Can pets eat tuna?
By animal
| Animal | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | In moderation | Safe in small amounts; mercury is the reason not to make it routine. |
| Cats | In moderation | Fine occasionally. A tuna-only diet causes real problems. |
What it actually does
Canned tuna is safe as an occasional treat and unsuitable as a diet. Tuna is low in taurine and vitamin E and high in unsaturated fat, and a cat eating mostly tuna can develop steatitis — painful inflammation of body fat — as well as thiamine deficiency. As a large predatory fish it also accumulates mercury. Tuna in brine adds salt; tuna in oil adds fat.
No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.
The bit that is usually got wrong
Cats being "addicted" to tuna is real in the sense that they will refuse other food after enough of it, which is a behavioural problem with a nutritional consequence.
Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.
Meat, fish and eggs
| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked bones | Not safe | Not safe | Not safe |
| Bacon, ham and fatty meat | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Raw fish | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Raw egg | Risky | Risky | Risky |
Common questions
- Can dogs eat tuna?
- Fine in small amounts. Safe in small amounts; mercury is the reason not to make it routine.
- Can cats eat tuna?
- Fine in small amounts. Fine occasionally. A tuna-only diet causes real problems.
- What does tuna actually do?
- Canned tuna is safe as an occasional treat and unsuitable as a diet. Tuna is low in taurine and vitamin E and high in unsaturated fat, and a cat eating mostly tuna can develop steatitis — painful inflammation of body fat — as well as thiamine deficiency. As a large predatory fish it also accumulates mercury. Tuna in brine adds salt; tuna in oil adds fat.
Related pages
- Can pets eat cooked bones? Not safe
- Can pets eat bacon, ham and fatty meat? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat raw fish? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat raw egg? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat chocolate? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar? Also an emergency
- Everything, for dogs 46 foods
- Everything, for cats 46 foods
Sources
- MSD/Merck Veterinary Manual — Merck & Co.