raw fish as part of the diet - Page 1

if anyone has fed raw fish to their dogs... could you elaborate as to how you did it? i have recently relocated near two lakes and plan to begin fishing..and would like to feed the catches i hope to make, to my dogs...what parts would i feed? would i clean first ?would i feed the whole fish ...etc?what is your method??..thank you..

We feed whole fish, insides cleaned out. Ours like mackerel mostly...

Hi,

 I feed raw fish to my 3 German Shepherds.and have been doing so for years.  I purchase the fish from a local store which has fresh fish and a high turn over daily. Basically, I wash the fisg off and cut it into 3 sections (head, tail and middle) and hand it to them. I have not seen any loose stools . The fish I get are mackeral, whitting (sp) snapper (on sale) etc. 

Hope this helps

I have a little input.  I like the raw diet and feed about 50% raw to my own dogs as well as educate clients to the benifits of feeling raw.  But here is a very deadly consideration when feeding fish.  Pacific salmonids carry a toxic parasite that can make dogs very sick. Freeze fresh raw salmon, steelhead, trout, and other salmonids for at least 24 hours before feeding to your dog; this thoroughly kills the parasite. Cooked salmon (or canned) is perfectly okay to feed. Fish can also be fed cooked, as the bones remain soft and the meat keeps much of its integrity. When feeding whole fresh fish (especially fish that you just caught from a lake!), it might be worthwhile to cut open the belly and check for hooks swallowed into the stomach as well as hooks in the throat or mouth. If the fish has any sharp spines (like catfish or the dorsal fin on bass), you should cut them off before feeding the fish to the dog. Avoid feeding too much carp, smelt, herring, and catfish, since these fish contain an enzyme that binds Thiamin, or Vitamin B1.

I hope this helps!

Julie M. Irwin, DVM
CPT, VC
Chief, Fort Knox Branch
Veterinary Services
COM 502-624-9411, DSN 464
Fax -9046

I can't comment on feeding fresh fish. I worry some about murcury poisoning and other issues with fish. I feed on occasion canned mackerel, salmon and tuna. I keep a few cans on hand in case I run out of fresh RAW meat, or a small snack in the evening with yogurt and cottage cheese, if I feel my dog needs a little extra weight

Good post Doggie.

 My dogs get a treat of canned salmon every now & then, & when I cook fish for ourselves, I save a little for the dogs; they love it, their stools don't seem to suffer. I'm not too keen on sashimi for dogs, I would worry about liver flukes! Raw salmon or tuna has to be prepared by freezing to destroy the parasites, (as mentioned above). It's gotta be better for them than pet-shop treats. But--- ya know, I still have the visual of my brother standing on a dock in Hawai'i, eating ahi tuna fresh caught & cut up right there on the pier...when I see him these days, I swear that protrubent abdomen he sports is the result of all that 'fresh sashimi'.......yuck! jo

Good info to have, DoggieDr. Thanks!

We feed raw fish bought at the grocery store. Because this generally has been flash frozen at sea and then thawed for sale we don't worry so much about flukes or other parasites. But back in the days when I fished in Idaho I would clean (gut) the fish, cut off and discard the tails (and spikey fins, like on perch), freeze it for  24 hrs, thaw it and feed it. Or eat it myself  :)

We are concerned with mercury and other heavy metal poisoning and we only feed fish once or twice a month. Where I live now the waters are contaminated with PCPs and I no longer fish. But I do buy fish for the dogs at the store. You can ask them for out-of-date product and if they know you as a regular customer, they'll give it to you. When I get it I soak it in water with some lemon juice, then feed it. Yeah, I know, it sounds gross . . . but have you ever walked along a lake or a river or an ocean beach and our dog scarfed up a discarded fish? Same thing.