“Fish oil for dogs? You must be kidding!” is a response I sometimes get from owners when I suggest they supplement Fido’s diet with omega-3 salmon oil capsules.
After all, every dog owner knows that cats eat fish, but dogs should be eating dry kibble and morsels — or maybe, if they’ve been really good, a can of Ken L-Ration horse meat.
“It just doesn’t seem natural,” owners sometimes add. But in our kibbles-and-bits mentality, it’s hard to know what’s natural or unnatural for dogs.
One thing is for sure, it is unnatural for them to rely on kibble for their nutrition. Your dog’s body is not designed to eat and digest corn, wheat and carbohydrates, which make up 40% of commercial dog food.
If your dog could talk – and I’m glad mine can’t – he’d ask for raw meat, bones, fish, eggs, dead possums, and other tasty treats that we’d likely find repulsive.
Left alone in the wild – where they come from – dogs can easily figure out what to eat. They don’t need a TV ad with a cute jingle to know what’s good for them.
Which brings us back to fish oil for dogs. As mammals, dogs can suffer from some of the same poor health conditions as humans. For example, they get inflammation, arthritis, dermatitis, cancer, and heart problems just like we do—especially when they eat our leftovers.
Studies show that fish oil can support dog health just as much as it does in humans. A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that dogs with heart failure had lower levels of EPA and DHA than their healthy counterparts. Supplementing with omega-3 oil rich in EPA and DHA improved survival rates for all dogs. (Vol. 12 (6), 440-8)
There’s more too! Now you can stop yelling at Fido to stop licking his sore. Fish oil has been shown to reduce itching, redness, swelling, and hair loss associated with those dry, rough, hairless patches that they seem to fixate on. (Veterinary Record, Vol. 144, No. 15, 405-07)
Just give Fido Salmon Oil Capsules and watch those stains go away.
And if he has arthritis – which is common in large breeds – then the most important thing you can do for Fido is Omega 3. Just like in humans, it will reduce the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.
We once found a beautiful, unstressed Golden Retriever who had horrible hip problems. Sedona could not get up from a lying or sitting position without assistance.
But when we fed her salmon oil capsules daily, within a few weeks she was jumping and running around like a puppy. Sedona turned out to be one of the best pets we’ve ever had.
So if you want better health for your “best friend,” feed him or her raw foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids. And if a raw food diet is too expensive for you and you plan to continue feeding dry food, you should definitely supplement the diet with high-quality fish oil capsules.
After all, they are part of your family and deserve the best you can give them.
Thanks to Michael Byrd
