Can dogs eat raw fish?

Can dogs eat raw fish? It’s a protein plenty of new raw feeders ask about. It’s a useful one to have in the rotation, and there are only a few things to get right: which fish, freezing it first, how much, and what to do about bones.

Why raw feeders add fish

Most dog food in New Zealand is built on chicken, beef and lamb. Fish brings a different protein into the week, which is why a lot of raw feeders rotate it in alongside red meat. Oily fish such as sardines and mackerel are a common choice.

Oily fish carry omega-3 fats, which is a big part of why raw feeders like having them in the week. Fish also brings a new smell and flavour, and plenty of dogs that are bored with the same mince get keen again when fish turns up.

Which raw fish can dogs eat?

Most plain fish is fine raw, frozen first. How you serve it depends on the size of the fish:

If you catch your own, the same rules apply: freeze it first, take the bigger spines out of larger fish, and feed it as one protein among several.

Freeze it first

Raw fish, like raw meat, can carry parasites as well as bacteria. Freezing fish thoroughly before you feed it is the usual precaution, and it’s one reason raw feeders buy fish frozen rather than straight off the boat. Thaw it in the fridge, the same as any raw food, and use it within two to three days.

The food rules for fish that people eat raw use a week at -20°C or colder, a little colder than most home freezers, so a week or more is a sensible habit for fish you’ve bought fresh or caught yourself. Bag fresh fish in meal-sized portions before it goes in, and it’s ready to thaw a portion at a time.

Keep it to a share of the diet

Fish works well as one protein among several, not the whole bowl. Some raw fish contain a compound that breaks down vitamin B1 (thiamine), so a diet built mostly on raw fish can run short of it. Feeding fish as part of a varied rotation, a few times a week, avoids that.

Count the fish as part of your dog’s daily amount, so the total stays about the same. Our guide to how much raw food to feed has amounts by weight.

How much raw fish to feed

Our feed calculator uses 2.5% of body weight a day for a moderately active adult dog. On a fish day, swap part or all of one meal for fish and keep the day’s total the same:

So a 20 kg dog might have their usual mince in the morning and about 250 g of fish at night, one to three days a week. A quieter dog eats a little less and a working dog a little more, and the calculator works out your own dog’s figure.

Bones in fish

Small raw fish such as sardines are often fed whole. Larger fish have sharper bones and bigger spines, so many owners fillet them or feed them minced. Cooked fish bones are a different matter: never feed them, as cooking makes bones brittle and vets warn that cooked bones splinter.

As with any food with bone in it, feed fish where you can keep an eye on your dog, and let a fast eater have it in smaller pieces.

Introducing fish

Treat fish like any new protein. Start with a small amount mixed into a meal your dog already eats, and build up over a week or so, changing one thing at a time. Fish is rich, and a sudden big helping can loosen stools. Some dogs take to the smell straight away, and some need a few tries. If yours turns their nose up, our guide to getting a fussy dog to eat raw has a few tricks that work for fish as well.

A tip that works for a lot of dogs: let the fish sit out of the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, and mix a little through their usual mince for the first few meals.

Handling raw fish

Treat raw fish like raw chicken: thaw it in the fridge, keep it away from food for people, and wash your hands, bowls and surfaces afterwards. Our guide to raw feeding hygiene covers the routine.

Fish smells stronger than most meat, so many owners thaw it in a sealed container and wash up straight after the meal.

Fish in our range

Our Chicken & Fish Rolls bring chicken and fish together in 1.8 kg rolls, packed ten to an 18 kg carton. They’re an easy way to add fish to the week alongside a red-meat mince or mix, and you scoop out what you need once a roll has thawed. Our guide to dog roll versus raw mince explains how raw rolls differ from cooked dog roll.

The routine is simple:

1. Thaw a whole roll in the fridge overnight.
2. Empty it into a sealed container.
3. Keep what you’ll use in the next two to three days in the fridge, and pop the rest straight back in the freezer in smaller tubs or bags.
4. Scoop each meal out with a cup or a large spoon.

Raw meat thawed in the fridge can be refrozen, so a smaller dog can work through a roll over a week or two this way. The rolls have no beef, lamb, goat or horse in them, so they also suit a dog that’s having a break from red meat.

Common questions

Can dogs eat tinned sardines?

Yes, as an extra. Choose sardines in spring water rather than oil or salty brine, and count them as part of the day’s food.

Is cooked fish OK for dogs?

Plain cooked fish with every bone removed is fine as a treat. Skip anything fried, battered, salted or seasoned, and never feed the cooked bones.

Can cats eat raw fish?

Cats can have fish as part of a varied raw diet too, with the same freeze-first rule. Keep it to a share of the diet, as for dogs. Our guide to feeding cats raw meat has more on what suits cats.

Is raw fish good for dogs?

As one protein among several, yes. It adds variety and omega-3 fats to the week. Keep it to a few days a week and freeze it first.

Can a raw diet for dogs be all fish?

It’s better as a share. Some raw fish breaks down vitamin B1, so fish fits in a few times a week alongside red meat or chicken.

Can puppies eat raw fish?

Once your puppy is settled on their main food, a little fish can go in as a new protein, introduced slowly like any other. Our guide to how much raw food to feed a puppy has amounts by age.