Fish Oil For Dogs - Pets - Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Their Alternatives

Fish Oil For Dogs

Did you know that you can improve your dogs health by supplementing its diet with different fatty acids? Fatty acids will prove benefits beyond just normal dog foods. Fish oil for dogs and flexseed oil for dogs are two sources of these acids that you can add to your dogs diet.

What is the problem? Not Enough Fatty Acids!

Dogs and cats as well as humans are unable to produce fatty acids themselves so they must be gotten from other sources – from food. Dogs that are fed strictly processed foods can be deficient in omega-3 fatty acids since the processed foods are usually not very rich with these. The same actually goes for most of the “home cooked” foods that pets are fed with.

On one hand fish oil can help your dog with some existing health problems and on the other hand the lack of fatty acids can actually lead to health problems.

Benefits Of Fish Oil For Dogs

Omegas are anti-inflammatory. That means that they help your dog with arthritic problems by reducing inflammation of tissues and allowing more movement for activity. Actually omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial to either cat or dog or any other pets. Getting the right form of omega fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil or fish oil for dogs are crucial to this.

Linoleic acid from these oils is can do wonders for skin health of your dog. It may even help reducing some types of cancers (reduce cancer cell formation) when used with other medications.

Fish oil also promotes healthy kidneys, heart, and lowers the cholesterol levels in your dog, and can boost the immune system which can make skin and hair healthier. Skin and hair conditions of dogs are some of the first indicators of a health problem so pay close attention to these.

Side Effects?

Improper dosages of omega 6 fatty acids can actually cause inflammation and that is something no pet needs. It can also lead to weakened immune system.

Fish Oil Dosage For Dogs

Proper dosage is important when it comes to pets so pay attention to it. This is especially important with flaxseed oil. Too much can cause runny stools in dogs and cats. But if your dog is constipated it can off course help if used in in lesser doses. Consult your veterinary about the proper dosage as they can be quite different because of the different weights and sizes of various dog breeds but a good rule of thumb is to give 1000mg per 30lbs of the dog’s weight. The problem with flaxseed oil is also that dogs lack an enzyme to convert it from inactive to active for optimum usage. So it is usggested that you rather use fish oil for dogs.

Salmon Oil For Dogs

One form of fish oil that is very good for dogs is wild salmon oil. Salmon oil has the highest amount of omegas than any other cold water fish so this is the premier choice. Testing is done to make sure the mercury level is below allowable levels and most supplements are well below them. Most dogs love the taste, too. It can give the dog various degrees of fishy odor, but reduction in amounts given can help with that.

These were the main benefits of fish oil for dogs. We hope you enjoy many happy moments with your pet.

17.09.2010. 00:58

Comments

raven 08.08.2011. 11:29

New Studies Prove a Diet Rich in Fish Oil Helps Arthritic Pets Get Their Mojo Back

Dogs with osteoarthritis experience difficulty rising after rest, jumping, climbing stairs and usually progressive immobility. Owners often think this is inevitable and part of the ‘normal’ ageing process. Mobility issues in cats also tend to be poorly recognised because cats tend to react to painful joints by becoming more sedentary, which masks the signs. Now, two studies have just been published by a leading veterinary authority (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) that provide conclusive proof that arthritic dogs can get their mojo back by feeding a food rich in fish oils, which contains omega-3 fatty acids.^1,2

• Arthritic dogs improved so much that their owners noticed their dogs were better at standing up after rest and could play more after 6 weeks. After 6 months their pets were also walking better.


• Dogs were also able to put more weight on their affected/arthritic legs.  Those dogs fed fish oil rich food were seven times as likely to show improved weight bearing compared with dogs fed an ‘off the shelf’ food.


• Overall, a ‘significant clinical improvement’ was reported by researchers.

The studies were carried out using food made to the same formula as Hill’s^TM Prescription Diet^TM Canine j/d^TM, which is currently available from vet clinics in the UK. Hill’s^TM j/d^TM remains the only food for arthritic dogs to be proven in clinical studies to help dogs walk, run and jump better in as little as 21 days^3,4. Hill’s^TM Prescription Diet^TM Feline j/d ^TM is also available from vets and is formulated to improve mobility in cats in just 28 days.

