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Can Dogs Eat Fish?

Can Dogs Eat Fish?

Updated on July 18, 2024
Reviewer Profile Photo
Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team
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Yes, but with a few caveats. Fish fed to dogs should be cooked, deboned and only offered in moderation. With that in mind, fish can be a great source of lean protein and other nutrients for your dog. As always, please consult your veterinarian before adding new foods to your dog’s diet to ensure it’s an appropriate snack for your pet. 

If you’ve ever spent time browsing in the dog food aisle, you’ve probably noticed that fish isn’t an uncommon ingredient. This should not be a surprise considering dogs get much of their nutrition from meat.  

Yet to fully answer the question, “Can dogs have fish?” we need to dig a little deeper.  Along with the health benefits, there are also some potential risks pet parents need to be aware of when offering fish. Read on for more information and recommended ways to serve fish to your pup to ensure that they’re receiving the nutrition they need.  

  

Health benefits of fish for dogs

Generally speaking, dogs can have fish—but is fish good for dogs? The answer to this is, in moderation, yes. Fish is quite wholesome for dogs and commonly used as an ingredient in commercially available dog food.

One benefit of fish is that providing a novel protein for your dog may be helpful in managing and minimizing food sensitivities. As changing your dog's food could have positive or negative repercussions depending on what they have a sensitivity to, be sure to consult your veterinarian before changing your pet's food if you feel they may be suffering from food-related health concerns.

Humans often take fish oil supplements as a way to get extra omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are great for maintaining heart health in humans but may also support a healthy skin and coat in canines. Omega-3 fatty acids can also help people who are suffering from arthritis, and they may also help reduce joint swelling in your senior dog.  

Can dogs eat fish skin? Fish skin can also be a valuable source of collagen, which is especially important for senior dogs’ bone and skin health. Just be sure it’s descaled, cooked and chopped up into bite-sized pieces before providing it to your pet. 

  

How to feed fish to your dog

Now that you’ve learned the answer to “Can dogs eat fish?” is yes, there are some important things to consider before feeding it to your pup. Fish can be given as a treat or added to meals as a food topper, or it may be the primary source of protein in the commercial dog food you choose for your pet. It’s always recommended to consult your veterinarian before introducing new foods to your dog. 

While you may have a half dozen favorite ways to prepare fish for yourself, be sure to cook it thoroughly without seasoning or oils before giving it to your dog. Grilling or steaming are good ways to prepare fish since they don’t require oil or butter, which may upset your pet’s stomach and add unnecessary calories and fat. There are a few reasons the answer to “Is fish bad for dogs?” can also be a resounding yes. Uncooked fish, fish bones, cooking fish with oil, butter or seasonings are all dangerous for your dog and must be avoided. The answer to the question “Can dogs eat fried fish?” is also no. 

Other parts of fish—like the head, tail, bones and scales—are not good for your dog’s digestion. They can be sharp or have bones that can puncture or damage your dog’s mouth, throat, stomach or other parts of their digestive system. These fish parts pose a choking hazard at the very least and can be potentially fatal. 

Check out Petco’s selection of fish dog food available in many varieties and for different life stages.  

Featured Dog Food and Treats Featuring Fish

 

FAQs about feeding your dog fish  

Raw fish is not recommended for dogs. When you don’t cook fish, you expose your pup to harmful bacteria and possibly even pesky parasites that can’t be seen by the naked eye. These parasites and bacteria can cause gastrointestinal distress which may require veterinary attention.

While we’ve established that dogs can eat fish, what about other kinds of seafood?

When cooked without butter, oil or seasonings and thoroughly cleaned of their shells, shrimp, lobster and crab meat can be eaten by dogs.

Mollusk meat from mussels and scallops are an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and essential minerals like zinc, iron and magnesium. They are also nontoxic for dogs to eat, providing they are properly cleaned and prepared. Dogs can also eat squid and octopus without any problems, provided it’s fully cooked without any oils, seasonings and other ingredients that could be toxic to your pet, such as onions and garlic.

The one type of shellfish to avoid is oysters. Oysters sometimes consume toxic algae called dinoflagellates. The toxins of the dinoflagellates concentrate in the oysters’ tissues and can poison both humans and dogs.

When eating seafood around your dog or offering it to them as a special treat, it is extremely important that you discard shells in a place your pup cannot access. Ingesting shells can be fatal as they can cause a blockage or sharp pieces can severely damage the gastrointestinal tract. If you think your pet has accidentally eaten shell pieces, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Fish sticks are not a healthy treat for dogs to eat. Giving fish sticks to your dog could lead to an upset stomach, unhealthy weight gain and health issues later in life resulting from the breading.

After learning that canines can eat fish, one of the most frequent questions is “Can dogs eat tuna fish?” Specific kinds of tuna are some of the most common types of fish used in commercial dog food—which also includes shorter-lived species like salmon, whitefish, herring, walleye, flounder and Arctic char. Other types of fish that are fine include catfish, cod and whiting.

Smaller, younger, responsibly collected fish are generally safer because they are less likely to have high mercury levels or parasite burdens.

Longer-lived fish species can contain heavy metals like mercury and should be avoided. Mercury builds up over time in the fish’s system and can lead to heavy metal toxicity.

These species include shark, albacore tuna, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel.

Consult your veterinarian. It’s recommended that your pupgets most of their calories from veterinarian-recommended commercial dog food that is specially balanced for your dog’s dietary needs.

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