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Ingredient file // Animal protein

Pollock

Lean fish protein with water in the weight

Pollock is lean fish added raw or frozen before kibble is cooked. It supplies digestible animal protein and some EPA and DHA. Because raw fish carries substantial water, its place on the ingredient list does not show how much fish remains after drying.

Pollock
What it is
Raw pollock flesh, sometimes deboned, added to dog food before the recipe is cooked and dried.
Made from
Pollock caught for seafood processing
Main job
Lean animal protein
Typical amount
Not published; one dog study tested about 30%
Watch for
A diagnosed fish allergy
Not the same as
Pollock meal

Straight answer

Is Pollock safe for dogs?

Read the fish after accounting for water

Pollock near the top means raw fish went into the mixer; it does not prove fish supplies most of the finished protein. Look for pollock meal or another concentrated animal protein nearby, then check the food's protein and omega-3 guarantees. Skip pollock if your dog has a diagnosed fish allergy.

Why it is in the food
Lean animal protein

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 160 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

20 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 12 brands. 12 dry dog food, 4 freeze-dried dog food, 2 wet dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 1. In the top five of 17 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $6.04
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 12 priced foods, 86% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

20%

of the foods that list it are from Open Farm. 12 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Commercial pollock is caught for fillets, surimi and roe, and processed at sea or on shore. Some is filleted and frozen within hours of catch. How pet food plants receive their pollock is not published.5,6,7

  1. 01 // Source Caught pollock Pollock is caught at sea in a large commercial fishery that also supplies food for people.
  2. 02 // Process Processed at sea or ashore Catcher processors, motherships and shore plants handle the catch; deboned pollock has its bones removed.
  3. 03 // Process Filleted and frozen Some fillets are frozen within hours of catch, often into 16.5 lb blocks for further processing.
  4. 04 // Output Raw pollock The fish enters the kibble recipe with its natural water, which leaves during cooking and drying.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

96.9

% protein

Crude protein in the tested pollock fillet after excluding water. This is a fillet result, not a fixed value for every pollock ingredient.

Crude protein 96.9%1
Essential amino acids 38.6%1
Nonessential amino acids 50.3%1

These measurements describe one fillet sample. The amino acid rows are parts of its protein, not nutrients to add to the protein total. Fish parts and processing change the mix.1

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Supplies animal protein

    Pollock flesh contributes amino acids. In a controlled dog study, its protein digested well, with no significant digestibility advantage over the other meats tested.1

  2. 02

    Names the fish

    Pollock gives the recipe an identifiable fish ingredient. The name identifies the fish, while the label does not reveal how much finished protein came from it.3,5

  3. 03

    Available at scale

    Alaska pollock supports one of the world's largest fisheries. That gives manufacturers a commercial supply of named fish, though the sources do not show a price advantage.6

How much A controlled dog study tested pollock fillet at about 30% of the diet; a usual recipe amount is not published.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.

  1. Critics say

    Fresh pollock loses much of its weight during cooking

    Evidence

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

    A raw Alaska pollock sample was 80.4% water. The ingredient list ranks by weight including that water, so a fresh fish high on the list can lose most of its weight once it is dried. Pollock high on a kibble list does not prove fish dominates the finished food.3,5,9

  2. Brands say

    Pollock supplies highly digestible protein

    Evidence

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

    In a controlled crossover study, pollock fillet protein was 90.5% digestible at the end of the small intestine. It performed well, but did not differ significantly from chicken, pork, beef or salmon.1

  3. Brands say

    Pollock makes a dog's coat shine

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Raw Alaska pollock carries some EPA and DHA, but it is a lean, low-fat fish. The cited digestibility trial and composition profiles measured protein digestion and nutrient content, not coat or skin outcomes, so nothing here backs a coat claim.1,4

  4. Brands say

    Pollock is hypoallergenic for dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    Fish triggered reactions in 5 of 297 dogs with documented food reactions in a review. The cases were not specific to pollock, but no fish protein is automatically safe for every dog with a fish allergy.2

  5. Owners say

    Pollock carries dangerous mercury levels

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

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

    The 2021 FDA and EPA seafood chart places pollock among its lower mercury Best Choices for people. That classification does not test a particular dog food batch, but it does not support calling pollock a high mercury fish.8

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Pollock supplies animal protein that dogs digest well. Its water makes its place on a dry food label easy to overread, but that does not erase the fish's nutritional job.1,3,5

  2. Q02

    Is pollock meal the same?

    No

    Pollock enters as raw fish with its water. Fish meal has already been cooked and dried, so each pound added brings more dry material. Read each ingredient by its own name.3,5

  3. Q03

    Does it provide much omega-3?

