Ingredient file // Animal protein
Catfish Meal
A real protein source, weak on omega 3
Catfish meal is cooked, dried catfish, usually made from parts left after filleting. It adds concentrated protein and bone minerals to kibble. The mix of meat and bone changes its composition, and the meal is a poor reason to expect an omega 3 benefit.
- What it is
- Catfish or catfish processing scraps cooked, dried and ground into a concentrated feed ingredient.
- Made from
- Catfish heads, frames, skin and trimmings
- Main job
- Concentrated animal protein
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Fish allergy or a phosphorus restricted diet
- Not the same as
- Fish oil
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 180 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
1%
14 of the 2,523 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 4 brands. All dry dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 9. In the top five of 2 foods, so it is usually a supporting ingredient.
Above the salt
Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.
Price per lb
Median of the cheapest bag price across 14 priced foods, about level with the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
43%
of the foods that list it are from Dr. Tim's. 4 brands use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Catfish processors sell the fillets and have heads, frames, skin and meat scraps left over. Rendering gives those parts a feed market by removing water and some fat to make a dry meal.3,4,5,7
- 01 // Source Filleting scraps Heads, frames, skin and attached meat remain after processors remove the fillets.
- 02 // Process Ground and cooked Processors grind and heat the scraps, then separate cooked solids from water and oil.
- 03 // Process Pressed and dried The solids are pressed to remove more liquid, dried and ground into meal.
- 04 // Output Catfish meal The dry ingredient arrives at the kibble plant carrying protein, residual fat and bone minerals.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
37-62
% protein
Across sampled Vietnamese catfish meat, skin, head and bone meals. The meatier fractions carried more protein than the bone rich ones.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds dry protein
Cooking and drying remove much of the water. The resulting meal contributes protein to kibble without bringing in the moisture of fresh fish.3,5
-
02
Supplies bone minerals
Heads and frames bring calcium and phosphorus into the meal. More bone raises its mineral share and leaves less room for protein.3,4
-
03
Sells filleting leftovers
Rendering gives processors a feed market for parts left after filleting. Processing costs and the market price of meal affect whether that outlet pays.3,4
How much A dog trial fed 20% whitefish meal; it did not test catfish meal or give a catfish meal inclusion level.1
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Meal concentrates protein compared with fresh catfish scraps
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Five rendered catfish meal samples averaged 60.6% protein as sold. Separately sampled fresh catfish parts contained 13.4% to 22.8% as sold. Removing water explains much of the difference; these were not paired before and after samples.3,7
-
Brands say
Catfish meal is highly digestible for dogs
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Catfish meal reached 93.7% in a laboratory pepsin test. A dog trial tested whitefish meal and found no diet digestibility difference. Neither measured how well dogs digest catfish meal itself.1,3
-
Brands say
Catfish is safe for every dog with food allergies
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a randomized trial of 40 dogs with food reactions, itching returned in 47.5% while they ate a catfish and rice diet. The trial cannot identify which ingredient caused each relapse, but the diet was no universal solution.2
-
Brands say
Catfish meal delivers an omega 3 skin boost
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Fatty acid testing found that omega 3s made up little of the fat in sampled catfish meal. The study measured no skin outcome in dogs. Look for a stated EPA and DHA amount instead.3
-
Critics say
Catfish meal is just filler
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Five rendered samples averaged 60.6% protein as sold and also carried calcium and phosphorus. The ingredient has a clear nutritional job, though its name does not disclose the meat and bone mix in a particular batch.3,4
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoCatfish meal supplies protein and minerals. Its name does not tell you how much came from meat rather than heads and bone, or how much protein your dog digests.3,4
-
Q02
Does it replace fish oil?
NoFish oil is added for its fat. Catfish meal is used mainly for protein, and the tested meal contained little omega 3 fat. Read the finished food's EPA and DHA information instead.3,5
-
Q03
Is it safe with fish allergy?
Avoid itCatfish meal contains fish protein. If fish is a diagnosed trigger for your dog, choose a food without it. A catfish and rice diet did not prevent itching in every dog in a food reaction trial.2
-
Q04
Does a high listing matter?
Yes, somewhatIngredients appear in order of weight, so catfish meal near the front contributes more weight than ingredients listed after it. The list does not reveal its exact amount or protein quality.6
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Chicken Fat 71%
- Chicken Meal 64%
- Dried Plain Beet Pulp 36%
- Egg Product 36%
- Brown Rice 29%
- Whole Oat Groats 29%
- Herring Meal 29%
- Rice Bran 29%
- Chicken 29%
- Turkey 29%
- Red Lentils 29%
- Pinto Beans 29%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
14 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Show 12 more
Dr. Tim’s Glacier Athletic Blend Dry Dog Food36.1% proteinDr. Tim’s Pursuit Active Dry Dog Food33.3% proteinDr. Tim’s Heirloom Ancient Fish & Grains Dry Dog Food35.6% proteinDr. Tim’s Kinesis Sensitive Dry Dog Food35.6% proteinDr. Tim’s Kinesis Senior Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinDr. Tim’s Kinesis All Life Stages Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinAcana Wholesome Grains, Small Breed Recipe Dry Dog Food30.7% proteinAcana Highest Protein Appalachian Ranch Recipe Dry Dog Food37.5% proteinAcana Highest Protein Meadowland Recipe Dry Dog Food37.5% proteinAcana Wholesome Grains Free-Run Poultry & Grains Recipe Dry Dog Food30.7% proteinAcana Free-Run Poultry Recipe Dry Dog Food33.0% proteinNutriSource Element Series Open Waters Recipe Dry Dog Food37.8% proteinOur read // On the bag
Read the protein and the neighboring ingredients
Catfish meal near the front of the list contributes meaningful ingredient weight. Check the finished food's protein and, when relevant, phosphorus information, then see which other animal proteins sit beside it. Choose another food for a dog with diagnosed fish allergy. Do not count on the meal for an omega 3 dose.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Fish protein substrates can substitute effectively for poultry by-product meal when incorporated in high-quality senior dog diets
- 2 Evaluation of selected-protein-source diets for management of dogs with adverse reactions to foods
- 3 Nutrient Value of Catfish Meal
- 4 Survey of the production, processing and nutritive value of catfish by-product meals in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam
- 5 Fish meal
- 6 What’s in the Ingredients List?
- 7 Beyond the Fillet: Turning Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish Processing Byproducts Into Profitable Opportunities
- 8 Disease Management: Nutritional
- 9 Proper Storage of Pet Food & Treats