Tuna As A Regular Additive?

[rsieg]

Question: Is canned tuna a safe "regular" greyhound food additive (say, several times a week?)

 

Max and Logan each normally get the following am and pm (i.e. twice a day): 1 cup Taste of the Wild (salmon) and 1/2 cup BilJac. This has worked well, good BMs, except that lately they have not wanted to eat it, especially in the morning. That is a problem since I then have to either pick it up (in which case they go hungry) or leave it -- in that case it is usually gone when I get home, but not sure if one dog (Logan!) got a double-serving.

 

So, a few times I have substituted canned tuna for the BilJac, actually going closer to 1 1/2 cups of TOTW and a quarter-can to half-can of tuna for each dog. I am using "light" canned tuna in water, listed as 280 mg sodium. (BTW, I have seen some tuna listed as "low sodium" and was buying that, but checking the label those had the same amount of sodium as regular "light" canned tuna). They still have good (perhaps even better) BMs with the tuna instead of BilJac.

 

Since they seem to like the tuna better, I'm tempted to go to that as the standard add-in (or maybe just in the am, and go with BilJac in the pm), with each dog getting 1/2 can of tuna (140 mg sodium). As I'm sure you have guessed, I'm thinking the sodium might be too high doing that, but I would be interested in any reason (sodium or other ingredients) that might make this a bad idea. Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

[Time4ANap]

I'd be more concerned about mercury but would have to research that before making a decision if I was feeding tuna. I know there is some concern about mercury , but only eat tuna once in a while so haven't really followed the latest info.

 

When I have trouble getting Rocket to eat i usually add cottage cheese or some scrambled egg, or a little canned food to give it the smell that interests him. He will usually chow down if I add any one of those. You can scramble a bunch of eggs in advance and keep them in the frig. Hounds don't care if they are cold, they just love eggs.

[PrairieProf]

Sardines would do the job and give you much more health benefit -- vastly higher Omega 3. I give mine a sardine in tomato sauce almost daily. Or you could do salmon, or jack mackerel. No problem with tuna that I know of.

Edited May 25, 2015 by PrairieProf

[DesiRayMom]

Desi said "eh" to tuna, but loves sardines. Ick to the tomato sauce, though, he'll take his plain.

FWIW, he gets probably a third of a sardine in each meal. After he's gone through a can of sardines,

I'll boil up a few eggs, & he'll get 1/2 an egg chopped up on each meal.....when those are gone, it's

back to sardines for another few days. He seems to like the variety.

[RedHead]

Tuna is okay, but I wouldn't give it more than a few times per week due to the Mercury (I believe Albacore has a higher amount). Canned salmon and sardines have much lower amounts, especially sardines. I think they have higher omegas as well, but I could be totally wrong.

 

I feed a homemade diet, and I have to feed canned fish at least 4 times per week to ensure for adequate vit. D and EFA's. I normally feed more salmon and sardines, but the occasional tuna as well. I get the ones in water, not oil.

[Guest Doggone]

For dinner, I add a quarter can of dog food (I vary the flavors) to Autumn's regular IAMS kibble, plus a little warm water. She makes quick work of it, and it's cheaper than canned fish.

For breakfast, she gets just dry kibble and she periodically munches it during the morning.

 

(But if I'm having canned tuna or salmon, or even sardines, I'll drain the can over her dinner, and then she'll vacuum it! )

[greysmom]

Tuna is fine for an occassional change up, along with canned salmon, canned jack mackeral, and canned sardines. Lots of times our grocery store has sardines on sale 10 tins for 10 dollars. I stock up then as they are pretty shelf stable.

[rsieg]

Thanks for the comments/suggestions. Seems like a lot of sardine fans here, so I may try that, and maybe the salmon as well. On the Internet I found sardines packed in water, olive oil, or tomato sauce, I assume any of those would be ok (oil might be good for the coat). My only concern is, as before, the sodium. Am I off-base in worrying about that? The sardines are higher sodium than tuna, although I suppose since it is more, ah, fragrant, I can get away with less sardines to entice them to eat.

[Hubcitypam]

A generally well respected vet (name appears on this forum with regularity} told me that in normal dogs with no health issues one don't exactly have to go overboard with excessive worry about sodium.

Have usually used jack mackerel (the poor man's salmon) and sardines for the dogs. Mine have all seemed to especially love sardines in tomato sauce.

- signed

The woman that has had to lock herself in the bedroom to eat a tuna sandwich in peace for about 15 years.

[PrairieProf]

I don't worry about mercury. But I think tuna is mostly a waste of time nutritionally. (Yes, I make sure to eat sardines regularly too!) http://chriskresser.com/5-reasons-why-concerns-about-mercury-in-fish-are-misguided/

[RaineysMom]

I vary with canned sardines and salmon and hard boiled eggs for an "extra" goodie in their food (They also get a spoonful of cottage cheese and yogurt too).

 

I've found that sprinkling some "shakey cheese" (Parmesan type cheese) on top really helps if they're being picky.

[rsieg]

I tried canned sardines tonight -- they like :-)

[CharlieRhea]

Skip jack tuna has far less mercury if you are concerned.

[greysmom]

I just spoke to our holistic vet about this Thursday. She said she couldn't think of any medical studies or reports, or anecdotal evidence that indicate dogs collect mercury in the same way people do. Tuna should be safe for dogs to eat, even everyday.