# just got a new husky what do I feed it?



## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

Hi My name is Jonathan. My wife and I just recently got a new husky that is 9 months old. This is my first. I've been told a lot about what to feed it but don't have any references on anything and need to know, what would be good to feed him? Where would be a good place to go and get this kind of information? If you can help me I would greatly appreciate it.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

There are a few sites to research foods, such as www.dogfoodanalysis.com and www.dogfoodadvisor.com. it would help to know if he has any health issues. What is he currently eating?


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## Active Dog (Jan 18, 2010)

I feed my dogs blue wilderness there is a puppy formula for wilderness.


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

Well right now we are feeding him natures recipe. Its Chicken meal, rice, and barley recipe. Is that a good one for him to be on? I've had some say yes and some say no. He has a respiratory infection and is currently on meds for that. Other than that he is healthy and loves running and playing fetch 24/7 lol.


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## Tainted (Jan 23, 2012)

InkedMarie said:


> There are a few sites to research foods, such as www.dogfoodanalysis.com and www.dogfoodadvisor.com. it would help to know if he has any health issues. What is he currently eating?


This.

Also when you are looking, I would try to stick with a grain free kibble, and stay away from foods with fillers.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Huskys are large breeds, I hope someone with a large breed will pipe in. I don't remember if they should have large breed puppy food, any puppy food or all life stages.


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

Yeah I've been told multiple different things but every person I've talked to says the opposite of the previous so I'm at a standstill. I've had a lot of people say Orjen, Innova or Wellness puppy large breed
California Natural, Karma are good as well as blue buffalo. a lot have said blue buffalo and that's what I've been looking into but also want to make sure is a good choice before I go out buying a bunch of different foods. Needless to say I've been doing a large amount of research on this lol.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Siberian's are a medium breed - not large. Putting them on a large breed formula won't do anything to them but you don't have to. Siberian's are also prone to have sensitive stomachs - my girl didn't do well on Blue Buffalo and I've heard a number of people say their Siberian Huskies have had problems on it.

I feed Taste of the Wile Pacific Stream (I like the fish based foods but that goes back to the original diet of the Siberian Husky was fish) and Holistic Select (Anchovy and Sardine). As they were the two foods (along with 4Health) that cleared up my girls upset stomach problems.
Orijen, Innova and Wellness are both great foods but I have no experience with them.


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

Niraya said:


> Siberian's are a medium breed - not large. Putting them on a large breed formula won't do anything to them but you don't have to. Siberian's are also prone to have sensitive stomachs - my girl didn't do well on Blue Buffalo and I've heard a number of people say their Siberian Huskies have had problems on it.
> 
> I feed Taste of the Wile Pacific Stream (I like the fish based foods but that goes back to the original diet of the Siberian Husky was fish) and Holistic Select (Anchovy and Sardine). As they were the two foods (along with 4Health) that cleared up my girls upset stomach problems.
> Orijen, Innova and Wellness are both great foods but I have no experience with them.



Ok Ty very much on the advise I will definitely look into that. Its their any other advise you could give about huskys that I should know. I am new with huskys so any advise would be amazing.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

You're very welcome  I'm very happy to give advice and help to people willing to learn about the breed 

They need -lots- of exercise. Bikejoring is great for them (and you) and provides invaluable bonding time - as it lets the dog do what it was bred to do; Pull and run. They're not typically dogs that you can skip a day or two of exercise because you "don't feel like it" or what have you. Remember, they're dogs that were bred to pull sleds over really long distances (25,50 and even 75 or more miles at a time). So typically - the minimum is 45 minutes of exercise. My Siberian gets a minimum of two walks a day (weather permitting) that are an hour and a half at least. She also gets TONS of mental stimulation in puzzle toys and at least two or three training sessions a day.

They're actually pretty quiet dogs overall - but they do have a tendency to "talk" and can be very vocal. They don't really "bark" but they howl.




That's an example of what I go through with my Siberian (She's actually a lot more vocal than these video's show). I love her talking so it's not a problem for me - but if you have neighbors they might not appreciate it 

Shedding! Once (usually twice - spring and fall) a year they blow their coat. Which means your Siberian will look absolutely disgusting during that time!  They'll lose clumps (I mean hand-fulls of fur that you can literally just pull off of your dog) at a time. Lots of vacuuming! Also! Don't use a furminator (grooming tool) on a Siberian it can ruin their coat! And NEVER EVER shave them!

Here's a video I found that goes over Siberian's really well 





Don't follow the dominance theory/pack leader stuff. As Siberian Huskies DO NOT respond well to things like that [i.e. alpha rolling] and you can actually end up with a very fearful/aggressive Siberian. Please! Look up positive training and clicker training! There's a lot of threads on this forum that you can look up also .

