What kind of fish can I give my dog?

Feed our four-legged friend well the family It’s a whole topic from the moment the puppy comes home.

We know (we learn quickly) that his healthy and long life will depend on the fact that we give him a balanced diet, without excesses, and avoid the many prohibitions that the diet entails. dog in his life like chocolate, alcohol, grapes, avocado.

Fish is part of many of the balanced (dry) foods given to dogs. Forks animal proteins essential. Each balanced portion of food for a dog should consist of 50-70% protein (beef, chicken, fish, eggs); 10% grains (such as brown rice); 10/15% fruit and vegetables. 5% other nutrients, such as fatty acids, minerals, vitamins.

Fish is also excellent for the dog’s mixed diet (half balanced and half fresh food) or simply for his diet natural foods. But fish is a complex product that we need to know before giving it to him.

What kind of fish can I give my dog?

The site of faithful animals it gives us a very clear first approach towards the type of fish we should orient ourselves towards to give ours pet.

“The fish recommended for dogs – we read on the site – are those that have a shorter life cycle, much better if caught in the wild. These include:

• Salmon.
• Tilapia.
• Flounder.
• Herring.
• Sardines.
• Anchovies.
• Cod.
• Catfish.
• White fish in general.

Animal Field states that because they are smaller and have a short life cycle, they are less likely to contain high mercury levels or are infected with parasites. This is why they are considered safer fish.

But he also tells us about four fish that are not recommended as gifts and the reasons why.

• Shark.
• Tuna.
• Swordfish.
• King Mackerel.

These fish tend to be larger and have a long life cycle, so they tend to accumulate higher concentrations of heavy metalsespecially mercury. Additionally, they tend to harbor parasites in the body’s tissues.

The site also recommends preventing dogs from eating farmed fish, as these fish are likely to contain higher residual levels of antibiotics, hormones, dyes and others potential toxins.

While includes tuna Among those not recommended, the truth is that tuna is commonly one of the fish most included in the fresh or dried diet of dogs.

However, there are some reservations and precautions, such as washing it very well before cooking it. Or even in cans of tuna, ANDread only those who are packed in water or olive oil, and without additives or added salt. And always, wash the tuna steaks in warm water before cooking them a little.

Raw fish or cooked fish?

The followers of the BARF dietvery fashionable in the world and which consists in always feeding pets with natural and raw products, defending the intake of raw fish in dogs’ meals.

But most pet sites like a large volume of veterinariansthey do not recommend it because it is too risky for the dog’s health.

Second the site of animal expertsAND “It is very important to pre-cook the fish and remove all bones. To cook it we recommend boiling or grilling it, never frying or flouring it. To maintain all its properties it is better to cook it at a low temperature.”

The site also publishes some tips for cooking fish well:

1. Choose your dog’s favorite fish. Cook the fish by boiling or grilling it.
2. Wait for it to cool.
3. Analyze it.
4. Add a drizzle of quality olive oil.
5. If you don’t have time to cook, you can buy, for example, canned fish for your dog. cans of tuna plain or in olive oil (not sunflower oil).

The site of faithful animals He is emphatic when it comes to discouraging raw fish for our dogs. “Sources specialized in Veterinary Medicine advise against the consumption of raw or undercooked fish in dogs, because it presents a greater risk of harboring and transmit parasites or bacteria. If the temperature of the raw fish has not been carefully checked before consumption, or if the fish is undercooked, it may contain Salmonella, Listeria, Clostridium.”

And they clarify that “These bacteria can seriously endanger your dog’s health. Experts say serving raw fish is an unnecessary risk. “When fish is cooked, it not only avoids the risk of disease, but it is also easier to digest.”

Benefits and properties of fish

The pet shop websitespecializing in pets, highlights on its website the benefits that cooked fish meat brings to our dogs.

1. Fish is an excellent source of protein.
2. Specifically, white fish provides many vitamins of group B (the most important are B3, B9 and B12) and group A.
3. I like minerals phosphorus and calcium They are also very present in this food.
4. In the case of blue fish the following vitamins can be highlighted: A, D, B3, B2, B1 and B12.
5. Fish is very rich in it Omega 3 fatty acidespecially the blue fish.
6. This food is rich in amino acids.
7. The calories ingested from this product are not very high.
8. It has the ability to improve the health of hair, skin and immune system.
9. White fish helps prevent the development of pathologies such as arthritis, osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.