Can Dogs Eat Imitation Crab?

Fish is usually a great choice for dogs. It’s full of proteins, high in omega-3-fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients. But what about other sea food? And what about the quiet controversial but very cheep artificial sea food — imitation crab? Can dogs eat imitation crab? The short answer to that question would be — yes. However, while they theoretically can eat it, you should still avoid giving it to your canine. And here is why.

Can dogs eat imitation crab?

First of all you have to know that the stuff found in imitation crab has literally nothing to do with real crabs. Instead, they are made from processed white fish and additional additives that give them the taste of crabs. The white fish is highly processed and the color of the imitation crab comes from food coloring and not from the fish itself.

While eating a small amount of white fish won’t hurt your dog, higher amounts could lead to some serious side effects. So no matter how delicious you think that these surimi sticks are, don’t give them to your dog.

What is in imitation crab that makes it so bad for dogs?

If you are still unsure what makes imitation crabs so bad for dogs, and what exactly is in them, let’s take a closer look together.

Surimi — What is it?

Imitation crab meat contains something called Surimi, which is white fish in paste form. While this might not sound too bad at first, trust us when we say that it is. There are high amounts of additives, sodium, preservatives and even food coloring found in Surimi.

Even though artificial ingredients aren’t a dealbreaker for us, dogs don’t digest them as well as we do. That’s why we have to be much more careful of what we put in their diet.

The two main problems with Surimi is food coloring and the high sodium level. The food coloring that is used in Surimi sticks isn’t proven to be safe for dogs. All of these yummy colors are really just there to catch your look and get you to buy it.

The sodium content in imitation crab meat can be quite alarming too. A diet that is too high in sodium can lead to kidney and cardiovascular diseases in dogs of all ages.

Another huge issue and reason as to why dogs can not eat imitation crab is the artificial flavoring. The crab tastes in the surimi sticks is more or less completely artificial and while it does taste pretty good it certainly isn’t healthy for your dog.

Additionally, artificial flavoring can spoil your dogs sense of taste and he might not be satisfied with the real thing anymore. If your dog is used to eating plain, unseasoned and cooked meat without any extras, let’s keep it that way and not give them these artificial things.

Conclusion

After learning what Surimi is, let’s again go over the question “Can dogs eat imitation crab?” Once again the answer to this question will have to be no. While one small bite of imitation crab won’t hurt your dog, it really won’t be beneficial at all.

Truth be told there are worse options for dogs out there, however considering the amounts of artificial flavoring, food coloring and sodium that can be found in imitation crab — why would you risk it and feed it to your dog?

Our canines aren’t as used to these chemicals in their diets as we are, and they could even lead to allergy reactions or an upset stomach.

Food, diet and nutrition are such important topics for every dog owner. That’s why we have so many articles on it. Here are just some of them:

• Is cilantro bad for dogs? Here’s what we know
• Can dogs have vanilla? Here’s the truth
• Is almond butter safe for dogs?
• Can dogs eat coconut? Is it really safe?
• Is celery good for dogs? Here’s the truth