What fish for raw diet? - Page 1

Hello,

I like to supplement for a good portion my girls diet with fish. The main meatsource rght now is beef, but i like to enhance the diet with fish. But i am not sure what fish is affordable in larger quantetoes as well as how to feed raw fish, concerning fishbones and innerds.

any input on that? I really would appreaciate it.

Kat

Hi Kat:  I like to feed RAW fish too.  I feed the whole fish, just hand it out.  Unfortunately I don't know of any cheap fish, at least in my area.  Seems like they are all expensive!  I also keep canned mackerel on hand for those days I forget to thaw.  Odd though,  I am having a hard time finding it, a year ago, all the grocery stores in my area carried it, not any more.

I don't know where in the world you are, but I just want to mention not feeding any of the Pacific Northwest (California to Alaska) Salmonids RAW, including Pacific Salmon, any of the trouts, etc., because they are known to be carriers of a fluke that contains a bacteria  that if ingested raw, can kill a dog, (Neorickettsia helminthoeca).

Anyway this is a good thread, I hope some other raw feeders can shine some light on some cheap fish resources!

Where do you live? I give  Salmon and steelhead as I usually find drunken fisherman that will hand it out so they can go catch more. Freezes well in water. I gives a couple times a week along with chicken as the main meat diet.

I am in the middle of nowhere... I am in Kansas....

Hard to find good dog people, glad to have atleast the greyhounds arround, that makes beef readily available.... Caned makerels, hmmm gotta look in the store for them, might be better than the fishoil i am feeding, do you get them in oil or in water?

Good to know about the salmon issues.... I am not very experienced with fish in the raw diet. But I think it is better than givng just the fishoil. Here me and my dogs battle the dry air, plus the heatersystem that makes it even more dry. First I thought it was a defect on my girl, maybe even allergies, but no, Comming to think of it, I have exactly the same troubles, just that I can use lotion....*g* So I thought I add some fish to the diet, since it is healthy and something different for the dogs. ... The chicken here is so full of crap that i don't like feeding it. same with turkeys...

I know that some peopel use Sardines for tracking, so I thought fish might be  a good thing....

I feed my dogs canned salmon or mackeral or sardines once a week for the Omgea oils but haven't tried the raw fish.  No drunken fishermen around here LOL but I am wondering about raw fish anyway and might try that in the future.

Terri

Cold water fish are the best as a source of Omega fatty acids.  Salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, etc, will give you (and your dog) more of the good essential nutrients than lakes or warm tropical fish like grouper, catfish, trout, etc.  Just do your research into each one, especially look up the fluke problem in PacNW salmon (eww).  Good tuna is used in sushi, so eating it raw shouldn't be any problem. Canned is always an option as it's made safe for human consumption and might be a little cheaper and more accessible to buy year round.  If you can't supply fish, take a trip to the health food or organic market in your area, and you'll find refridgerated liquid Omega 3 supplements that you can add to their food, about 2 Tbsp worth per meal.  Depending on what brand you get, a 16oz bottle will run you between $10-$20.  Liquid Omega 3 is also great to add in smoothies and juices, since it's extracted from flax, you won't taste it.  Beats taking the softgels, which are the size of horse tranquilizers!  *Gag!*

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

I've always fed whole sardines, herring, mackeral and salmon.

My old boy would only eat tinned sardines or pilchards in tomato sauce, wouldn't touch raw fish.  My bitch goes utterly bonkers for raw salmon heads.

I do not know about you Guys feeding raw fish to Dogs, I cannot afford to buy fish  for myself over here where i live, I can give an idea of what to do,

give a little to your Dogs and freeze the rest into portitions and send it over to me

I will sure tell you what it tastes like and how well i am doing on it

Steve

haha Steve-A fishing license and a fishing pole?

The only fish my dogs won't touch is fresh blue gil. Now that is the best tasting fish around here and they had it. HMN>>>>>

Hahahaha Steve, eyah this is about the same here.... If anyone has an oversupply, or can share half of the fish... I share the other one with Steve...

That is exactly my problem, this is why i wnated to find a cheap(er) fish source, since there is not an over supply here in the middle of the plains....

But maybe Sardines are relativly cheap?!