# Fish as Protein Source - Suggestions?



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Natural Balance makes a sweet potato and fish (salmon) formula, grain free.

http://www.bestfriendsdelivery.com/natbalancedogdryfish15.html

Nature's Variety (Prairie) makes a salmon meal and brown rice formula, also grain free. Rice is thought to be low on the list of likely allergens for dogs.

http://www.naturesvariety.com/prairie_dog_kibble_salmon

You can also try supplementing with canned pumpkin (plain pumpkin, not the pie filling). Pumpkin is really a great supplement in my book, dogs love it and it helps both will loose stools and constipation, as well.


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## gggirl (May 8, 2008)

How about California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato? Limited simple ingredients. Good for dogs with allergies.. There is also Natural Balance but I trust Natura the maker of CN more with their quality of food and manufacturing. Then for other fish based there are grain free's by Fromm Surf and Turf, Acana's Pacifica. Acana grainfree is new and made by Champion pet foods makers of Orijen also and another company I trust completely. I am using Acana Grasslands and no problem switching over. Not once did she have loose stools. Good Luck


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

I feed my allergy girl Natural Balance sweet potato and fish. She love's it and small firm stools, yeah.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Fromms surf and turf is grain free ( at 30%... more moderate that many grain frees) and fish based. I just started ours on the Fromms Salmon ala veg.... has some grain, but is salmon based. All their fish is ethoxyquin free. I really like this company and am pleased with their food. You can google their website and learn about all their different foods.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I have Shadow on Eagle Pack Holistic Anchovy. Tucker will be going on it soon, too. I want them both on the same food if possible. Shadow has many allergies and the Fish formula is the way to go for him. Just beware of how the company preserves the fish. I can't remember if it is the Fish or the Lamb that one must be sure it has enough Taurine. Someone will pipe in here I'm sure.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

You need taurine with the lamb. With fish, make sure they are not using any chemical preservatives.... esp ethoxyquin which is a carcinogen. I know that Fromm and Eagle Pack do NOT use the ethoxyquin.... both are great companies who have their own plants ( no outsourcing for their kibble) and are FDA approved.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> You need taurine with the lamb. With fish, make sure they are not using any chemical preservatives.... esp ethoxyquin which is a carcinogen. I know that Fromm and Eagle Pack do NOT use the ethoxyquin.... both are great companies who have their own plants ( no outsourcing for their kibble) and are FDA approved.


Yes, thank you. Also be sure that the manufacturer's of the food you chose are not getting their fish from a second source, which allows them to say they are not using ethoxyquin.


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Kimm,

How would you know if they get their fish from another source or not? Reading thru all of their websites? I want to put Murphy back on a good single protein food, probably fish and it's just so confusing


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Truth in labeling ... hmmmm. Can't hardly trust that with human food, how are we to trust it with dog food ??


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Fromms does say that they use human grade fish and have FDA approval. I believe it's the same with Eagle Pack but I'm not completely sure on the FDA for them. I think that's about as good as you are going to get.... I believe that The Honest Kitchen is the only dog food that is actually made in a human foods plant, which really is the gold standard. However, they have no fish based food.


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

I just switched Aston to Taste of the Wild Salmon and Sweet Potato and it's great...so far. He hasn't had success with any food his whole life, he's 6 months now, and 3 days on this and the results are amazing. I'm thinking of trying my other dog on this, she's on Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken. Both are grain free.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I contacted Eagle Pack directly. I think you will also find information about the preservatives on their web site. I'm always a, "Yeah, but?" Person... I believe Wellness also guarantees they don't use the chemical in their food nor does their source. Shadow didn't do well on Wellness at all. Tucker is fine on everything!


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

While fish may be a good proetein source, I cannot stand the way that dogs who are fed fish smell.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> While fish may be a good proetein source, I cannot stand the way that dogs who are fed fish smell.


My dog doesn't stink!


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy eats fresh fish in the summer and she doesn't smell like fish.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Neither do mine! I switched Selka and Gunner to Nature's Variety Prairie Salmon and not only do they love it, their coats are gorgeous! They are so silky and soft.
Nature's Variety uses human grade and they make it here in Lincoln.


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Funny I just emailed Wellness about their Core dry and canned. I couldn't find anything on their website but I didn't look for long.

I'm going to email a few more companies to ask the question. I read somewhere to phrase the question like this: 

Is ethoxyquin ever used in the processing of the fish you use in your foods? Do you ever test for its presence to be sure?"


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## skeller (Mar 5, 2008)

I went to the pet food store with the intention of comparing TOTW fish formula and Eagle Pack. I thought I would have a tough decision. Well, my pet food store doesn't carry TOTW anymore, so I bought a bag of Eagle Pack Anchovy and Salmon. My decision was made for me. I am starting a very gradual switch.:crossfing


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

skeller said:


> I went to the pet food store with the intention of comparing TOTW fish formula and Eagle Pack. I thought I would have a tough decision. Well, my pet food store doesn't carry TOTW anymore, so I bought a bag of Eagle Pack Anchovy and Salmon. My decision was made for me. I am starting a very gradual switch.:crossfing


Eagle Pack is a top quality food. We use it alot. I got the Fromm just as a variety in rotation. I'm sure I'll continue to use EP holistic as a main food.


