# Fish oil supplement



## roxihart (Mar 5, 2009)

After quite a few recommendations by a vet (not my vet) as well as fellow dog owners, I have began giving Sammie a fish oil pill once a day, about 1200mg. Reason is that she tends to have a dry skin and coat and although the California Natural does wonders compared to her old Eukanuba, I have always used Dermacaps and opted to switch if the results turn out favorable. 

Just wondering if anyone has had experience with fish oil that could give me some inside info or administering tips. My parents freeze the pill to prevent fishy breath, the vet suggested pouring the liquid over her food.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

I used a liquid form of fish oil marketed just for dogs. I gave a squirt or two into Tysen's food. I haven't done it in awhile so I don't recall any fish breath!


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

We give our dogs the Spring Valley brand (the human kind). We usually buy it at Target. They each get 1000 mg with each meal, which is one capsule two times a day. Our dogs love the fish oil tablets and think they are treats. We just put the capsules right on top of their food. We specifically started giving it to Tucker because he had really dry and flaky skin and it helped tremendously. Both of our dogs have very soft and shiny coats with the fish oil supplementation. Our vet even recommended it.


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

Mine get the squirt kind on their food made for dogs. If they come over to breathe on me after eating, I might smell a bit of fish, but nothing that lasts or knocks me out. 

I stopped giving the fish oil for several months and after a while I did notice a change in the feel of their fur. So we started again a month ago, and I do think it makes a difference.


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

We use liquid Wild Salmon Oil. It makes a huge difference in their skin and coat.

The dogs love it...and the high quality doesn't smell.

http://www.thewholisticpet.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=554&ParentCat=42


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

We fish oil because the vet oncologist recommended it for cancer prevention. She said it quells inflamations that set up a dog for later cancer(?). I don't know the science behind this, though. Nordic Naturals is out brand, for dogs and humans.


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## SoGolden (Jul 17, 2008)

Harry was a little dry and itchy through the winter. So he gets an Omega-3 Fish Oil 1200 mg pill twice a day. It's from Puritan's Pride and is mercury-free. I bought two 100 softgel bottles for $9.99 on line. Breeder recommended -- Harry approved. And, no odor from taking them...


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## lovealways_jami (Apr 17, 2007)

I poke a hole in the capsule and Diesel, Kerosene, and Hoosier all 3 will chew and swallow. ALTHOUGH sometimes I get friendly fire when they bite down.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I use liquid, Icelandic Pure Salmon Oil. Mine don't have fishy breath.


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## roxihart (Mar 5, 2009)

I'm going to try using it as a treat first and then move to liquid on her food if she isn't big on that idea. I like to limit her treats to nutritious things like fruits and veggies or occasionally chicken instead of biscuits as they are high in calories, so this will be a great addition for her. I have regular fish oil, but I'm going to look into switching to the wild salmon. 

Thanks for the great responses!


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## hmsalazar (Feb 19, 2009)

We open an omega 3 capsule (the cheap ones from walmart) in his food once a day, you could put 2 but mine is a puppy, its one for he and one for me. Next time i will buy them in sams club


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

mylissyk said:


> I use liquid, Icelandic Pure Salmon Oil. Mine don't have fishy breath.


 
ditto ditto..........


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I alternate between the Icelandic Pure, Carlson's Finest Fish Oil (that I take), and the Sea Star Gold. All are in liquid form. The important thing is to have a high EPA/DHA level.....mine get apprx. 1600 mg EPA & 1000 mg DHA daily. Hard to get this level in the pills unless you are dosing with alot of pills. At this amount there is joint, cardiac, and brain health. Also, make sure that whatever you use has been tested and is free of heavy metal contamination.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

I used a couple different brands of Wild Alaskan Salmon oil (liquid, not capsules) and never had stinky fish breath at all


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

I buy the big bottle of Wild Alaskan Salmon oil capsules (meant for humans) at Costco. I just throw a capsule into the AM meal and the PM meal. She swallows it whole or chews it. Never noticed fishy breath here.


