Can dogs eat salmon?
Updated 5 August 2026
Yes. Cooked, plain, boneless salmon is safe for dogs and a good source of omega-3 fats. The rules are short: cook it, serve it plain, and go easy on tinned salmon in brine. Smoked and raw salmon are the two forms to leave off the menu.
The detail
Salmon is one of the few human foods with a genuine case beyond being harmless. Its omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA, are the same ones in the fish oil supplements many dogs take for skin and joints.
Preparation decides everything on this page. The same fish moves from green to skip depending on whether it was cooked, cured or left raw, which is what the sections below work through.
Cooked fillet bones are the everyday practical risk. Run a fork through cooked salmon before sharing it, since a fine bone can lodge in the throat. Tinned salmon is the exception, because pressure-cooking in the can softens the bones to a crumble.
Risk by form
| Cooked plain salmon, bones checked | Safe. The version worth sharing |
| Tinned in spring water | Safe, soft bones includedPressure-cooking in the can makes the bones crumbly and harmless |
| Tinned in brine | Fine drained, occasionallyWatch the salt; skip for low-sodium diets |
| Smoked salmon | Skip. Around 3g of salt per 100g |
| Raw salmon or sushi | Avoid. Parasite and bacteria risk; cooking removes it |
How much is sensible
| Dog size | Sensible amount |
|---|---|
| Small (under 10kg)Chihuahua, Jack Russell | A tablespoon of cooked flakes, once or twice a week |
| Medium (10 to 25kg)Cocker spaniel, border collie | Around 50g of cooked salmon, once or twice a week |
| Large (over 25kg)Labrador, German shepherd | Up to 100g of cooked salmon, once or twice a week |
| Dogs with pancreatitis history | Ask your vet first. Salmon is an oily fish and the fat adds up |
Cooked plain salmon
This is the version that earns the green rating. Baked, poached, steamed or grilled with nothing added, salmon brings protein and the omega-3 fats that support skin, coat and joints.
Plain means plain. Recipes lean on butter, oil, salt, lemon and often garlic, and garlic is toxic to dogs, so share from a fillet cooked dry rather than from your seasoned plate. Check it with a fork for stray bones first.
Can dogs eat tinned salmon?
Yes, and tinned in spring water is the easy win. The canning process pressure-cooks the fish, so the soft, crumbly bones in the tin are safe to eat and add calcium rather than danger.
Tinned in brine needs more care, because the fish sits in salt water and carries some of it out of the tin. A drained spoonful is fine for a healthy dog, but water-packed is the better default, and skip brine entirely for dogs on low-sodium diets.
Tinned in oil is the least useful option. Drain it well if it is what you have, and keep portions small.
Can dogs eat smoked salmon?
Skip it. Smoked salmon is cured in salt, and a typical 100g pack carries around 3g of it, several times the level in fresh fish. That is the same salt load behind the Pet Poison Helpline's kitchen-poison warnings, concentrated into something dogs find irresistible.
Cold-smoking does not cook the fish either, so it does not buy the safety that proper cooking does. A stolen sliver off a bagel is no emergency for a healthy dog, but a raided party platter is worth a call to your vet, especially for a small dog.
Can dogs eat raw salmon?
No. Raw and undercooked salmonid fish can carry a fluke that transmits the bacteria behind salmon poisoning disease, an illness VCA Animal Hospitals describes as fatal in most untreated dogs, with vomiting, fever and swollen lymph nodes among the signs.
The infected fish come from the North American Pacific coast, so the risk from UK and farmed Atlantic salmon is low. Raw fish still carries ordinary parasites and bacteria wherever it swam, and cooking removes all of it, so raw offcuts and sushi salmon stay off the menu on the same logic as raw eggs.
Can dogs eat salmon skin?
Cooked plain, yes, in small pieces. The skin is the fattiest part of the fish, which is exactly why dogs love it, and a strip torn from a dry-cooked fillet is a fine occasional treat.
Count it as a treat rather than a topper, because the fat adds up fast in small dogs. Skip skin that was seasoned, fried in butter or taken from smoked salmon, and skip it entirely for dogs on fat-restricted diets.
Signs to watch for
- Vomiting or diarrhoea after raw or smoked salmon
- Excessive thirst after a salty smoked portion
- Gagging or pawing at the mouth if a cooked bone has lodged
If your dog overdoes it
A stolen bite of cooked salmon needs no action. After raw salmon, ring your vet for advice and watch for vomiting, lethargy or fever over the following week. After a large smoked haul, ring your vet with your dog's weight and the amount. Out of hours, Vets Now runs emergency clinics across the UK.
Common questions
Can dogs eat salmon every day?
Once or twice a week is the better rhythm. Salmon is an oily fish, so daily portions add a lot of fat, and a complete dog food already covers the basics. Save it as a rotating extra.
My dog ate raw salmon. What should I do?
Ring your vet for advice, especially if the fish came from North American Pacific waters, where salmon poisoning disease is a real risk. Watch for vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or swollen glands over the following week and report any of them promptly.
Can dogs eat salmon fillet bones?
Fork through cooked fillets first, because the fine bones can lodge in the throat. The soft bones in tinned salmon are the exception and are safe to eat.
Is salmon oil the same as feeding salmon?
Salmon oil supplements supply the same omega-3 fats in a measured dose without the bones or cooking. Either route works; just avoid running both daily without checking the total fat with your vet.
Can puppies eat salmon?
Yes, cooked, plain, boneless and in small flakes. Start with a teaspoon-sized taste and watch for an upset stomach, as with any new food. Never raw or smoked.
Can dogs eat salmon en croute or salmon fishcakes?
Not ideal. The pastry, butter and seasoning carry the calories and salt, and some recipes include onion or chives, which are toxic to dogs. A stolen mouthful is rarely serious, but do not share on purpose.