooking, heating, and cooling food do affect the taste for humans. I wonder what it means for dogs?
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