[Ashley S]

Hi, we have a dog who seems to be sensitive to fish ingredients of all kinds. At the moment we feed him a 3.5 star lamb and rice food ($65/40lbs — $1.62/lb), but it’s a local company and we may be moving, so we need to find something that’s generally available in stores/online.

We’re trying to find a 3.5 star or higher quality food in a similar price range that has NO FISH ingredients whatsoever. No fish meat, no fish oils, no fish byproducts, etc. You’d be surprised how hard that seems to be without going way over in price! Fish oil is usually so healthy for dogs, and there are so many different kinds of fish used in dog food.

Does anyone have any recommendations? We’d prefer something 3.5 stars or higher, preferably $2/lb or less, but we may have to suck it up and pay more.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Ashley S.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
yes you are right, it’s so hard to find a 3-5 star kibble with no fish or fish/salmon oils…
My boy cant have salmon oil or fish oil he gets bad acid reflux….. I live Australia & most imported American kibbles change their formula’s to come here & don’t have any fish oils (they go rancid quicker) the “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb we get & Europe gets doesn’t have the Salmon oil it has the Canola oil instead….

Have a look at “Canidae” & “Under The Sun” formula’s, here’s their link https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
I know Under the Sun formula’s don’t have any fish meats or oils unless it’s a fish formula & I know the Canidae Pure Wild Boar & Pure Meadow Senior formula doesn’t have any fish either Canidae has their Pure grain free formula’s & their All Life Stages formula have grains…look thru all their formulas…

Look at “Wellness” also “Holistic Select” & “Eagle Pack” all made my Well Pet..
Wellness- https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food
Eagle Pack- http://www.eaglepack.com/

also “EarthBorn Holistic”- https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas
“Pro Pac Ultimates” – https://www.propacultimates.com/
“Wholesomes Sportmix- https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/
the Chicken & Rice & the grain free formula’s have no fish, all made by Midwestern Pet foods…

[Ashley S]

Thanks so much!

Yeah, I was definitely eyeing the Canidae brand, although I’ve heard different opinions on having a lot of pea ingredients, and Canidae Under The Sun seems to have quite a bit. Mine are on a lamb based diet currently so I was looking at their lamb recipe, which lists green peas, garbanzo beans, and yellow peas as ingredients #2-4. Then again, I’ve noticed that a lot of the non-fish foods seem like they might have more pea ingredients, so I’m wondering if it’s just the way they try to make up for the lack of fish based protein? I don’t know.

EarthBorn Holistic was definitely another one I was looking at. Both of these foods seem to be the right combo of ingredients, price, and availability.

Have you tried either of them, did they seem to work out well for your dog(s)?

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
yes Canidae’s cheaper brand “Under The Sun” is very chickpea heavy, I tried UTS formula with Lamb & rice but I think they’re discontinued now ….
Chickpeas & Lentils are the new filler’s in grain free foods & Barley in grain formula’s, Chickpeas & Lentils are harder to digest & can cause gas/wind if your dog has sensitive stomach/bowel, if there’s a grain free formula that has chickpeas as 5-6th ingredients then there’ll be less chickpeas, Patch seems OK with the Canidae grain free formula’s, no bad farts or wind pain…. but when chickpeas are 2nd, 3rd ingredient then there’s more chickpeas in those formula’s…..that’s why I like “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it has sweet potatoes & NO chickpeas but I’m pretty sure the TOTW made for American customers has Salmon Oil 🙁
I posted the Canidae link in my first post, go on page 2, look at the Canidae Pure Land formula, Patch did real well then go on page 3- Canidae Pure Wild Boar & then the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior has very good ingredients 3 proteins as 1st-Chicken, 2nd-Chicken Meal & 3rd-Turkey Meal then 4th ingredient is Sweet Potatoes then chickpeas are the 5th ingredient & my boy did really well the only problem with the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior it has Chicken & Chicken Meal & my boy gets red paws & gets a bit itchy when he eats chicken so I rotate & only give him the chicken formula for a few meals a week, if you go on page 4 look at the Turkey Meal & Brown rice large breed formula, I email Canidae & asked can a small to medium breed & a senior dog eat any of their large breed formula’s & the lady said yes… the Duck meal, Brown Rice & Lentils large breed is also good on page 5…the Lentils are further down the ingredient list….If I find a large breed kibble with ingredients Patch can eat, I feed a large breed kibble in my rotation & try it out, the only problem with some large breed brands, some brands make a bigger size kibble but Canidae doesn’t…I like small size kibbles, my boy gulps his food & when the kibbles are smaller then they digest easier when they’re swallowed whole…

I just came across another kibble called “Performatrin Ultra” look at the Ultra formula’s with grains, the grain free formula’s are chickpea & lentil heavy… http://www.performatrin.com/products-selector/
also Hills “Ideal Balance” formula’s don’t have fish or fish oils..

[pugmomsandy]

Precise Lamb and Rice

http://precisepet.com/dog-formulas/precise/dry/lamb-meal-and-rice-sensicare/

Pulsar Chicken

http://horizonpetfood.com/index.php/pulsar/

[Dr. J. Davis M]

Were you able to find a good replacement? My dog will not eat lamb; I have only been able to get him to eat chicken. He is allergic to all fish/byproducts. He has been on Publix Premium and did very well on it. A few months ago they began adding Omegas so he is now reacting to those. I appreciate any input. He will not tolerate all the peas either.

[anonymous]

@ Dr. J. Davis M
Take a look: https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-classic-adult-dog-food
Started my dogs on this about a month ago (as a base) due to the grain-free scare.
So far, we are very impressed.
PS: Oops! Sorry, I didn’t see this, menhaden fish meal. Check with your vet, maybe a prescription/therapeutic diet would be the way to go.

[Dr. J. Davis M]

Thanks. I just did a chat w/them and their formulas have a ton of peas and lentils as well so a dog w/sensitive stomach won’t tolerate all that either. But I may try a small bag just to be sure. I have tried almost everything on the market before finding the Publix food that he really blossomed on. I appreciate your reply on this.

[anonymous]

You’re welcome. The formula (Adult Classic) I suggested does not have peas or lentils.
Of course you always have to consider cross contamination.
We like it, plus, it is reasonable cost-wise.
The smallest bag is 15 pounds (at a little over $20, not a bad deal)

NGREDIENTS: Chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, pearled barley, oatmeal, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), menhaden fish meal, dried whole egg, beet pulp, cheese, flaxseed, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, calcium sulfate, dl-methionine, l-tryptophan, taurine, chicory root extract, yucca schidigera extract, sodium selenite, sorbic acid (preservative), Vitamins [vitamin A acetate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin E supplement, Vitamin B12 supplement, choline bitartrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin], Minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, magnesium proteinate, cobalt proteinate], dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation product.

[Nayan G]

I have that is allergic to all forms of fish also. I found Simply Nonourish chicken and rice to be a decent food with no form of fish.

[Nayan G]

Anonymous..the food you are giving ingredients for has fish meal in it 😯

[Dr. J. Davis M]

I happened across Nutrish Turkey, Brown Rice & Venison Recipe that has no Omegas or fish of any variety. He has been doing well on this, no itching, red/swollen tummy, etc. I tried the Nutrish Natural Chicken & Veggies Recipe Dry Dog Food for variety, which he like better, but after a few months he began to develop the greasy fur and itchiness so I must presume something in that formula triggers him. It took 4 months to get his fur/itching back to normal after that. I try to liven up his diet w/certain wet foods and, surprise, his fave is actually Nutrish wet stews.

[Joshua W]

One of our ‘mutts’ has always been extra sensitive but last fall his food manufacturer changed their packaging and recipe. In their new recipe they added Fish Oil, before we knew it the little guy had a nasty skin infection and reeked! We tried the elimination diet, ended on a prescription diet with Apoqual daily. The little guy still itches and still gets sick. Our vet says it’s not a Fish sensitivity, yet he didn’t have problems until introduced to Fish and his prescription dog food also has Fish oil (super low).

