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Are you thinking of tossing Fido a few shrimp?
You’ll be happy to learn that, when this seafood is cooked, it’s almost always harmless for dogs.
Cholesterol is not a concern because there is virtually no saturated fat and zero trans fat.
But what about allergies?
The truth is that most dogs are not allergic to shrimp. But, of course, you can never rule out such a possibility.
So here’s the deal:
Fresh prawn is fine if you avoid feeding them raw.
Your Dog Can Eat Cooked Shrimp
Of course, it’s essential to limit your pet’s portions.
Go easy! Feed your buddy a bunch of seafood and it can disrupt their digestion.
So share in moderation — meaning strictly control the amount of shrimp your dog gets to eat.
Avoid feeding prawns to the point where it begins to be expected. As much as possible, steer clear of bad feeding habits as it could lead to an unbalanced diet.
Serve Shrimp Safely
It cannot be stressed enough:
You must kill off harmful bacteria. The shrimp farming industry notoriously struggles with viral diseases.
Pathogens are common to prawns.
You do not want your dog to unnecessarily get an upset stomach or worse.
Only serve these ocean critters cooked. Play it safe by enforcing this pet policy for all seafood!
And never give your dog leftover shrimp that’s been sitting around. Always fresh!
Prawn Prep For Pets
Be sure to completely remove the shell. This goes for the tail, head and legs.
The reason is simple:
While unlikely, they could cause a digestive blockage.
Peeling shrimp is key, even if a dog only gets a morsel (as a reward or a treat).
You may be wondering…
Devein for a dog? Not necessary, especially since you are cooking those shrimp!
When Dogs Disagree
There is no guarantee that a precious pet dog will actually agree with shrimp.
In such cases, you can expect vomiting or diarrhea or both. Be sure to provide plenty of fresh water for re-hydration.
It is also possible your dog won’t even try shrimp.
Not even a taste? Check out this rejection (quite common)!
Shellfish And Allergies
A stomach disagreement is one thing…
More worrying is if your dog experiences an allergic reaction from eating shrimp.
While relatively rare, it isn’t impossible that a crustacean can be a trigger. Visit your vet if symptoms are serious.
The reality is that shellfish (crab included) are known allergens.
Fish, such as tuna for example, cause bad reactions with less frequency.
Why Shrimp Is Nutritious
Shrimp generally makes for a nutritious treat for adult dogs.
Prawns contain selenium which is a valuable antioxidant. Phosphorous and vitamin-B12 are plentiful as well.
And being a great source of both EPA and DHA, two types of omega-3 fatty acids, is an absolutely outstanding attribute.
That’s not all…
In addition to being low in fat, shrimp is also light on calories and carbs.
The Bottom Line
You can treat your dog to a few shrimp.
It’s not such a bad idea. Nevertheless, limit the amount and do not make it a habit.
Be sure to cook and de-shell those prawns before feeding time.
Never raw!
Monitor your dog for an unlikely allergic reaction when providing shrimp for the first time.
Can I give shrimp meat to a Shih Tzu?
It looks like shrimp is okay, but I’m wondering about haddock or cod. Do you have any suggestions for what I should give them? I would be alternating every dinner time with a tiny piece (cube) of chicken or beef. It wouldn’t be an every night treat of fish.
We should not be falling for the myth surrounding cholesterol and poor health. Cholesterol is the building block of the human body and dogs are no different. There is no true randomized controlled trial data linking cholesterol to heart disease, absolutely zero!
The only data provided is doctored (forgive the pun) by Big Pharma because they make billions from statins. As others have said, the “scary” contents in some dog foods are far worse especially when you consider they only have to show certain numbers and additives if they exceed a certain percentage figure.
My dog eats raw meat, fish, prawns and veggies but I will never feed him wheat or some of the other fillers in supposedly prime dried food.
I buy dog food that is primarily salmon. As a result, my dog is much healthier than she was when she was on the major brands. There needs to be a specific reason to convince me not to feed my dog a shrimp here and there. (i.e. liver or kidney damage, poisonous, etc.)
We owned 3 miniature Poodles and they all loved cooked shrimp, maybe only 2 times a week but they really looked forward to them. Deveined is probably best way to serve it. They all lived pretty healthy lives, between 16-18 years.
Most dog food, high quality or not, contains strange things like corn, soy and various meats. While dogs might not need to be eating shrimp, dog food and what’s considered good dog food needs to be investigated a little more. I’d rather feed a dog a shrimp from the ocean than ground up corn and mutated soy proteins.
I agree with you, Chase. Some dog foods are scary when you look at the ingredients or when you imagine all this mush heated for ages into basically a pebble. That’s not food! If I don’t eat dry human food, I’m not going to feed my dog dry food.