How to navigate the world of toxic oceans and fish
When I spend time online I often see the level of effort people put into creating delicious and amazing-looking meals for their dogs. From these canine culinary delights, I can see how much people love their dogs, yet, a critical piece of information is getting lost in translation, and that is the safety of feeding fish.
Including fish in your diet or your dog's diet would have been considered healthy in the past; however, the topic of feeding fish or fish oil is much more contentious now.
I have written several articles on the toxins present in fish, including mercury, and the issue of radioactive strontium contained in the bones of small fish that are then eaten whole.
Mercury
Mercury levels in fish are undoubtedly rising, and I have seen a correlation between increased mercury levels and canine epilepsy, which is a good enough reason not to feed fish. This heavy metal is a known neurotoxin, and my impression is that seizures are not the only problem related to dogs being fed a high fish diet.
If you have been feeding your dog fish, here is a link to the HairQ Test which will help you establish your dog’s mercury, minerals, and heavy metal levels.
Click here to get a HairQ Test.
Study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1751-0147-53-66
Strontium
I know that many of you like to feed sardines and herring, and it was upsetting to see a sharp rise in HairQ Test strontium levels in dogs that ate whole small fish (including fish bones) after the Fukushima disaster.
I recently had a conversation with a few of my colleagues who suggested that this is no longer the case; however, in the end, we have not found any data indicating that strontium 90 levels are dropping. This is another reason I have made the decision not to feed Pax fish or fish oil.
Here are links to the older studies on this topic:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130611084207.htm
Prescription drugs
Prescription medication in oceans and rivers, and consequently in fish, is another big reason I do not feed fish or fish oil. A preliminary study of fish in Florida has shown that human medications are present in fish in significant amounts, and feeding your beloved dogs fish may mean that you are inadvertently exposing them to prescription drugs.
Studies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6097189/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020321437
Fish or no fish?
I have chosen not to give my dog, Pax, fish for two reasons. The first one is the issue of overfishing, and the second, in my opinion, is that fish is no longer a healthy food choice.
No matter what you decide for your dog, I feel obligated to share this vital information.