Siberian Huskies LOVE to feel that they're included in whatever your family is doing. If you're cooking they like to be right there! If you're going to the bathroom - hey! they want to be there knowing what's going on . They also like to just be left alone sometimes . They're very stubborn and independent. 

Going with the stubborn and independent - Siberian Huskies are usually not recommended as first time dogs because they are NOT like many other breeds. They are headstrong and because of what they were bred for - they had to be independent and very intelligent and stubborn. Many times Huskies saved their mushers by not following their command to go out on an icy patch of trail - but the musher didn't know that it was ice. Their stubbornness makes training them pretty difficult - but don't get discouraged! Training can be achieved .

Also - don't let them off leash. They run. And run and run and run and run and run! It's very hard to train a reliable recall with a Husky (not impossible - just hard). They have very high prey drives which means they love nothing more than to chase small animals (cats, rabbits, squirrels etc.) and they can/will kill them if they catch them. Which is another reason to always keep them on a leash unless in a completely enclosed area (a dog park or fenced in yard)! If you DO have a fenced in yard don't ever leave your Husky unsupervised! They're master escape artists! You may think they can't get out - but they will!

Remember - a tired dog is a good dog .
I think that's basically it. If you have any more questions or what not you can always shoot me a private message


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## Active Dog (Jan 18, 2010)

Thats funny Niraya, Miko did terrible on TOTW (its what I had Ava on when I got him) and even a few months after being on it his poop was still loose! I wanted him to do well on it so badly cause Ava was doing so well and she has allergies x10000 so I went back to BBW and he is doing great. I know Huskies have sensitive tummies in general though.

Yes, much to many peoples surprise Siberian Huskies are NOT a large breed, they are a medium breed and males should only reach 60lbs while females should only reach 50lbs. I pretty much have nothing to add to Niraya because they covered everything lol. 

Owning a husky can be a challenge that is for sure...lately Miko has been getting on my last nerve. I was joking with him as we drove to Petsmart that I was going to ditch him on the trail one of these days (which I would never ever do hence the joke) but there is an upside to owning a husky. By the time we got out of Petsmart my heart was so overwhelmed with pride for him that I could barely contain myself! We walked by other dogs without a problem, he listened perfectly, he politely sat next to the bird cages and calmed down very quickly, he even didn't care about the squealing child wanting to come and pet him. I couldn't believe he was my dog it just blew my mind. Yet I know that while some days it doesn't feel like I have gotten anywhere with training he really has become a beautifully reliable dog. I even have taught him a reliable recall (I couldn't believe it was ever possible). It takes a LOT of work though, don't ever underestimate a husky because they are always one step ahead of you, they may seem dim witted but don't confuse their intelligence with stupidity they are just good at being cleaver. 

This is my husky angry at me for not feeding him yet. They can be very loud when they want to be.


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

I will definately have to message you then because this is the kind of information I've been looking for. I love my dog and want the best for him and I'm very interested in learning all I can about them from those who already have one.


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

Active Dog said:


> Thats funny Niraya, Miko did terrible on TOTW (its what I had Ava on when I got him) and even a few months after being on it his poop was still loose! I wanted him to do well on it so badly cause Ava was doing so well and she has allergies x10000 so I went back to BBW and he is doing great. I know Huskies have sensitive tummies in
> 
> Yes, much to many peoples surprise Siberian Huskies are NOT a large breed, they are a medium breed and males should only reach 60lbs while females should only reach 50lbs. I pretty much have nothing to add to Niraya because they covered everything lol.
> 
> ...


I took mine to pets mart and well needless to say it went really well at first. He was very well behaved and everyone loved him and kept petting him. After awhile I think he started getting over exited about all the attention and started jumping and trying to pull the lash off my hand to get to the other dogs. we had to hold him down and calm him. After about 10 min we decided it was a good idea to take him outside while the wife finished the shopping lol. What would you recommend being a good technique to teach him for those instances so he's not trying to jump org the leash? Also it want the small dogs he was jumpy around. It was the larger ones the pit bulls and other larger dogs.


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## Active Dog (Jan 18, 2010)

I would suggest telling people you would like them to either not pet him or have him sit or lay down before they pet him. You are right a lot of attention can overwhelm them and make them hyper. You don't have to be rude just explain that he is still in training and needs to learn manners before he can get pets.