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## skeller (Mar 5, 2008)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Eagle Pack is a top quality food. We use it alot. I got the Fromm just as a variety in rotation. I'm sure I'll continue to use EP holistic as a main food.


I'm hoping, I have confidence in the brand as many people have used it and liked it. The Large Breed Puppy and the Eagle Pack Natural were not good for Benny. Maybe fish as a protein source will agree with him.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Shadow had no problem with the transition. He did really well on TOTW, but I had read, and I have no proof, that they didn't guarantee their sourse for fish didn't use chemicals. I'm sure by now they've changed this.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

A lot of people who feed fish based protein don't even realize that their dogs have an odor. Sometimes it is very subtle, and sometimes it is really strong. Perhaps they get used to it. Perhaps it depends on the food, I don't know. My Dalmatian friends feed fish and their dogs definately smell, as do others in my classes that feed fish. 
I've noticed it, and so have a lot of others. I have supplemented with fish oil as support when I had to use steroids (for Lyric when she had vestibular syndrome, and Maybe for an eye issue) and I noticed the odor then, too.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

TOTW is a good one as is Acana Pacifica.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> A lot of people who feed fish based protein don't even realize that their dogs have an odor. Sometimes it is very subtle, and sometimes it is really strong. Perhaps they get used to it. Perhaps it depends on the food, I don't know. My Dalmatian friends feed fish and their dogs definately smell, as do others in my classes that feed fish.
> I've noticed it, and so have a lot of others. I have supplemented with fish oil as support when I had to use steroids (for Lyric when she had vestibular syndrome, and Maybe for an eye issue) and I noticed the odor then, too.


I have a super sensitive nose and am not the fondest of fish smells. I actually smelled the food and it was only mildly fishy smelling. If I smell the dogs with a fishy odor, it's OUT A HERE !! So far, so good. And with the Carlsons liquid fish oil.... I use it as it has a lemon flavor, and honest to dog, no smell. I have even used it to make a vinagrette and no one knew !!!


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I have a super sensitive nose and am not the fondest of fish smells. I actually smelled the food and it was only mildly fishy smelling. If I smell the dogs with a fishy odor, it's OUT A HERE !! So far, so good. And with the Carlsons liquid fish oil.... I use it as it has a lemon flavor, and honest to dog, no smell. I have even used it to make a vinagrette and no one knew !!!


 
Like I said, maybe it depends on the particular product, but I've noticed it in every dog I have been around that has been fed fish. No one needs to be offended, it's certainly not a personal attack on anyone or their dog.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> Like I said, maybe it depends on the particular product, but I've noticed it in every dog I have been around that has been fed fish. No one needs to be offended, it's certainly not a personal attack on anyone or their dog.


I'm not taking it as an attack at all.. just wanted to put out another product and my experience with it.:wave:


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## skeller (Mar 5, 2008)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I have a super sensitive nose and am not the fondest of fish smells. I actually smelled the food and it was only mildly fishy smelling. If I smell the dogs with a fishy odor, it's OUT A HERE !! So far, so good. And with the Carlsons liquid fish oil.... I use it as it has a lemon flavor, and honest to dog, no smell. I have even used it to make a vinagrette and no one knew !!!


 Is that the same Carlson's that I have been taking myself (ie - meant for human consumption?). I ordered the Seapet online and it has a definitely fishy odor.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> Like I said, maybe it depends on the particular product, but I've noticed it in every dog I have been around that has been fed fish. No one needs to be offended, it's certainly not a personal attack on anyone or their dog.


And what had you eaten that day? LOL

Shadow did smell when he ate Timberwolf's fish formula. Eagel Pack Holistic Anchovy isn't causing this problem. At least not yet. When my youngest comes in and tells me the house smells like s*** I lose it! He hasn't said that since Shadow stopped eating LAMB and Timberwolf's fish formula.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

skeller said:


> Is that the same Carlson's that I have been taking myself (ie - meant for human consumption?). I ordered the Seapet online and it has a definitely fishy odor.


 
Yep.... I take it too. It has great levels of EPA/DHA for the puppers too. BTW, I order mine from www.iherb.com You might want to check their prices.... I find them better than what I can find elsewhere. My crew either gets this or the icelandic pure fish oil ( for pets only).... it is more economical. I haven't used the Seapet, but love their site for the articles and info.


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Here is my reply from Wellness:

Thank you for taking the time to write about Wellness® Dry Dog Food.

Our pet food products are 100% ethoxyquin free. Our fish meal supplier has obtained the necessary permit to utilize a natural antioxidant made from blended mixed tocopherols in place of ethoxyquin to preserve the fish meal during transit.

Thanks again for contacting us.

Susan Kordish
Representative
Consumer Affairs

000082932A


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Good news. Wellness is a top notch food.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

That is the same email I have from them. Shadow didn't do well with the Wellness and I don't know why. I'm trying to remember if it has potatos in it. If so, this could have been the issue for him. I've gone in circles with food.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Nature's Variety makes a Salmon based dog food-my dogs love it. Corn, soy, and wheat free


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