My dog stole a couple of anchovies off a pizza. Should I worry?

Oil-packed canned anchovies are heavily salted, and pizza adds cheese and often garlic or onion on top of that. A couple of fillets in a healthy medium dog is not usually an emergency, but leave water freely available and call your veterinarian if you see excessive thirst, vomiting or diarrhea. For a small dog, or one with heart or kidney disease, call sooner.

Aren't dried anchovies a natural calcium treat?

Only the unsalted ones are. Anchovies sold for stock or stir-fry were cooked in brine before drying, so the salt is throughout the flesh and there is no label telling you how much. Buy dried fish sold specifically as an unsalted pet treat if you want to give them at all.

How much salt does it take to poison a dog?

The Merck Veterinary Manual puts salt toxicosis at 2-3 g/kg of sodium chloride, which is only about 10-15 g for an 11 lb dog. Signs appear between 3 and 24 hours: thirst and frequent urination first, then vomiting and diarrhea, then tremors and seizures in severe cases.

Dried anchovy

Caution

Dried anchovies are brine-boiled before drying, so the salt is inside the fish. Salt toxicosis starts at 2-3 g/kg of sodium chloride, and only unsalted pet-grade dried anchovy is a reasonable treat.

This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.

Dried anchovy · Illustration — Illustration

Check before feeding

Check the precautions before sharing

Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.

Signs and health concerns

This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.

Increased thirst
Increased urine volume
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Tremors
Seizures

More about this food

Dried anchovy is not a poisonous fish. The hazard is entirely in the processing. Anchovies destined for stock or stir-fry are boiled in brine the moment they are landed and then dried, so the salt is inside the fish, not on it. That is why the little dried fish in an Asian-market bag, sold as niboshi, iriko, ikan bilis or myeolchi, are closer to a salt block than to a natural calcium treat, despite how they are usually described. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts salt toxicosis at 2-3 g/kg of sodium chloride. For an 11 lb (5 kg) dog that is only 10-15 g of salt, roughly a tablespoon. Kitchen dried anchovy carries no nutrition label, so nobody can tell you how many fish add up to that number, which is exactly why handing over one more fish several times a day is the pattern that gets small dogs into trouble. American kitchens reach the same place by other routes. Oil-packed canned anchovies for Caesar dressing and pizza, anchovy paste from a tube, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce are all heavily salted anchovy products, and a dog that raids a plate of Caesar salad or licks a pizza box is getting the salt without anyone measuring it. Korean-style stir-fried anchovy adds soy sauce, sugar and syrup, and it also contains minced garlic, an allium that oxidizes canine red cells and can cause hemolytic anemia. Treat that ingestion as both a salt event and a garlic event. Signs of a sodium load usually appear between 3 and 24 hours. Excessive thirst and frequent urination come first, then vomiting and diarrhea. In severe hypernatremia dogs develop tremors, unsteadiness and seizures, which is an emergency. If you know your dog got into a meaningful amount of salted dried fish, call your veterinarian rather than waiting for signs. If you cannot reach your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is available 24/7 at (888) 426-4435; a consultation fee applies. Do not induce vomiting at home, and do not withhold water. Leave fresh water freely available and let the clinic decide on fluids, because correcting sodium too quickly can cause cerebral edema. There is one acceptable form: unsalted dried anchovy or small dried fish sold specifically as a pet treat, in small amounts. Stock anchovies, stir-fry anchovies, anchovy broth and fish sauce do not belong in a dog's bowl. For a dog with heart or kidney disease, or a very small dog, do not make an exception even for one fish.

Frequently asked questions

My dog stole a couple of anchovies off a pizza. Should I worry?: Oil-packed canned anchovies are heavily salted, and pizza adds cheese and often garlic or onion on top of that. A couple of fillets in a healthy medium dog is not usually an emergency, but leave water freely available and call your veterinarian if you see excessive thirst, vomiting or diarrhea. For a small dog, or one with heart or kidney disease, call sooner.
Aren't dried anchovies a natural calcium treat?: Only the unsalted ones are. Anchovies sold for stock or stir-fry were cooked in brine before drying, so the salt is throughout the flesh and there is no label telling you how much. Buy dried fish sold specifically as an unsalted pet treat if you want to give them at all.
How much salt does it take to poison a dog?: The Merck Veterinary Manual puts salt toxicosis at 2-3 g/kg of sodium chloride, which is only about 10-15 g for an 11 lb dog. Signs appear between 3 and 24 hours: thirst and frequent urination first, then vomiting and diarrhea, then tremors and seizures in severe cases.

This information is general guidance and does not replace veterinary care. If your dog has swallowed something, contact a veterinarian immediately.