# Oysters? Clams?



## ohrocy (Oct 28, 2010)

Well, I'm lucky enough to live near some amazing oyster/clam flats, and town licenses are pretty cheap for residents. I thought I might try my hand at it this summer. It's labor intensive, but it's not super difficult — if you know what I mean?

Anyways!

I know oysters are a great source of zinc, etc, but most of the feeding that I've seen has been of cooked/canned oysters. Is that simply because of price/sourcing ability? Or should shellfish for dogs be cooked? Also, are clams okay to feed to dogs? Steamers are the most common, but we also have razors, quahogs, and sea clams handy.


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## little.keiko (May 8, 2013)

I'm not sure if you plan to feed your pup(s) this as a permanent diet alteration or as a treat, but just a couple words on it. Though oysters are an incredible source of zinc, it's also notorious for being overbearing in that manner as well. Too much zinc can cause inflammation of the small intestine and in high doses can have the same affects as a good deal of garlic - destroying red blood cells. It's something to give in moderation - and cooked. Clams should also be cooked but for a very different reason. Clams, just as raw fish, contain thiaminase..which destroys thiamine. Thiamine is imperative for a dog's nervous system, deficiency of thiamine can cause detrimental affects to the dog's health. Not trying to scare you from the idea, just ensure the oysters and clams are cooked and not given habitually.


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## ohrocy (Oct 28, 2010)

Awesome. I actually feed a semi-raw diet, which becomes mostly raw from June to December. I've heard of people offering oysters to their dogs for supplemental reasons but wasn't sure about cooking requirements. Raw oysters and clams, even here where they're collected/farmed are very expensive per pound. We're lucky in that we can collect 60 oysters and two 10-quart buckets of each type of clam a week on a resident shellfish license. My mum's been clamming since she was a kid, but since I'm the only one living in a clam flat town at the moment, we're gonna split it 50/50. I don't mind sharing an oyster a week (out of 30, yum!) with my pup. Same with clams. We mostly get steamers in the summer, so giving her a few of my leftovers is no biggie. And steamers are always cooked, yeah. Steamed, actually, haha.

As far as feeding, I was thinking an oyster a week. During weeks that there are no oysters (the beds close from May through September), maybe a couple clams every so often?


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## hueyeats (Apr 2, 2013)

Nice!!!
Wish I could do that too... and for myself!
I love oysters and clams... and new england has some of the best delicious varieties.
Love Max's Oyster Bar in CT.. use to eat there a lot... and their specialty serve 7-8 different oysters from different region of the country.
They have a good blood orange martini too.

Anyways... I do think the occasional oysters and clams are good for dogs also for bone supplement.
Roman loves his linguini with clam sauce (butter & lemon)... that is how I sneak in a lil vit C for him.

He haven't tried Oysters yet... but I will be getting some for summer.

I know he also loves his occasional tuna fish casserole... and the spinach & salmon quiche I made him.
I know about the danger of mercury poisoning... have a cat who loves tuna.

Roman will eat most all seafood no problems I think...


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