Essential Fatty Acids, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, provide for a number of major vital functions in our dog’s body (as well as our own) and are quickly becoming a popular supplement among veterinarians to treat a wide variety of ailments.
Omega-3 supplements are commonly used for treating allergies and soothing irritated, itchy and flaky skin. They can significantly reduce joint inflammation to help reduce morning stiffness and painful joints in arthritis patients. Plus they are now being recommended in cases of kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, elevated cholesterol, autoimmune disorders and diabetes.
All that doesn’t mean you should wait for your dog to be sick to supplement his diet with Omega-3s. In healthy dogs, it helps promote healthy skin, a shiny coat (which helps reduces shedding!), healthy brain function, and boosts the immune system.
Essential fatty acids are grouped into two families: Omega-6 and Omega-3. Processed dog foods already contain high amounts of Omega-6 (from meat, fat and plant matter), but lack sufficient quantities of Omega-3. So it is important to add good sources of Omega-3 daily to your dog’s diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), comprised of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Not all Omega-3 supplements are created equally and so you need to pay attention to the EPA and DHA content as well as the source when purchasing an Omega-3 supplement.
While many pet food manufactures are adding flax seed to their kibble as their source of Omega-3, I have found that the very best source of useable Omega-3s for dogs is in fish body oils (not liver oils).
Plant sources of Omega-3, like flax seed, must be converted into EPA and DHA in the body to be of any nutritional benefit, and this conversion can be difficult or impossible for many dogs, especially older or sick dogs.
Cod liver oils and fish oils are not the same. Cod liver oil is extracted from cod liver and is an excellent source of vitamins A and D, while fish oils are extracted from the flesh of fatty fish. Fish oils contain very little vitamin A and D, but cod liver oil contains lower quantities of EPA and DHA. If you tried to obtain the therapeutic amounts of EPA and DHA from cod liver oil you would end up overdosing on vitamin A and D. So stick with fish oil.
I recommend looking for a fish oil supplement that comes from wild caught, non-threatened species of small fish (i.e. anchovies, mackerel and sardines) and has high quantities of EPA and DHA.
When giving fish oil on a regular basis extra vitamin E, an important fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant, is typically needed. Fish oil oxidizes easily and the body will use up its stores of vitamin E when processing fish oil. Therefore sufficient vitamin E is required in the diet to prevent a vitamin E deficiency in your dog.
Most fish oil supplements contain additional vitamin E, though this is typically only enough to preserve the product and not a significant source for the body to use. It is better to supplement natural vitamin E instead of synthetic, so when buying vitamin E look closely at the label. Natural vitamin E is listed as d-alpha tocopherol and synthetic vitamin E is listed as dl-alpha-tocopherol. One little “L” makes a big difference is how effectively the body can use it.
I encourage you to work together with your veterinarian to determine if a fish oil supplement is okay for your dog and to find out dosage information for both the fish oil and vitamin E.
