We always love to share food with dogs; it’s natural with us, and sometimes we never care either it can be beneficial for the dog or not. But many of us are curious about the dog’s health and think twice before sharing food with the dog. Do you know 99% of dog owners do not bother to think once when it comes to sharing fish food with dogs? You know why?
Because every one of us knows it well, dogs like to eat fish, and they love its taste as well as it’s relatively healthy for them. So can dogs eat sardines is not a question anymore!
Yes, dogs love to eat the best type of fish sardines, the world’s healthiest food, a good source of calories, protein, vitamins, and many other minerals and nutrients. Dogs love the taste of sardines and always want to have more either its offer uncooked, cooked, or semi-cooked form.
It is the only type of fish that provides every natural nutrient and mineral to dogs that they need to stay in good health. It’s a natural source and the best food for dogs, but relatively it’s costly when we compare it to other foods.
You might also like our review on the Best low-fat canned dog food and the Can Dogs Eat Sauerkraut available on separate pages.
What Are Sardines?
The other name of sardines is pilchards; it’s a small oily fish that belongs to the herring family. Sardines existed in the Mediterranean see in large numbers and were found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Their distinctive appearance makes them different from other types of fish; the reflective silver scales on the body give them this distinction. There are 21 different fish that are classified as sardines like Sardinops, sardine, dussumieria, sardinell, etc.
Sardines range from 6 to 12 inches only, and they are soft boned; they migrate along the coast and live in dense schools.
They grow on plankton, and due to their abundance, they are one of the easiest fish to obtain; you can buy it as fresh or canned easily. Currently, countries such as Morocco, France, Spain, Norway, and Portugal are the biggest exporter of sardines.
Nutritional Profile of Sardines
About 92 grams of Atlantic sardines contains approximately:
- 191 calories
- 22.7 g protein
- 10.5 g fat
- 8.2 mg vitamin B12
- 48.5 mg selenium
- 250 international units vitamin D
- 451 mg phosphorus
- 351 mg calcium
- 2.7 mg iron
- 365 mg potassium
- 35.9 mg magnesium
- 0.2 mg copper
- 1.9 mg vitamin E
- 0.2 mg vitamin B6
- 1.2 mg zinc
20 Nutritional Benefits of Sardines for Your Dog
Sardines which are a rich source of copper and other countless nutrients, are ideal food for dogs of every age. Here we discuss a few of the prime benefits that your dogs can get from sardines, like:
- Protein Rich Food: Just 3 oz. of sardines provides 23 grams of protein, which is not possible with any other food; this is why sardines are more energizing for dogs.
- Excellent source of EPA and DHA: It greatly reduces inflammation and chances of disease in dogs; these two essential fatty acids are scientifically proven to reduce inflammation, it also strengthens the defense against inflammation.
- Vitamin Rich: It’s rich in vitamin B 12, vitamin D, calcium, and selenium; these vitamins play vital roles in keeping the dogs healthy and playful.
- Promote Bones Health: Bones need calcium to stay more vigorous and healthy, and sardines are high in calcium; just 2 oz. of sardines contains 217 mg of calcium. So while feeding sardines to your dog, you can expect a more robust and healthy skull.
- High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: It dramatically reduces depression and anxiety in dogs; this is why most groomers advise making sardines part of the food for the dogs suffering from anxiety.
- Slow Down Sugar Absorption: Its content slows down the sugar absorption that eliminates the threat of diabetes.
- Least Contaminated Fish: Yes, it’s true; sardines are the least contaminated fish in the market.
- Suitable For Weight Management: it curbs apatite and helps maintain a healthy weight; your dog will ask for more food.
- Anti Cancer Properties: at first, it prevents blood clotting, calcium, and vitamins from sardines as they are an excellent source to prevent cancer.
- A Strong Anti-Oxidant: It is high in selenium that is the best anti-oxidant to deal with free radicals.
- Immune Booster: Regular feeding to dogs improves their immune system; for this purpose, you may use sardines oil, which is easy to administer.
- Good for Skin and Coat: It promotes good skin health, and continuous intake results in a lush coat.
It offers unlimited benefits; the dog owners who regularly offer sardines observe a lot of improvement in their dogs, which can be observed with naked eyes.
While on the other it also helps to get maximum performance from your dog if you take care of a service dog.
When it comes to old dogs the sardines is useful to:
- Prevent heart disease
- Reduce muscular degeneration
- Provide healthy brain function
- Maintain eye health
Professional groomers and service dog trainers recommend this food to get overall good health in dogs because this is the only food that has all that natural a dog needs to stay healthy and in good strength.
If we say it’s the most cooked food in most US parts, then it’s true, so you can quickly cook it for yourself as well as for your dog, who can get a lot of benefits from sardines.
How Much Sardines is Good for Dogs?
Dogs love flavor and food either you offer them their favorite food is cooked, semi-cooked, or in raw form; they always look for more. But feeding an unlimited quantity of sardines cannot bring you any good results. If you consider our recommendation then:
- 1/4 can in day
- 2 Cans of Sardines in a week
When you open a can of sardine for your dog, use it in two days; it not hard to digest food, but the dog’s body needs time to absorb all the nutrients and minerals present in the sardines. Do not forget to refrigerate the opened can so that the fragile fats do not go rancid.
How to Feed Sardines to Your Dog?
In the wild, dogs were used to eat fresh fish, yet they could eat it without cooking. Dogs love the taste of sardines, and they also like its smell. If used to add fish oil in your dog’s meals, you can offer him sardines. Studies show that it can significantly improve body and brain function. So it superior for many reasons. You can provide sardines to your dog in a way like:
- Canned Sardines: these are somehow considered best for dogs as canned sardines are treated and ready to eat for dogs, they smell nice, and they taste fresh.
- Cooked Sardines: Get fresh sardines and cook at home; you can add sardines as a source of protein in any home-cooked dish for your pooch.
- Semi-Cooked Sardines: lightly grilled or a semi-cooked form is also best for dogs; in this way, they feel near to the wildlife.
Domestic dogs also like to eat raw sardines, but it’s not advised as the digestive system of domestic dogs is not the same as they have in the wild; it might be challenging for them to digest the sardines just like other food. So prefer not o feed raw sardines to your dog.
Never feed pacific raw Sardines to your dog as it contains the bacterium that can be life-threatening for your dog.
When you offer sardines to your dog, do not worry about the bones as they can digest that and become a calcium source.
Dogs also like the water that sardines packed in; you also can use this water to make other food delicious, like adding this water on kibble will make kibble more delicious.
While taking a fresh start, offer a small amount of sardines and do not start when your dog is sick or suffering from digestive problems.
FAQ’s
Which Sardine is not good for dogs?
What to do when dog do not like sardines?
Is it good for pregnant and lactating females?
Do sardines develop fishy smell in dogs?
Final Thoughts
Vets always advise feeding lightly cooked sardines to dogs as it makes them safe for the dog. Hopefully, now you get the answer to the question, can dogs eat sardines. Its healthy food for them, and it provides all elements that dogs need to stay healthy.