Some dogs have a see-food diet, where they see food and they will devour all of it. Omega-3 fatty acids, low-fat content, and high protein levels - they are all the benefits associated with eating fish. But what other types of seafood can dogs eat? What about mercury, sodium and more?

Generally, most mainstream fish and seafood that are safe for dogs, but moderation is key. While your dog will benefit from the occasional seafood meal, it shouldn’t make up most of their diet. Snacks are fine as long as you follow the golden rule - they should only make up 10% of their daily food intake.

The benefits of seafood though, are a plenty!

• Great alternative for dogs with other protein allergies (like Chicken or Beef)

• High protein levels

• Low levels of fat

• Omega-3 fatty acids

There are risks involved though.

• Commercial pet foods with fish can contain harmful preservatives

• High levels of Sodium

• Presence of toxins, heavy metals, and other pollutants

• Risk of contracting bacteria such as salmonella and listeria (if raw or not cooked properly)

Here’s the type of seafood your dog can eat.

Fish that has been deboned, cleaned properly, and thoroughly cooked, is safe. However, too much can lead to thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency can have severe consequences for your pet’s health and even lead to death in more extreme cases. We would avoid raw fish, if not handled correctly, they can contain flukes, tapeworms, or roundworms, and many other forms of parasites. Feed them Shishamo by Kuro Snacks, it’s a wonderful whole fish, and it’s fully cooked and is deliciously irresistible.

Cooked salmon is a quality source of essential fatty acids and proteins, and you can include it in your dog’s diet without having to worry about long-term side effects. Just make sure not to feed it to your dog more than once or twice a week. You can feed your dog Sake/Salmon or Salmon Bites by Kuro Snacks which are in a biscuit format, with less concern.

Tuna contains the highest levels of mercury. Mercury poisoning can have fatal consequences, and regularly feeding your dog tuna is bound to have long-term effects. But if they eat a little bit of tuna, it won’t harm them. Just avoid giving them tuna on a regular basis. Tsuna - Tuna Bites by Kuro Snacks in a biscuit format means they can eat and taste tuna in every bite with less of this concern.

When cooked and thoroughly cleaned of their shells and nasty bits, squid, prawns, lobsters, and crab can be eaten by dogs. Only properly cooked meat of the shellfish can be served to dogs. A few bites won’t harm your dog, but feeding it as a meal is not advised. Ebi - Prawn Bites by Kuro Snacks in a biscuit format is cooked and safe for dogs to eat with left concerns. Just note that there is a risk of allergy reactions.

A little bit of cooked clams, oysters and scallops are okay for your dog from time to time. Not as a main meal but a little treat here and there is okay. Do make sure they don’t have bits of their shell as it would cause many gastrointestinal problems. Because these type of seafood filter water, they may contain toxins in their tissue, that’s also why they need to be cooked, but if there are dinoflagellates in its flesh, it can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Fish Sticks and Imitation Crab Meat should be avoided as they contain little fish and a lot of starch with low or no nutritional value. In worst cases, the poor quality ingredients can cause bigger concerns in the long run.

Seafood not to feed:

• Raw Seafood

• Fish Bones

• Shells

Here are the various Seafood Kuro Snacks that we have on the menu: