Cooked white fish

The AKC advises choosing shorter-lived species and names salmon, ocean whitefish, herring, walleye and flounder among them. PetMD's veterinary-reviewed guidance (Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP) puts whitefish, cod, whiting, flounder and catfish on the safe list and steers owners away from shark, swordfish, king mackerel and bigeye tuna because of mercury and parasites. White fish is low in fat, easy on the stomach, and often the protein a veterinarian reaches for when a dog needs something bland or novel. Bones are the real hazard. AKC warns that fish bones are small, brittle and dangerous, able to lodge in the mouth, throat, stomach or intestines and to perforate organ walls. Pulling the spine out is not enough; run your fingers through the flesh for pin bones, and never hand over a bone-in steak or the leftovers on a dinner plate. If your dog gags, drools, retches or struggles to swallow after eating fish, do not reach into the mouth, do not feed bread to "push it down," and do not induce vomiting, since a bone does more damage coming back up — call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Preparation is the other half. Bake, steam or poach it, fully cooked, with no oil and no seasoning: no salt, no butter, no garlic, no onion, no lemon-pepper blend. Fish sticks, beer-battered fillets, blackened fish and canned fish in oil are different foods entirely, and heavy oil can trigger GI upset or pancreatitis. Keep fish to about twice a week and all treats within 10% of daily calories. PetMD's portion guide starts at one piece roughly one inch by a quarter inch for dogs of 2-20 lb, scaling up to nine or ten such pieces for dogs over 91 lb. Start with a small amount the first time and watch for vomiting or loose stool. Cook it through. Raw fish carries parasite and bacterial risks that are covered separately.