2026.01.06 – Tuna, Chicken Broth, and the Myths That Stick in January 2026

Key Takeaways

The short version

Canned tuna can support a dog’s skin and coat because it contains helpful fats, but it is better as an occasional treat than a daily habit.

“Light” tuna and “white” tuna are not the same thing on many labels, and the difference matters most for mercury.

The “first boil is chicken urine” idea does not match how birds excrete waste or how chicken is prepared for cooking.

Story & Details

A simple set of kitchen questions

In January 2026, the same few questions keep coming up in home kitchens and pet bowls: Is tuna good for a dog’s coat? Is the first boil of chicken “full of urine”? And what do tuna labels really mean—especially words like light, white, skipjack, and yellowfin? The note that raised these questions even ended with a plain thank-you, the kind that often follows a quick tip shared between people.

Tuna and a dog’s coat: why it can help, and why it has limits

A dog’s skin is not just “skin.” It is a barrier made of cells and fats. Certain fats called essential fatty acids help support that barrier and can calm some kinds of skin inflammation. Veterinary references describe essential fatty acids as key parts of cell membranes and the skin’s outer barrier, and they are not made by the body in enough amounts, so they must come from food. Some dogs with itchy, inflamed skin can improve when their diet includes these fats, though results vary. [1]

Tuna can contribute to that picture because fish can contain omega-3 fatty acids. But canned tuna is not a targeted supplement. It is food, with tradeoffs:
It can be salty, especially if packed with added salt.

It is not balanced dog food, so it should not replace regular meals.

Like many large ocean fish, it can contain mercury, so “more” is not automatically “better.” [2]

A practical, simple idea fits most homes: tuna can be an occasional extra, not a daily routine, and plain styles are safer than seasoned ones.

The chicken broth claim: what is really in the first boil

The claim is blunt: when making chicken broth, the chicken is boiled, so the first boil must contain “all the chicken’s urine.” That idea sounds vivid, but it breaks down when the biology is clear.

Birds do not store urine in a bladder the way humans do. Instead, uric acid from the kidneys moves into a chamber called the cloaca, where it can mix with feces and leave the body together. This is why bird droppings often have a white part. [6] [7]

Chicken used for cooking is also processed and cleaned before it reaches a home kitchen. So the first boil is not a “release of stored urine.” What often appears in the first boil is something much less dramatic: proteins, small bits of blood, and foam rising as heat changes the meat. Some cooks discard that first water for taste or clarity, but that is a cooking choice, not a urine-removal step.

What matters more for safety is not “first boil” folklore but basic food hygiene. Public health guidance stresses that raw poultry can spread germs around a kitchen, and washing or rinsing it can spread those germs further through splashes. Cooking to a safe temperature is what kills the germs. [4] [5]

Skipjack, light, white, pinkish, and yellowfin: making sense of tuna names

One short question—“skipjack?”—opens a whole label puzzle.

Skipjack is a type of tuna. It is smaller than some other tuna species, and it is commonly used in canned products. Seafood authorities describe it as a migratory species that lives in the open ocean. [8]

On many labels, “white tuna” is a name used for albacore. “Light tuna” is often a mix that commonly includes skipjack. The difference matters because mercury tends to build up more in larger, longer-lived fish. Government fish-consumption advice notes that albacore (often sold as “white”) typically has more mercury than canned light tuna, and it gives different guidance for how often to eat each. [2]

This is where color confuses people. “The one that is kind of pink” is not a reliable label rule. Tuna flesh color can vary by species, cut, and packing style. Some “white” tuna can look pale pink. Some “light” tuna can look more rosy. Color alone is not a clean test. The label words and the species name are better clues than the shade in the can.

Yellowfin is another species name that often appears clearly on packages, especially for steaks and some canned products. Fisheries references describe yellowfin by its distinct yellow fins and streamlined body, and consumer fish advice lists yellowfin tuna as a “good choice” in its mercury guidance tables. [3] [9]

A tiny Dutch label lesson

Dutch packaging can be short and direct, so a few words go a long way.

“Tonijn” means tuna. Word by word: tonijn = tuna.

“Witte tonijn” means white tuna. Word by word: witte = white; tonijn = tuna. This phrase is often used for albacore-style products.

“Lichte tonijn” means light tuna. Word by word: lichte = light; tonijn = tuna. This phrase is often used for mixed-species canned tuna, commonly including skipjack.

The small win is simple: reading two adjectives—witte and lichte—can quickly steer a shopper toward the kind of tuna they expect.

Conclusions

A calmer way to hold the facts

Tuna can be a helpful extra for a dog’s skin and coat because it can add beneficial fats, but it works best as an occasional add-on, not a daily fix. [1]

The first boil of chicken is not “full of urine,” and the stronger safety focus belongs on clean handling and thorough cooking, not on rinsing or folklore. [4] [6]

For people, tuna names matter: light, white, skipjack, albacore, and yellowfin point to different species and different mercury patterns, so the label is more useful than the color in the can. [2] [3]

Selected References

[1] https://www.msdvetmanual.com/pharmacology/systemic-pharmacotherapeutics-of-the-integumentary-system/essential-fatty-acids-for-integumentary-disease-in-animals
[2] https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/questions-answers-fdaepa-advice-about-eating-fish-those-who-might-become-or-are-pregnant-or
[3] https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
[4] https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/prevention/index.html
[5] https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2019/08/20/washing-raw-poultry-our-science-your-choice
[6] https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/do-birds-pee.html
[7] https://www.britannica.com/story/do-birds-pee
[8] https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-skipjack-tuna
[9] https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-yellowfin-tuna
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4C0k5hEcJc

Appendix

Albacore

Albacore is a tuna species often sold as “white tuna,” and it is commonly described as having higher mercury than many canned “light” tuna products. [2]

Canned light tuna

Canned light tuna is a label category that commonly includes smaller tuna species such as skipjack, and it is often treated as a lower-mercury choice than albacore. [2]

Cloaca

The cloaca is a single opening in birds used for waste and reproduction; urine-related waste and feces can pass through it instead of leaving the body through separate exits. [6]

DHA

DHA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and other foods; it is often discussed in nutrition guidance about seafood. [2]

EPA

EPA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid; along with DHA it appears in nutrition guidance about seafood. [2]

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids are fats the body cannot make in enough amounts and must get from food; they help support cell membranes and the skin barrier, and they can play a role in some inflammatory skin problems. [1]

Geelvintonijn

Geelvintonijn is the Dutch word for yellowfin tuna; word by word: geel = yellow; vin = fin; tonijn = tuna.

Lichte tonijn

Lichte tonijn is Dutch for light tuna; word by word: lichte = light; tonijn = tuna.

Mercury

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that can build up in fish; seafood guidance groups fish choices partly to help people limit mercury exposure. [3]

Omega-3

Omega-3 is a family of fats that includes EPA and DHA; these fats are often linked with nutrition discussions about fish and with skin-support roles in animals. [1]

Skipjack

Skipjack is a tuna species commonly used in canned products, and it is frequently linked with “light tuna” labeling. [2] [8]

Uric acid

Uric acid is a nitrogen waste product in many birds; it moves from the kidneys into the cloaca and can leave the body alongside feces. [6]

White tuna

White tuna is a label term commonly used for albacore tuna, and it is often associated with higher mercury than canned light tuna in consumption guidance. [2]

Witte tonijn

Witte tonijn is Dutch for white tuna; word by word: witte = white; tonijn = tuna.

Yellowfin

Yellowfin is a tuna species that appears on many labels; fisheries references describe it as a distinct species, and consumer guidance lists it among commonly eaten fish choices. [3] [9]