Ingredient file // Animal protein
Haddock
Lean fish protein with little fish oil
Haddock is a lean white fish used as a source of animal protein in dog food. It also supplies iodine and selenium, but its low fat content makes a haddock listing weak evidence for claims about fish oil.
- What it is
- Raw haddock from a commercial fishery, added to dog food as a named fish ingredient.
- Made from
- Haddock fish
- Main job
- Animal protein
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Dogs with a diagnosed fish allergy
- Not the same as
- Fish meal
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 315 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
8 of the 2,523 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 5 brands. All dry dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 4.5. In the top five of 5 foods, so it is usually a main 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 7 priced foods, 37% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
50%
of the foods that list it are from Nulo. 5 brands use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Commercial fisheries land haddock for food. Fish are gutted and kept cold; processors sell much of the catch as fillets and use other portions elsewhere. A haddock label does not identify the cut a pet food maker bought.4,6,7
- 01 // Source Caught haddock Commercial fishing vessels land haddock, a lean white fish sold through seafood markets.
- 02 // Process Gutted and chilled Crews remove the guts, wash the fish and hold it on ice or freeze it.
- 03 // Process Prepared for sale Processors sell haddock whole or as fillets; the pet food label does not identify which cut was used.
- 04 // Output Raw haddock Chilled or frozen haddock enters the dog food recipe and is cooked during kibble manufacture.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
2.7
% fat
Estimated fat in raw haddock after removing its water. Haddock contributes protein, but little oil for fish oil claims.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds fish protein
Haddock flesh contains protein with very little fat. Cooking removes much of its water, leaving fish solids in the finished kibble.3,4,6
-
02
Names the fish
Haddock identifies a species on the ingredient list. That gives an owner more information than a generic fish name, though it does not disclose the cut or amount.4,6
-
03
Uses an existing catch
Commercial filleting yields about 47% unskinned fillet from a gutted large haddock. Other portions have animal feed uses, but the label does not reveal which portion the maker bought.4,7
How much A haddock-specific recipe amount is not published; ingredient order shows relative weight before cooking, not the amount of fish in the finished food.6
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
Haddock supplies lean animal protein
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
USDA lists 16.32 g protein and 0.45 g fat per 100 g raw haddock. It is a lean protein source, although its water leaves during cooking and the label does not reveal its final share.3,6
-
Brands say
Haddock keeps a dog's coat glossy
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A seafood handbook lists 200 mg of omega-3 fats per 100 g raw haddock. Fish oil was tested in a controlled dog trial, but its coat score did not differ significantly from placebo. Haddock itself was not tested.1,5
-
Owners say
Haddock is safe for every allergic dog
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A review found fish reactions in 5 of 297 dogs with reported food reactions. It could not estimate an individual dog's risk, and the reports do not show that haddock is safe for a dog with a diagnosed fish allergy.2
-
Owners say
Haddock is too high in mercury
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
FDA and EPA place haddock in their lower-mercury Best Choices group for people. That human fish guidance does not test a particular pet food batch, but it does not support treating haddock as a high-mercury fish.8
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoHaddock supplies animal protein. Its low fat content makes it a poor stand-in for fish oil, but protein is a real nutritional job. The amount in the finished food still matters.3,4
-
Q02
Does haddock first mean mostly fish?
Not necessarilyIngredients are ranked by weight before cooking. Raw haddock carries substantial water, which leaves during kibble manufacture. Read the other main ingredients and the food's analysis before judging its fish contribution.3,6
-
Q03
Is haddock the same as fish meal?
NoHaddock names the raw fish ingredient. Fish meal has already been cooked and dried before it reaches the kibble plant, so much of its water is gone before ingredients are weighed.6,7
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
- Salmon 88%
- Millet 63%
- Turkey Meal 50%
- Chicken Meal 50%
- Oats 50%
- Chicken Fat 50%
- Barley 50%
- Acadian Redfish 50%
- Salmon Meal 38%
- Flaxseed 38%
- Trout 25%
- Sunflower Oil 25%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
8 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Read haddock with the rest of the recipe
Haddock is a useful lean protein, but its position on the bag reflects its raw, wet weight. Check which proteins and fats sit beside it, then use the food's analysis to judge the recipe. Look for a stated fish oil source if the bag promises an omega-3 benefit.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 An un-commissioned randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind study to test the effect of deep sea fish oil as a pain reliever for dogs suffering from canine OA
- 2 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats
- 3 USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28: Finfish and Shellfish Products
- 4 The Haddock
- 5 Seafood Nutrition Handbook
- 6 What’s in the Ingredients List?
- 7 Some Notes on Fish Handling and Processing
- 8 Advice about Eating Fish
- 9 USDA, FDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Iodine Content of Common Foods, Release 4