Sushi is a popular Japanese dish made of vinegared rice and different ingredients like vegetables, tropical fruits and seafood. It can be prepared with medium-grain white rice, short-grain rice or brown rice and seafood like tuna, shrimp, squid, yellowtail and eel. Sushi can be served with wasabi, daikon radish or pickled ginger.
Sushi is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a good kind of cholesterol that can help in preventing clogged arteries and lowering blood pressure. Tuna, herring and salmon, in particular, contain large amounts of omega-3. Sushi rolls are typically wrapped in nori or seaweed, which is rich in minerals like iodine. This mineral helps improve thyroid function and metabolic activities as well as balance hormones.
Fish is also low in calories and fat and rich in protein, a combination that can benefit the metabolism. It can improve the ability of the body to function properly, metabolize energy and create cells. These are only some of the benefits of sushi, but can dogs get the same benefits?
Can dogs eat sushi? Yes, but you should know what types of sushi are safe for your dog. If you’re not sure, you should not give sushi to your pooch at all. Sushi is not ideal for your budget as a treat because it’s expensive. If you have leftover sushi, it’s best that you throw it away because you don’t want your dog to get sick from a spoiled meal.
Fresh sushi with cooked vegetables and rice should be safe for your pooch to eat. Just make sure that the sushi doesn’t have avocado, wasabi, spices and garlic because these ingredients are harmful to dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Sushi? Risks of Giving Sushi to Your Dog
There are different types of sushi with varying ingredients, so you should know exactly what is used to make it before giving a piece to your dog. Don’t feed your dog raw fish because it may contain bacteria and parasites. Give your dog only sushi with vegetables, cooked protein or imitation crab meat.
The short-grain rice used in sushi increases blood sugar levels. Sushi rice may also contain soy sauce and salt, which can cause kidney damage and dehydration. A typical sushi hand roll is 60%-75% rice or two slices of bread and this amount of sugar is bad for your dog. Sushi rolls may also contain processed foods such as crab sticks, which have added spices that are harmful to your pooch.
Can Your Dog Eat Avocado, Spicy or Salmon Sushi?
Avocado is healthy for humans, but it can be dangerous for dogs because it has a toxic element called persin. A small amount of avocado will not harm your dog, but you have to make sure that your pet won’t have too much of this fruit.
Spicy sushi contains many spices such as wasabi and garlic, which is a big no-no for your Fido. You should also avoid feeding your dog sushi that contains mayonnaise because it’s high in fat. Never give your pet sushi that contains raw salmon because it can contain Neorickettsia helminthoeca, a parasite that can cause salmon poisoning.
Common symptoms of salmon poisoning include diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever between 104ﹾ and 107ﹾ, vomiting and lethargy. Check if there is blood in your pet’s stool, especially if you are feeding him a raw food diet. Your dog may not have any energy at all or refuse to eat anything. He may start vomiting after he consumes raw salmon.
Call your dog’s veterinarian and bring him to the nearest emergency animal hospital if he shows signs of salmon poisoning. Dogs that are left untreated only have a 10% chance of survival.
How Much Sushi to Feed Your Dog
A few pieces of sushi roll can be given as a treat. You can also feed him sushi rolls for dinner once a week, maximum. You just need to make sure that the amount you are giving to your dog is right for his size. For instance, larger dogs weighing 70 lbs. may be fed several full sushi rolls. If you have a small dog weighing less than 10 lbs., you can give him a few slices for an entire meal.
How to Give Your Dog Sushi Safely
If you are buying sushi from a restaurant or store, you should read the menu or label first. Make sure that there are no spices or ingredients that your pooch should never have. The best options are plain rolls with simple vegetables such as cucumber and carrot as well as plain meat.
The best way to give your dog sushi safely is to prepare it yourself. You can choose the ingredients and make a tasty treat for yourself and for your dog as well. To make dog-friendly sushi, you need cooked rice, cooked salmon fillets, cucumber and carrot sliced into thin matchsticks and nori paper.
Put a strip of nori paper on a bamboo sushi mat. The shiny side of the nori should be down facing the bamboo sushi mat. Add a spoonful of cooked rice and a few matchsticks of carrot and cucumber. Leave about 1/2″ of one side of the nori uncovered. Put small pieces of salmon on top of or next to the vegetables.
There should be no gap between the ingredients. Roll the nori paper together with the ingredients using the bamboo sushi mat. Use your fingers to press the nori paper into the cooked rice and seal it with a small amount of water. Moisten a sharp knife with a damp kitchen cloth and slice the roll in your desired size. Don’t garnish the sushi rolls with wasabi, soy sauce or any spices when you are giving it to your dog.
Conclusion
Dogs can sushi, but in moderation. You should also be careful about the ingredients that you include in each sushi roll. The most important thing to remember is to never give raw salmon sushi to your dog.
