What the fish collection covers
Here you will find Essential Foods products where fish is the key ingredient: complete meals, pâté, treats and pure fish oil for both dogs and cats. Fish is a lean animal protein source with a high content of the long-chain omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which the body cannot produce in sufficient quantities on its own. It is precisely these that make fish interesting as a dietary foundation, and they recur throughout the entire range here.
You can choose a complete dry food such as Nautical Living - Kibble, supplement with wet food from Nautical Pate, use dried fish treats from FISH DELIGHTS for training, or drizzle pure oil from the omega 3 oil over the daily meal. The four items solve different tasks, and below we go through when to use what.
Nautical Living as everyday dry food
The fish-based staple diet in the collection is Nautical Living. It is a complete dry food in which fish makes up the primary protein source, and it comes in bags for different needs. OUR FINEST NAUTICAL LIVING, 10KG is intended for households feeding one or more adult dogs daily, while OUR FINEST NAUTICAL LIVING, 2.5KG suits smaller dogs or trying out the food before you buy the large bag.
If you have a dog with a small mouth or a smaller breed, the same recipe is available with smaller kibbles in OUR FINEST NAUTICAL LIVING SMALL KIBBLES, 10KG. The kibble size does not change the content, but makes it easier for small dogs to chew and for fussy dogs to accept the food.
If you are switching to a fish-based food from something else, do it gradually over the course of a week, so the stomach has time to get used to the new ingredient. Our guide on how to switch dog food goes through the procedure day by day.
Fish-based food for puppies and large breeds
If you are starting a puppy on fish, there is an edition adapted to the early growth phase. OUR FINEST BEGINNING LARGE BREED NAUTICAL EDITION, 10KG is made for puppies of large breeds, where controlled growth is particularly important so that joints and bones are not strained by growing too fast. As wet food in the same fish-based series, you can use BEGINNING PÂTÉ NAUTICAL EDITION, 400G, which is easy for a puppy to absorb and good to mix in during the first weeks.
The omega 3 fatty acid DHA from fish plays a role in the puppy's development of brain and vision, which is why fish is an obvious choice precisely in the start phase. If you want to read more about food in the first months, we have gathered it in the best start in life for your puppy.
Pâté with fish as a topping or meal
Pâté is the wet part of the collection. NAUTICAL LIVING PÂTÉ, 400G can be used as a meal on its own or as a moist topping on top of the dry food, which often tempts fussy dogs to finish their bowl. If you feed pâté regularly, NAUTICAL LIVING PÂTÉ, 400G x 6 is a more practical way to buy.
For dogs that need a lean meal, there is BALANCE PÂTÉ, 400G and the bulk pack BALANCE PÂTÉ, 400G x 6. If you want an overview of the entire wet range, you can see dog pâté. A good way to serve pâté is to spread it out on the licking mat, so the dog has to lick its way through the meal and spends longer on it, which has a calming effect.
Dried fish treats for training and dental cleaning
The fish treats in the collection are dried fish without additives, and they are suitable both as a reward and for giving the dog something to chew on. For training, where you hand out many rewards, small pieces are best: TINY FISH DELIGHTS and FINEST SALMON & PARSLEY SMALL SAUSAGES are easy to dose and do not take up much of the dog's daily ration.
For longer chewing time, there is dried cod in several sizes. Choose LARGE COD FISH DELIGHTS for large dogs and SMALL COD FISH DELIGHTS for the smaller ones. Among other dried varieties, you can choose ICELAND FISH DELIGHTS, NORTH SEA CHEWY FISH DELIGHTS with a chewier consistency, or the small, crispy LAKE & SEA TINY CRACKERS.
Remember that treats count towards the total food budget. A rule of thumb is that treats should make up no more than around 10 percent of the day's energy intake, so the food still covers the nutritional needs. We elaborate on this in how many treats can a dog have.
Fish for cats
The cat is a true carnivore, and fish fits well with its need for animal protein. In the collection you will find THE LYNX, a fish-based cat food named after the slender wild cats it is designed to mimic in diet. Fish gives the cat both protein and the omega 3 fatty acids that support skin and coat.
If you want to know more about what a cat really needs in its food, we have gathered it in what should cat food contain and in cat nutrition.
Pure fish oil as a daily supplement
In addition to the food, you can give the fish's omega 3 in a concentrated form. THE OMEGA 3 OIL and the larger THE OMEGA 3 OIL 1L are pure oil that you drizzle over the daily meal. The oil delivers EPA and DHA, the two fatty acids associated with healthy skin, a glossy coat and normal joint function.
A fish oil supplement makes particular sense if the dog is itching, has dry skin or a dull coat, or if it is older and could benefit from joint support. If you want to understand what the fatty acids actually do, you can read what is omega 3 and what is fish oil good for. Dose according to the dog's weight and start small, so the stomach gets used to the fat.
Why fish over meat
Fish is not necessarily better than meat, but it has some properties that make it an obvious choice in certain situations. Firstly, fish is a leaner protein source than many types of meat and contains the long-chain omega 3 fatty acids in a form the body easily absorbs. Secondly, fish is an alternative protein source, which is useful for dogs that react to the more common types of meat such as chicken or beef.
If your dog has a sensitive digestion or a suspected food intolerance, switching to a single, different protein source such as fish may be worth trying. We have gathered advice on this in delicate or sensitive stomach and in the overview sensitive stomach. If you are in doubt about which food suits your particular dog, which dog food should I choose can help you further.