I am surprised even today how few options there are for dog food without Fish oil. When have even looked at fresh food delivered and even that has fish oil. Crazy the manufacturers ever switched to it for heart health.

[Susan]

Hi Joshua,
when a dog suffers with food sensitivities its the protein in the meat or plant matter the dog reacts too, fats don’t have any proteins in fat, so look for foods that use Canola oil, Sunflower oil, Chicken fat, Flaxseed, Hemp Oil, Coconut Oil & Vitamin E,
High Omega 3 in diet helps dogs skin, too much Omega 6 & not enough Omega 3 can cause skin problems, Omega 3 % should be 1/2 the Omega 6%.
Baths are best, bath your dog twice a week to wash off any allergens off skin, paws, head etc also use a shampoo that’s an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial shampoo kills the yeast & bacteria on smelly yeasty dog, also use baby wipes the days dog hasn’t had a bath, Cool baths relieve dogs itchy red skin…

Sudocrem sold Walmart online only is very good, protects & stops itchy red skin, paws , Sudocrem protects dogs skin & paws from allergens, it’s an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, healing cream that stops yeast & bacteria.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sudocrem-Antiseptic-Cream-125G/182504923

Fish oils aren’t good when added to dry kibbles or pet foods as they go rancid very quickly, that’s why pet food companies started adding Fish Meal to replace the fish oil.

Look for a limited ingredient freeze dried food or a Kibble like Canidae Pure Wild Boar is good so is Canidae Pure Sky Duck & Sweet Potato kibble.

[Dr. J. Davis M]

My GSD has been on the Nutrish Turkey, brown rice, and venison dry for a year now and doesn’t itch or inflame at all. During the pandemic, this variety became unavailable for some reason, so for the last few months I switched him to beef variety with some chicken variety in it. He itches more than I’d like but less than on any food w/fish oil or omegas. Once the turkey returns to the shelves, I will get him back on that. FYI: I first became aware of his allergy when vet suggested I put him on Omega 3 for his greasy fur and itching. The next morning, his whole stomach was inflamed and he was itching worse than ever. This is when I contacted all the manufacturers, and the only one I found that used neither was Nutrish Turkey formula. I mix some of his food w/wet once a day so he gulps it up. I did not want to put him on any meds and this food has worked well to keep him from having to do that. I hope this helps.

[pugmomsandy]

@joshua W: several of the Pro Pac Ultimates recipes are fish free.

https://www.propacultimates.com/dog-food/

[Emma S]

I know this is an older post but thought it important to point out that many brands/recipes are making ingredient changes without allowing consumers. My dog has been happy with Natures Recipe grain free salmon pumpkin for a long time. Recently started having loose stools etc. Found postings from other consumers recently with the same problem so contacted manufacturer to discover that they added menhaden fish meal for the salmon and added pea protein to replace tapioca. Nothing on the packaging showed the was a recipe change. Even though my dog isn’t fish sensitive, adding the cheaper menhaden and the controversial peas imho is unethical. I guess the only recourse is to take a pic on ingredients and compare every time you make a purchase. (I also want aware the company has been purchased by Smucker!) I’m checking the suggestions above to see if I can find a good replacement

[Moni T]

Try the wellness brand or wellness core.
Hope this helps.

[Emma S]

Sorry almost all wellness and core has nengaden fish meal. The chicken core, which doesn’t state where the chicken originated, has salmon oil.

I decided it’s no big deal all to make homemade meals with a vet approved supplement. Almost every brand is now taken over by the big companies with resulting menu changed

[Justine Mitchell]

Here are two current ones as of 2024: Earthborn Holistic Venture Limited Ingredient Turkey Meal & Pumpkin Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast Lamb Meal & Vegetables Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. These also have no chicken ingredients.

[Miranda Yates]

I give my dog this food for small dogs , https://globy.com/b2bmarket/listing/products/high-performance-dogfood-da5bc7?category=agricultural&childCategory=animal-feed
there is no fish in it, it is well balanced and most importantly my little one has no allergies

[Author]

Posts