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Ingredient file // Fat or oil

Herring Oil

Useful marine fat, with an uncertain dose

Herring oil is fat separated from herring during fish processing. It gives dog food EPA and DHA, two marine omega-3 fats studied for joint and skin problems. The ingredient name alone does not reveal how much of either reaches your dog.

Herring Oil
What it is
Oil separated from herring, usually while fish are processed into fishmeal and other products.
Made from
Herring and herring processing trimmings
Main job
Marine fat and omega-3s
Typical amount
One tested kibble held 3.2% fish oil, not herring
Watch for
Oxidation and undisclosed EPA plus DHA
Not the same as
Herring meal

Straight answer

Is Herring Oil safe for dogs?

Read the dose, not the fish name

Herring oil low on an ingredient list can still serve as a fat source, but list position does not tell you the EPA and DHA dose. Look for those amounts in the food's nutrition information or ask the maker. Judge a joint or skin promise by that dose and the whole diet.

Why it is in the food
Marine fat and omega-3s

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 128 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

25 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 7 brands. 11 wet dog food, 6 dry dog food, 4 freeze-dried dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 7. In the top five of 4 foods, so it is usually a supporting ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

33%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 67% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $5.40
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 5 priced foods, 66% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

32%

of the foods that list it are from Nature's Logic. 7 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Herring oil is recovered alongside fishmeal. A plant cooks the fish, presses out liquid, then separates the oil from water and fine solids. Selling both meal and oil makes more use of the catch.6,8

  1. 01 // Source Herring Whole fish or processing trimmings enter a plant that separates fish into meal, oil and water.
  2. 02 // Process Cook and press Heating frees oil from the fish tissues; pressing divides moist liquid from the protein-rich solids.
  3. 03 // Process Separate the oil Centrifuges remove fine solids, then separate oil from the water in the pressed liquid.
  4. 04 // Output Herring oil The separated oil goes into storage tanks before it is sold as a distinct feed ingredient.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

100

% fat

The feed table treats herring oil as pure fat. It supplies no meaningful protein, and its EPA and DHA share is not fixed.

Crude fat 100%6
EPA 68 g/kg6
DHA 58 g/kg6

These are reference values, not a specification for every batch. A separate FAO profile puts combined EPA and DHA at 5.6% of herring oil fatty acids, substantially below the feed table's combined figures.6,7

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Supplies EPA and DHA

    Herring oil adds marine fats that dogs absorb. In feeding studies using other fish oils, more dietary EPA and DHA raised their levels in dogs' blood.1,3,6

  2. 02

    Adds dietary fat

    Oil contributes energy without adding protein or fiber. That gives a formulator another way to adjust a recipe's fat content.6

  3. 03

    Uses the fish fully

    Fishmeal plants separate and sell oil alongside the meal. Recovering both products gives the processor another saleable ingredient from the same catch.8

How much A 12-Beagle trial fed a kibble containing 3.2% fish oil recovered from fish waste; it did not test herring oil.3

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.

  1. Brands say

    Herring oil supplies EPA and DHA

    Evidence

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

    The herring oil feed table lists 68 g/kg EPA and 58 g/kg DHA. Those fats are present, but the figures describe a reference oil, not the amount in a particular food.6

  2. Brands say

    Fish oil helps arthritic dogs move

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a Hill's-funded trial, 177 dogs with arthritis were enrolled in a 90-day trial on fish oil diets. The highest EPA plus DHA diet improved 2 of 5 clinical signs against the lower-dose diet. Herring oil itself was not tested.1,5

  3. Brands say

    Fish oil calms itchy skin

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    In a 29-dog blinded trial, clinical skin scores improved with a marine EPA and DHA preparation over 10 weeks. Flax oil also improved scores, and the trial did not test herring oil or a routine food inclusion.2

  4. Brands say

    Herring oil is among the richest omega-3 oils

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    An FAO comparison puts combined EPA and DHA at 5.6% of herring oil fatty acids versus 29.8% for sardine oil. Another herring reference is higher, but the species name is no guarantee of a high dose.6,7

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It adds fat, including EPA and DHA, and supplies energy. The useful question is how much EPA and DHA the finished food provides; an ingredient name cannot answer that.6

  2. Q02

    Will it make coats shinier?