How Does it Work?

The vets and nutritionists at Hill’s^TM say this research hails a breakthrough in the understanding of how fatty acids can support the joints of pets suffering osteoarthritis. Fish oils contain high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). EPA can down-regulate the enzymes that degrade cartilage. Cartilage helps to provide a buffer within the joint and as it degrades, arthritis tends to get worse. High levels of omega-3 fatty acids can also help to reduce inflammation.^5,6

The experts at Hill’s^TM say that in 21 days a dog with mobility problems fed j/d will walk, run and jump better and a cat on j/d will show visible improvements in 28 days. The company vets point out that the level of fish oils that has to be added is significant and needs to be looked at in the context of the whole diet – which may already contain certain types of fatty acids that don’t allow fish oils to exert an optimal effect.

Help for Pet Owners

Pet owners can visit www.hillspetmobility.co.uk for an on-line mobility score card, mobility information and to register for mobility support programme with money-off coupons.

Case Study

Judith was a healthy, active one-year-old Labrador retriever puppy who loved nothing more than running around open spaces, until one day she twisted awkwardly and damaged the elbow joint in her front right leg.

“Within a few months of that, arthritis had set in and Judith had become an ‘old dog’… cranky, reluctant to go for walk or even to get up from her bed some days, and she hadn’t even reached her second birthday. On the advice of my vet, we started feeding her j/d along with her anti-inflammatory medication. We couldn’t believe the change. She got her youth back in days and became the little bundle of energy she used to be… and that was over many years ago. She still loves her j/d twice a day – it’s what’s keeping Judith going strong!”

Susie Harrison, London

References

1. Multicenter veterinary practice assessment of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on osteoarthritis in dogs. Roush J, Dodd C, Fritsch A, Allen T, Jewell D, Schoenherr W, Richardson D, Leventhal P, Hahn K, JAVMA Vol 236 No 1, Jan 2010 pp 59-66


2. Evaluation of the effects of dietary supplementation with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on weight bearing in dogs. Roush J, Cross A, Renberg W, Dodd C, Sixby K, Fritsch A, Allen T, Jewell, Richardson D, Leventhal P, Hahn K, JAVMA Vol 236 No 1, Jan 2010 pp67-73

1. Fritsch D, Allen TA, Dodd CE, et al. Dose-titration effects of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids in osteoarthritic dogs. unpublished

1. Fritsch D, Final Report, 10-10-08

1. Dietary modification of inflammation with lipids, P C Calder, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2002 345-358


2. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediator production, James M J, Cleland L G, Gibson R A, Am J Clin Nut 2000: 71 suppl 343S- 358S

About these ads

The EcoNazis" latest target in their "War on Nature": Meat-eating pets

New planetary burden: Meat-eating pets

Green Hell Blog
Monday, March 23, 2009

Paul Greenberg opines today in the New York Times that dogs and cats should go vegan. Writing about his cat, Greenberg says,

Coco, like most American cats, ate fish. And a great deal of them — more in a year than the average African human, according to Jason Clay at the World Wildlife Fund. And unlike the chicken or beef Coco also gobbled up, all those fish were wild animals, scooped out of the sea and flown thousands of carbon-belching miles to reach his little blue bowl.

The use of wild fish in animal feed is a serious problem for the world’s food systems. Around a third of all wild fish caught are “reduced” into fish meal and fish oil. And yet most of the outrage about this is focused not on land-based animals like Coco but on other fish — namely farm-raised fish.

But if you feel that a vegan pet would “go against nature,” Greenberg says you should “rethink a pet’s potential footprint before acquiring one”:

A carnivore, be it a cat, a dog or a salmon, is a heavy burden for the environment and should not be brought under human care lightly. In my family, this has become a topic of debate as we consider our next animal. Coco was an interesting and unique creature, and I argue that he cannot be replaced. To me, a vegetarian substitute is seeming more and more appealing. Lately, I’ve had my eye on a guinea pig.

Hats off to the New York Times for allowing Greenberg to share his thoughts with the world — otherwise, you couldn’t make this stuff up.

About these ads