Did you ever run out of dog food and thought about feeding fish food to your dog? Did you wonder: can fish food kill dogs, or is it safe? We will try to answer this common question below.
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Dogs can eat most forms of food, but some foods are not good for them. In some cases, dogs may be susceptible to problems because of some very common foods such as chocolates and macadamia nuts.
If you ever ran out of dog food and did not have time to go to the store, you might have thought about giving some of your fish food to them. You may have wondered: can fish food kill dogs? What’s the worst that can happen?
Well, fish food does not contain anything toxic for dogs, but it is better not to try such experiments because there is honestly very little that we understand about what is good and bad for our furry friends.
Let us talk more about whether or not you should be experimenting with fish food for your dog, and some foods that are actually very bad for dogs. Keep reading to know more.
What Are Fish Food Made Of?
Generally, almost every fish food has the same composition, and different companies add one or two additional materials to add some extra flavor or nutrient. The elemental composition of fish food is fish meal, vitamins, minerals, earthworms, and shrimp meals. These materials are added to enrich their natural habitat and diet.
None of this material is typically harmful to your dog, but it is more effective to feed it to fish than dogs. Dogs have different food that is specifically made, keeping their digestion and diet in mind. This might be given to them through commercially available dog food or else home-cooked food with high nutritional value food items.
Should I Feed My Dog Fish Food?
Nutritionally it is similar with higher protein content, so typically it should not hurt your dog.
Fish food has a much higher concentration of protein than dog food, but apart from that, they are nutritionally very similar. We have done a comparison below of two fish food labels to show the similarities and differences.
Fish Food | Dog Food | |
Crude Protein | 36% | 21% |
Crude Fat | 7% | 10% |
Crude Fiber | 4% | 4.50% |
Moisture | 10% | 12% |
Sources:
Given that protein is very important in dog diets, a little bit of fish food should ideally not cause any major problems. However, as we said we really understand very little about the digestive systems of these pets, so proceed with caution.
In some cases, your dog might also like its taste. But it is advised that you consult your vet before feeding it to your dog, and read the nutrition label very, very carefully.
The fish food content might contain something that is allergic to your dog and can make them fall ill or cause different diseases in them. If your dog is allergic to something inside the fish food, it will most likely avoid eating it or vomit it soon after eating it.
You must know what your dog is allergic to and avoid feeding items containing the allergic substance. Most pet-parents experiment with their dog food to give them treats or some additional nutrient in their daily meal. It is not a bad habit, but the pet parents should watch their pet and look for any side effects.
Is Fish Food Toxic For Your Dog?
As discussed earlier, none of the ingredients in fish food is generally not toxic for your dog, but it is better to check its composition before feeding any of it to your dog. Fish food has high nutritional value, although it may be harder for dogs to digest (due to its high protein content), so it is better not to feed it to them.
Fish food might have allergies in your dog. If this happens, it can cause digestive problems like loose bowel movements, stomach pain, vomiting, and other associative problems. It can also cause life-threatening issues like liver damage, kidney damage, and many more prolonged exposure.
What To do if Your Dog has Consumed Fish Food?
Don’t panic. If the dog is allergic to some food item and the symptoms start to show, immediately take him to the vet or call an animal helpline.
There is nothing to worry about as it may not cause any significant issue or some minor health problem depending upon your dog and its diet. You must keep a close eye on your dog if your dog happens to eat some fish food by any chance.
It may develop some side effects and any health problems. It can be minor, from vomiting and fatigue to significant issues like improper bowel movement, extreme pain, restlessness, and many more.
If your dog has some serious side effects like a stroke and fever after eating fish food, then you should rush to a vet as soon as possible. The fish food might also cause food poisoning in your dog, and it is better to get them checked as quickly as possible before the problem can spread any further.
Food poisoning can be a significant threat to their life, and if not taken care of immediately, it can also cause some severe damage to your dog.
Are Dogs Allergic to Fish Food?
From a study of the ingredients, it is unlikely but you never know.
Dogs are generally not allergic to fish food, but that can change depending upon the type of fish food you are feeding your dog and its content. Dogs have susceptible digestive systems, and in most cases, dogs get ill very quickly after eating something out of their comfort zone.
