Salmon in Dog Food - Dog Nutrition DB

Salmon is the most common named fish ingredient in dog foods. In this article, we’ll explore different salmon ingredients in dog food and what makes salmon a beneficial ingredient.

Contents

About Salmon in Dog Food

Salmon is a very popular ingredient in pet food.

In a 2020 pet food ingredient report, salmon was the 13th most commonly used animal ingredient in pet food, in the top 5 by value, and the top fishery ingredient overall^[2,7].

Commercially fished salmon are native to the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are primarily found on both sides of the Atlantic and in the rivers and seas of North America and Europe.

Norwegian salmon refers to Atlantic salmon that is farmed in Norway, which is along with Chile one of the world’s largest producers of farmed salmon.

Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.), on the other hand, refers to several species of salmon that are native to the Pacific Ocean, including Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Pink, or Chum salmon.

Salmon can be wild-caught or farmed.

Since the most commonly commercially farmed salmonid is the Atlantic salmon, it is likely also the most widely used in pet foods. By contrast, almost all wild-caught salmon are Pacific salmon.

Wild salmon was found to be higher in essential elements such as selenium, copper, zinc, and iron, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid^[12].

Fresh Salmon

Salmon is a highly digestible source of protein^[11].

Fresh salmon is especially rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids^[3].

Whole salmon includes all the bones and can be high in minerals.

Some manufacturers instead opt for deboned salmon as a mainly protein-rich ingredient while others rather include separated salmon bones only as a mineral supplement.

In a 2017 study on Norwegian Atlantic salmon, the overall fat content was way higher in farmed than in wild salmon^[12].

But the omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio was lower in farmed salmon since it had increased levels of omega-6 fatty acids.

Manufacturers can also use salmon by-products that are left after harvesting salmon fillets for human consumption.

This includes stuff such as heads, fins, skin, tails, bones, and viscera such as gills, heart, liver, spleen, stomach or intestines^[1].

Hydrolyzed Salmon Protein

Some manufacturers use enzymatically hydrolyzed salmon protein in their products which provides a high crude protein digestibility and beneficial long-chain omega-3 fatty acids^[6].

The proteins in hydrolyzed salmon are broken down into smaller units. This makes them less likely to produce allergic reactions.

Hydrolyzed salmon protein is a good protein source but to as good as salmon meal, a rendered protein meal^[13].

However, it is a great choice for hypoallergenic diets.

Additionally, salmon protein hydrolysates also provide a rich flavor and is especially palatable to dogs.

Salmon Meal

Salmon meal is a type of rendered fish protein meal and an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

According to the AAFCO, a fish meal is defined as the clean, dried, ground tissue of whole fish or fish cuttings which can be semi-defatted^[1].

Fish meals can be high in minerals compared to meat or poultry meals, likely due to the many small bones they contain.

But overall, salmon meal is a quality ingredient and a highly digestible source of protein for dogs^[13].

Salmon Oil

Salmon oil is separated during the rendering of whole fish or cannery waste into salmon meal^[1].

As a fish oil, it is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In humans, these are thought to have cardioprotective, immunoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects^[5].

As such, a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids might also be beneficial for dogs due to their ability to suppress inflammation^[4].

Since salmon oil is prone to oxidation, it is often treated with antioxidants. Fortunately, more and more manufacturers are trying to use natural preservatives such as tocopherols.

Is Salmon Safe for Dogs?

Salmon and other fish products are often treated with synthetic antioxidants such as ethoxyquin due to their high content of unsaturated fats and vulnerability to oxidation.

One of the metabolic products called ethoxyquin dimer accumulates in fish tissue and is only found in fish meal and salmon, according to the European Food Safety Authority^[9,10].

Since the possible toxicological effects of ethoxyquin dimer for dogs are not known, this is an obvious safety concern.

Farmed salmon, especially from Europe, seems more likely to contain organochlorine contaminants (pesticides, PCBs, etc.) than wild salmon, according to a Science study published in 2004^[18].

And mercury is yet another pollutant found in salmon.

A 2017 study found wild salmon in Norway are also more likely to accumulate higher levels of mercury and other pollutants^[12].

Sled dogs that ate Pacific salmon daily for several weeks had higher mercury levels than dogs that ate a diet free of fish.

But the levels detected in the study dogs were still well below the concentration considered toxic in wildlife^[17].

But overall, contaminant concentrations in salmon do not appear to be of concern, are well below maximum levels and chronic exposure is unlikely to pose risk to healthy adult dogs^[12,14,15].

In summary, while salmon is a nutritious and quality ingredient it might be a good idea to rotate your dog’s diet from time to time to avoid chronic exposure to certain contaminants.