Can dogs eat sardines?
Yes, dogs can eat sardines. In fact, adding sardines to your dog’s meal will benefit him/ her in several ways. There are several food items that can be served to your dog to make its muscles stronger and boost the immune system, sardines are no different. It can also save a dog to suffer from kidney diseases. Sardines are smaller and have relatively soft bones which make it safe for a dog to eat it as a whole. Some veterinarians suggest that it contains less amount of mercury, therefore, involves less risk of poisoning.
What are sardines?
The word sardine is used for various small oily forage fishes. Another commonly used name is ‘pilchard’ and they sometimes migrate in bulk. Over 21 species are classified as sardines.
What are the nutritional content in sardines?
They contain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acid which helps to keep the coat of a dog healthy and soft, vitamin B12, vitamin D, amino acid which improves the immune system of a dog. a dog needs 22 amino acids to make necessary proteins, on average, a dog’s body contains half of these amino acids and the rest they get from the food we serve to our dogs and sardines are a good source of amino acids. It also contains coenzyme Q10 which works as an antioxidant and immunity booster, it helps to keep the dental health in good condition. It also reduces the inflammation in joints that can cause pain.
What precautions should you take before feeding sardines to your dogs?
Although sardines provides several nutritious contents but, it also contains calories. Feeding too much of it can result in increase in weight of your dear pooch and can also cause digestive issues. Too much of anything will do more harm than good to your dog. Therefore make sure that you’re feeding sardines in limited quantity. To be on the safer side, ask its regular vet regarding the quantity you should feed your dog.
Try to avoid feeding canned sardines to your dog as fresh food is always a better source of nutrients than canned.
Remove the backbone of sardines, especially if your dog is younger. In case you are buying canned sardine, make sure you read the ingredients, as sometimes it contains salt which can be bad for dogs to eat.
How to feed sardines to your dog?
If your dog is trying to eat sardine for the first time make sure that you introduce it to them gradually and see if it likes it or not. The best way to feed sardines is to add them to the regular meal or its favorite home-made treat recipe. You can use the water or oil present in the can to make gravy for dogs, make sure that you exclude all the toxic ingredients while preparing gravy especially onions and garlic as they are highly toxic for dogs. You can follow various recipes which you may find online to prepare sardines for dogs.
Can sardines be harmful to dogs?
Yes, it can be harmful to dogs in the case where it contains a high amount of salt. It is usually is present in canned food. Make sure that you read the ingredients carefully before feeding it to your dog. Although sardine is very beneficial for a dog to eat, in rare circumstances if your dog is facing some digestive issues, take it to its regular vet (notice for any symptoms after it ate sardine for the first time).
Conclusion
Sardines are healthy for dogs to eat. It provides various nutrients which can help it to maintain good heart and kidney conditions. The nutrients sardines provide will keep your dog’s dental health, coat, and immunity better. As a caretaker, you should make sure to not over feed sardines to your dog as it can cause digestive issues. It can be served as a whole or in pieces depending upon the need of your dog. If your dog is showing some symptoms after eating sardine, take it to see a veterinarian immediately.
Leave a Reply