When I go in with one of my dogs I go in with a calm mindset, I gather up all my patience and make it a purely training experience. With Miko I generally keep a halter on him so I have more control over his face. I don't generally use it but its nice to have, usually I just encourage him to come back to me when he starts pulling. As for the birds I make him sit down and wait. Once he calms down he gets pets and attention for being good, this way it doesn't hype him up more. It did take many times to get to that point though. As for other dogs I just ask him to sit down and wait for the other dogs to pass, if the owners keep letting their dog bother us I move away, its better than souring our training.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

The pet store I used to work at had a daycare, and this gorgeous husky female came every day! Her name is Nishka and she was awesome! She talked a lot!!!


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

They are beautiful dogs indeed. Everyone I've talked too asks if mine is a German Sheppard or husky and when they find out its a husky they always get exited lol. The thing with mine is its primarily white but where the white and black ones have the black mine has a slight mix of grey to it that you can't even see in pictures but in person people say the mixture is absolutely beautiful. I love mine can't wait till he gets older and like everyone else said about them I can't wait till I get there.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Honestly a husky at 9 months old... in terms of dietary influence on skeletal development, that ship is getting very close to sailing if it has not already left port. I wouldn't worry about large breed/medium breed specifics for diet as much as just focusing on a good adult diet. 

Like others here, I like Taste of the Wild. A lot of people like Orijen/Wellness/Innova, but personally my dogs did not do great on them they tended to have soft stools. If you are going to be very active with this dog (and you should look into mushing sports!) you may need to supplement with some extra calories but look for something that has more fat or carbs rather than more protein (I like Native Performance, myself).


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## nighthawk17 (Jan 23, 2012)

Ok Ty very much I will look into that and put it on my list


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## Goldens&Labs4Me (Jan 18, 2012)

You've gotten excellent advice first hand, so I don't have much more to add.

But, my best friend adores and owns huskies and what I know about them, I've learned from watching her with her dogs. 

I highly recommend a puppy class or basic obedience class with you, the dog and your wife. If you can swing it, I think it would really be a huge help in building a great (correct) foundation for the 3 of you. Huskies are awesome dogs--but not for the faint of heart--they are very smart and you always have to be one step ahead of them.  

As for food--you'll get 10,000,000 opinions on this--so adding 10,000,0003 I'll say my favorite brand is FROMM (especially the 4 Star Ingredient line); I also like the Acana and for a more budget friendly food, I like Chicken Soup for the Soul (though I know some aren't too fond because it's made by Diamond). 

I've personally not tried the TOTW but have heard a lot of good feedback on it. Oh, I like Blue Buffalo as well and my dogs do, too! 

Good luck with your pup.


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Our huskys are 1 year old, kaiser and Mia, when Pups, we fed em mostly dry puppy meal, but now they eat rabbit, wild turkey, teal, and no it doesn't mess with there stomachs, when we change there feed, and rarely this is, we do it gradually, not rapidly. Another good tip, am a sheep shearer by trade, never shear the dogs coat, if you can, try and get your hands on a wool teasel, they are the best tool for the job. 

P.s never feed a dog fish, doesn't matter what breed, it's makes them vicious.


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## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Son Of James said:


> P.s never feed a dog fish, doesn't matter what breed, it's makes them vicious.


Completely UNtrue. Plenty of people here feed their dogs fish (including myself) with absolutely no vicious-ness. Fish does NOT cause aggression. Where in the world did you hear that? Fish is part of dogs' original diet.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Son Of James said:


> P.s never feed a dog fish, doesn't matter what breed, it's makes them vicious.


What????
(too short)


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I feed mine prey model raw. When I got my first husky I was still researching on how to raw feed and so was feeding her Taste of the Wild. She did really well on it.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Also.. you got a husky before doing any research on them?? Yikes. I think the most important thing to know is that they have a crazy amount of energy and you MUST provide a constructive outlet or else you will have a terror of a dog that will make its own fun. Digging, chewing, ruining your house, running away, barking, jumping, general unruliness, etc etc etc. For mine, one of them I go for a 5+ miles bike ride 3 times a week and she pulls me the entire way. The other one gets less intense bike rides (~3 miles a couple times a week with little pulling) and I also do agility with her. They both go to the dog park several times a week for playing and socializing and also go for regular walks to keep up with the loose-leash walking and leash manners. That's just the physical. They also get daily obedience training, off and on throughout the day for about 30 minutes each total to help keep them mentally exercised.

Never, ever leave the dog loose and unsupervised. If you can't be watching, put it in a crate. Crates are supposed to be good places, make it a positive place. It's not jail or punishment, it's to keep the dog safe and secure while you can't be watching. Even when I take a shower I crate them. Don't EVER leave the dog outside by itself. Most huskies are escape artists. One of mine can climb chainlink, dig faster than you'd believe, and she can climb/jump 6 ft fences.

