Can Dogs Eat Cod Fish?
If you love to eat fish and wonder whether your dog can eat fish or not, you are at the right platform for this question. It's evident that fish has been a source of food for human beings for quite a long time. However, the question arises whether dogs can eat cod fish or not?
Then, the answer is “Yes!”. Cod fish is a good source of diet for your dog. But, before serving it to your little friend right away, there are some factors to be kept in mind before presenting him cod fish.
What Exactly is Cod Fish?
Cod fish are cold-water fish that are large and important marine fish belonging to the family of Gadidae. There are three main species of cod fish that are mentioned below:
- Greenland
- Pacific
- Atlantic
The taste of all of these species is mildly flavored. They are white flesh and are said to be popular seafood for humans as well as pets.
Can your Dog Eat Cod Fish?
As discussed above, there are three species of cod fish. For feeding them to your dog, you should make sure that they are properly prepared. The boneless fillet fish is deemed to be safe for your dogs. Rarely cooked or raw cod fish could prove to be harmful to your dog. Therefore, it is better to get it cooked properly.
Benefits of Cod Fish for your Dog
The benefits of giving your dog cod fish as a portion of food are as follow
- Rich source of Protein
- Deficient in Mercury
- Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
1. Rich Source of Protein
If you look at the ingredients of the dog’s food brands, you may come across fish in them. That is because most of the fish types, which are safe for consumption by dogs, are said to be a healthy and rich source of protein.
Due to this fact, they are often included in many dog foods as alternative sources of protein. If you find any kind of allergy in your dog to other sources of protein like chicken, then you should not think twice before getting a cod fish for him as it is an excellent source of protein.
2. Deficient in Mercury
Any dog food with mercury is very harmful to your dog. There are several fish with longer life spans, which have high mercury content in them. The fish with higher mercury content are tilefish, halibut, bass, tuna, marlin, shark, king mackerel, and swordfish.
Therefore, their intake can have an adverse effect on the overall health of your dog. This adverse effect occurs due to the toxic nature of these high mercury fish. However, on the other hand, cod fish has a negligible amount of mercury, making it a better and safe choice for a healthy dog diet.
3. Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Cod fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, like other types of fish. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are actually known for their health benefits to dogs. These benefits include boosting heart and kidney health, boosting the immune system, decreasing inflammation, helping in the brain development of puppies, and improving the overall ability of dogs to fight cancer and other diseases.
Raw Cod Fish vs Cooked Cod Fish
You may have read that raw or uncooked cod fish are rich in nutrients and more appetizing to your dog. But, it carries a large number of harmful bacterias and parasites. The presence of tapeworms, flukes, and roundworms in uncooked cod fish can make your dog quite sick. Therefore, to avoid the diseases, it is best to give your dog a well-cooked cod fish.
How Much you should feed your Dog the Cod Fish?
Excess of anything is bad. Therefore, too much intake of cod fish can prove to be problematic for your dog, even though it is safe and healthy for him. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the intake of cod fish moderate.
Too much intake of it can lead to obesity in your dog, ultimately causing heart disease. There is another condition that can prove to be fatal for your dog. This condition is called thiamine deficiency which is associated with an excess amount of fish. It is better to consult your vet if you are planning to make the cod fish as a regular diet for your dog. This consultation will help you in defining the right amount of fish for your dog.
Precautions to take while feeding your dog Cod Fish
Fish can prove to be a tricky food for your dog. Due to this, there are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind while feeding your dog any fish. Some of them are as below:
- Before feeding your dog cod fish, make sure that he does not have any kind of seafood allergies.
- To keep the cod fish a healthy food source for your dog, try to avoid unnecessary fats, calories, and seasonings. This will help your dog in avoiding frequent visits to your vet.
- To keep the cod fish as favorite food and treat for your dog, rotate it with other foods. You can give him cod fish one day, and the next day vegetables, and fruits the other day, etc. This keeps him excited for the next time whenever he will smell the cod fish.
- Never ever give your dog cod fish bones as they are brittle in nature and can get stuck in the dog’s mouth, throat, and intestines. This can prove to be a potential health risk for your dog.
- You should make sure that the fish is thoroughly cleaned before consumption by your dog.
- Make sure that there are no onions, garlic, and other kinds of spices in the fish.
- As discussed earlier, raw fish is not suitable for your dog. However, if you want to feed your dog raw fish anyway, it is recommended to freeze the raw fish for at least one week. This freezing would eliminate harmful parasites, which may make your dog sick.
Can Dogs Eat Fried Fish?
No, fried fish is not recommended to be consumed by the dogs. Even fried fish is completely cooked which is effective in making it bacteria and parasites free, but consumption of it may still cause a lot of gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, vomiting, and pancreatitis. These issues occur due to heavy butter, seasonings, and oils that are used for the frying process.
Can Dogs Eat Cod Fish Skin?
Yes, dogs can eat the skin of cod fish. Fish skin is said to be an excellent source of Omega-3 acids. It is deemed a highly digestible source of protein. However, it should be kept in mind that the fish skin is the carrier of parasites that may cause infectious diseases. To minimize the risk of infections caused by those parasites, it is better to thoroughly cook or dehydrate the fish skin before presenting it to your dog.
Can Puppies and Pregnant Dogs eat cod fish?
Yes, puppies as well as pregnant dogs, both of them can eat cod fish. This will ensure in compensating the protein deficiency in them. However, it should be made sure that the cod fish is properly cleaned and well-cooked without any additives like spices, oils, or butter.
What to do if fish bones are stuck in Your Dog?
If the fish bones are stuck in your dog’s throat or intestines, then it is recommended to visit your vet. As the stucking of bones can cause serious issues in his throat as well as intestines.
Conclusion
So, from the above article, it is now evident that dogs can eat cod fish. This is because cod fish is a nutritious fish with plenty of protein, vitamins, and necessary minerals. However, the portion should moderate as the excess of them can lead to many diseases. It is also recommended to consult your vet in this matter so that he may recommend the appropriate amount of cod fish.
It is also recommended that the introduction of cod fish should be done in small portions. This will help him in getting used to the new food and will eliminate gastro-intestinal upsets, allergies and, other side effects if any.
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