Sardines in dog food are not a common ingredient but provide a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and animal protein.
Contents
Fresh Sardines
Sardines are related to herring and actually include several species of small marine oily fish. They are sometimes called pilchards.
Sardines in dog food are an easy way to provide your dog with lots of the nutritional benefits and flavor of fish.
Fresh sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids[5].
Adding sardines to your dog’s diet also provides easily digestible protein and essential vitamins and minerals.
Additionally, sardines are low in the food chain and not prone to accumulate contaminants like mercury.
But they can be high in purine if this is an issue for your dog.
Sardine Meal
Sardine meal is a type of fish protein meal that is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA.
For dogs, sardine meal is an excellent ingredient as it’s highly digestible and contains quality protein. Plus, dogs enjoy the strong taste of fish meal.
According to the AAFCO, fish meal is the dried and ground tissue of whole fish or fish cuttings that may be partially defatted[1].
Overall, sardine meal is a great source of fat-soluble vitamins and essential amino acids with excellent protein digestibility.
The biggest advantage is that just a small amount of fish meal can provide as many nutrients as a much larger pile of fresh sardines.
And it’s a named fish meal, providing a little more transparency about the ingredients used in dog food.
Sardine Oil
Sardine oil is separated during the rendering of whole fish or cannery waste into sardine meal[1].
Sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty acids which are believed to have heart-protective, immune-boosting, and anti-inflammatory properties for humans[3].
Dogs may also benefit from a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids as they can help reduce inflammation[4].
However, sardine oil can easily spoil, so it is often treated with antioxidants. Nowadays, many manufacturers switch from synthetic to natural preservatives like mixed tocopherols.
| Nutrients in 100g[2] | Sardine oil |
|---|---|
| Energy | 902 kcal |
| Fatty Acids | |
| Saturated Fatty Acids | 29.9 g |
| – Palmitic acid | 16.6 g |
| – Myristic acid | 6.52 g |
| – Stearic acid | 3.89 g |
| – Lauric acid | 0.103 g |
| Monounsaturated Fatty Acids | 33.8 g |
| – Oleic acid | 14.8 g |
| – Palmitoleic acid | 7.51 g |
| – Gadoleic acid | 5.99 g |
| – Docosenoic acid | 5.59 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids | 31.9 g |
| – Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) | 10.7 g |
| – Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) | 10.1 g |
| – Parinaric acid | 3.02 g |
| – Linoleic acid | 2.01 g |
| – Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) | 1.97 g |
| – Arachidonic acid | 1.76 g |
| – Linolenic acid | 1.33 g |
| Other | |
| Cholesterol | 710 mg |
Further Reading
[1] AAFCO Official Publication. Chapter 6. Free Access.
[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
[3] Palmquist. Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Metabolism, Health, and Nutrition and for Modified Animal Product Foods. The Professional Animal Scientist. 2009. https://doi.org/10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30713-0
[4] Øystein et al. Fatty Acid Composition in Commercial Dog Foods. The Journal of Nutrition. 2004. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.8.2145S
[5] Trbović et al. Evaluation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content in various foods: health impact assessment. Meat Technology. 2020. https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2020.61.2.7