Can Dogs Eat Popcorn Shrimp?

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

When you sit down to dinner do you ever feel guilty that your dog might be missing out?

What harm would it do to feed them table scraps from time to time? 

After all it would just end up in the garbage.

This research explores this feeling of guilt or inclusion we sometimes have as dog owners and takes it to the next level.

To examine whether we might share food from trips or takeout from our favorite restaurants with our dogs.

Popcorn shrimp is also a popular meal for many of us.

Can dogs eat popcorn shrimp?

Heres what we found out.

Popcorn shrimp are what they sound like.

Deep-fried popcorn shrimp are battered and seasoned with different spices before being deep-fried. 

Following that a variety of dipping sources are served. 

The shrimp is called popcorn shrimp because it is served in bite-sized chunks (about the same size as popcorn) and people tend to pick it up with their hands as they do with popcorn. 

It is a popular choice on kids menus at restaurants

What are the origins of popcorn shrimp?

The origins of the song are vague but it definitely originates from someplace in the deep south of the US perhaps Louisiana or Texas.

It may have come from the restaurant chain Red Lobster as far back as the 1970s…

What other restaurants serve popcorn shrimp?

You will be able to eat popcorn at many local restaurants across the United States but some of the higher-profile national or regional chains include; 

• The legend of Long John Silver
• Captain D’s
• Dairy Queen 

What other types of deep-fried shrimp are there?

You might want to consider something a bit larger if you are “against” or despise something as small as popcorn shrimp.

It appears that not all shrimp are popcorn-sized.

It is also available in jumbo size while a butterfly style is also available. 

What are the ingredients in popcorn shrimp?

Popcorn shrimp is served in many different restaurants so knowing the exact ingredients is impossible because of course none of the restaurants share their recipes.

A quick search online will provide us with the majority of the ingredients.

The following are their names:

• Shrimp

• Cajun seasoning
• Flour
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Milk
• Egg
• Oil

In the sense that they would not cause a dangerous or allergic reaction in dogs none of the ingredients appear toxic to dogs. 

In addition none of these ingredients can be found on the top 100 list of healthy dog foods.

We need to dig a little deeper and find out a little more about cajun seasoning.

Unfortunately alarm bells start ringing.

What is wrong with Cajun seasoning?

Dogs are generally not fond of seasoning in general.

Cajuns are not the only ones to be targeted.

By definition seasoning is all about strong flavors- which will turn dogs’ stomachs because they are not used to them. 

However cajun seasoning is much more troublesome than that – it contains many other ingredients that can upset a dogs stomach. 

It is highly likely that the cajun seasoning that is on your popcorn chicken contains either onion or garlic.

Garlic and onion whether fresh or powdered are known toxins for dogs.

Since popcorn shrimp contains a small amount of seasoning (compared to the amount of chicken or flour) your dog is unlikely to experience a toxic reaction.

However this is something to keep in mind.

In this research I discuss onion poisoning in much greater detail. 

How the other ingredients might affect your dog?

I have already mentioned in passing that the other ingredients are neither toxic nor healthy.

There are however four ingredients in popcorn shrimp that may cause your dog to become allergic.

Now there is an infinitesimally small chance of this happening. 

The possibility exists however. 

Protein can be found in shrimp eggs flour (wheat) and milk.

As long as shrimp does not cause an allergic reaction in your dog it is quite a healthy food.

Proteins healthy fats and minerals are all present in this food.

The only difference is that popcorn is covered in flour egg and fat.

While discussing seasoning a while back I briefly mentioned salt and pepper.

There is one ingredient in popcorn shrimp that we have yet to mention: oil.

Even though oil is not an allergen it is not an ingredient that dogs find easy to digest.

When combined with the other ingredients in popcorn shrimp oil can cause your dog to have a nasty case of diarrhea- if he does not vomit it all up first!

Can dogs eat breaded shrimp?

Popcorn shrimp and breaded shrimp are incredibly similar.

Compared to popcorn shrimp breaded shrimp have only breadcrumbs in place of flour. 

There is no cajun seasoning either. 

So no seasoning will irritate your dogs digestion system but fat and frying would not do them any favors either.

I mean throwing your dog an occasional breaded shrimp would not harm them in the long run but do not do it often. 

Can dogs eat cocktail shrimp?

There is a slight difference between popcorn shrimp and cocktail shrimp.

I know they are not completely different animals but you get the idea.

In other words this dishs ingredients are very different.

It is once again bad news and I hate to say it.

I’ll tell you why cocktail shrimp is inappropriate for your dog in all the different ways.

You may be using onions or garlic in your cocktail shrimp recipe- which has been explained as being toxic.

You might also include tomatoes in your recipe which is another fruit or vegetable that your dog should avoid.

You need to make sure that your tomatoes are ripe with no leaves or stalks visible.

The list of toxic ingredients has been reduced but there are a few other ingredients to be aware of.

Cocktail shrimp normally contains a lot of spice and dogs are not very good with spice.

The majority of recipes call for lots of salt or seasonings for that matter.

In the next section I will explain more about one final aspect of shrimp to be aware of.  

Four parts of the shrimp to avoid- vein head shell and tail 

Shrimp popcorn is one of the many shrimp recipes that require shrimp to be deveined and their heads shells and tails removed.

It is true that there are lots of shrimp recipes out there that leave all of these parts on.

Recipes for butterfly shrimp and cocktail shrimp are included. 

Your dog cannot be poisoned by any of these parts of the shrimp.

Shrimp veins which are part of the shrimps digestive system add just a bit more grit to the texture. 

When a dog does not chew properly the head shell and tail might present a choking hazard.

In the event that none of these methods work you can always perform the Heimlich maneuver on your dog. 

If your dog does not seem to chew their food well it might be worth spending some time to “undress” the shrimp properly…

What is the best way of preparing shrimp for your dog?

There have been a lot of comments in this research about “no you can not do that” and “I wouldnot do that if I was you.”

Therefore to stop being such a spoilsport I will tell you how to prepare shrimp for your dog.

Would it be possible to feed your dog shrimp with all the nutritional benefits it brings without the complications of overly “rich” recipes like popcorn shrimp?

Yes there is- all you have to do is steam it. 

A steam basket over boiling water is all that is needed to steam shrimp.

The shrimp should turn pink after 5 or 6 minutes indicating they are ready to eat.

After they have cooled serve your dog!

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

Can Dogs Eat Popcorn Shrimp? (Watch Video)