July Promos, Benefits of Feeding Seafood!

Sardines, smelts, herring, mackerel, anchovies ...

Fish in general is a great source of protein, calcium, selenium, niacin and Omega-3 fats for your dog. In fact, giving whole fish is a much better way to give your dog Omega-3 fatty acids than fish oil, which is unstable and can easily become rancid.

But also feeding the whole fish has many incredible benefits for our pets. Feeding the whole fish provides full spectrum omegas that you will not find in most fish oils. These omegas are derived from all the gory parts. The eyes, brain and organs. Full spectrum omegas help decrease inflammation in all parts of the body, they help with cognitive function, neurological development, skin and coat health and so much more. At Bark Avenue, you will find a new product called Orijens that makes a whole food supplement derived from full body menhaden fish. Next time you stop in, ask us about Orijens!

Larger fish that are higher up the food chain can be contaminated with toxins like mercury and PCBs (carcinogenic chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls), and should be avoided.

The solution is to give your dog the smaller fatty fish like sardines, smelts, herring, mackerel and anchovies.

You can feed these fish whole and raw two or three times a week. Depending on your dog's taste, give them either thawed or still frozen (some dogs prefer their fish crunchy). OC Raw has freeze-dried and frozen raw fish that would be great for supplemental rotation.

Spirulina

Spirulina is full of powerful nutrients and contains high levels of chlorophyll as well as more than 50 percent protein. Like many other foods from the sea, it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as enzymes and trace minerals.

Spirulina can help manage inflammation, prevent cancer, support the immune system, improve gastrointestinal health, and treat bacterial and yeast overgrowth, as well as radiation exposure.

Spirulina is a remarkable super-food, but poor quality spirulina can contain contaminants such as heavy metals (one study found lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in more than 25 spirulina products they tested).

So before you pick a brand, do your research. Check for a seal showing a third party certification from the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) or USP (US Pharmacopeial Convention). Also ask the company for a Certificate of Analysis (COA) describing their product quality and origin. Make sure you buy a 100 percent organic product, without any additives, preservatives, fillers or colorants.

Seafood To Use With Caution or Avoid

Fish Oil

Fish oil - whatever kind of fish it comes from - has long been popular as a supplement for dogs. It provides Omega-3 essential fatty acids like DHA and EPA that support a healthy immune system, reduce inflammation, benefit skin and coat as well as cognitive function.

Unfortunately the good news ends right there ... or, right when you first open the bottle of fish oil (or even before you open it, in some cases).

Fish oil is extremely vulnerable to oxidative damage. When Omega-3 fat particles are exposed to air, they break down into smaller compounds like MDA (malondialdehyde) and create oxygen-containing molecules called free radicals. Both MDA and free radicals cause premature aging and disease because they damage proteins, DNA and other cellular structures.

This is called oxidative stress and it can cause inflammation in the body and can lead to chronic health problems, including gene mutation and cancer.

If you do decide to feed fish oil, make sure you ask your supplier for a Certificate of Analysis (COA) showing it has been tested for contaminants. Buy an oil that is in a dark colored glass container, keep it refrigerated and use it quickly. Every time you open the bottle, there's more oxidation and more risk of the oil causing health issues.

Instead feed whole fish or supplements like Orijens or OC Raw Dog frozen sardine treats. There are many ways to make sure that your dog is receiving the benefits from marine life. Products like marine phytoplankton or those mentioned above are great ways to ensure they are reaping those benefits. Hopefully this will make you more aware of sourcing and product quality to ensure you're feeding the best possible product to your furry friend.

Tilapia

Tilapia is a very popular fish because of its mild flavor and relatively low cost- in fact it's the fourth most consumed seafood in the US, after shrimp, tuna and salmon.

Tilapia is also the world's second most farmed fish (after carp). This means that tilapia doesn't offer a good nutrient profile, because farmed fish is usually fed GMO corn and soymeal based diets. Farmed tilapia is low in Omega-3s because farmed fish don't eat phytoplankton and other aquatic plants that provide these fats. And it's also high in Omega-6s ( which is inflammatory)... leading to an often-cited claim that "tilapia is worse than bacon."

A high percentage of farmed tilapia comes from China where poor quality feeds are often used and fish are grown in overcrowded muddy ponds. This means that farmed fish usually contain high levels of pesticides and antibiotics used to prevent disease.

On the plus side, the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) considers tilapia a safe choice in terms of mercury contamination.

If you want to feed tilapia, check first whether your tilapia has an Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) seal. The ASC audits and certifies tilapia farms that have appropriate production standards. Only about 15 percent of tilapia available in the US carries this seal.

Large Fish

It's safest to avoid giving your dog any large fish. Fish to avoid include tuna, walleye, marlin, shark, sturgeon and bluefish.

Mercury gets into our waters due to industrial waste run-off into lakes, rivers and the ocean. This means that mercury is present in a lot of fish, but it's found at much higher levels in larger predator fish higher up the food chain, as they eat other smaller sea creatures.

Mercury "bioaccumulates" in these predators, so eating larger fish can lead to a number of health issues. Mercury toxicity is serious and it's increasing. It accumulates in our bodies over time and causes problems ranging from nervous system disorders to endocrine issues, reproductive problems and accelerated aging.

Salmon

Giving your dog fresh salmon can be a great way to provide him with Omega-3s as well as vitamin D. It's an excellent source of protein and is rich in minerals like magnesium, potassium and iron. Also, most dogs love eating salmon, which you can feed raw.

Salmon can benefit skin, coat, immune system, cognitive function and has anti-inflammatory effects. But there are several things you need to be cautious about in feeding salmon to your dog.

First of all, don't feed farmed salmon at all. Salmon farms use large volumes of antibiotics to prevent disease. They've also been shown to contain high levels of contaminants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which are known to be cancer-causing chemicals. Also now, genetically modified (GMO) salmon are being produced. While the US Food And Drug Administration (FDA) claims GMO salmon is safe, there have been no studies conducted on the long term effects of eating GMO salmon. GMO salmon is also unlabeled so you and your dog could be eating it unknowingly.

Another factor to consider is that salmon is considered a high allergen for dogs, so if your dog is eating salmon and struggling with allergies consider switching him/her to another protein to see if the salmon could be the culprit.

In conclusion always make sure you feed wild salmon. Farmed salmon is a whole issue in and of itself.

Seafood Products To Look Out For At Bark Avenue:

Marine Phytoplankton

OC Raw Fish Patties Or Nuggets

OC Raw Sardines

OC Raw Freeze-Dried Fish

Liquid Glucosamine

Super Snouts Joint Powder (Green Lipped Mussels)

Orijens Whole Fish Supplement

So What Is The Next Step?