Can a dog have too much fish? My Lab cross loves white fish cooked with rice or pasta and has it every night for tea. She is a faddy eater at the best of times and doesn't like her food all at the same time. She has a complete meal with either chicken or beef at lunch, and although she eats the meat, she sometimes leaves the meal. She seems healthy enough but I am worried that fish every day could do some harm (too much of a good thing).
Joan Hardaker, by email
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As long as she's getting some variety then fish every day shouldn't be a problem. It would actually be good for her, fish oil is very good for the coat.
ReplyDeleteIf she's eating the meat happily then have you thought about switching her over to a completely raw diet? It's not as expensive or as time consuming as a lot of people seem to think it is!
Vets often suggest white fish and rice short-term for a bad tum, or eg after surgery, but I wouldn't think just this would constitute a balanced diet long-term - it's probably short of calcium at the least. But if she's so keen on fish why not try her on a feed that is just fish and rice - but with added ingredients to make it a complete meal? Naturediet do a fish recipe, so do Wainwrights - Pets at Home own brand - the can, not the flat pack which, I found out to my annoyance, also contains chicken! She might also like a fish-based dry feed - there are several around - Orijen is very good, Burns do one which I think contains rice, and there are several 'salmon and rice" or "salmon and potato" varieties on the shop shelves.
ReplyDeleteI think you would have to feed "oily" fish for your dog to receive beneficial oils (as in humans)?
ReplyDelete