[Amaruq]

And this is someone who HATES fish. It took me months to not gag over canned mackerel.

My friends brother has a spring fed pond stocked with catfish, bass and blue gill and we are welcome to all the free fish we can catch.

Question 1: Are these three fish suitible for dogs?

Question 2: Should they be frozen for any length of time to get rid of potential fishy cooties?

Question 3: Any advice for feeding any of these three to a dog that has in the past show SOME sensitivities to SOME fish while absolutely loving others? Or just feed them to her and monitor like I have been with other fish?

Question 4: Should I open my own "Organic Fish market" ? (Yeah like I am going to sell my dogs food right out of their mouths!)

 

[tracyc]

1. I'd feed them at my house.

2. I'd freeze them, just to be safe.

3. Introduce like any new protein source. Feed it and watch for reaction.

4. Yes. Fill up a cooler of frozen fish and send to me by UPS. I'm paying $0.25 a pound.

Tip: cut off sharp fins before feeding. They can be eaten and digested, but the worst of them might cut a lip.

 

[Amaruq]

Hmmmm I think I am being robbed. $.25/# for ORGANIC fish?????

Will cost me more than that in gas to go Fishin'.

We will be cutting off the sharp parts and gutting just to be sure. We also plan to just whack them into chunks and bagging them on site so all I have to do is come home and toss them in the freezer.

How long should I freeze them?

 

[JulesMichy]

I'd also slit open their bellies and examine the stomach contents before feeding. Fish swallow a lot of stuff, especially catfish being bottom feeders. You don't want your dog to bite into sharp bits of plastic bobbers, metal hooks, etc.

 

[mspiker03]

I don't know much about the bass or blue gill, but my two LOVE catfish!

 

[krispifsu]

Originally Posted By: mspiker03I don't know much about the bass or blue gill, but my two LOVE catfish!

I don't want to hijack the thread - but how did you get them interested in the fish?

I offered my pup a couple of freshly caught fish (frozen, thawed, sharp fins cutt off, etc.). She licked it a few times and then left it. Next time I chopped it into pieces and she once again left it. She would put the pieces in her mouth and then spit them back out. Third time same thing. She'll eat canned mackrel (I still gag upon opening those cans!

), canned sardines, and canned salmon (traditional style). Anything else I put in her bowl she eats right up (chicken, turkey, pork, beef, rabbit, eggs, canned fish, etc.) but the fresh caught fish she seems turned off by.

 

[mspiker03]

Mine naturally loved fish - they have had tilapia, catfish, mackeral, and sardines (all fresh).

What about serving it partially frozen?

Or, you might try searing it in olive oil and see if she eats it that way (note, you obviously don't want to cook it too much so that you cook the bones). Then, slowly decrease the time you are searing it until you can feed it raw.

 

[3K9Mom]

Oooh, that reminds me, I need to defrost some fish. Thanks Maedchen!

And good luck fishin! Bring back LOTS of pictures to post!

How big can blue gill grow, anyhow? The blue gill we used to catch when I was a kid weren't even worth the effort, though we were so excited that we did it anyhow, and Mom cooked it up for us. Looking back, they were about 6-8 inches.

That would be an appetizer for Camper. Gulp! Ok, what's for dinner?

Catfish, though? Hmmm. I'll pay $1.00/lb. (I"ve seen what catfish sells for in the stores.) You DID say organic, right? I presume you ship and not in dry ice? Cooooool... I'll take 100lbs.


Good luck on the lake!

 

[onyx'girl]

Ha, my dh and son went ice-fishing(bluegill and perch) alot over the winter and I thought the dogs would love to eat what was left over after they filet'd them/ Well after a day or so I found fish parts buried in the snow. He also offered whole fish and no takers... I'm glad the dogs didn't roll in them before I found them! My dogs like canned jack mack and sardines only, as far as fish goes, so I feed TOTW pacific stream salmon kibble to supplement the raw a few x's per week.

 

[Amaruq]

Well it was fun. Not real prouctive on my end but, thanks to my friends help, we ended up with 5 blue gill, 4 catfish and 4 shiners.

 

[DancingCavy]

Nice.

 

[onyx'girl]

any activity to do with water is worth it IMO! You just have to go again to add to the booty)

 

[KCandMace]

Two out of the three pups will eat fresh fish. KC really didn't want to eat it. Kept licking it then laying down. I finally "coated" the fish in veggies and she ate all but the head.