When you are preparing Shrimp for dinner, it smells good and makes your mouth water. As you are cooking you let your eyes wander down to your dog and see that he or she is sitting right next to you. Cooked shrimp smells good to them as well. As you look at your dog, the question comes to mind, can dogs eat shrimp? Can you feed it to your dog?
Since you rarely serve shrimp for dinner, you are not sure if you can give your faithful pet some of the shrimp you are preparing. To answer your question here are some facts about shrimp and dogs.
Can Dogs Have Shrimp?
The simple answer to your question is yes, dogs can eat shrimp. But there are some conditions that apply before you let them have some of that tasty seafood.
- Make sure the shrimp is fully cooked first
- Make sure you remove the tail and veins from the shrimp first
- Do not give your pet a lot of shrimp
- You can boil the shrimp and feed it to your dog
The key to feeding your dog shrimp is making sure the seafood is fully cooked before letting your pet have a few bites. This makes sure that your pet does not get sick from any harmful contaminants found in seafood.
Further Reading: Shrimp, Healthy or Dangerous
When Not To Feed Your Dog Shrimp?
There are times when you should not feed your dog any shrimp. This has to do a lot with allergies your pet may have. You won’t know if your dog is allergic until you give him a small piece to try.
- Do not feed your dog raw shrimp
- If your dog is allergic to shrimp
- If your dog is diabetic
- If your dog is overweight
- If your dog has circulation issues
- If your dog has a thyroid condition
- If you use a lot of spices to make your shrimp dish
You will see signs that let you know your dog is allergic to shrimp. They may throw up a lot, have excess scratching, or have diarrhea among other signs. Raw shrimp will contain bacteria and parasites which will be harmful to your dog if you do not thoroughly cook the shrimp.
Also, shrimp is high in cholesterol and iodine. These ingredients are not healthy for a dog when they have other health issues. Too many spices can make your dog’s stomach upset. Plus, you should not feed your dog shrimp that has a bread coating or that has been fried or made with a sauce. These cooking methods add too much salt to your dog’s diet.
Further Reading: Shrimp for dogs
Is Shrimp Good For Dogs?
The good news is that shrimp is very healthy for your dog. Despite the problems listed above, shrimp is full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Here is a shortlist of some of the health benefits found in shrimp
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin B3
- Iodine
- Zinc
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Copper
These are just a few of the healthy ingredients that shrimp brings to your dog’s diet. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in shrimp will help your dog’s gastrointestinal system, metabolism, cardiovascular system, blood circulation and a lot more.
Shrimp also contributes to your dog’s healthy brain, giving them more energy and full of life. One last health benefits dogs receive from eating shrimp is that they get healthy bones. This benefit should help prevent any injuries that may come if your dog is not eating a well-balanced and healthy diet.
Further Reading: Is This Seafood Safe for Mr. Pup?
Be Watchful When You Feed Your Dog Shrimp
If your dog has a problem after eating shrimp, you should get your pet to its vet as quickly as possible. If your dog used to be able to handle shrimp but now is showing signs of illness, diarrhea and other problems, then getting the proper care is important.
You want the best for your pet so do not delay any care when your dog becomes sick after eating a little shrimp. You may have accidentally fed your pet some contaminated shrimp but do not beat yourself up over it. It is sometimes hard to tell when the shrimp has been cooked thoroughly.
Final Words On Can Dogs Eat Shrimp
Shrimp can be a healthy food source for your pet. You should include it in his or her diet so you know that your loving dog is getting all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it needs to stay healthy. Here are a few steps you can take if you have a problem with your dog eating shrimp:
- Make sure the shrimp were properly cooked
- Make sure you did not add too many spices
- If your dog vomits, scratches, have diarrhea and other symptoms, get your pet to its vet
- Make sure you took all the shells, veins, and tail off the shrimp before feeding t your dog.
Shrimp tails are like chicken small bones, they can cause your dog to choke if they do not chew them correctly. If you have any more questions feel free to write them in our comment section. We will get back to you as quickly as we can
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