[ioreks_mom]

i feed iorek raw and he gets one meal of whole atlantic mackerel a week. he really loves the fish. i was wondering if i still should supplement with omega oil if i am feeding fish?

thanks your your advice

 

[Kathyy]

I am not certain of my math skills but I *think* 2 ounces of oily fish a day are what my 38 pound dog needs. Go check nutritiondata and compare to the oil or capsules you have used in the past maybe?

 

[lillie20]

What is the advantage of feeding fish oil supplement? What is it good for? I use a probiotic powder but always thought of adding this.

 

[ioreks_mom]

i found this online

For many years, pet owners have given fatty acids to their dogs and cats to change a dull, dry coat into a more glossy one. More recently veterinarians have found that fatty acids play important roles in other areas of skin and coat health such as allergies, the control of inflammation, and the function of other body organs in dogs and cats.

from this site peteducation.com there is a lot of information near the middle of the page giving in more detail how the oils help.

Kathyy: i am not sure how to do that. i was giving him 1 teaspoon of ascenta canine omega oil a day. he is 50 lbs. i have a very horrible memory and i always seem to forget to give him the oil. i just want to make sure that he is getting what he needs.

 

[briteday]

Omega 3 is somewhat necessary these days, IMO, because the meat most of us are feeding our dogs comes from poorly controlled pastures and the animals are "finished" way too fast, much faster than would occur normally in nature. That results in a higher omega 6 component and throws the whole 3-6 balance off.

Your dog will not likely suffer too much harm though. You may notice with supplementation that your dog has a shinier coat. On the inside, omega balance helps the heart and brain function more efficiently.

I keep a plastic shoebox in the fridge to defrost the dogs' meat bags. I also use that box to remind me to add certain things like an egg, oil, yogurt for the next day. I'm pretty brain dead in the morning and really busy at dinnertime. So throwing the items in the box when I pull food for the next day really helps.

 

[ioreks_mom]

so you think that i still need to supplement? iorek eats 1 lb of wild caught whole atlantic mackerel once a week.

 

[Kathyy]

I looked at the nutritional analysis of the fish I found on nutritiondata.com and compared to what I used to supplement O-3. That information ought to be on the bottle of fish oil. Raw Atlantic mackerel has 748 mg omega-3 fatty acids per ounce of fish.

 

[ioreks_mom]

thank you for your help

 

[britishbandit]

Your dog will not likely suffer too much harm though. You may notice with supplementation that your dog has a shinier coat. On the inside, omega balance helps the heart and brain function more efficiently.

Very true. I supplement my dogs with Salmon Oil pills with omega 3. Helps greatly with the coat/skin and shedding.
I've was also told yesterday at the vets office (when asking about preventative measures regarding hip issues in my dog), that omega 3 is a natural preventative for the degeneration of cartilage that causes hip/joint problems.

 

[txcollies]

I think, if you can't get some good grass feed beef/meat then it wouldn't hurt to give some Fish Oil.

 

[ioreks_mom]

so, the omega 3 oil that i was giving him has 1290 mg/tsp, which is how much i gave him a day. using the info from Kathyy, a pound of atlantic mackerel has 11968 mg of omega 3, which works out to 1709.7 mg per day if i divide it by 7. so he is getting much more omega 3 from the fish than he was getting from the oil. i do not think that i will continue supplementing. i just hope that it is ok that he is getting it all in one day.

 

[cyan2008]

You do not need to be over worried. my dog is 40 pounds weight, i feed him with 2 ounce of the stuff. if you are not pretty sure of what to do, i would advise that you consult some directories on how to calculate what is adequate for your dog. Or better still seek some well prepared Guide on Dog Nutrition. a healthy dog is a happy one.

 

[ioreks_mom]

your link doesn't work.

i would think that the omega 3 oil that i got from my holistic vet would have the recommended amount of omega 3 for my dog. i can't see her selling something that didn't have enough...but i could be wrong. i will try to find some info online. i am pretty sure that iorek is getting enough, now that i got the info from Kathyy and did the math.

 

[cyan2008]

well, done for your decision now. i think it is a wise one.

Good Luck

 

[sirilucky]

Exactly!! Omega 3 fatty acids are vital for normal function of every organ system in the body, particularly the immune system. A lack of omega 3s (or relative excess of omega 6s) contributes to allergic and degenerative disorders, causing:

* Joint inflammation and arthritis

* Allergy - dry itchy skin, recurring skin infection, recurring ear infections

* Autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease

* Loss of mental alertness in older dogs