Kelp for Dogs: Supporting Your Dog’s Health

Seaweed is an unlikely ingredient that holds many benefits for human health as well as for canine health. Most dogs will eat just about anything, so convincing your dog to eat sea kelp when you add it to their diet may not be a problem at all.

Before you run to the store to get some dried seaweed snacks or seaweed for dog’s supplements, take some time to learn about all of the great kelp benefits it will be providing to their health. Also, be sure to talk to your dog’s vet about this change before adding anything new to their diet or making them take any supplements. 

What is Sea Kelp Anyway?

Sometimes the terms “kelp” and “seaweed” are confused with one another. Calling kelp, seaweed is not incorrect, but if you are trying to be as accurate as possible it's important to know the breakdown of classifications.

Kelp is a type of seaweed, while seaweed is technically a type of sea algae. Sea kelp is one of the most common types of seaweed that can be found and farmed in the United States, especially in the Pacific Northwest and New England areas. 

Not only is sea kelp low calorie, but it is also loaded with tons of vital vitamins and nutrients. Antioxidants are also present in sea kelp and provide amazing health benefits to both humans and dogs. 

Looking for easy to make, healthy, and low calorie dog food options that you can add kelp to? Check out these low calorie dog food recipes!

DIY Berry Ice Treats for Dogs Recipe

DIY Tasty Apple Chips for Dogs Recipe

DIY Freshening Cucumber Bites for Dogs Recipe

DIY Carrot Boats for Dogs Recipe

DIY Stuffed Pawtato for Dogs Recipe

Benefits of Sea Kelp

Adding sea kelp to your own and your dog’s diet can bring tons of great health benefits to the table. From better dental health to adding lots of important vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to your diets. All of which will help support your dog’s health, happiness, and longevity.

Dental Health

Adding sea kelp into your dog’s diet supports their dental health. As any dog owner knows, dog breath is nothing to take lightly. Sea kelp helps to reduce dental plaque as well as cutting down on their bad breath. Dog breath will be a thing of the past when adding sea kelp to their diet. 

Digestive Health

Sea kelp is high in fiber which is a key ingredient in optimal digestive health for both humans and dogs. Sea kelp is also packed with prebiotics and anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial to dogs who have sensitive digestive tracts as well as those with no digestive issues to speak of.  Good dental hygiene for dogs helps support their heart health as well.

Not many people are aware of this, but the more plaque buildup there is on teeth the more at-risk cardiovascular health is. By adding sea kelp to your dog’s diet, you are supporting the health of their teeth and the health of their heart.

Thyroid Function

Many dogs have thyroid problems which can lead to other health discrepancies if left untreated. From weight gain and weight loss to problems with their skin and fur. Thankfully for the dogs who have thyroid problems, sea kelp may be the solution.

A lack of iodine is one of the causes of thyroid issues in dogs, and one of the ingredients in sea kelp happens to be iodine. Many owners of dogs who have thyroid problems have turned to sea kelp to help remediate their thyroid imbalance. 

Allergy Reduction

With sea kelps’ anti-inflammatory properties, it is great for dogs who suffer from various food allergies.

There haven’t been too many instances where dogs have been allergic to sea kelp, making it a great supplement to add to a dog’s food who can’t eat many other kinds of food containing vital nutrients. 

Antioxidants

Sea kelp is loaded with antioxidants that help to support and boost your dog's immune system. This can increase their longevity as well as help them to fight off infections more easily.

Antioxidants are the key ingredient to looking and feeling young for a long time, for both humans and dogs. 

Risks of Sea Kelp

Just like anything else you might want to add to your dog’s diet, everything in moderation is the way to go. Too much of anything good can easily become something bad or even dangerous.

Too much sea kelp can be adding too much iodine to your dog’s diet. Iodine is great for dogs who have hypothyroidism, as it boosts thyroid function. 

But adding too much iodine to their diet can send them into hyperthyroidism. This can lead to unwanted weight loss among many other issues that can arise.

Too much sea kelp can also worsen hypothyroidism, as the overload of iodine could suppress thyroid function even further. This is why it's important to speak with your dog’s vet before adding sea kelp to your dog’s diet. 

Conclusion

Sea kelp is an underutilized nutritional supplement for dogs due to a lack of knowledge and awareness of its benefits. After reading about all of the amazing benefits of adding sea kelp to your dog’s diet you might be ready to head to the store and get them some right away.

However, the best approach is to first talk to your dog’s vet and see what they have to say about it. Especially if your dog has existing thyroid issues that you wouldn’t want to make worse unintentionally. 

Can dogs have seaweed?

Yes, dogs can consume seaweed. The dried seaweed snacks that are made for humans are generally okay to share with your canine companion. Either that or there are seaweed supplements that can be purchased and incorporated into your dog’s diet. This is best after speaking with your dog’s vet about this change in their diet.

Can dogs eat dried seaweed?

Dogs can eat dried seaweed. If you are home enjoying a dried seaweed snack it is okay if you want to share your snack with your dog. You could also crush some up and add it to their regular food for some nutritional enhancement. There are other seaweed supplements that can be purchased to add to your dog’s diet as well.

Is sea kelp good for dogs?

Sea kelp is great for dogs, as it is beneficial for their dental health as well as to provide them with many beneficial vitamins and minerals that they may not otherwise be getting in their diet. The main benefit of feeding your dog kelp supplements is for their teeth as well as to prevent bad breath.