Supplementing your dog's diet with turkey can actually be a really good idea. Turkey is high in an amino acid called tryptophan, which is a chemical precursor to serotonin and Vitamin B3 (niacin). Serotonin has a big effect on mood in both people and animals, and helps keep us all emotionally and socially stable. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to increased aggression.
Recent studies have shown that some aggressive and fearful dogs react very well to additional tryptophan and B3 in their diets. I've recently started Little Joe on supplements containing a mix of various vitamins and minerals which will hopefully help to calm him down a bit. There is no guarrantee that it will work, though. We aren't talking about actual medication, but rather the equivalent of us humans popping a vitamin pill every morning. So it might help in getting Joey a little bit better balanced, might not have any effect at all, but certainly can't hurt. (assuming you don't overdose - even vitamins and minerals can be bad for you if you take too much! So do check with your vet about getting the doses right if you want to start a daily regime of supplements for your dog.)
Hmm...perhaps that's why most people get a bit more mellow over the Thanksgiving holidays - all that turkey! :dogbiggrin:
For more info:
DeNapoli J.S., Dodman N.H., Shuster L., Rand W. M., Gross K.L., "Effect of dietary protein content and tryptophan supplementation on dominance aggression, territorial aggression, and hyperactivity in dogs." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Vol. 217, No. 4, August 2000: 504 - 508.
P.S. I would NOT recommend adding corn to a dog's diet. Many dogs experience an allergic reaction to corn, resulting in itchy, red, flakey skin, and a dull coat.
oor baby, we laffed thinking our evil friends probably planned this out as a joke.. :ystop: (they didn't, but we teased them anyway for wrecking our evening!!)
