It is always tempting to feed our pets human food, but can dogs eat shrimp?
Generally it is okay to feed your dog shrimp, as long as it is in small and controlled amounts. A fully cooked shrimp should not be dangerous to your dog.
However, you must consider how the shrimp is prepared before allowing your dog to eat it.
If the shrimp have been cooked in too much fat it could be a problem for your dog’s digestive system. Also, what ingredients was the shrimp cooked with? Onions can be toxic to some dogs, as can salt. Too much seasoning can be a problem. Stronger ingredients such as paprika can lead to stomach upset.
Like anything, if your dog eats too much shrimp it might cause him to become bloated. So make sure he doesn’t over do it.
Can Dogs Eat Shrimp – Other Precautions
Besides taking care of the ingredients the shrimp is served with, the best way to ensure shrimp will not be harmful to your dog is to make sure that the shrimp is completely cooked and peeled.
The shells on a shrimp are like tiny bones. These may harm your dog’s digestive system. Also, very small dogs may have problems swallowing them.
Any uncooked shrimp could make your dog sick.
Can Dogs Eat Fish in General
Many branded dog foods contain fish with great results from a nutritional perspective.
Whitefish, salmon, trout, herring are also recommended as part of a dog’s raw food diet. (Check out the excellent Raw Paws website for more on this).
Fish contain essential oils that are good for your dog’s well being. A well-balanced amount of fish in your dog’s diet will help keep him healthy and his coat gleaming.
However, as stated above, always be careful if serving your dog fish that was meant for your plate. It is the ingredients that certain foods are cooked with that can be a problem. Always try to exercise caution.
Dietary Changes
Sudden dietary change is one of the main causes of stomach upset for our pets. Owners think they are giving their dog a treat by offering them different sorts of food, however their stomachs are not always able to cope with it.
Can dogs eat shrimp? It is clear that they can, however if you are feeding your dog any type of food for the first time, you should keep your eyes peeled for any signs that the shrimp has not agreed with them.
If you notice discomfort in your dog, stomach pain, diarrhoea or throwing up, you should notify your veterinarian of the situation immediately.
Resources
- A PetMD article on Gastrointestinal Food Reactions in Dogs.
- For more information on feeding fish to dogs head here
- For an interesting article debunking the myths of feeding raw food to dogs head to rawfed.com
- Can dogs eat scallops?
Comments
Can dogs eat shrimp? If you have any comments on your own experiences with feeding your dog shrimp please leave them below.