    Modest

    Pollock is a lean, low-fat fish, 0.7 g fat per 100 g in one profile. EPA plus DHA estimates range from about 130 mg to over 400 mg combined per 100 g across two profiles, modest next to an oily fish like salmon. The ingredient list cannot tell you the finished food's amount.3,4

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Open Farm 4 / 42
  2. OC Raw Dog 2 / 13
  3. Grandma Lucy's 2 / 24
  4. Nulo 2 / 117
  5. Solid Gold 2 / 46
  6. Lotus 2 / 32
  7. Dr. Marty 1 / 6
  8. Instinct 1 / 98
  9. The Honest Kitchen 1 / 36
  10. Dr. Tim's 1 / 9

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

Plus 2 more brands.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Flaxseed 35%
  2. Peas 35%
  3. Mixed Tocopherols 35%
  4. Carrots 30%
  5. Salmon 30%
  6. Natural Flavor 30%
  7. Pumpkin 25%
  8. Coconut Oil 25%
  9. Pea Fiber 25%
  10. Apples 20%
  11. Chicken Fat 20%
  12. Pollock Meal 20%

On the shelf

Foods that list Pollock

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

Instinct Original Bites for Dogs Pollock Recipe Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Original Bites for Dogs Pollock Recipe Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 1 on the labelDr. Marty Nature’s Blend Radiant Select Dog Food TopperDr. MartyDr. Marty Nature’s Blend Radiant Select Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 1 on the labelGrandma Lucy’s - Pureformance Fish Freeze-Dried Dog FoodGrandma Lucy'sGrandma Lucy’s - Pureformance Fish Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 1 on the labelGrandma Lucy’s 3 Bears Fish Freeze-Dried Dog FoodGrandma Lucy'sGrandma Lucy’s 3 Bears Fish Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 1 on the labelOpen Farm Digestive Health Wild Pollock Recipe Dry Dog FoodOpen FarmOpen Farm Digestive Health Wild Pollock Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelDr. Tim’s Heirloom Ancient Fish & Grains Dry Dog FoodDr. Tim'sDr. Tim’s Heirloom Ancient Fish & Grains Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelOpen Farm RawMix Tide & Terrain Ancient Grains Dry Dog FoodOpen FarmOpen Farm RawMix Tide & Terrain Ancient Grains Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelNulo FreeStyle Limited+ Alaska Pollock & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo FreeStyle Limited+ Alaska Pollock & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelSolid Gold Fit and Fabulous Alaskan Pollock Dry Dog FoodSolid GoldSolid Gold Fit and Fabulous Alaskan Pollock Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelSolid Gold Fit and Fabulous Weight Control with Alaskan Pollock Dry Dog FoodSolid GoldSolid Gold Fit and Fabulous Weight Control with Alaskan Pollock Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelNatural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Pollock Dry Dog FoodNatural BalanceNatural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Pollock Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelBlue Carnivora Adult Coastal Blend Dry Dog FoodBlueBlue Carnivora Adult Coastal Blend Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the label
Show 8 more
Open Farm RawMix Tide & Terrain - Grain Free Dry Dog FoodOpen FarmOpen Farm RawMix Tide & Terrain - Grain Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 1 on the labelOC Raw Dog Chicken, Fish & Produce Freeze-Dried Dog FoodOC Raw DogOC Raw Dog Chicken, Fish & Produce Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 3 on the labelOC Raw Dog Complete Meals Chicken, Fish & Produce Frozen Dog FoodOC Raw DogOC Raw Dog Complete Meals Chicken, Fish & Produce Frozen Dog FoodFrozen // No. 3 on the labelThe Honest Kitchen Simmered Salmon & Chicken One Pot Stew Wet Dog FoodThe Honest KitchenThe Honest Kitchen Simmered Salmon & Chicken One Pot Stew Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 4 on the labelNulo FreeStyle Signature Stews Small Breed Tuna, Pollock & Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNuloNulo FreeStyle Signature Stews Small Breed Tuna, Pollock & Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 4 on the labelLotus Oven Baked Small Bites Lamb Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodLotusLotus Oven Baked Small Bites Lamb Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelLotus Oven Baked Regular Bites Lamb Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodLotusLotus Oven Baked Regular Bites Lamb Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 6 on the labelOpen Farm Epic Blend Salmon & Superfood Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOpen FarmOpen Farm Epic Blend Salmon & Superfood Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 8 on the label

On labels as

Other names for this

Manufacturers do not all use the same wording. These all mean the same thing.

Deboned Pollock

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Protein digestibility evaluations of meat and fish substrates using laboratory, avian, and ileally cannulated dog assays Journal of Animal Science, 2010 // Journal
  2. 2 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats BMC Veterinary Research, 2016 // Journal
  3. 3 Alaska Seafood Nutrition Database Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, n.d. // Industry
  4. 4 Nutritional Profile: Alaskan Pollock Seafish, 2018 // Industry
  5. 5 What's in the Ingredients List? AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  6. 6 Alaska Pollock: Management NOAA Fisheries, n.d. // Government
  7. 7 Wild Alaska Pollock 101 Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, n.d. // Industry
  8. 8 Advice about Eating Fish U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2021 // Government
  9. 9 Understanding Dog Food Labels: Croney Research Group Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, n.d. // University
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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