Thanksgiving is a great time of the year because it is a time when many of us make a point of getting together with friends and family to give thanks for our blessings and to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company… not to mention sharing that fabulous meal!

If you’re enjoying a turkey dinner over the holidays, don’t forget that your dog can join in too! There is nothing wrong with feeding your dog the giblets (neck, liver and heart) at the holidays when you have a turkey! When removing them from the bird thaw them like normal, in a bowl, and then feed them to your dog outside or in a crate. Never thaw in the microwave as this destroys the natural enzymes in the meat and always thoroughly disinfect all surfaces that have come in contact with raw meat.

Organ meat is great for dogs as a treat once in a while because it is packed full of healthy vitamins and minerals. It does have a lot of vitamin A however, which can be harmful to dogs if ingested over an extended period of time, so to avoid an overdose, limit intake to no more than once a week to once a month.

I have to say that whenever my family has a turkey dinner, we never forget to give the dog the giblets. She loves it and raw turkey bones are also a great way to clean her teeth! Remember all giblets should be fed completely raw and should never be cooked. Cooking will make the bones sharp, splintery and dangerous and will take away from the foods’ nutritional value, so remember – ALWAYS RAW, your dog will thank you for it!