Can Dogs Eat Calamari?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Can Dogs Eat Calamari?“.

This afternoon as I was adding calamari to my seafood pasta dish I dropped a few pieces. They fell right onto my kitchen floor. Immediately my Labrador ran in and chomped down both Calamari before I had even time to discard them. I almost freaked and wondered “Can a dog eat Calamari?” Lets start with a quick answer before getting into more detail. 

Can dogs eat Calamari? As Calamari is not toxic to dogs they can eat small amounts of it occasionally as a treat. Calamari however should not be fed to dogs regularly since breaded sauteed and deep-fried Calamari are high in saturated fats sodium and calories which can harm dogs in the short- and long-term.

Can dogs have Calamari?

Calamari is not toxic to dogs but they should not consume it regularly or daily since this seafood is not recommended for them. The reason for this is that many Americans enjoy sauteed grilled or fried Calamari and these preparations make it unfit for consumption by dogs. 

Lets take a look at what Calamari is and how its prepared in the United States to fully understand why this dish is bad for dogs.

What is Calamari?

The Italian word calamari refers to a cousin of the octopus the squid. Calamari a popular appetizer in the United States is lightly battered and deep-fried. Many families add this crunchy and delicious seafood to pasta rice dishes soups and risotto in addition to serving it as an appetizer in bars and restaurants. 

Calamari is the rings and tentacles of squid that are deep-fried grilled or sautéed. 

Calamari is commonly prepared with the following ingredients: 

Ingredients for fried Calamari

• A calamari tube or a calamari ring. 
• Salt.
• Milk or buttermilk.
• All-purpose flour.
• Cornstarch.
• Baking powder.
• Dried oregano or chopped fresh parsley. 
• Black pepper.
• Cayenne pepper.
• Grapeseed oil as needed.
• Paprika.
• Garlic powder.
• Vegetable oil for frying. 

The following is a typical nutritional profile of fried calamari: 

Nutritional Profile of cooked fried Calamari (3oz or 85g)

Name Unit	Amount
Calories cal	149
Sodium mg	260
Carbohydrate g	6.62
Total Fat g	6.36
Saturated Fat g	1.6
Protein g	15.2
Calcium mg	33.2
Iron mg	0.858
Magnesium mg	32.3
Phosphorus mg	213
Potassium mg	237
Zinc mg	1.48
Copper mg	1.79
Manganese mg	0.06
Selenium µg	44
Vitamin C mg	3.57
Thiamin mg	0.048
Riboflavin mg	0.389
Niacin mg	2.21
Vitamin B-6 mg	0.049
Folate µg	11.9
Vitamin B-12 µg	1.04
Vitamin A µg	9.35

We can see that 3oz of fried calamari contains 149 calories 6.36 grams of fat (1.6 grams saturated) 6.62 grams of carbohydrates and 360 mg of sodium. Our canine friends’ health may be harmed by the regular consumption of calamari. 

So can dogs eat fried Calamari?

Calamari should not be fed to dogs regularly or on a regular basis. By examining both the ingredients and the nutritional profile of fried Calamari we can see that this is not the type of human food we should give our pooch regularly.

High sodium levels in fried Calamari can lead to salt poisoning in dogs

There is 260mg of sodium in 3oz or 85 grams of fried Calamari. Its very easy for our canine friends to eat that much of it. 

For every 100 grams of food our furry friends only require 0.25 to 1.5 grams of salt. As a result they should receive their daily salt intake from a well-balanced and healthy diet. Excessive salt consumption will result in sodium poisoning.

When your pooch already consumes his daily salt intake from regular food and still eats fried Calamari they will experience the following symptoms of salt poisoning: 

• Dehydration.
• Extreme thirst.
• Frequent urination.
• Swelling of the lips and tongue. 
• Nausea. 
• Vomiting.
• Loose and watery diarrhea. 
• Appetite loss. 
• Headache.
• Fluid buildup.
• Fever.
• Muscle spasms.
• Body weakness. 
• Stomach upset or pain. 
• Breathing difficulty.  
• Increased heart rate. 
• Unusual gait or limp. 
• Lack of energy. 
• Coma (in severe cases). 
• Seizures (in severe cases). 
• Death (in severe cases).

We highly recommend that you contact your veterinarian immediately if you think that your dog has salt poisoning after eating a lot of fried Calamari. Poisoning with sodium requires immediate medical attention and the sooner this condition is treated the better. 

A thorough physical examination blood tests and urinalysis will be performed by your dogs vet in order to determine your pups sodium level. As well as a complete cardiac examination the vet may also perform the following: 

• Radiographs or x-rays. 
• Electrocardiograms: measure electrical impulses in the heart of your dog. 
• CT scan.
• MRI.
• Ultrasound to determine if your dogs lungs heart and brain have been damaged by high salt intake. 

Once the vet has determined that your pooch has sodium poisoning they may put your dog on IV fluid therapy oxygen and electrolytes to combat dehydration. 

High-fat content in fried Calamari can cause dogs to develop pancreatitis

Calamari is breaded and fried and fried food in general should not be fed to dogs. Fried foods like calamari have a high-fat content. They also contain saturated fat. 

Our furry friends can develop pancreatitis when they suddenly consume a lot of high-fat food especially if they do not consume high-fat food on a regular basis. This is because high-fat foods like fried Calamari can cause your dogs pancreas to become inflamed. 

A dog with pancreatitis may develop diarrhea regularly and vomit more often than usual. A dog with pancreatitis may also experience depression fever or painful abdominal symptoms. 

High-fat diets such as fried Calamari are especially harmful to overweight or on weight-management plan dogs as they are typically high in calories. 

We can see that there are 149 calories in 3 oz. or 85 grams of fried calamari. It may not seem like much but to our four-legged friends it is definitely a lot of calories.   

When your pooch does not eat a high-fat diet regularly and suddenly gorges on fried Calamari its possible that he or she may also get diarrhea. 

Those with the following health issues or conditions should avoid high-fat diets or foods including fried calamari: 

• Diabetes. 
• Gastrointestinal issues.
• Pancreatitis. 
• High levels of fat in their blood.

Fried Calamari is high in carbohydrates which put pressure on your dog’s digestive system

Due to the fact that our canine friends are carnivores they do not require a lot of carbohydrates in their daily diet to survive. Healthy dog diets should instead include a lot of protein and healthy fats. 

When dogs eat fried food that has been breaded with flour (high in carbs) and deep-fried in vegetable oil it puts a lot of stress on their digestive system which can lead to many health issues such as diabetes obesity and even cancer. 

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can Dogs Eat Calamari? (Watch Video)