The Benefits of Kelp for Dogs + Recipes

Kelp for dogs is often praised as a powerful natural supplement, and for good reason.

This nutrient-dense seaweed provides iodine, trace minerals, and bioactive compounds that can support thyroid function, skin and coat health, digestion, and even dental hygiene when used correctly.

I’m Barbara, the founder of K9sOverCoffee, and I’ve been feeding raw dog food since 2015. Kelp became part of my feeding routine while looking for food-based ways to cover iodine and mineral gaps, especially when feeding homemade raw meals for my dogs Missy and Buzz.

Like many supplements for dogs, kelp can be incredibly beneficial, but only when dosed properly.

This guide breaks down how kelp works, how much your dog actually needs, and when kelp stops being helpful and starts becoming a problem.

Kelp Benefits for Dogs

Kelp is a great source of fiber and a great anti-inflammatory superfood.

It’s also naturally rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements and amino acids like iodine, calcium (10 x more than milk!), magnesium and zinc.

That said, it:

• Repels fleas
• Helps aid digestion
• Increases metabolism
• Supports a healthy thyroid
• Helps alleviate arthritis pain
• Reduces joint inflammation
• Helps cut down on shedding
• Strengthens the immune system
• Helps with skin allergies by reducing itching
• Promotes healthy skin, coat & pet hair regrowth

Also, did you know about the benefits of kelp powder for dogs teeth?

As a matter of fact, kelp helps keep your dog’s (and cat’s) teeth cleaner if you offer it on a daily basis.

It also improves their breath, so if you’re avoiding your pup’s doggie kisses because of breath issues, feed them kelp!!

You’ll thank me later.

Also, if you feed ground raw dog food without whole raw meaty bones, go ahead and mix it with some kelp powder for better oral hygiene.

Here’s a tip for picky kibble-fed dogs: Make some homemade kelp dog treats rather than just sprinkling the kelp powder onto the dry dog food!

That way, it doesn’t fall to the bottom of their bowls and gets wasted.

How Much Kelp Powder Per Day for Dogs?

As I mention in my kibble to raw transition guide, you can feed kelp to dogs of all ages, including puppies and seniors.

However, the exact amount doesn’t just depend on your dog’s weight, it also depends on the amount of iodine that’s in the kelp you purchase.

That said, it’s important to read the dosage recommendation on your respective bag of kelp.

In the US, I typically buy the kind from Raw Paws Pet Food, which recommends that dogs can have 1/4 teaspoon of kelp per 10 lbs of body weight per day, but shouldn’t eat more than 3 teaspoons per day.

My pup Wally weighs 38 lbs, so he can have just shy of a teaspoon of that type of kelp per day.

With that in mind, one bag lasts him a little over 2 months!

Where To Buy Organic Kelp For Dogs

I used to buy a a mix of kelp, celery seed powder, alfalfa powder, flax seed powder and parsley from a brand called Kelp Dog.

However, they went out of business and now I buy my kelp powder from Raw Paws Pet Food.

This particular kind is certified 100% USDA Organic Icelandic Sea Kelp and doesn’t contain anything else besides dried kelp.

A resealable kelp bag is available in 8 oz or 16 oz and comes with a teaspoon scoop. That makes it easy to measure out your pup’s respective amount of kelp.

Tip: Save with my 15% OFF affiliate discount code K9Savings at checkout!

You can also purchase the Raw Paws Pet Food Kelp Powder on Amazon – but you won’t be able to use the discount code there, just FYI.

How To Feed Kelp To Your Dog

You can simply sprinkle the kelp over your dog’s raw dog food.

BUT you don’t need to add any if kelp or iodine is listed on your dog’s food ingredient label.

My dogs usually get their kelp with breakfast.

Sometimes I also make homemade dog treats with kelp.

Here’s another great kelp treat idea, especially during the hot summer months:

Spread some plain (goat) yogurt on a LickiMat, sprinkle it with your dog’s daily kelp powder allowance, then freeze it for a few hours.

Wally LOVES his frozen yogurt kelp LickiMat!

Note: This recipe is not for you if your dog gets iodine in their dog food or in other dog chews or treats to avoid overdosing.

Easy Raw Dog Food Recipe With Chicken, Sardines, Fish Oil and Kelp For Beginners

Here’s a SUPER easy raw dog food recipe for beginners.

It only consists of 4 ingredients: chicken blend and organic Icelandic kelp topped off with canned sardines in water from the store and Fera Pets Fish Oil.

Ideally, you’ll want to feed both fish and fish oil because fish is a great source of vitamin D, and fish oil balances out the Omega-3 vs Omega-6 fatty acids in your dog’s raw meal.

Use my free raw dog food calculator to figure out how much raw dog food your dog needs to eat!

If you notice that your dog starts filling out too much, reduce his daily food amount by 1-2 ounces.

Likewise, if he’s getting too thin and his ribs are visibly showing, increase his daily food amount by 2-3 ounces.

