What fish do you feed?

2719 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by DaneMama, Mar 11, 2010

Jem

Discussion Starter · Mar 10, 2010

What fish do you feed your dogs? I have only tried feeding whole tilapia once, and Jemma would NOT eat it! She just played with it, threw it around the yard...she didn't seem to know that she was supposed to eat it at all. I tried to give it to her for three meals, and she became less and less interested in it. What other fish options are there that might be more appetizing? I am getting sick of shoving a fish oil capsule down her throat every night...

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malluver1005

· #2 · Mar 10, 2010

I feed Aspen whole tilapia, whole pollock, and sometimes whole atlantic salmon. I haven't tried others, but he doesn't say no to fish!

DaneMama

· #3 · Mar 10, 2010

Try canned fish. Even our picky fish eaters will eat canned fish...either mackerel, sardines, salmon, etc. The only reason why we don't feed canned fish on a regular basis is because it is super expensive compared to fresh tilapia. But since you only have Jemma, doing canned fish once or twice a week wouldn't add much to your bill.

I don't think I have heard of a dog that wont eat canned fish...pretty sure Jemma would go for it.

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CorgiPaws

· #4 · Mar 10, 2010

I feed whole talapia and whole sardines. When i'm out of those i'll feed canned salmon, mackeral, sardines, and even tuna (more as a treat as the cans are tiny) One of my dogs refused whole fish at first, and i had tp cut it up and feed it in a bowl for him. I made the chunks bigger and bigger til i was just cutting it in half for him. Then I just had to slice the underside of the fish open, and now he eats them whole. Maybe worth trying??

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DaneMama

· #5 · Mar 10, 2010

I have had to cut Bailey's fish up a few times in the past to get her to eat it...but eventually she gets it down!

whiteleo

· #6 · Mar 10, 2010

I feed canned Mackeral, sardines in water, and salmon. I do rinse the fish in their cans first to try to reduce the sodium intake and I'll stock up when the price is right. Today I got canned salmon for $1.94 a can and normally it's $3.89, so I stocked up.:wink: Also put a little peanut butter on your finger and put the fish oil cap in it and your Jemma should take that pill with no problem.:biggrin:

jdatwood

· #7 · Mar 10, 2010

Jem said:
I am getting sick of shoving a fish oil capsule down her throat every night...

Have you tried piercing a small hole in it? Shiloh used to HATE them til I took the tip of a knife and popped a small hole so some of the fish oil could leak out. Sometimes I'd have to squeeze them into her mouth that way. Eventually she learned how to pop them open herself and has no problem with them.

The dogs actually react to me shaking the bottle like I'm giving them treats :biggrin:

rannmiller

· #8 · Mar 10, 2010

You could also try squeezing the fish oil capsule into a bowl with egg in it. My dogs have no problem licking just salmon oil out of a bowl. Of course, my dogs are total chow hounds and there isn't much they say no to.

I've fed them whole tilapia (by far their least favorite), and everything else canned; mackerel, salmon, and sardines. Try canned fish and see if she goes for it. Still better than kibble, right? Besides, as far as I understand it, those three fish have more omegas in them than tilapia anyway.

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spookychick13

· #9 · Mar 10, 2010 (Edited)

I froze the fish oil caps and they think it's a treat.

Dorks.

I do canned salmon as well.

This is the salmon I buy:
http://www.pawnaturals.com/Merrick_Before_Grain_100_Canned_Dog_Food_p/mer9919.htm

rannmiller

· #10 · Mar 10, 2010

Oh I just get the cans of salmon at the grocery store for $2.08/can if I'm feeling extra rich. Otherwise I stick with canned mackerel for about $1.68/can.

spookychick13

· #11 · Mar 10, 2010

Everyone on other boards talks about JackMack.
I can't find that stuff to save my life!

whiteleo

· #12 · Mar 10, 2010

That's really what Mackerel is called in the can that I buy. From Bumble Bee it's called "Jack Mackerel"

Reactions: 1

Ania's Mommy

· #13 · Mar 10, 2010

spookychick13 said:
Everyone on other boards talks about JackMack.
I can't find that stuff to save my life!

Yeah, it's called Jack Mackerel. It's usually in the tuna fish section. I can't NOT find it it seems to be everywhere now that I know it exists...

