Over time, one thing I have seen and heard a lot is that people are struggling to get their dogs to eat oily fish. Most try with a mince or two and give up, and decide not to feed at all for ease. There are so many methods which can be tried before giving up, which I will go over later, but first, let’s understand exactly why oily fish needs to be fed as part of the raw diet, and what benefits this will bring by feeding. Although oily fish will be one of the last things to be added into a raw diet, once at least 5 safe proteins are established. This information will be handy for all types of feeding, not just raw feeding.
Oily fish is a natural source of omega 3 oils but is low in saturated fat and instead is rich in antioxidants. Omega 3 is great for skin and coat – which are the obvious two benefits, as we can see this. Now it also helps with inflammation, being a natural anti-inflammatory also helping wounds to heal, improves stiff joints and aid with mobility – I see what you’re thinking, “my dog doesn’t have stiff joints”, but what if this one addition could help with any future joint issues, as they say sometimes proactive is better than reactive. Have a puppy? Then omega 3 will also help with the brain development of your puppy, so it is never too young to start adding oily fish to the diet.
Omega 3 carries healthy fats, which will also help to keep the heart healthy, with improved heart function and lower blood pressure. The natural vitamin D within the fish, will also help to fight cancer, which unfortunately we have seen an increase of dogs having cancer, which is suggested to be linked to the poor nutrients within feeding a kibble diet.
Which fish should you opt to feed?
Sardines/ Herring
Salmon – Head, bodies, fillet chunks
Trout
Smelt
White Bait
These fish are all lower down in the food chain; therefore the mercury levels are lower, as too much exposure to mercury can have the opposite effect and cause damage to the kidneys and internal systems.
It is always best to opt for a size appropriate fish for your dog. Although fish can be cut down to size if needed.
Smaller dogs will be best with Smelt, White Bait, or Sprats.
Medium dogs – Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon.
Large dogs – Salmon (heads and bodies are great), Trout, Herring.
All fish should be frozen for at least one week prior to feeding, to kill off all parasites. When purchasing from a raw food stockist or supplier (us), then the food will have already been frozen for this time, normally at much lower temperatures than a domestic freezer.
Fish to avoid are fish which are higher in mercury, such as tuna and seabass. There are some treats made from these items, but we steer clear of them for this reason.
How much fish is required
Oily fish should be fed a couple of times a week. This allowance is generally on top of their daily allowance. Unless you are feeding a meal with fish already in, then for ease it is best to give it as part of the allowance; or if you’re concerned that your dog is overweight then, the oily fish should be included as part of the daily allowance.
Oily fish has many benefits of which I have added above, but there are also risks with feeding too much oily fish, so for that reason no more than a daily food allowance of oily fish should be fed per week. For example your dog is fed 2 x 350g per day totalling 700g per daily feed. Therefore your dog could be fed up to 700g of oily fish per week. This amount is not a target amount, so it is still perfectly safe to feed less than this. Two or three sprats fed two to three times per week, is enough for most dogs.
How you can feed the oily fish
Whole raw fish – At first you may need to cut up and mix in with their food so your dog knows it is food and not a toy – can you imagine the smell of raw fish lingering after your dog runs around with it in their mouth, before rolling to try and kill it? Nobody wants that. However dogs tend to love crunching on a whole fish and that added texture in their food.
Things like Salmon heads and bodies can be larger so may in fact be a whole meal allowance or require cutting down. Fish heads are also great, as they contain the eyes and brain which contain even more nutrients but they can contain a lot of bone, and therefore should be monitored, as you may need to feed extra boneless meals either side of the head.
Minces – There are three types of minced fish, to add into the diet.
One type is solely minced fish, which can be added to the meal on top of the allowance. You can also portion into a silicone ice tray to make portioning easier at meal times, especially if you have a smaller dog. MVM have a great Salmon mince.
The second is 80/10/10/complete meals with oily fish already within the mix. Some of these that we stock are TDB’s Surf and Turf, Lamb Fish and Turkey, Salmon and Turkey, Salmon Beef and Tripe.
Wilson’s Salmon Medley
Birmingham Raw’s Salmon Mince, Tripe and Salmon or Chicken and Salmon.
The third option is to add a mince which is either boneless or 20% bone to be balanced as part of a DIY meal. MVM are really good at giving lots of options for salmon mixes. TDB does a tripe and oily fish mix, which would be perfect to feed along with a nice raw bone.
Dehydrated – Dried sprats are the most common type of dried fish. Dried fish is also a good source of omegas, however during the drying process the nutrients become a lot more concentrated, with the reduced moisture. Therefore if you choose to feed dried fish then they should be fed at a lower amount – I will explain the amounts further down.
Fish oil – One of the easiest things to add to food, where you can mix into the kibble or into the raw food to disguise, however as with everything – fresh is best and within the safe feeding levels. This would be my recommended source as a last resort after the above types and below introduction methods have been ruled out.
How to feed if your dog doesn’t take to the oily fish straight away
With minces it is best to start a little at a time, and mix well with their favourite meal. This can then be gradually increased until you reach the required amount of oily fish. – This is where a silicone tray may come in handy so you can just defrost a small amount at the start. If your dog eats the fish this way you can always feed a smaller amount mixed well with food to ensure that it is within the diet.
Whole fish are best to be cut up to start with, then gradually cut into bigger chunks until can be left in half/whole depending on the size of your dog. Whole fish should be defrosted prior to feeding.
Dried fish can be fed with the meal or as part of the training treats.
Some dogs really do not like the texture of the fish, which can be one of the reasons they refuse to eat it.
You can change the texture by either flash frying or pouring hot water over it.
If you decide to fry the fish, do so in a pan without oil and if needed add a little water to stop it sticking.
Hot water can be poured over the surface of the fish, this will slightly cook the fish and give a different texture – almost like poached fish and sushi for us.
By frying or adding hot water, the smell of the fish will also be enhanced which is normally great for dogs to really get them drooling!
If you opt for a cooking method then this should only be used as a temporary solution, by reducing the cooking time each time bit by bit until your dog will eat the oily fish raw.
The methods above can take some time to trial and find the way that works best for your dog, but it is sure worth the time for such good long term benefits.
If you currently don’t feed a raw diet then it is still worth adding some oily fish to the diet to ensure that your dog is getting both omega 3 and 6. Dried options may be best suited.
