Can a dog eat fish?

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 26 January 2021
Update Date: 23 December 2024
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🐶🐟Can DOGS Eat FISH? The truth
Video: 🐶🐟Can DOGS Eat FISH? The truth

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The benefits of salmon oil for dogs and cod liver oil are increasingly known, but can they also eat fish? What kinds of fish are good for dogs? How should it be offered? Is it necessary to cook them or can they be eaten raw? These are certainly some of the frequent questions when deciding to start homemade diets or hybrid feeding for dogs, in which both the ration and the food prepared by the tutors are offered.Naturally, if you are a fan of this last option, you should know that it is not recommended to mix the ration with the natural food in the same dish.


It is necessary to offer them separately and at different times of the day, this is because these products go through completely different digestive processes and, therefore, making the dog eat both at the same time can lead to the development of serious problems, such as gastric torsion. We commented all the details in this PeritoAnimal article that explains if dog can eat fish.

What fish can you give to a dog?

Indeed, fish is good for dogs and, despite popular beliefs about the consumption of this product, none usually show signs of toxicity in dogs, with the exception of dogs allergic to fish. That way you can offer your furry friend any kind of fish, both thin and oily, as each one offers different benefits and interesting properties for the good development of puppies.


Taking into account, for example, that oily fish contains a greater amount of calories than lean fish, if your dog needs to lose weight, it is much better to opt for lean fish than for oily ones. Likewise, this higher amount of calories also translates into a higher percentage of omega 3 fatty acids, so that oily fish are better suited to improve the coat of dogs, as well as to protect their immune system and prevent the onset of diseases. cardiovascular diseases.

Like the dogs are carnivorous animals, and the protein intake should occupy the highest percentage of the total of your diet, it is recommended both the consumption of meat and fish for this intake to be adequate. The important thing, when you decide to venture into the creation of homemade diets for your pet, is to cover all nutritional needs, maintain a correct balance between phosphorus and calcium, and work with quality products, the ecological ones being the most recommended.


Now, while all fish are good for dogs, it's true that some stand out from the rest because of the benefits they offer to furry ones. Thus, the most recommended fish are as follows:

  • Salmon;
  • Tuna;
  • Sardine;
  • Mackerel;
  • Herring;
  • Hake.

Are dog fish good?

As we have already seen, a dog can eat fish as it has great health benefits, so including them in the diet is more than recommended. Now what exactly are these benefits? Without a doubt, the first one is the large amount of proteins that fish have. As we have already indicated, dogs are carnivores by nature and need animal proteins to remain healthy and strong, since without them the body cannot produce the enzymes, hormones, tissues and cells necessary for proper functioning. Next, we'll talk separately about the benefits of lean fish and oily fish for dogs.

Benefits of Lean Fish for Dogs

Lean fish, also known as white fish, differ from oily fish mainly by the percentage of fat and, therefore, of fatty acids in their composition, which is much lower in lean fish. In general, 100 grams of lean fish is usually about 110 calories, so it is highly beneficial for obese dogs that need a special weight loss diet. Likewise, it is also a recommended food for older puppies, both because of its protein content and because it is low in calories.

Lean fish is also an excellent natural source of group B vitamins, with B3, B9 and B12 being the most prominent, in addition to vitamin A. On the other hand, it provides dogs with a considerable amount of essential minerals for their proper development, such as calcium and phosphorus, already mentioned above.

Maintaining the balance between these minerals is essential to avoid a deficiency in one of them, since if the body detects that, for example, it needs more calcium, it will tend to extract it from the bones itself, something totally counterproductive. Thus, by offering this food to your furry friend, you not only avoid this situation but also favor the bone system and help prevent the development of diseases related to it, such as osteoporosis, arthritis or arthrosis. Finally, the leanest fish most suitable for dogs are hake, cod, bream and etc.

Benefits of Oily Fish for Dogs

Oily fish, unlike lean fish, have a high percentage of fat. However, the fats found in this type of fish are called "polyunsaturated", being the omega 3 fatty acid the present in oily fish. Thus, we see how the products that are part of this food group represent one of the best natural sources of omega 3, a very beneficial substance for dogs. These fatty acids can improve the animal's hair health, enhancing its shine, increasing its softness and restoring vitality to the coat. In addition, omega 3 has the ability to protect the animal from possible cardiovascular diseases that could develop, because it considerably reduces the formation of plaque in blood vessels. On the other hand, it also has important anti-inflammatory properties, indicated for patients with joint pain such as pain caused by canine arthritis.

In addition to their omega 3 content, oily fish are also good for puppies by variety of vitamins that compose them, being vitamins D, A, B12, B3, B2 and B1 the most outstanding. The ideal is to offer salmon, as it is the oily fish that most favors the health of your furry friend, however, mackerel, sardines, tuna and herring are also recommended.

How to give fish to my dog?

Now that you know which dog can eat fish and what the benefits are, it's time to talk about the different ways to offer this food and include it in your pet's daily diet. In this sense, the ideal and most recommendable way to make fish for dogs is pre-cook the fish and remove its spines, because that way you will be able to eliminate any type of bacteria. For this, it is best to cook the fish cooked or roasted, because can't give fried fish to dogs. Of course, to keep all its properties intact, it is necessary to cook the fish at a low temperature, without going above 70 degrees Celsius, and leave it semi-raw, so that it is sealed on the outside and slightly raw on the inside. If you follow the BARF diet and want to offer your pet a raw fish, it will be necessary to guarantee the origin to confirm the quality.

Once the fish is cooked, you should wait for it to cool before breaking it up and serve it with a drizzle of olive oil, cold pressed oil being more beneficial for dogs. For more information, don't miss our article on the benefits of dog olive oil.

On the other hand, you can also occasionally offer canned fish versions, always natural or in olive oil, for example, canned tuna.

How much fish can I give my dog?

There is controversy regarding the exact amount of protein a dog can consume daily, as some professionals say it should be around 80%, while others suggest that the ideal is 70%. We recommend that you experiment with both percentages and determine which is best for your dog. In any case, the remaining 30% or 20% should consist of fruits and vegetables recommended for puppies, as well as cereals such as rice or oats once a week.

Now, if you are looking for an indicative amount in grams, we can say that for every 10 kilos of weight you can offer the dog between 120 and 150 grams of fish per day. On the other hand, it is not recommended to feed the animal with fish every day, remember that the consumption of meat, such as chicken or turkey, is essential to keep the dog's health in perfect condition, except in cases of allergies to certain meat. So you can set aside two days a week, for example, to prepare fish recipes.

Can I mix fish with other foods?

Definitely, as long as you stick to the stated amounts. This way, you can combine the fish with pieces of cooked vegetables, such as carrots or pumpkin, or with a little cooked rice. Of course, if you're wondering if you can mix fish with feed, the answer is no. As we've said, natural dog foods and commercial pet foods require different times and digestive processes, so feeding them together could cause serious health problems and damage the dog's digestive system.

If you want to know more about natural dog food, see our YouTube video:

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