If you’re a massive fan of eating seafood, then you must get interrupted a lot by your dog who wants to taste that yummy smelling crab. But you should share your crab meat with your dog, or is to actually toxic for them?
So, can dogs eat crab? Yes, dogs can eat crab. However, they should never consume raw crabs, and they should always eat it in moderation. Stay away from feeding your dog crab sticks as they’re often processed food made of unknown ingredients. Check The Best Dog Food for German Shepherd Puppy in 2020 – Buyer’s Guide
There are some guidelines that should follow if you decide on feeding your dog crab meat, so if you want to know what those are, then continue reading this blog post.
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Can dogs eat crab meat?
Yes, dogs can totally eat crab meat, but the answer doesn’t just stop there. There are so many factors that play into this, but before I discuss them, let us talk about the benefits your dog could get from eating crab meat.
Are there any benefits your dog could have from eating crab meat?
Crab meat is a fantastic source of protein for dogs. Protein is an excellent source of energy for your dog; it is also going to aid with muscle building and repairing after they exert so much energy.
The precautions when it comes to feeding your dog crab meat
Crab meat is high in two things that are difficult for dogs to digest when they consume huge quantities of foods that are rich in them; those two things are cholesterol and sodium.
This is one of the reasons why you should be careful while serving your four-legged crab meat, as too much cholesterol and sodium consumption could lead your dog to suffer from many terrible issues.
For example, consuming a lot of sodium is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, and blood circulation issues in dogs.
Avoid feeding your dog crab sticks cause this is a processed food that contains other things than crab meat. Those other ingredients could be toxic for your dog’s you are better off feeding your dog real crab meat.
Overall, crab meat is a tasty treat for your dog as long as they only consume a little bit of it every here now and then. Frequent consumption of crab meat could lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, and we don’t want our beloved dogs to suffer from that.
Crab meat is also rich in iodine, which is a substance that many dogs are allergic to. However, we will talk more about that in the next paragraph.
They’re also essential when it comes to keeping your four-legged best friends organs healthy; they also aid in repairing their organs.
Did you know that protein gets broken down to amino acids, which then helps with a variety of different body processes like building strong and healthy nails, skin, hair, and connective tissues?
Crab meat also contains a lot of vitamin B 12, which is an essential vitamin that plays a crucial role when it comes to your dog’s gastrointestinal health and brain function.
Vitamin B 12 is almost crucial for your pooch’s metabolism. It plays an important role when it comes to developing nerve cells.
Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include your dog losing weight, losing thing appetite, feeling fatigued, and feeling weak. A diet that lacks vitamin B 12 can also cause your dog to suffer from a lot of different, serious health issue.
If you have a large dog, make sure to check their recommended dog foods here.
How to prepare the crab meat for your dog?
You never feed your dog any raw seafood. The same applies to feed your dog crab meat. Raw crab meat harbors pathogens ( bacteria) that could leave your dog sick with serious foodborne illnesses for a long time.
Make sure that the crab meat you serve your dog is always fully cooked. You can prepare your dog’s crab meat by putting the crab in a boiling pot of water. Stay away from adding any seasoning like salt or even adding garlic and onion to the pot.
Before you give your dog the crab, make sure you remove all of the crab’s shell. The shell of the crab is considered to be a choking hazard, and it could also get stuck between your dog’s teeth.
Avoid adding any butter, oil, or sauce to your dog’s crab meat as they’re either high in fat, or they contain ingredients that your dog should not consume.
Make sure that the amount of crab meat you serve your dog is small, Think of it as a treat instead of a meal. As always, it is still better if you can consult your dog’s vet before you introduce a new food item into their diets, especially when you know that this particular food is something that many dogs are allergic to.
Can dogs get an allergic reaction from consuming crab meat?
Unfortunately, many dogs get an allergic reaction when they eat crab meat. That is mostly because crab is rich in iodine, a substance that many dogs are allergic to.
If you know that your dog is allergic to iodine, then don’t feed your pooch any crab meat whatsoever.
But if you have no idea whether your dog is allergic to iodine or crab meat, then you have to be cautious while feeding your pooch crab for the first time. Stick to only feeding them one spoon of crab meat, then observe them for the next five hours.
In dogs, the symptoms of iodine allergy in dogs will include diarrhea, an upset stomach, and of course, lethargy. Your four-legged best friend might also have watery eyes and a runny nose, both of which are symptoms that look like those of a dog flue.
If your dog shows these signs within five hours of eating crab meat, an allergic reaction is very likely the reason.
Don’t feed them more crab meat or any food that has iodine it, and take them to the vet.
On the other hand, if the five hours pass and none of these symptoms can be seen, then feel free to feed the small amounts of crab sporadically.
Which part of the crab is my dog allowed to eat?
The only part of the crab that your dog is allowed to eat is the meat the crab itself.
Of course, the meat of the crab should be fully cooked, unseasoned, and not fried or dipped in butter.
The shelf the crab is actually considered to be a choking hazard and could also get stuck between your dog’s teeth.
So please don’t give your dog a crab’s shell to chew on. It is not the same thing as giving them a raw meat bone.
Don’t forget to brush your dog’s teeth once daily ( after dinner for example) to prevent your dog from suffering from periodontal disease ( gum disease). Use a dental toothpaste that made specifcally for dogs and a toothbrush. if you don’t have a toothbrush, then check out our dog finger toothbrush.
If you want to use natural foods as well to help keep your dog’s teeth clean and to boost their immune system, then check out my Best Way to Clean Dogs Teeth Naturally blog post
Other questions related to can my dog eat crab meat
Is it safe for my dog to eat shrimp?
Yes, dogs can totally eat shrimp as long as it is fully cooked, plain, and de-shelled. However, your four-legged best friend should only consume them in very small amounts.
Also, kindly note that they shouldn’t eat shrimp often because frequent shrimp consumption is unhealthy for your beloved dog.
If you’re interested in learning more about the precautions of feeding your four-legged best friend shrimp, then make sure you check out my Can Dogs Eat Shrimp? blog post.
Is it safe for my dog to eat fish?
Yes, your dog can eat fish as part of their healthy diet as long as it is fully cooked without any seasoning, garlic, onions, and oil. The fish you serve your dog should also be without any bones, so make sure you remove all of the bones before you give the fish to your dog.
Avoid tuna because of its high mercury levels.
If you want to learn more about foods that you should be feeding your dog on a daily basis, then make sure you check out our Foods Poisonous to Dogs You Use It Everyday blog post. This will help you understand why I kept on saying stay away from onions and garlic throughout this blog post.
That’s it for today’s blog post. You should now know how you to feed your dog crab meat. If you have more questions regarding dogs eating crab meat, then make sure you leave them in the comments section down below.
Also, if you’ve been feeding your dog crab meat for a while now, then feel free to share your experiences with us in the comments section down below.
