Healthy Fish Oil for your Dogs

Sanne. Agreed. Dogs are not Wolves, but their teeth and digestive systems have very minor differences. Yes, I understand the diets will have regional influences.

Dog food was invented in the early 1900's by an American electrician after he observed dogs eating the dried biscuits that were discarded by sailors after he arrived in London by ship. Prior to that.....dogs were eating what humans would discard or what they could scavenge. Dogs have evolved with humans for the last 30,000 some odd years. Dry dog food has been around for a little over a century. After WW1, Ken-L-Ration was raising herds of horses to supply meat in their canned dog food.

Anyhow, back the Omega 3 and 6. I know my dog needs these supplements, but I'm not able to find a reliable source for a supplement. Is there a food source, other than fish, that could supply the requirement?

Sorry, I don't have confidence in the fish in this area. I have seen and smelled the pollution level in the lakes, rivers and ocean in this area. Can't imagine what is concentrated in the fish flesh. We don't even drink the tap water. We are at the bottom end of the Pearl River, the Pearl delta is only a few kilometers from here.

Any thoughts on Alaskan krill oil in a liquid pump bottle?

I've been doing research on this topic. There is much information available on the web. Tough part is sifting Marketing blather from fact. I spoke to my Chinese Vet about dosage, advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, she was not able to help. She only knows what is told to her by the Pet Food sales rep..... Apparently, pet nutrition is low on the Veterinary college education in this country.

I have been able to cipher from the multitudes of websites that my dog should receive about 250-500 mg/day of krill oil. I will error on the low end and begin with 1/2 dose to monitor for side effects. BTW, dosage is dependent on dog weight and concentration of O6 & O3 in the supplement. Also, krill oil appears to have better characteristics than fish or salmon oil. My research indicates the plant based oils for O6 & O3 is not absorbed very well by dogs, but is absorbed by humans. All point to animal based oils for dogs and cats.

The pump bottles will deliver a measured amount per stroke so the dosage can be controlled. Most liquid-caps have too high a concentration for the size of my dog. It is also difficult to fraction a liquid-cap and I'm sure messy......then to preserve the unused portion. Chewables are also too high of concentration. I must be careful with the fatty acids in my dog's breed, he is susceptible to pancreatitis.

I can place an order online, ship to a colleague, they can transport on their next business trip. Shipping cost is a few beers and a dinner. Meanwhile, I hunt for a source here in China.

Yeah, definitely prefer to not supplement with fresh fish from the surrounding waters. I deal with pollution on a daily base, certainly don't want to be feeding it. Shoot, I don't eat fish from this area.

During my research I was able to answer my own questions about the natural diet of Wolves. The answer is yes, some artic wolves will hunt salmon alongside of bears during the salmon spawning season. Some wild dogs will consume fish, but it is not a normal prey item.

Hope this answers some questions besides my own.

All I can say is do your research, sift the facts, talk to your Vet, make your choice.

I agree. Just to add a little more detail:
1. Roughly 100 - 150mg [each] of EPA & EHA per 10lbs of weight of your dog. Human quality is good.
2. If the dog gets a good diet with some protein from meat sources, he should get adequate Omega-6.
3. Plant-based Omega-3 is short chain. Animal-based is long chain, which is what dogs and people need. People can convert short chain to long chain. I don't know about a dog's metabolism for the conversion.
4. I agree about pancreatitis and fat. But, I don't know if Omega-3 will contribute to pancreatitis?
5. Any animal source of long chain Omega-3 should be OK, but manufacturer purity to remove pollutants and mercury vary a lot. Personally, I use Dr. Sears Zone OmegaRX2, which is highly refined and very expensive.

However, I did use butter oil and Omega-3 supplements when I first got my rescue. I stopped, b/c my dog started to lick himself ... possibly due to mild diarrhea or clogged anal glands. Licking stopped immediately when I stopped dosing. I switched to food with Omega-3 and that seems fine. With the switched food, his coat shines and his energy increased. I could probably do more.

As someone else suggested, a little pasture-fed beef, lamb, or chicken as a daily topper on your dog's food may provide adequate Omega-3 supplement.