There are many different foods that you can introduce to your dog, but is a crustacean-like lobster a safe choice? Many owners wonder if their canine companions can eat lobster, and the answer is yes.
Dogs can certainly eat cooked lobster but not in its raw form. It contains Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which can cause indigestion, nausea, and fever in dogs. Lobster meat is rich in proteins, beneficial for a dog’s growth, but high in saturated fat, leading to rapid weight gain. Hence, dogs should only eat lobster in moderation.
Saturated fat also isn’t good for humans either, so it’s best to cut down on your lobster intake as well. Your dog will enjoy some lobster, but you have to limit the amount they eat. Some people may think it’s okay to give their dog lobster for every meal, leading to adverse side effects, like obesity risks.
To guide you in a better direction, we will tell you how to feed lobster to your pup and what ingredients to avoid when serving it. So, without any further ado, let’s jump into what happens if your dog eats a lobster.
What Happens If A Dog Eats Lobster?
If you feed lobster to your dog, it can help prevent anemia and provide an excellent source of protein. Moreover, lobsters contain phosphorus, which keeps your pup’s bones healthy.
Let’s break down some of the health benefits of feeding lobster to your dog.
Good Source Of Protein
Generally, lobster is a healthy source of vitamins and proteins that your pup needs. It is enriched with amino acids, the building block of protein. Therefore, lobster is an even better source than milk or red meat.
Other than that, the richness in protein keeps your pup’s metabolism healthy by making it feel full, so your pup won’t eat extra. Ultimately, feeding lobster to your furry fellow also helps with appetite control.
Promotes Mental Health
Lobsters contain an abundance of omega-3 fatty acid, which plays a vital role in keeping your puppy’s brain healthy. It also has vitamin B12, which prevents the brain from aging when combined with omega-3 fatty acids.
Moreover, feeding lobsters to your pup also lowers the risks of depression, Alzheimer’s, and strokes. Vitamin B12 in lobsters helps in reducing the risk of dementia by 20% and promotes a healthy brain.
Protects Against Heart Diseases
You already know that heart diseases are the leading cause of death in dogs. If you feed lobster to your dog as a treat, it can help it prevent heart diseases because of the richness in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids in lobster support DHA and EPA, and their long chains protect your furball’s heart. Moreover, lobster also plays a vital role in reducing inflammation which prevents your dog from atherosclerosis.
What Happens If A Dog Eats Raw Lobster?
Raw lobsters usually carry intestinal parasites, which can be hazardous to dogs. Also, the bacteria in the uncooked meat can cause parvovirus in dogs, which can be fatal.
Therefore, make sure to cook lobster every time you feed it to your puppy. Let’s check other health issues a raw lobster can cause.
Parvovirus
Any raw meat or fish can be a source of parvovirus, but uncooked shellfish, including lobster, pose a higher risk.
Symptoms of parvo include diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy. Larger dogs are more likely to become seriously ill from the disease, and even small dogs can develop it.
Parvovirus attacks a dog’s gastrointestinal tract and its ability to create blood cells. It is treated with fluid and electrolyte replacement and antibiotics, but sometimes euthanasia is the only humane option in severe cases.
If you think your dog may have eaten raw lobster meat, immediately take it to a veterinarian.
Diarrhea And Vomiting
When your dog digests raw lobster, it can cause poisoning because it contains bacteria and parasites toxic to health. Due to this, your pup suffers from watery diarrhea continuous vomiting.
Sometimes, after feeding a raw lobster to your dogs, it can also cause stomach cramps, gastrointestinal issues, and scombroid poisoning.
Seizures
If your pup eats a raw lobster, it may suffer from a seizure, and the symptoms will show within 24 hours. The symptoms of seizures after digesting raw lobster include dizziness, disorientation, headache, and short-term memory loss.
Moreover, sometimes, the pup also gets unconscious and goes through shaking moments which is an extreme level of seizures.
Depression
Lobsters may have the best protein sources, but they can’t provide any valuable health benefits when it is raw. Instead, the parasites in it can affect the mental health of your puppy, which will result in extreme depression and anxiety.
Allergies
Raw lobster has bacteria that can cause skin allergies to your puppy. You can see the reactions within 24 hours by finding red spots on your canine’s body.
Moreover, it can cause itching and swelling of the tongue and lips. Also, feeding raw lobster can lead your pup to anaphylaxis, a severe allergy.
Excessive Sodium
Uncooked lobster contains high sodium, harming your canine’s kidney. Plus, excessive sodium can also become a reason for sodium ion poisoning.
Sometimes, high amounts of sodium in the blood can also lead to a life-threatening condition. Other than that, the cells of your puppy start to release water resulting in stiffness and lethargy.
Can Dogs Eat Lobsters With Butter?
No, you should not feed lobster to your pup with butter because it contains excessive fat, which isn’t good for your puppy’s health.
What Other Added Ingredients Should Your Dog Avoid?
Not only butter, but you should also avoid seasonings and some other ingredients when serving lobster to your pup. Let’s dive in a bit deeper to know about the ingredients your dog should avoid.
Lobster Shells
When serving lobster to your dog, make sure to remove its shells first. When your pup swallows the shards of the lobster shell, it can damage the internal organs.
Lobster shells can tear the esophagus of your pooch, and they can also perforate the intestinal system. Also, if your pup is small, it will choke due to the lobster shells.
Seasonings
Seasonings can also hurt your pup because they contain different spices harmful to your dog. They can cause abdominal pain and continuous vomiting that weakens the havoc system of your puppy. You may not believe it, but spices can bring a life-threatening condition to your furry friend.
Chives And Onions
Whether served cooked or raw, chives and onions can be highly toxic to your dog. Both of them comprise propyl disulfide, which causes blood cells to rupture. Feeding lobster with onions and chives can make your pup suffer from organ failure, anemia, and sometimes death.
Garlic
Garlic is another toxic ingredient to serve with lobster. It contains organosulfur compounds, which negatively affect the blood cells of your puppy.
It also changes the blood cell shape, rupturing the blood cells’ structure. When blood cells change shape, they break down and transport less oxygen to the dog’s organs and tissues.
How To Feed Lobster To Dogs?
You can simply boil and chop the lobster’s tail meat and serve it to your dog from time to time.
While lobster meat might not be on the list of allowed foods for canines, some recipes contain lobster tails, providing health benefits and flavor for your pup.
Dog owners can prepare these wonderful treats for their dogs and let them enjoy the benefits of lobster without risking their health. This recipe will make eight servings for dogs.
Ingredients
- 2 oz dried kelp (found in most grocery stores)
- 1 cup water boiled with three fresh lobsters tails, deshelled, and chopped into small bits (remove everything else from the shells before steeping)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- One tablespoon of parsley
- Six turkey hot dogs, sliced thinly on an angle
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients except the hot dogs in a large bowl and stir well.
- After everything is mixed, add the hot dogs last and use your hands to make sure they are evenly coated with the mixture.
- Place all of them on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 °F or until the outside has dried slightly but is still moist inside.
- Allow them to cool completely before serving.
Quick Recipe
If you don’t have time to make a fancy meal for your pup, then you can give it the taste of lobsters with this easy recipe.
- First, you need to boil a lobster for about 15 minutes or if it is already boiled, chop it into small pieces.
- Place the pieces on a flat dish and put some salt on it.
- To make it more delicious, you can add butter or olive oil on top of the lobster meat before serving it.
Note: If you need to prepare lobsters for dogs, keep in mind that they do not require all the spices and ingredients we use when cooking. You can even cook them with a little olive oil, no more than one teaspoon per 20 lbs of dog weight in every meal.
