Fish Heads: How To Make Them More Appealing

[Chequeredblackdog]

I thought I would be really nice and get my Kelpie a lovely treat, a big ole salmon head.

Unfortunately he is a pansy and is just standing over it going WTF?!?! What do I do with this THING?

So now I have a big salmon head sitting in the yard with a Kelpie who has NO idea what to do...... Sigh

Can I do anything to encourage him to eat it? Or is it destined for the bin?

[labadore]

Cut it in half or into more manageable sized pieces with a meat cleaver. I used to do that for one of my Labs who struggled with a a whole head and would always eat the lot once I cut it up for him :)

[tdierikx]

Wait until it really reeks - it will be WAY more appealing then - as aftershave too... *grin*

T.

[Chequeredblackdog]

Thanks, I'll try cutting it up, I had hoped that he would get hungry and eat it....... Sigh I've just been and checked it and it is slightly mauled, more like he has been playing with it.

LOL Tdierikx! Reggie is a bit of a princess, he loves to roll.... But only in/ on grass. He throws himself on the ground and shimmys and 'swims'. he really is the biggest goofball.

I have never had to bath him because he was smelly. no stinkies for my little pansy!

I think he is broken! So much for being a farm dog!

[trifecta]

Our Kelpie refuses to eat salmon fish heads & spine bones, in fact he hates anything slimy including liver. The Belgian on the other hand is a guts & will eat anything. Likewise our old GSDx who really enjoyed his salmon heads!

[Christina]

Roll it in some puff pastry. Bake in the oven. Put it on a plate, pick up a knife & fork & sit at the table as though you are about to eat it.

Your dog will go crazy for it then :laugh:

Easier to chuck it in the bin.

[bianca.a]

Think he is broken

[raineth]

I haven't had any success feeding my two salmon heads either. However they will eat other fish once it has been rotting in the backyard for about 24 hours :)

[sheena]

I bought one once & was told to remove it's teeth as they are very hard & sharp & may do the dog an injury. It sat in the freezer for a year, then I got it out & made fish broth with it, strained & added the liquid to their meals. They loved it. My dogs will eat small fish providing I remove all sharp bits first.

[Sydoo]

My dog won't eat fish heads or most whole fish. Loves sardines from a tin but fresh sardines are ignored.

[Kavik]

I tried that once, and my lot had the same reaction as yours :laugh:

[piper]

I gave in on fresh raw fish and decided tinned was cheaper, easier and more successful. Only had 1 dog that would ever actually eat raw fish and even then he would give me pathetic looks as though I was trying to kill him or something. LOL

[minimax]

Roll it in some puff pastry. Bake in the oven. Put it on a plate, pick up a knife & fork & sit at the table as though you are about to eat it.

Your dog will go crazy for it then :laugh:

Easier to chuck it in the bin.

lol I was going to suggest pretend to eat it yourself at the table. Always a surefire way to make them interested

[Chequeredblackdog]

Well the fish head was a bust it is now in the bin. He was 'interested' in it if I told him to get it etc. but otherwise he was still like WTF?! This isn't food.

I tried chopping it up, pretending that I was eating a piece; he would happily take a piece then his expression would change to 'eewwwww! Icky! his eyes screwed up and he stuck his tongue out........ Then the guilt face comes out, the whole 'I trusted you! And you gave me something icky!"

Sigh, back to tinned/ cooked fish for my princess! :laugh:

[mixeduppup]

Maybe it's a kelpie thing, mine hate raw fish

[trifecta]

As a footnote to this topic, my holistic vet told me that white fish should always be fed cooked, but oily fish are OK raw.

[Diva]

As a footnote to this topic, my holistic vet told me that white fish should always be fed cooked, but oily fish are OK raw.

Why is that?

[hankdog]

There is just no way a jolly great fish head can be made appealing...ever.

[Rebanne]

my greyhounds eat salmon heads, not that they get them very often

[minimax]

As a footnote to this topic, my holistic vet told me that white fish should always be fed cooked, but oily fish are OK raw.

Why is that?

The logic I've heard behind not feeding raw fish is the bacteria and parasites it can contain. However, I'm not sure if this is in the same context as not feeding raw chicken due to salmonella, or if it's actually true. Freezing fish kills anything lurking in it anyway, so if you're feeding fish that's been frozen it's safe.