Sardines for dogs vs fish oil

By the PetFishOilGuide editorial team · Updated October 13, 2026 · How we compare

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A 3.75 oz can of sardines in oil has about 900 mg of EPA+DHA by USDA data, roughly half to three quarters of a can for the maintenance range of a 20 lb dog. That also brings about 190 kcal per can. Canned anchovies are very high in sodium. Ask your vet before using fish as a supplement.

Owners often ask whether a can of sardines can stand in for fish oil. This page does the arithmetic with USDA numbers so you can see what a can actually provides, and what else comes with it. It is not veterinary advice, and this page has not been checked by a veterinarian.

What USDA says is in canned sardines and anchovies

USDA FoodData Central lists EPA (20:5 n-3) and DHA (22:6 n-3) for these canned fish. We read the entries below on 2026-10-13. USDA reports them per 100 g of the food as analyzed, and all three entries are for drained solids.

USDA gives EPA and DHA in grams, so we converted to milligrams and added the two. We did not find a water-packed sardine entry in USDA's reference data that lists EPA and DHA, so we give no figure for sardines in water. USDA's separate entry for anchovies canned in olive oil, with salt, drained (2747652) reports 5,403 mg of sodium per 100 g and no EPA or DHA values.

EPA+DHA per can, and how that compares with a dog's range

Pick the can first. USDA lists a 3.75 oz can of the oil-packed sardines as 92 g of drained solids, and a 2 oz can of the anchovies as 45 g. We use those weights. Your can may differ, so use the drained weight printed on your label and multiply: sardines in oil give about 9.82 mg of EPA+DHA per gram drained, and anchovies about 20.55 mg per gram.

• Sardines in oil, 92 g drained: 92 × 9.82 = about 903 mg EPA+DHA per can.
• Anchovies in oil, 45 g drained: 45 × 20.55 = about 925 mg EPA+DHA per can.

For the dog's side, we use the 50 to 75 mg of combined EPA+DHA per kg of body weight per day that veterinary nutritionist Dr. Cailin Lenox writes she typically uses (Today's Veterinary Practice, 2016). It is one nutritionist's suggestion, not a requirement. See the dosage calculator for the full context, including the National Research Council's safe upper limit, which counts EPA+DHA from food too.

• 20 lb dog (9.07 kg): 50 × 9.07 = 454 mg and 75 × 9.07 = 680 mg. Sardine cans: 454 ÷ 903 = 0.50 and 680 ÷ 903 = 0.75, so half to three quarters of a can. Anchovy cans: 454 ÷ 925 = 0.49 and 680 ÷ 925 = 0.74.
• 50 lb dog (22.68 kg): 50 × 22.68 = 1,134 mg and 75 × 22.68 = 1,701 mg. Sardine cans: 1,134 ÷ 903 = 1.26 and 1,701 ÷ 903 = 1.88. Anchovy cans: 1,134 ÷ 925 = 1.23 and 1,701 ÷ 925 = 1.84.

So a can of either fish holds a day's worth of EPA+DHA for a small dog, and a 50 lb dog would need more than a can. These are estimates. Fish varies by species, season, and how it was canned, and USDA's figures are averages. Nothing here says a dog should eat that much fish, and the arithmetic does not account for the EPA+DHA already in your dog's food.

What else comes with the fish

• Calories. USDA lists 208 kcal per 100 g for the oil-packed sardines, about 191 kcal for a 92 g can (208 × 0.92). Matching a 20 lb dog's range takes roughly 96 to 143 kcal; a 50 lb dog's, roughly 240 to 360 kcal. Count that as part of the daily food, not on top of it. Fish oil adds calories too, but much less per day than that.
• Sodium. The sardines in oil have 307 mg per 100 g, about 282 mg per 92 g can. The anchovies have 3,668 mg per 100 g, about 1,651 mg for a 45 g can, so matching the 20 lb dog's range would mean roughly 810 to 1,210 mg of sodium. We have no source that sets a safe sodium amount for dogs, so ask your vet, especially for a dog with heart, kidney or blood pressure concerns.
• Bones. Canned sardines are sold with soft bones, and USDA's entries are labeled "with bone." We found no veterinary source on this, so ask your vet if your dog is small or has digestive problems.
• Seasonings. Skip sardines in tomato sauce, mustard, hot sauce or flavored oils unless you have read every ingredient. The ASPCA lists garlic and onion as toxic to dogs.
• Mercury. The FDA and EPA put both sardines and anchovies on the lowest-mercury "Best Choices" list in their advice about eating fish. That advice is written for people, not pets, so it does not tell you how much a dog can eat.
• Pancreatitis and weight. Oil-packed fish is fat-dense. If your dog has had pancreatitis, has high blood fats or is overweight, ask your vet first.

Sardines or a fish oil?

A fish oil prints EPA and DHA in milligrams on the label, so the dose is a division problem, as in our guide to human fish oil for dogs. A can of fish varies from can to can, adds salt and calories, and gives you only an estimate. A can is food and can be a fine treat if your vet agrees. If you want a measured amount of EPA+DHA, a supplement with a stated amount is easier to measure. Our comparison table sorts products by the amount on the label, and salmon oil for dogs covers one common source. See omega-3 for dogs for the basics, and side effects for what to watch for.

When to call your vet

Ask first if your dog takes medication, has pancreatitis, kidney or heart disease, or is a puppy or pregnant. Call your vet if your dog vomits, has diarrhea, or seems unwell after eating fish. We checked the USDA entries ourselves, and we have not tested any can.