# Fish



## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

Are Fish RMB's or MM's?

AND what kinds of fish can/should we feed our dogs?

I've heard of sardines, mackeral, trout, herring, and sometimes salmon.

Any other kinds of fish that are ok?


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

I think fish count as MM... as least the canned stuff. I've read not to feed it too often, though, since it often has a higher mercury count than most other foods. I don't know a whole lot about fish so hopefully someone with more knowledge can direct you.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I feed whole fish (head and all) = RMB's

I have fed sardines, tilapia, catfish, mackeral

There is something about feeding raw salmon - but I forget the specifics.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Maybe it's salmon that has too much mercury? Or that you can only feed either farm raised or wild caught? (I can't remember which.) I don't know... but I've read negative things about it too.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=951751&page=9#Post951751
^^Past thread on fish/salmon^^


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Salmon from the Pacific Northwest is the problem one but since Salmon is so expensive and other fish is much cheaper I don't bother feeding ANY Salmon.

I get either whole, gutted Talapia or Whiting fillets. Both have bones but the fillets I could more as MM.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I split one can of salmon or mackerel between the two dogs once a week.


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## ahlamarana (Sep 22, 2008)

Fish with bones in are RMBs but they seem to feed more like a MM, so I add additional RMBs when I feed fish or the "output" gets a bit soft.

I feed canned mackerel, salmon, and sardines, frozen whole smelt, and anything we catch fresh out of the lake like trout and walleye. I feed a fish meal once or twice a week.

You don't want to feed RAW salmon from the Pacific northwest, it can carry a fluke that causes salmon poisoning, which is deadly to dogs. Cooked or canned is fine, though.

Farmed fish of any kind have much higher levels of contaminants than wild fish, so I stay away from the farmed stuff (for the dogs and myself).


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

well I already made the decision to not feed salmon, I was looking for other varieties of fish that can be feed every once & awhile...


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: drkcloud4uwell I already made the decision to not feed salmon


Just curious as to why?


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## Little Red (Jan 10, 2009)

I am wondering when you all talk about cans of mackeral, sardines, or salmon, isn't that cooked fish? Or are you finding raw sources of those fish? But in a can?? Since this is the raw forum I am guessing that the fish qualifies as raw even if cooked?
Does that make sense?


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Some people buy in a can (I do not) - I buy whole fresh/frozen fish. I usually find good deals at the Asian Markets - we just bought a bunch of fish for either 1.29/lb or .99/lb (which is pretty good since fish has been getting more expensive lately).


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

The canned fish is cooked, not raw. Seems dogs either love or hate raw fish. Canned gives the picky dog an alternative or an owner like myself who doesn't want to mess with raw fish a chance to still feed fish.


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

> Quoteoster: natalie559
> Subject: Re: Fish
> 
> Originally Posted By: drkcloud4uwell I already made the decision to not feed salmon
> ...


I don't like salmon myself plus with the mercury content & having to figure out where the salmon came from & salmon can be expensive, I don't want the hassle.


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

hey what about minnows? They're small like sardines, and they're in abundant supply right now cause fishing season is beginning?

I read something about certified minnows..what is that?

Don't worry everyone, my puppers aren't getting anything new until their first month of chicken is done.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: drkcloud4uI don't like salmon myself plus with the mercury content & having to figure out where the salmon came from & salmon can be expensive, I don't want the hassle.


I thought salmon was one of the fish with a lower mercury count? Thought the larger the fish the higher the mercury content with wild caught having less than farmed. So tuna and jack mack would be higher than say salmon or sardines.

Also most of the canned products aren't that expensive and do have the origin of the fish clearly labeled on the can. I have been buying Black Top: Premium Wild Alaska Pink Salmon from Walmart for around $2 per can.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

since some of you know I work in a fish market,,here's my take on salmon,,first it isn't one of the high mercury fishes,,its' HIGH in omega's which is a "good thing"...The high mercury fish are swordfish/tuna respectively. 

No Raw Salmon, for the reason mentioned prior. Farmed Salmon (or any farmed fish),,IF you know the type of farm raised on, is perfectly fine. For example, the farmed salmon we sell, is not from a man made fish farm. It is from off shore Nova Scotia in the middle of the Atlantic. So it 'lives' in the ocean, is surrounded by huge net vs a land based man made fish farm. No dyes, no preservatives, free fed. 

Another example, Tilapia farm raised in the US is the best you can get, Costa Rica is 2nd, overseas you want to avoid. Actually any farmed fish from china/japan /some parts of europe you want to avoid. 

Canned products are fine but may contain additives. Just check your labels. 