The breed of a dog greatly determines its diet, and different types of dogs have other diet and nutrient requirements in the body.
Can Goldfish Food Kill dogs?
To research this question, we compared Tetra Goldfish Flakes (one of the most popular goldfish food brands) to our regular dog food nutrition label earlier. As you can see, the contribution of protein in this food is almost twice that of dog food:
Tetra Goldfish Flakes | Typical Dog Food | |
Crude Protein | 42% | 21% |
Crude Fat | 11% | 10% |
Crude Fiber | 2% | 4.50% |
Moisture | 6.50% | 12% |
Source: GoldFish Flakes | Tetra®
An excess protein diet is not good for your dog, because it is a calorie-dense nutrient that can make your dog obese in the long term. Anyway, most of the excess protein will be flushed out through urine. Therefore, we would not suggest giving a goldfish food diet to your dog too often.
While the fish foods fed to goldfish are generally in cracker form and are not toxic for your dog, you should not test the limits of your dog’s digestive system by offering such high protein elements.
Your dog can eat one or two goldfish crackers, but it is better not to feed them any. Providing it to them will not give them any high nutrition value; instead can cause several problems if over consumed.
Overfeeding any food item that is not a part of your dog’s diet can be harmful to them, and if your dog is insisting a lot, then we should try to feed them extra items in as small a quantity as possible.
What Foods can kill dogs?
Dogs can eat a lot of food items that humans eat, but there is a lot of expectation in them. Some of the food items consumed by humans can not be digested by dogs and can cause severe problems if fed, like food poisoning and extreme pain. Food items like chocolate, one of the most common food items, can prove to be fatal for your dog and cause some severe problems. Some of the food items that are very poisonous for dogs are mentioned below:
Why Chocolate and Caffeine are not suitable for dogs:
Chocolate is highly toxic for your dog, and we should not feed it to them in any case. Chocolates contain theobromine that cannot be digested by dogs and remains in their system and can cause many problems.
The higher the amount of cocoa in the chocolate, the higher is the risk of danger. Baker’s chocolate or Dark Chocolate has the highest risk of food poisoning in your dog, and if overfed, it can even be life-threatening.
Why Is Avocado not suitable for dogs
Avocados are harmful food items for most animals, and we should not risk feeding them to our dogs. Avocado contains persin, which is a fungicidal toxic and causes a large number of problems in dogs and even death in the worst cases. Avocados are a very harmful item for your dogs, and you should keep your dogs away even from its tree, leaves, or trunks.
Why are grapes and raisins bad for dogs
Grapes, raisins, Oranges, and almost every citric fruit are harmful to your dog. We should not feed a citric food item to our dogs as it can have a very detrimental effect on their digestive system, including its kidney and liver.
Even the pungent smell of the citric fruit and its composition can harm the internal workings and cause some significant issues like kidney problems and food poisoning.
Alcohol and items containing alcohol
Alcohol has a very harmful effect on your dog, and if fed, it can also result in death. We must keep any alcohol or any food items that contain alcohol away from the reach of our dogs.
If your dog consumes any alcohol or alcoholic, then it is better to get it checked by a vet without wasting any time. Alcohol can cause a lot of damage to a dog’s system and even result in its death. Serious issues like kidney damage, liver damage, cancer, tumor, and digestive problems can also occur due to the consumption of alcohol.
Fatty Food
Fatty food items have a very harmful effect on your dog. Although it may not show its results on the initial consumption if fed regularly, it can even give rise to some significant health problems in dogs.
Some of the critical issues due to the overfed of heavy items are fatigue, overweight, weak digestion, improper bowel movements, and liver damage. Dogs may like the taste of fatty food and can insist on it, but it is better to keep them away from their reach.
A Few Final Words
Maintaining a dog’s diet and taking care of its health can prove to be a difficult task. Dogs are curious animals, and they like to chew and swallow different items that they consider food. It is advised that the owners should keep a close eye on their dogs so that they don’t bite or chew on anything toxic for them.
Thank you for going through the article, we have tried to present facts through analysis that are hard to find elsewhere. We invite your comments and suggestions, and questions on this article.
We have also written similar articles on other food items such as vegetable broth, expired chicken, A1 sauce and others. You should go through our website for these articles to get information on what you can and cannot feed your pup.