Salmon is a rich, oily fish eaten baked, grilled, or canned and provides high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Because it is fatty and may carry parasites when raw, it should only be offered fully cooked, plain, and deboned. Avoid bones and seasoned or smoked preparations.
In some geographic regions, raw or undercooked salmon and related fish may carry a fluke infected with the bacterium Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which may cause salmon poisoning disease in susceptible animals. Cooking destroys the infectious risk, but fish bones, high-fat preparations, and added seasonings remain hazards.
Salmon is also sold smoked, cured, and oil-packed, and those forms are often higher in sodium and seasoning than plain cooked fillets. Portion size should stay moderate because rich fish can upset fat-sensitive pets.
