Can Dogs Eat Clam Chowder? When it is or isn’t an Emergency

No, dogs should not eat clam chowder. How dangerous clam chowders are to dogs will depend on the ingredients used.

Why clam chowder is bad for dogs

Clam chowder is a heavy, creamy soup. A typical recipe may use ingredients like clams, potatoes, bacon, cream, butter, and onion. Clam chowders can be quite fattening because of ingredients like butter. This isn’t good for dogs as ingesting fatty foods can put them at risk of developing health conditions like pancreatitis.

The use of dairy ingredients like cream can also unsettle a dog’s stomach. Dogs are lactose-intolerant. Dogs that eat clam chowder may suffer from an upset stomach. This may result in symptoms like diarrhea and a temporary loss of appetite. One last concern is with the use of ingredients like onion, which is toxic to dogs. The amount of onions used in clam chowder is unlikely to be fatal but it can still be severe enough to cause harmful side effects in the dog’s body.

What to do if your dog ate clam chowder

You may want to call the vet if the dog ate a lot of clam chowder (relative to the dog’s weight) or if the clam chowder contains ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Licking a small amount of clam chowder is unlikely to make dogs sick but you should still keep a close watch of the dog’s behavior for the next few days in case they do show signs of concerning side effects.

In general, it’s best to avoid given your dog any cooked foods like clam chowder. Our extensive list provides even more details on human foods that dogs can and cannot eat.