Never shave the dog, ever. It seriously messes with their ability to regulate their body temperature which can be very dangerous. If you live somewhere that gets hot, provide a cool place for the dog. Do not shave EVER unless required by medical emergency or such.

*Work extremely hard on recall.* Huskies are born and bred to run. Once they start running they don't want to stop. It's what they love to do. You must teach your dog to come when called no matter what else is going on in the environment. This is typically best achieved by showering the dog with treats, love, and favorite toys for coming back. *Never* call your dog for punishment. Coming to you is ALWAYS a good thing.

Here is a site with great dog training advice, I highly suggest you read it all thoroughly and follow it. Congrats on your new family member, huskies are a lot of fun 
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/digital-dog-training-textbook


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Ah what would the simple man know, he's just been hunting most his life, bringing many pups up, both hunting and livestock, with the occasional family dog. There are two things that make a dog vicious, 1; raw fish, even fish oil, concentrated works best, 2; dogs first kill, I find particularly huskys make good hunting companions, especially for foxes, lilasmom fish works, I don't know why, but it does.


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## Goldens&Labs4Me (Jan 18, 2012)

Son Of James said:


> Ah what would the simple man know, he's just been hunting most his life, bringing many pups up, both hunting and livestock, with the occasional family dog. There are two things that make a dog vicious, 1; raw fish, even fish oil, concentrated works best, 2; dogs first kill, I find particularly huskys make good hunting companions, especially for foxes, lilasmom fish works, I don't know why, but it does.


Where are you getting your information?


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

I can tell you right now that raw fish and fish oil a vicious husky does not make. As I feed my dog fish, and she gets fish oil pills every day for her heart problem.

Sounds like you just have terribly tempered huskies - not "vicious" because of what you feed them.


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Niraya said:


> What????
> (too short)


It's a bit weird, the concept, feeding a dog fish, lilasmom reckons its a good thing, it's up to her what she feeds her dog, but I know what am talking about, my father did it, as did his.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

It is a good thing to feed a dog fish - just like humans take fish oil pills to help their heart and hair - you give a dog fish oil to help their coat and their heart as well.

My girl gets fish oil pills every single day because she has a heart problem. She's yet to viciously lash out and attack someone because of it and she is a Siberian Husky.


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Sibe said:


> I feed mine prey model raw. When I got my first husky I was still researching on how to raw feed and so was feeding her Taste of the Wild. She did really well on it.


I tell you what can try, go down to a bait store, or even a butchery, get your hands on some chicken claw. Some ppl use it to bait crab or blue claw, but if you mince it up, throw sum carrots and rabbit, roo meat, all minced together, it doesn't look like much, but ur husky will devour it.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Son Of James said:


> I tell you what can try, go down to a bait store, or even a butchery, get your hands on some chicken claw. Some ppl use it to bait crab or blue claw, but if you mince it up, throw sum carrots and rabbit, roo meat, all minced together, it doesn't look like much, but ur husky will devour it.


What Sibe is saying is she currently feeds her dog RAW MEAT - every single meal. She is feeding her dog raw meat.

I can also assure you that her Sibe hasn't lashed out and attacked anyone viciously either.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Son Of James said:


> I tell you what can try, go down to a bait store, or even a butchery, get your hands on some chicken claw. Some ppl use it to bait crab or blue claw, but if you mince it up, throw sum carrots and rabbit, roo meat, all minced together, it doesn't look like much, but ur husky will devour it.


Why would I mince it? They eats chicken feet whole, chews them up just fine. They don't get carrots except as treats because they are carnivores and don't need plant matter if they have a varied and complete raw diet. If I could get kangaroo I'd definitely feed it, but not minced unless that was the only way I could get it. Whole chunks is FAR better.

Both my huskies eat fish and neither is vicious. Many working sled dogs get almost nothing except fish and they are certainly not vicious. I have no idea where you got such a ridiculous idea from.


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Niraya said:


> I can tell you right now that raw fish and fish oil a vicious husky does not make. As I feed my dog fish, and she gets fish oil pills every day for her heart problem.
> 
> Sounds like you just have terribly tempered huskies - not "vicious" because of what you feed them.


Fish oil pills, I suppose you cook up a nice big pot of pasta and the both of you just chow down on that too, Jesus Christ mrs, next they'll be sticking dogs in little doggy hand bags, oh wait! They do. Eggs are good for a dogs coat, 2$ in woollies for a 12 pack, not bloody 15$ for 15 pills, don't knock it before you try it.


