Turkey and chicken are completely safe to be fed... raw. Cooked, the bones are brittle, devoid of moisture, and can definitely hurt a dog. But raw bones are soft and pliable, and easily digested. No, feeding a balanced raw diet is not as simple as tossing a raw steak at a dog. You have to feed a variety of meats, you HAVE TO provide a source of calcium that is balanced to the meat intake (either through whole prey raw bones and all, or measured amounts of bone meal or crushed egg shells), and depending on where your meat source comes from it's usually a good idea to feed supplements to ensure that your dog is getting all of the nutrients and vitamins that are found naturally in wild game. It can be weird and scary at first, but if you think about it, until 50 years ago this is what dogs and their relatives have been eating & thriving on. Their bodies are designed for a diet primarily consisting of raw meat and bones, so if you are able to provide a replica of that diet, it's clearly the most appropriate diet for them.

I buy my dog's food and I'm a po' student, too. While cheaper foods SEEM more cost effective, if you put two and two together, it's not that simple. When I buy kibble, it's usually Taste of the Wild, which is under $2/lb (30 lbs = $40). Pedigree is what, $1/lb? Even if it's less than $1/lb, it's 200-250 calories per cup. TotW is double that in calories, plus, it is grain-free... so your pup will be digesting much more of it. I would expect 1 cup of TotW or a similar food to equal 3 cups of Pedigree, so in the end, Pedigree is the rip-off. You're feeding double or triple the amount of food (with most of it coming out the other end) and not paying that much less. That's not even counting the elimination of Vet bills for gastro issues. I totally understand buying what you can afford... but, really, a price tag is only a very small peice of the puzzle.