    No guarantee

    A 12-dog study replaced both salmon oil and shrimp hydrolysate with other fish ingredients. Blood omega-3 levels rose, but coat scores did not change. The design cannot isolate an effect of the oil.3

  3. Q03

    Should I add more oil?

    Check first

    Check the food's EPA and DHA information before adding a supplement. Extra fish oil adds calories and can cause digestive trouble; the amount used in an arthritis trial was part of a measured diet.1,4

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Nature's Logic 8 / 32
  2. Orijen 6 / 25
  3. Vital Essentials 4 / 9
  4. TruDog 3 / 14
  5. Farmina 2 / 6
  6. Halo 1 / 41
  7. Only Natural Pet 1 / 5

Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Mixed Tocopherols 68%
  2. Vitamin E 32%
  3. Montmorillonite Clay 32%
  4. Beef 28%
  5. Dried Egg Product 28%
  6. Porcine Plasma 28%
  7. Brewers Dried Yeast 28%
  8. Turkey 24%
  9. Beef Liver 24%
  10. Dried Apples 24%
  11. Turkey Liver 20%
  12. Beef Heart 20%

On the shelf

Foods that list Herring Oil

25 foods in our catalog list it, highest on the label first.

Farmina Vet Life Derma Management with Fish canine Dry Dog FoodFarminaFarmina Vet Life Derma Management with Fish canine Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 3 on the labelTruDog Raw Turkey Meal Bites Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog FoodTruDogTruDog Raw Turkey Meal Bites Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 4 on the labelVital Essentials Entree Turkey Mini Patties Freeze-Dried Dog FoodVital EssentialsVital Essentials Entree Turkey Mini Patties Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 4 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 4 on the labelVital Essentials Rabbit Mini Patties Freeze-Dried Dog FoodVital EssentialsVital Essentials Rabbit Mini Patties Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 6 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Sardine Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Sardine Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 6 on the labelTruDog Raw Beef Meal Bites Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog FoodTruDogTruDog Raw Beef Meal Bites Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 7 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Beef Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Beef Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelHalo Holistic Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Protein Topper Dog Food TopperHaloHalo Holistic Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Protein Topper Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 7 on the labelOnly Natural Pet Canine PowerFood Grain Free Dry Dog FoodOnly Natural PetOnly Natural Pet Canine PowerFood Grain Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelFarmina Pet Foods - - Farmina Vet Life Canine Dry Dog FoodFarminaFarmina Pet Foods - - Farmina Vet Life Canine Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelOrijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the label
Show 13 more
TruDog Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Protein Grain-Free Dog Food TopperTruDogTruDog Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Protein Grain-Free Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 7 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Turkey Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Turkey Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelVital Essentials Raw Entrées Beef Entree Patties Frozen Dog FoodVital EssentialsVital Essentials Raw Entrées Beef Entree Patties Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 8 on the labelVital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Ground Topper/Mix-In Dog Food TopperVital EssentialsVital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Ground Topper/Mix-In Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 8 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Chicken Feast Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Chicken Feast Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 8 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Duck & Salmon Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Duck & Salmon Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelOrijen Real Meat Chicken Recipe Stew with Shredded Chicken & Eggs Wet Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Real Meat Chicken Recipe Stew with Shredded Chicken & Eggs Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelOrijen Original Stew Recipe with Chicken, Turkey & Eggs Wet Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Original Stew Recipe with Chicken, Turkey & Eggs Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelOrijen Chicken Recipe Pâté with Liver Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Chicken Recipe Pâté with Liver Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelOrijen Original Pâté with Liver Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Original Pâté with Liver Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 20 on the labelOrijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 20 on the label

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Dose-Titration Effects of Fish Oil in Osteoarthritic Dogs Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2010 // Journal
  2. 2 Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on canine atopic dermatitis Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2004 // Journal
  3. 3 Protein hydrolysate and oil from fish waste reveal potential as dog food ingredients Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2024 // Journal
  4. 4 Potential Adverse Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Dogs and Cats Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2013 // Journal
  5. 5 ERRATUM Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2011 // Journal
  6. 6 Fish oil, herring INRAE, CIRAD and AFZ Feed Tables, n.d. // Database
  7. 7 Table 7. Some commonly used oil sources and their fatty acid profiles (% of sum of fatty acids) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d. // Database
  8. 8 The production of fish meal and oil - 3. The process Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d. // Book
  9. 9 The production of fish meal and oil - 10. The products Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d. // Book
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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