Let’s take a look at how including oily fish in your dog’s diet can bring health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and helping to keep their heart healthy.
We touch on the benefits of other types of fish, too, that are ideal for including in your dog’s meal plan.
What are the benefits of oily fish for dogs?
There are lots of benefits to feeding oily fish to your dog.
First of all, oily fish contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for human and animal health.
For your dog, these generous acids offer a whole bunch of benefits. They’re great for keeping your pooch’s coat looking sleek and shiny and their skin healthy.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also known to counter inflammation, which makes them a real asset for older dogs who may be suffering from arthritis or painful joints.
And as inflammation contributes to many different diseases, omega-3 fatty acids go to work on keeping your pup in tip-top condition!
These health-giving compounds are great for younger dogs, too. They’re essential for brain development, so make sure you include oily fish in your puppy’s diet.
Omega-3 just keeps on giving — these healthy fats will boost your doggo’s heart health, helping to keep their blood pressure low and their ticker ticking along nicely!
Let’s move on to some other nutrients that oily fish is famous for.
It’s high in vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones, and also has a role in curbing cancer cell growth, reducing inflammation, and controlling infections.
Oily fish is also a generous source of protein, a vital fuel source, and the building block of body tissue.
Which fish is best for dogs?
If you’re looking to introduce oily fish into your dog’s diet, try sardines, salmon, trout, and mackerel.
These fish are lower in mercury than other species like sea bass and tuna, for example.
You might also want to try some non-oily fish in your dog’s diet — while it may not contain the elevated omega-3 fatty acid levels that oily fish does, it’s nutritious all the same.
Try cod, haddock, or plaice, each packed with protein and other nutrients, notably B vitamins and minerals such as iron and selenium.
How can I include fish in my dog’s diet?
You can introduce raw oily fish into your dog’s diet as part of a raw food diet, whether that’s the BARF (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) or PMR (Prey Model Raw) diet. It’s one of the healthiest ways for your dog to eat fish — pure, simple, and unprocessed.
If you’re just starting out on any raw food diet, you might want to try introducing fish to your dog in the second or third week of their new regime. This will give them the chance to get used to eating raw meats first before they move on to delicious, nutritious fish.
Once your dog is established with their raw food diet, offer them oily fish twice a week. It can be served in a variety of ways —in chunks, minced or as whole fish, and even dried in chewy treats.
If you’re serving it whole, then go for smaller varieties. These sardines for dogs are ideal, offering your pup the chance to have a satisfying chew on whole fish that are easy to handle and digest.
They’ll also love chewy chunks that they can really get their teeth into or sardine dog treats for when they’ve been a good boy or girl!
As we’ve discovered, while oily fish is probably the Holy Grail when it comes to nutrition, you can try all fish for dogs. You can’t go wrong with whatever variety you choose, all fish treats for dogs will be happily received by your furry friend and will contribute to their overall health and well-being.
What else do I need to know about feeding my dog fish?
As we’ve seen, oily and other types of fish have many nutritional benefits for your doggo. Most dogs find it irresistible, so it’s a great choice to ensure nothing goes to waste and every last scrap is wolfed down!
If you want to maximise these health benefits, then choose quality fish for dogs that are sourced and farmed sustainably here in Australia.
That’s where Gully Road comes in — we offer our customers only the freshest, healthiest ingredients that are preservative-free, so you can pass on the benefit to your best friend!
Check out all our dog food products, including fish, for your doggo’s healthy, balanced diet.
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