leo01 Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I want to start giving my dog raw fish. ATM he eats mostly raw meat/veg but some kibble along with tin fish. I just havent tried raw fish as am a bit scared... my dog can be a bit funny when intorucing new meats and will bark and back away and bark and backaway as if it was a snake! Im thinking salmon heads but dont know if he will eat these first, maybe better to start easy? (If that makes sense) Thinking more flesh than bone to start with.. but not sure what kind of fleshy fish i would get cheap? Can I feed flat head? Or are there particular types of fish i should avoid? My OH fishes quite a bit but only seems to catch alot of flat head (And puffer fish, but wont be feeding those! LOL) Dont know what that says about him as a fisher man Any advise for first time fish eating dog? Also, where do you buy? As I have had a look at my local fish shop and is quite pricey, not wanting to spend any more than $5-10 per kg (Depending on how fleshy the fish is) Im in Sydney, close to rouse hill/parramatta if anyone can sugguest a good quality low cost location thats close to me to source from ...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rijbiz Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Also, where do you buy? As I have had a look at my local fish shop and is quite pricey, not wanting to spend any more than $5-10 per kg (Depending on how fleshy the fish is) Im in Sydney, close to rouse hill/parramatta if anyone can sugguest a good quality low cost location thats close to me to source from ...? I can't advise on feeding raw fish as I only give mine canned sardines, but the cheapest place in the area is Woolworths at the new Rouse Hill Shopping Centre. You should be able to buy something like Basa in your price range. Saying that, Basa is imported from Vietnam and I would also check out lead content etc which you get with some bigger fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webby Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Used to feed all our fish heads to mum and dads boxer he goes nuts for them. Wouldn't feed flat head because they have a lot of spines. samon and most of you surf fish are pretty good. Just try to stick with the fish with the least mount of spines. Trevali are a great one and fairly cheap if you have to buy them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo01 Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 Ok, thanks for the replys. Im not a big fish eating person myself so have NO IDEA when it comes types of fish. And ops, just checked with the OH and its leather jacket! Not flat head, my mistake. But take it would be very much the same in terms of spines? Sorry, as i said, i dont know fish... All i know is my OH catches it cleans it and brings in nice stripes of white fish flesh for me to cook. Apart from that its Barramundi, prawns and calamari at my place LOL Rijbiz, how would i know what content of lead a fish does contain? Any other sugguestions as to type of fish you feed would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolietas Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I give my boy raw fish about once a week. I go to the markets and buy fish like mackeral, salmon (tails & heads are the cheapest), sardines, rainbow trout etc. Best fish to feed are those high in Omega 3's (as above) but most fish are fine - just check the source (ie. water quality) and if they're not cleaned, clean them to double check for hooks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 my lot eat whiting, garfish, pinkies, flathead - all raw no ones choked yet. The whiting and Gar I feed whole (gar just cut the tip off) and the rest I cut out the spines/bones depending on the fish leo lead is not an issue in local caught fish its mainly overseas where they have been dumping industrial waste into their water systems that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo01 Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 Excellent, thanks all. I have a good list now of fish ideas that I can feed. Next is a trip to the fish shop (And taking over the other 1/2 of the freezer with my good fish buys OH keeps complaining the dog gets more freezer space than we do) I have also heard that I can feed prawn shells/heads, but raw only of course.... Hmmm still seems kinda spikey to me...? Does anyone know? And if so can i freeze them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 unless they are the small ones, no - hard and spikey why buy when you can fish them for free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo01 Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 unless they are the small ones, no - hard and spikeywhy buy when you can fish them for free! Yeah, that was my thought. Someone kept telling me NOO Its fine! (Just another case of dont take everything you hear as gospel) So true, why buy when you can fish for free. But i just have no patients for it, And cant bait a hook to save my life. My OH would love you for encouraging me to go fishing with him though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravyk Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 i'd avoid buying fish from supermarkets that is imported. you just never know what nasties could be in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 An easy and cheap way to get fish is to go to a bait shop and get frozen pilchards/sardines,I usually get 2kg bags for 8-$10.I've never met a dog or cat yet that didn't love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo01 Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 An easy and cheap way to get fish is to go to a bait shop and get frozen pilchards/sardines,I usually get 2kg bags for 8-$10.I've never met a dog or cat yet that didn't love them. Great tip! Ta! He loves the tin sardines once a week so im sure he will scoff them, even better on hot days as frozen sardinsicles (Popsicles, sardinsicles) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colliepaws Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I just have to say that I tried feeding a couple of prawn heads to my dogs earlier this year and they weren't at all interested in eating them. Instead they decided that rolling on them would be great! They came inside reeking of prawn and with their big white fluffy collars all stained fluro orange from prawn innards! I was not impressed! and I can tell you that's the first and last time I ever try feeding them prawns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glendabenda Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 The only tin sardines that I can find at coles etc come from orverseas is this ok?? ( In that cat food section) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretel Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I just have to say that I tried feeding a couple of prawn heads to my dogs earlier this year and they weren't at all interested in eating them. Instead they decided that rolling on them would be great! They came inside reeking of prawn and with their big white fluffy collars all stained fluro orange from prawn innards! I was not impressed! and I can tell you that's the first and last time I ever try feeding them prawns! Oh no I can picture that! :D Sorry to laugh - I wouldn't have if I had to bath them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colliepaws Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Gretel - That's okay...I can laugh about it too....now! I certainly wasn't at the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozjen Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I'm glad you brought up this subject, my dogs had the chance of fresh salmon last week and it was our first attempt at fish other than canned mackrel so was a little nervous. I cut of the sharp fins and tail and removed the skin as it was easier than descaling them. Son took the heads for crabbing and grabbed most of the fillets for smoking (well I guess he did catch them)but any red meat and a few fillets for the dogs and as there was a fair bit of meat left on the bones the dogs and cat got that too. Not sure I would feed the frames again though as my Aussie seemed to be panting alot later in the evening as though she had abit of discomfort both times we tried with these. She has been raw fed for more than 4 years but not alot of experience with boney fish perhaps just too much at one time. I would be interested to hear what others feed in terms of how they prep the fish when they are big ones (a good couple of feet long) ie do you remove the sharp bits like fins and tails, debone , descale? Have told my son that he's welcome to go catch me some more I'll even babysit so his partner can help him catch extra. Is there much of a risk of mercury in the fish in Western Australian waters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rijbiz Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Rijbiz, how would i know what content of lead a fish does contain? Sorry I have no idea. As I said I only feed mine tinned sardines a couple of times a week. Just knew that the fish was cheap at Rouse Hill because we used to buy it there for ourselves. I can only tell you that we don't buy the Basa ourselves as it comes from Vietnam and I've heard that its pretty polluted - my opinion only. We always bought Australian fish. I believe only the larger deep sea fish contain levels of mercury etc but again I'm relaying what other people have told me and I don't know all the facts. I don't think it would apply to anything you caught in Australia (at least I'd hope not). Good luck with your fishy meals, I hope your dogs enjoy them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniek Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I would be interested to hear what others feed in terms of how they prep the fish when they are big ones (a good couple of feet long) ie do you remove the sharp bits like fins and tails, debone , descale? Mine get the lot - the whole fish - bones, head, scales, fins whatever. I buy the cheapest, so usually whole sardines, sometimes salmon head with the frame attached - chomp chomp chomp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolietas Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Yep, other than a quick clean (if they haven't been already) I feed everything (unless there's any extra sharp fins or spikes then I remove those first). I fed my sheltie a salmon tail the other day...was really meaty but I wasn't sure whether he would actually eat the tail fin - but he did! not much that boy won't scoff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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