Healthy Sources of Omega 3 for Dogs
Understanding Omega 3 For Dogs
EPA & DHA from oceanic marine-based sources, including fish, krill, mussels, and algae.
ALA from plant matter. This includes flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, and other seed oils.
EPA & DHA are essential fatty acids and must be provided in the food. They are an important addition to your dog's diet: essential for brain and eye development of puppies, important for reducing the risk of various diseases, plus beneficial in improving conditions such as osteoarthritis and skin allergies.
Most kibble manufacturers add Omega 3 fatty acids to their foods. But they only add ALA sources (alpha-linolenic acid) from flaxseed oil. In fact, AAFCO only requires ALA sources — even though your dog (and cat) needs DHA and EPA!
A recent study shows that dogs fed only flaxseed oil have significantly decreased levels of omega 3. They fall short of the Omega 3 requirements for good health.
ALA is considered a short-chain omega 3 and may not be a sufficient source of omega 3 — since it doesn’t convert to EPA and DHA very well.
Marketing labels of your dog’s pet food kibble may suggest it’s rich in Omega 3 fatty acids — but it may be lacking EPA and DHA.
Omega-3 has been shown to support the reduction of anxiety & depression in dogs.
Omega 3 studies have shown that it can be extremely effective and an alternative consideration to NSAIDs Read the Study
Key Takeaway — unless your dog is intolerant to fish and marine-based ingredients, if you’re feeding kibble, most everyone needs to supplement their food with a healthy marine-based Omega 3.
Good Sources of Omega 3
Dosages of Omega 3 For Dogs
Most supplements for Omega are offered at low maintenance dosages. For the average healthy pet, that supplementation level may be appropriate. But if you have a senior, allergies, joint health, cognitive disorders, seizures, cancer, or other inflammatory conditions you may need a much higher therapeutic dose.
In short maintenance dose is 50-100mg / kg / day. We move up to 150mg / kg / day for arthritis and allergies. 200+mg / kg / day for seizures, cancer, and chronic inflammatory conditions. You’ll always want to introduce at low dosages and build your way to a therapeutic dose of Omega 3.
More EPA and DHA, Not Just More Oil
When choosing an omega-3, the goal is not simply to add more oil to the bowl. The goal is to increase the amount of EPA and DHA your dog is actually receiving.
Many products require several pumps, chews, capsules, or teaspoons to reach a meaningful amount. That can add extra calories, extra fat, and extra carrier oil without giving the level of omega-3 support you thought you were buying.
This is why label reading is so important. Sometimes a product labeled for a larger dog gives more EPA and DHA per teaspoon, which may allow you to give a smaller volume while still getting a stronger omega-3 benefit. That can be useful for small dogs, pancreatic dogs, overweight dogs, seniors, and dogs who do not tolerate a lot of added oil.
Look at the actual EPA and DHA numbers, not just the marketing on the bottle. A concentrated omega-3 may cost more upfront, but if you use less oil and get more active omega-3 per serving, it may be the better choice.
Join me in my forum or facebook to learn more.
Omega 3 in Kibble Dog Food
It is likely to be insufficient in volume and runs the risk of going rancid before your dog consumes the entire bag of kibble. Even if you’re storing kibble in what you think is an air-tight container it may not be ideal. Generally speaking, all kibble feeders should consider an Omega 3 supplement.
You have great options for Omega 3 Supplementation. See Nordic Naturals or join me on FB lor substack to discuss! Great options are also available from Adored Beast, FullScript, Dr. Ruth. or My Amazon store.