Dehydrated Salmon

Salmon filleting leaves flesh-bearing pieces that processors can turn into feed ingredients. Drying removes water for storage and shipping. Some suppliers also extract oil, and the ingredient name does not reveal which process was used.^6,9,10

1. 01 // Source Salmon pieces Flesh, skin and other pieces left during salmon processing can enter the feed supply.
2. 02 // Process Prepared for drying Processors reduce the fish to a workable size; the shares of flesh, skin and bone vary.
3. 03 // Process Oil separated, sometimes Some suppliers cook and press the fish to extract oil; another supplier describes dehydration without rendering.
4. 04 // Output Dried salmon Water is removed, and the resulting dry fish ingredient is ready to be weighed into pet food.

1. 01

   Adds fish protein

   Removing water lets a dry salmon ingredient contribute more protein per pound as delivered than wet salmon. One tested salmon meal contained 724.3 g/kg protein on a dry basis.^4,6

2. 02

   Carries some fish oil

   A tested salmon meal retained EPA and DHA. Pressing removes oil in some production lines, so the finished food needs its own EPA and DHA figures to support an omega claim.^1,10

3. 03

   Uses processing trimmings

   Salmon meal gives processors an outlet for pieces left after filleting. This is an industrial feed stream: one renderer reports capacity of 40,000 pounds of raw material per hour.^2,10

4. 04

   Stores as a dry ingredient

   Removing water makes the fish suitable for dry storage and transport. Suppliers can deliver it to a kibble plant without shipping the water in fresh salmon.⁶

How much A dog preference test fed kibble containing 10% salmon meal with crushed bones; it did not test every ingredient labeled dehydrated salmon.¹

1. Brands say

   Drying gives more salmon protein per pound than fresh fish

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Removing water concentrates what remains. One salmon meal sample was 90.4% dry matter and contained 724.3 g/kg protein on a dry basis. Those figures describe that sample, not every supplier's ingredient.^4,6

2. Brands say

   Dehydrated salmon improves itchy skin and coat

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   One salmon meal sample retained DHA. In a 12-dog crossover trial, changing the fish oil and hydrolysate sources changed blood fatty acids but did not improve coat quality. Neither study tested dehydrated salmon as an itch treatment.^1,2

3. Brands say

   Salmon meal always makes kibble tastier

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a preference test using 20 dogs, kibble with 10% salmon meal drew similar intake to the chicken-based control. Salmon protein hydrolysate drew more intake, but it is a different ingredient.¹

4. Owners say

   Salmon is safe for every food allergic dog

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A review of food challenge reports identified 1 dog with a reported salmon reaction. It counted 5 fish reactions among 297 dogs with food reactions, but those counts cannot give a salmon-specific risk rate.³

5. Critics say

   Dehydrated salmon is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   One tested salmon meal contained 724.3 g/kg protein on a dry basis, along with fat and minerals. It has a nutritional job. The sample cannot tell you how much protein came from salmon in a particular bag.^4,5