It wasn't long ago that turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was only eaten at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Turkey has now become a staple lunch meat, hot dog ingredient and alternative to ground beef. Its popularity has been due, in part, to its distinctive taste and healthful perception.
Pet owners superimpose these attributes onto ingredient and food choices for their pets. As such, turkey and turkey meal-containing petfoods are becoming more prominent. The turkey meat used to manufacture petfood is virtually identical to that used in hot dog production, so the nutrient information is relatively similar. However, nutritional information on rendered turkey is not as easily obtained, nor is the ingredient always available.
