Wild vs. Farmed Salmon for Dogs: Why It Matters

Salmon is one of the most popular proteins in dog treats, and for good reason. But the word "salmon" on a bag doesn't tell you where the fish came from or how it lived. Wild Alaskan salmon and farmed salmon start in very different places, eat different diets, and end up with different nutritional profiles.

How farmed salmon is raised

Most farmed salmon is Atlantic salmon. In the U.S., farmed Atlantic salmon hatch in tanks on land, then move to net pens in coastal waters. There they eat formulated feed until they reach harvest size at about two years old [1]. Most of the Atlantic salmon sold in the U.S. is imported from other countries [1].

The diet is pellets. Farmed fish eat dried pellets that NOAA compares to dry dog food. The pellets combine fishmeal, fish oil, plant ingredients, and animal trimmings [2]. Fishmeal has dropped from about 70% of salmon diets in 1980 to about 25% in 2017, replaced largely by plant proteins and oils such as soy and corn [2].

The color is added. Wild salmon turn pink by eating krill and small shellfish that contain a pigment called astaxanthin. Farmed salmon get natural or synthetic astaxanthin added to their feed instead [2]. The pigment itself is the same molecule, so this is about diet, not safety.

Antibiotic rules vary by country. U.S. law bans non-medical antibiotic use in fish farming, but NOAA notes that antibiotics have been added to fish feed in other countries [2]. Because most farmed salmon is imported, the rules behind any given fish depend on where it was raised.

How wild Alaskan salmon lives

Wild salmon hatch in rivers, migrate to the open ocean, and feed on krill, small shellfish, and other fish. That natural diet is where their deep color comes from [2].

Alaska doesn't farm salmon at all. Fish farming has been illegal in Alaska since 1990. Lawmakers passed the ban after an investigation found that fish farms posed environmental, social, and economic risks to the state, including to the reputation of wild Alaska seafood [3]. Even a 2025 proposal to loosen the ban specifically excluded salmon [3]. So salmon from Alaska is wild-caught, not farmed.

Alaska manages its runs for the long term. State policy requires salmon fisheries to be managed for sustained yield, which means letting enough fish return upriver to spawn each year before the rest can be harvested [4]. The same policy directs managers to take a precautionary approach when the science is uncertain, prioritizing the health of the stock [4].

What's different nutritionally

Wild and farmed salmon are both nutritious, but their fat looks different, and the reason is diet.

Farmed salmon is much fattier. In a Norwegian study comparing farmed and wild Atlantic salmon, the farmed fish had about 18% fat, three times the fat of the wild fish [5]. Much of that extra fat is saturated, monounsaturated, and omega-6 [6].

A better omega balance in wild salmon. Because farmed feed now relies more on plant oils, farmed salmon carries more omega-6 fatty acids and has a lower ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 than wild salmon [6]. Wild salmon also had more DHA, one of the two key marine omega-3s [6]. Farmed salmon's omega-3 content has also shifted over time: by 2015 it had about half the omega-3s it did in 2001 [7].

The truth about contaminants. You may have read that farmed salmon is full of pollutants, but the newer research is more mixed. A 2017 study found that dioxins, PCBs, and mercury were actually higher in the wild Atlantic salmon it tested than in farmed fish [6]. Contaminant levels depend heavily on where a fish lives and what it eats, and those wild fish came from the Atlantic, not Alaska. 

Both are good omega-3 sources. The researchers concluded that farmed and wild salmon are both valuable sources of EPA and DHA [6]. The difference is in the overall package: wild salmon delivers its omega-3s in a leaner fish with less omega-6.

What it means for your dog

Omega-3s support skin and coat. Veterinarians say the omega-3s EPA and DHA help protect a dog's skin and coat and keep it shiny. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, which is why vets often recommend extra EPA and DHA for dogs with skin problems [8]. A treat isn't a supplement, but every bite of salmon brings some of these fats along.

Leaner matters for treats. Veterinary nutritionists recommend that treats make up no more than 10% of a dog's daily calories, with the rest coming from complete and balanced food [9]. A leaner fish gives you more protein and omega-3s per calorie, with less of the extra fat that farmed salmon offers [5].

One ingredient keeps it simple. A single-protein treat makes it easy to know exactly what your dog is eating. If your dog has a health condition or is on a special diet, check with your vet about which treats fit [9].

How to choose a salmon treat

When you're standing in the treat aisle, a few questions cut through the marketing:

• Does the label say where the salmon is from? "Wild Alaskan" tells you the fish wasn't farmed, since Alaska bans fish farming [3]. Plain "salmon" or "Atlantic salmon" usually means farmed.
• How many ingredients are there? The best salmon treats list one: salmon.
• Are there fillers or preservatives? Grains, starches, and added flavors take up room your dog's treat budget could spend on protein.

That's exactly why we make Wild Run the way we do. Our Wild Alaskan Salmon Snacks are freeze-dried, skin-on pieces of wild Alaskan salmon, with no fillers, grains, or preservatives. One ingredient, from the cold waters it came from to your dog's bowl. Want them on your doorstep every month? Subscribe and save 15%.

Sources

1. NOAA Fisheries. Atlantic Salmon (Farmed). Species overview.
2. NOAA Fisheries. Feeds for Aquaculture. Updated August 2023.
3. Alaska Beacon, via Anchorage Daily News. Alaska governor proposes lifting state's longtime ban on fish farms. February 24, 2025.
4. Alaska Board of Fisheries and Department of Fish and Game. 5 AAC 39.222, Policy for the management of sustainable salmon fisheries.
5. Jensen et al. An Update on the Content of Fatty Acids, Dioxins, PCBs and Heavy Metals in Farmed, Escaped and Wild Atlantic Salmon in Norway. Foods, 2020.
6. Lundebye et al. Lower levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants, metals and the marine omega 3-fatty acid DHA in farmed compared to wild Atlantic salmon. Environmental Research, 2017.
7. IDEA Health & Fitness Association. Ask the RD: Farmed or Wild Fish for Nutrition Value? Citing Sissener, Journal of Experimental Biology, 2018.
8. VCA Animal Hospitals. The Importance of Your Pet's Skin and Coat and the Role of Nutrition. Updated July 2024.
9. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Treat Guidelines for Dogs.