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Sibe said:


> Why would I mince it? They eats chicken feet whole, chews them up just fine. They don't get carrots except as treats because they are carnivores and don't need plant matter if they have a varied and complete raw diet. If I could get kangaroo I'd definitely feed it, but not minced unless that was the only way I could get it. Whole chunks is FAR better.
> 
> Both my huskies eat fish and neither is vicious. Many working sled dogs get almost nothing except fish and they are certainly not vicious. I have no idea where you got such a ridiculous idea from.


Speaking from experience, in the sticks nothing goes to waste, we mince because we bulk our dog meat, 10 Roos, 30 odd chooks, we bone'em out first, same with the ducks, chook and teal breast too good for dog meat, we sell that to the pubs. 

Every dog is different, I have a stag/deer hound who goes through 3 roo tails a day, not too mention, 2kg of roo. If you heard, from say a certain dog mag, that you shouldn't feed your dog fish, would you stil feed your dog fish?


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Niraya said:


> What Sibe is saying is she currently feeds her dog RAW MEAT - every single meal. She is feeding her dog raw meat.
> 
> I can also assure you that her Sibe hasn't lashed out and attacked anyone viciously either.


Pity bout you then, lashing out with your abrupt tone, very mature.


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## Son Of James (Feb 13, 2012)

Goldens&Labs4Me said:


> Where are you getting your information?


A large handbook, 400 odd pages, am not sure who started it or how it began, but I know it has every peice of information on how to raise crop, animals and live a good life off the land.

I've added many things too it, but not fish info, it's on the 137th page, on the top of page, it reads "Darwin bombed," that mean's only one thing, feb 1942.


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## MusherChic (Nov 6, 2010)

Son Of James said:


> P.s never feed a dog fish, doesn't matter what breed, it's makes them vicious.


 Huh?? I'm not sure where you got that from but it's not true.
People feed their dogs fish all the time (including myself...in fact the food I feed my sled dogs is fish based) it does not cause a dog to become "vicious".


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## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Son of James, if your information were in fact true, we would be dealing with THOUSANDS more aggressive dogs. If fish makes dogs vicious, then why has no one on this forum seen this "viciousness"? Northern dogs original diet was primarily FISH based and people continue to feed them fish today with NO reports of viciousness. 

Also, I couldn't really understand what you were saying when describing your dogs' diet, but from what I did understand you take the bones out? Dogs MUST have raw bones in their diet if you are feeding raw. They need the calcium, phosphorous, and other minerals that bone has. You mentioned cooking up a bowl of pasta and sharing it with your dog, I wouldn't do that. Grains are the last thing a dog needs in his diet.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Son Of James said:


> If you heard, from say a certain dog mag, that you shouldn't feed your dog fish, would you stil feed your dog fish?


Yes I would. Unless there was hard proof and scientific studies showing that certain fish was in some way harmful. It's well known among raw feeders that some fish high in mercury (including bluefish, blue crab, grouper, mackerel, marlin, atlantic salmon, shark, swordfish, tilefish, most tuna) so it's not recommended to feed those often or in large quantities. Also wild salmonids of the pacific NW should not be fed fresh, but after being frozen solid for about a week they are fine to feed. You need to educate yourself and know what's appropriate to feed and what isn't.

Niraya was not lashing out at you. It's exactly what I would have told you myself. My dogs do eat raw meat. Every single meal. That includes fish sometimes. They have never attacked anyone. Maturity needs to come from you to realize that you were ill-informed. You now have correct information from several people here, be thankful for it. Perhaps in 1942 a certain fish was poisoning dogs or something, or more likely it was just an old wives' tale, so at that time it was not advised to give fish to dogs, but that was 70 years ago. I'm sure much information is out of date and no longer useful.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Sibe said:


> Yes I would. Unless there was hard proof and scientific studies showing that certain fish was in some way harmful. It's well known among raw feeders that some fish high in mercury (including bluefish, blue crab, grouper, mackerel, marlin, atlantic salmon, shark, swordfish, tilefish, most tuna) so it's not recommended to feed those often or in large quantities. Also wild salmonids of the pacific NW should not be fed fresh, but after being frozen solid for about a week they are fine to feed. You need to educate yourself and know what's appropriate to feed and what isn't.
> 
> Niraya was not lashing out at you. It's exactly what I would have told you myself. My dogs do eat raw meat. Every single meal. That includes fish sometimes. They have never attacked anyone. Maturity needs to come from you to realize that you were ill-informed. You now have correct information from several people here, be thankful for it. Perhaps in 1942 a certain fish was poisoning dogs or something, or more likely it was just an old wives' tale, so at that time it was not advised to give fish to dogs, but that was 70 years ago. I'm sure much information is out of date and no longer useful.


Thank you Sibe!  and very nicely said!


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