Can Dogs Eat Seafood or Is It Bad For Them?

Can dogs eat seafood? The answers are mixed. Here’s a look at some of the most popular seafood options.

fish shaped seafood dish

I like to eat. Even though I don’t stray too far from my favorite brand of dog food, I often like to get a little variety in my diet. One food in particular I’m always willing to try is seafood. A few days ago at work, one of my co-workers asked me, “Can dogs eat seafood?” I thought the answer was a resounding yes, until someone pointed out that not all varieties of seafood are healthy for pups.

Now, I’ve done a lot of research on this topic, and if you want my honest opinion, there doesn’t seem to be a definite answer. Some people warn that dogs should stay away from most seafood, while others praise it’s benefits and report they feed it regularly to their dogs.

Can dogs eat seafood?

Before we talk specific types of seafood, there are a few things we should go over.

First, it seems that most veterinarians recommend only serving your dog cooked seafood. This is probably to kill any parasites or bacteria that live in the raw fish.

Next, there’s no need to use spices on your seafood before feeding it to your dog. Some spices could potentially make your dog quite ill. If you’re going to share your seafood with your dog, it’s best to serve it plain.

Oh, if you’ve never fed your dog a certain type of seafood, you might want to start small. Your dog may have a seafood allergy that you don’t know about. If you notice any changes in behavior or health after serving your dog seafood, bring him immediately to a veterinarian or emergency clinic.

Feed your dog seafood in moderation. Too much of a good thing is never really a good thing. Can dogs eat seafood? Yeah, I think so, but remember, there is a lot of mercury in seafood. Like humans, if you feed your dog too much of it, he might get mercury poisoning.

If the seafood you feed your dog has bones, it’s important you take them all out before sharing. Seafood bones can cause a major obstruction inside of your furry friend. Yikes!

Salmon:

Great news – pups can eat salmon. In fact, it’s even good for them in moderation. Just be careful to make sure it is well-cooked and the bones have been removed before giving it to your pup. There is something called Salmon Disease which comes from a parasite inside of salmon when it is uncooked that could make your dog quite ill. Once salmon is cooked, your dog is no longer at risk. Be sure to cook it well before serving it to your furry friend.

Shrimp:

The most important thing to know about feeding your dog shrimp is to be sure it’s peeled before allowing your dog to munch on it. Besides the fact that your dog won’t enjoy eating the peel, it’s actually not good for his stomach.

Tuna:

Tuna is a healthy treat to share with your dog. However, keep these two facts in mind. Tuna is very high in mercury, so you don’t want to share too much with your pet. Also, canned tuna is fine to share, but because it is preserved, it’s high in sodium, so again, you don’t want to overdo it.

Crab:

Similar to shrimp, the jury is still out on whether or not crab is safe to feed to your pet. There’s a chance that if fed in small portions, your dog should be fine. However, crab contains a lot of iodine, which many dogs are allergic to.

Lobster, Clams, Oysters:

These types of shellfish are fine for dogs to eat in moderation. Just remember not to serve them in their shells. That would be a disaster. Dogs like to chomp on things, so they will try to eat the shells. If they do, it’s likely their whole body would get scraped up by the hard shell. Not cool.

What’s your opinion? Can dogs eat seafood? Do you share any with your pup? Let me know in the comments!


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About Napa 'ze Dog

My name is Napa and I'm the Lantern Content Marketing Adventure Company office dog. They create content for business blogs, so I do my part by blogging about pet stuff. My favorite topic is poop! Since you asked, I'm an F2B Miniature Goldendoodle. Everything else you want to know about me is right over here!

21 comments on “Can Dogs Eat Seafood or Is It Bad For Them?

  1. If one has given their dog 🦀 and say they are allergic to iodine, what are the symptoms one should look for to tell if they have that allergy or not?

  2. I would think that sticking with the dogs origin the wolf and what he eats and advise from your vet is the best route. I do not think shellfish is on the menu
    Salmon sure from stream. That’s my take but what ever you feel your dog look into it they cannot eat like humans and some human food even as a treat is not advisable

  3. I’m from Canada. I’ve spent time way up north. Sled dogs are regularly fed frozen fish. Just like in Jack London novels. However, I have a Mini Schnauzer. Not the same. I’ll occasionally give him one small piece of shrimp (no shell) if I’ve ordered in Won Ton. And one small piece of chicken and pork each. ;-). Opus enjoys it. No problems.

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