Here’s what’s in the chicken blend:

Chicken Breast, Chicken Leg Quarters, Chicken Heart, Chicken Backs, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard

If your pup doesn’t do well with chicken, you can also add the kelp to other protein blends, for example:

• Beef (Beef Round, Beef Meat, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
• Beef & Green Tripe (Beef Round, Beef Meat, Green Beef Tripe, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
• Goat (Goat Meat, Goat Heart, Goat Tongue, Goat Bone, Goat Liver, Goat Kidney, Goat Spleen)
• Lamb (Lamb Meat, Lamb Heart, Lamb Tongue, Lamb Tail, Lamb Liver, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Spleen)
• Beef & Mackerel (Beef Round, Beef Meat, Wild-Caught Mackerel, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)
• Duck (Duck, Duck Bone, Duck Heart, Duck Liver, Duck Gizzard, Boneless Skinless Duck Breast, Herring Oil, D-Alpha Tocopherol)
• Turkey (Turkey Meat, Turkey Breast, Turkey Frames, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Turkey Gizzards, Turkey Fries = Testicles)
• Pork (Pork Meat, Pork Heart, Pork Tongue, Pork Bone, Pork Lung, Pork Liver, Pork Kidney, Pork Spleen, Pork Pancreas)

Chicken and beef are also available as blends with vegetables:

• Chicken with vegetables (Chicken Breast, Chicken Leg Quarters, Chicken Heart, Chicken Backs, Chicken Liver, Organic Carrots, Organic Green Beans, Organic Broccoli, Organic Spinach, Chicken Gizzard)
• Beef with vegetables (Beef Round, Beef Meat, Beef Bone, Beef Heart, Beef Tongue, Beef Liver, Organic Carrots, Organic Green Beans, Organic Broccoli, Organic Spinach, Beef Kidney, Beef Spleen, Beef Suet)

Tip: You can get 15% OFF your Raw Paws Pet Food orders with my affiliate discount code K9Savings at checkout.

Advanced Raw Dog Food Recipe With Kelp

This next raw dog food recipe is more advanced and consists of multiple ingredients:

• Kelp
• Duck head (raw meaty bone + eyes + brains)
• Mackerel head (including eyes + brains)
• Duck hearts (muscle meat)
• Bison green tripe (muscle meat)
• Pork jowl (muscle meat)
• Venison meat (muscle meat)
• Venison spleen (secreting organ)
• Goat liver (secreting organ)

The kelp is from Raw Paws Pet Food.

I got the duck head, mackerel head (whole mackerel that I cut into smaller pieces), duck hearts, bison green tripe, pork jowls (update: no longer available) and goat liver from Raw Feeding Miami.

Tip: Take 10% off your Raw Feeding Miami order with my referral discount link.

The venison cuts are leftovers from last hunting season (my boyfriend hunts).

Dangers of Kelp for Dogs

It’s important not to feed too much kelp, so please follow the feeding guidelines I mentioned earlier:

Dogs can have 1/4 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight per day.

That said, their daily kelp intake should not exceed 3 teaspoons of kelp.

Dogs who eat too much kelp can get diarrhea and suffer from hyperthyroidism since kelp is naturally high in iodine.

Hyperthyroidism in dogs happens when your dog produces too much of the thyroid hormone, and symptoms are weight loss, anxiety, and diarrhea.

Depending on where the kelp is sourced, it can contain harmful metals.

That’s why it’s important to only buy kelp that’s been thoughtfully sourced from clean, deep waters.

Kelp that’s safe to feed is harvested off the coasts of Hawaii, the Northwest USA, Canada, Iceland and Norway.

This kelp is considered much less contaminated by industrial pollution than kelp from the Southern Pacific Ocean.

The kelp from Raw Paws Pet Food is harvested off the coasts of Iceland!

The Benefits Of Kelp For Dogs: Bottom Line

Kelp for dogs has a plethora of health benefits!

It helps support a healthy thyroid, reduces skin allergies and itching, makes dogs shed less, helps aid digestion, reduces joint inflammation and arthritis pain, and also repels fleas!

Kelp is readily available in powder form and easy to feed.

Just sprinkle it over your dog’s food and mix it all together.

Do you feed your dog(s) kelp? Let me know in the comment section below!

For more raw feeding resources, visit my full homemade raw dog food library.

Related Content:

• 2024 Review of the Animal Diet Formulator – Individual Version
• Boosting the K9 Immune System with Banana Kelp Dog Treats
• Raw Dog Food Recipe for Two: My Boxers’ Dinner Bowls
• Gizzards for Dogs: How (Much) to Feed & More
• Raw Dog Food For Beginners: The Variety Pack
• 20 Easy No Bake Valentine’s Day Dog Treats
• How to Feed Raw Fish for Dogs
• Iodine in Raw Dog Food Diets
• Phytoplankton for Dogs

Barbara Rivers

Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.

She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.

As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.

Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.

In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.

Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.