Do you love eating shrimp? Do you love firing up the grill and cooking your shrimp on the BBQ? How about devouring a tasty shrimp cocktail? So many people love eating healthy seafood, and shrimp is one of their favorites.
Is this really dangerous?
These Questions Do Not Have Short Answers
Are you the kind of pet parent that tends to share every little morsel of food that you eat with your dog? There are plenty of pet parents out there that like to share everything on their plate.
This is understandable because your adorable pup will look at you with those deep brown or blue eyes and beg you for a bite. They just want one bite! And then you give it to him or her, and they want another bite! We’ve all been in this situation.
As far as shrimp is concerned, there’s contradictory information about whether or not it is actually safe.
As an example, if you’ve cooked the shrimp and there is no shell and no tail, you can give your dog a very tiny bite. But that’s about it. Only a very minuscule amount is safe. Anything else can create other health problems that you don’t want to see or deal with.
Shrimp Shells & Shrimps and the Problem with Dogs
You would think that giving your pup shrimp would actually be a very healthy choice. But nothing could be further from the truth. There are many reasons why shrimp can cause health problems in your pup. They include:
- Some dogs experience allergic reactions from eating shrimp
- Shrimp is very high in cholesterol
- Shrimp shells create bowel obstructions, choking hazards, and perforated intestines
- Raw shrimp or shrimp that’s partially cooked is a carrier of Listeria and Salmonella
Everything mentioned above for dogs can create emergency situations that are life-threatening. Using allergies as an example, if your dog never ate shrimp and suddenly ingests it, you may discover that your pooch has a severe and serious allergic reaction. Even taking one small bite could put your dog into anaphylactic shock, which is a massive medical emergency that requires immediate attention.
A blocked bowel is certainly a medical emergency as well. And choking definitely constitutes an emergency medical situation to boot. Imagine seeing a piece of shrimp shell lodged within your dog’s throat? Your dog could potentially choke to death if it isn’t removed in time.
What about your dog’s intestines? What happens if a shell is stuck within the intestinal tract? This could create fluid blockages, blockages of fecal matter, and ultimately obstruct the bowel altogether.
Every one of the issues mentioned above are grave reasons to take shrimp and shrimp shells very seriously. You do not want to ignore them because they can obviously lead to major problems for your dog in the future.
Even more important, do your best to never share shrimp or shrimp shells with your dog for any reason whatsoever. Avoid giving him or her even the tiniest bite because you never know what kind of reaction could take place.
Contact Your Veterinarian If These Situations Arise
Do you think your dog is having an allergic reaction to shrimp? Or do you think it’s suffering from an intestinal blockage or choking? You have to let your veterinarian know about the situation immediately to get your dog the proper medical help that he or she deserves. This treatment is absolutely necessary to preserve its life and health.
On the other hand, if you’re 100% certain that your dog will not suffer from an allergic reaction to shrimp, you can give it the tiniest bite on the rarest of occasions. The main thing is to cook the shrimp all the way through, make sure it is totally deveined, and make sure that the tail and shell are removed.
You can give shrimp to your dog and have a healthy and happy fur baby under the above conditions.