The wild salmon we sell is Co-ho overnited from Alaska,,(good stuff!!!) I poach/simmer all my salmon (for the dogs), gutted, after poaching, remove the head, and throw it all in a meat grinder along with saving your poaching juice..

Ok done rambling,,
diane


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## Little Red (Jan 10, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: JakodaCD OA
> The wild salmon we sell is Co-ho overnited from Alaska,,(good stuff!!!) I poach/simmer all my salmon (for the dogs),


Sounds good! What time's dinner? LOL


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

It IS good )),,if you ever see it , try it,,I think it's much better than alaskan king ))


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: little red
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: JakodaCD OA
> ...


Haha, I could swear sometimes Jerzey eats better than me! Here she is eating chicken and all I've had today was chips and almonds!


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## mmarie (Feb 25, 2009)

Ok, so I have a couple questions I have to ask. I haven't made the switch to raw, but I'm gathering up all the information I can because I'm DYING to make the switch. And the topic of fish is close to my heart, as my husband is an avid fisher (and I love to tag along).

I only saw one comment here, from ahlamarana, about using fish you catch yourself and I'm wondering why? Is it riskier? Would you have to freeze it for a certain amount of time or cook it before feeding? Are oceans always a better source than lakes? Or if, say, I would eat a fish that came out of the lake would it be ok to use that fish for feeding?

Also, since swordfish/tuna has higher mercury content should it be avoided altogether? Or if, say, my husband and I go on a fishing trip and happen to catch a good tuna would it be ok as a special treat (after we get our seared tuna of course, mmmm).


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would check the innards of caught fish for hooks and/or fishing line before feeding. I wouldn't avoid the higher mercury fish all together, I just wouldn't feed it that often. Not sure about the other questions.


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## mmarie (Feb 25, 2009)

Natalie,

Thanks for the quick response! I'm sitting here glued to the computer waiting to find out if I have my next good excuse for a fishing trip









I would definately be checking for hooks and line before feeding, I have been to the vet enough times with accident-prone Bella--I would hate to show up and explain to the vet how I went fishing and "caught" my dog!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

The rule of thumb is the larger the fish the higher the mercury count.

Tunas are HUGE - at least the ones used in the US for canned tuna. Albacore is the only tuna species allowed to be sold in the US as 'white tuna meat' in cans. Albacores can weigh up to 132 pounds.


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

makes me scared to eat the 3 cans of albacore tuna I have in the cupboard


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## mmarie (Feb 25, 2009)

I know that the bigger a fish is the more mercury there is. I wouldn't dream of feeding tuna weekly, I wouldn't dream of eating tuna myself weekly! But what about, say, once or twice a year? Are the mercury counts so high that even that would be dangerous?

Catching the fish yourself vs. buying in the supermarket? Oceans vs. Lakes?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I personally don't feed sword or tuna to my dogs,,I don't eat it,(because I don't care for it) so I just don't feed it to them,,that is just ME ))

With that said,,I see ALOT of the same people over and over coming in twice, three times a week, and eating sword and tuna,,they don't seem to be to concerned about the mercury issue.

As for feeding it to the dogs,,IF I were to feed it, I probably wouldn't have a problem feeding it once a month. 

as for lakes vs ocean fish. It wouldn't make a difference to me, but I would like to think that fish I am getting out of a lake or river, that water is not as polluted as some can be..make sense? LOL

I also don't feed 'whole' fish,,I'm just paranoid about that, again that is ME,,my dogs rarely get anything other than salmon even tho they would eat anything.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Tuna once or twice a month wouldn't cause me to worry.

If I could find a small, private lake or pond to fish in I would feed those fish without a second thought!

I would NOT feed fish from say, Lake Michigan (nor eat it myself).


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## drkcloud4u (Jan 7, 2006)

same with lake ontario now


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## mmarie (Feb 25, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangI would NOT feed fish from say, Lake Michigan (nor eat it myself).


I have a big lake near my house, Lake Elsinore, that I would not dream of eating fish out of or feed my dogs from. So my rule of thumb will be "if I would eat from it, my dogs can eat from it"


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Has anyone ever had a dog catch a small sharp fishbone in their throat? How do dogs manage it, since its a thorny problem for humans?


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## Little Red (Jan 10, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: OceanHas anyone ever had a dog catch a small sharp fishbone in their throat? How do dogs manage it, since its a thorny problem for humans?


Just guessing, but maybe the same way that dogs are able to eat chicken bones (crunch, crunch, crunch,) and humans don't.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I always make sure to cut off any sharp fins before feeding whole fish.

I have never had a problem (with my dogs) on any other fish bones/heads.


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