But I'd rather find a Mack n' Jacks than Jack Mack! :biggrin:

Richelle

Reactions: 1

Jem

Discussion Starter · #14 · Mar 10, 2010

Thanks everyone!! I will try to cut up that tilapia that I saved and re-froze, hopefully she will eat it. I was feeding her canned tuna w/ egg and organs once a week, but then I read canned tuna isn't good to feed? I haven't seen mackrel, and I thought salmon wasn't good? Or canned salmon is? Where can you get whole sardines? She may like those??

Also Jemma will take the fish oil cap from me and act like she is going to eat it, but then it just dissolves and there is a big oily mess and she doesn't actually eat it. I find it easier to shove it down her throat, but if I could start feeding fish regularly I think that would be better.

Thanks for the advice everyone!!

Ania's Mommy

· #15 · Mar 10, 2010

Salmon is great. Even canned. :biggrin:

I think what you might be referring to salmon having parasites...? This is only true in salmon found in the Pacific Northwest (lucky me

). The parasite can be killed if you freeze the fish for at least 2 weeks.

Richelle

CorgiPaws

· #16 · Mar 10, 2010

Jem said:
Thanks everyone!! I will try to cut up that tilapia that I saved and re-froze, hopefully she will eat it.

If she will eat canned fish, I would definately try mutilating the whole fish for her. Then it will be similar to the canned stuff she's used to. Then, mutilate less and less, like it was already stated. The first time I gave Grissom a whole sardine, he looked at me like "okay, and now dinner.... where's my dinner?!"

Jem said:
I was feeding her canned tuna w/ egg and organs once a week, but then I read canned tuna isn't good to feed?

I don't feed tuna as meals, but i use it to freeze in kongs, if that counts? lol

Jem said:
I haven't seen mackrel, and I thought salmon wasn't good? Or canned salmon is?

Have you checked in the area by the canned tuna and salmon for mackeral? I had never even heard of it until raw feeding (I'm not a fish eater. at all) Now that I know it exists I notice it in all the grocery stores.

Canned salmon is fine. There's fresh salmon from certain areas that needs to be frozen for a few weeks before feeding, but canned (or cooked) salmon is never an issue. Fresh salmon just seems to be really really expensive.

Jem said:
Where can you get whole sardines? She may like those??

I find them in mexican or asian markets. They're usually cheaper than the talapia, too. I just don't like to feed them to annie as much because hey require zero chewing or tearing for her, as each fish is only about 2oz... but by all means, if that's a whole fish she'll eat, I still put it above canned.

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DaneMama

· #17 · Mar 11, 2010

Jem said:
Thanks everyone!! I will try to cut up that tilapia that I saved and re-froze, hopefully she will eat it.

If she doesn't I will take it back :wink:

I was feeding her canned tuna w/ egg and organs once a week, but then I read canned tuna isn't good to feed?

Canned tuna isn't good to feed in large quantities because of the mercury...same as in humans. But at the amount that you are feeding it to her I wouldn't worry about it at all.

I haven't seen mackrel, and I thought salmon wasn't good? Or canned salmon is? Where can you get whole sardines? She may like those??

Mackerel is in the same section as the tuna...probably on the same shelf usually next to the canned salmon. Canned salmon is fine to feed as well, a lot of people only get to feed canned fishes instead of raw ones.

We get whole frozen sardines at the Asian markets like 5 minutes from my house! We have a whole ton if you want to take a few testers to see if she will take them. These places are a great place to find some really exotic meats for cheap! You can tag along the next time we go if you want :biggrin:

oakley

· #18 · Mar 11, 2010

3

There shes tearing into a tilapia that is scaled and gutted, I get these at an asian market. I also have found Whiting whole, at the grocery store for $1.29/lb! Woop! And I like to give her sardines and canned mackeral is a big hit too.

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Jem

Discussion Starter · #19 · Mar 11, 2010

danemama08 said:
If she doesn't I will take it back :wink

We get whole frozen sardines at the Asian markets like 5 minutes from my house! We have a whole ton if you want to take a few testers to see if she will take them. These places are a great place to find some really exotic meats for cheap! You can tag along the next time we go if you want :biggrin:

I would love to go with you!! I have been wanting to go but don't know where to go or what to look for. Let me know!! I'll try the tilapia one more time, and if she doesn't eat it, I will give it back. It might be pretty destroyed by then but I'm sure your dogs won't mind!

I found canned mackrel last night! it was expensive!! I would rather feed her whole tilapia so she gets the benefits of bones and organs!

Thanks guys!

DaneMama

· #20 · Mar 11, 2010

Canned Mackerel has the bones in, but no organs. Its expensive but if its the only fish she will eat, its better than none at all!

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