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## hmsalazar (Feb 19, 2009)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I alternate between the Icelandic Pure, Carlson's Finest Fish Oil (that I take), and the Sea Star Gold. All are in liquid form. The important thing is to have a high EPA/DHA level.....mine get apprx. 1600 mg EPA & 1000 mg DHA daily. Hard to get this level in the pills unless you are dosing with alot of pills. At this amount there is joint, cardiac, and brain health. Also, make sure that whatever you use has been tested and is free of heavy metal contamination.


so you spend like 1dlls a day in oil? for that amount i need to give my dog like 8 pills, but that should cost me like 20 or 25 cents a day. I think liquid have probably better quality but its very expensive, where did you read the daily amount they should have?


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Anyone read this opinion piece in the NY Times hoping animal feed will top including fish/ fish oil? All my "green" conscience flies out the window when it comes to keeping the goldens healthy!http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/opinion/22greenberg.html?_r=3&th&emc=th


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

2 months ago the vet nurse I spoke with before my older Golden's annual exam was pushing a new dietary formulation kibble with Fish Oil available by prescription. It's a major brand. My first Golden hated this manufacturer's food so much he wouldn't eat it. Despite my reservations I bought a small bag to try because she assured me one day's worth of this kibble was the equivalent to 35 fish oil capsules, blah blah. I ended up throwing the small bag away--it increased their stool to the point they were constantly pooping and I was running out of poop bags and couldn't keep up the clean up in the back yard. It wasn't the fish oil doing this-it was all the crap ingredients in this prescription formulation of kibble, none of it compatible with dogs with sensitive skin. It's back to the Fish Oil capsules several times a day. We just throw them in the food bowls or give them outright as treats. We are back to the dog kibble the pups and their clean up crew like!

By the way, my doctor prescribed me a vitamin supplement that includes high doses of fish oils in addition to some other good stuff--never felt better! We humans should take the fish oil supplementation as well for our joints, hearts, minds, inflammation and our skin! I take it with a cinnamon capsule (for blood sugar regulation) and hopefully don't have fishy breath!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

> At this amount there is joint, cardiac, and brain health.


Also, the canine oncologist said it is likely anit-cancer because it helps prevent inflammation.

On caution for dogs and humans is combos with anything that already thins blood/effects clotting like asprin, coumadin(sp?), or SSRI antidepressants.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

> On caution for dogs and humans is combos with anything that already thins blood/effects clotting like asprin, coumadin(sp?), or SSRI antidepressants.


This is true, I had a biopsy scheduled within a day of my old guy having a cyst removal surgery/dental cleaning and both my physician and the dog's vet independently cautioned us to go off the fish oils (and for me Vitamin E) for at least 5 days before the procedure date, because the fish oils thin the blood. During those 5 days I felt more joint pain and my old guy was a lot slower in his movements. We had to wait for a few days after the surgery to start them up again so we could scab up. Perhaps I imagined my aches and pains while off the stuff, but I really don't think I did. I believe they also help me sleep better, probably because my joints aren't as achy!


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

From the story:

"A carnivore, be it a cat, a dog or a salmon, is a heavy burden for the environment and should not be brought under human care lightly."

Huh?

So this guy thinks all our pets should be forced into being Vegans?



Ljilly28 said:


> Anyone read this opinion piece in the NY Times hoping animal feed will top including fish/ fish oil? All my "green" conscience flies out the window when it comes to keeping the goldens healthy!http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/opinion/22greenberg.html?_r=3&th&emc=th


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

hmsalazar said:


> so you spend like 1dlls a day in oil? for that amount i need to give my dog like 8 pills, but that should cost me like 20 or 25 cents a day. I think liquid have probably better quality but its very expensive, where did you read the daily amount they should have?


Of course there are directions on the label. Also, there is quite abit of info in the Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats by Shawn Messonier DVM. With the Icelandic Pure one of the larger 33 oz bottles lasts my four dogs over a month. So with one, it would go a long, long way.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Is fish oil good for a puppy? Is it necessary? We used to give Carmella a pill with omegas in it, but that wasn't until she was about 11 years old, and I've often wondered if it was something I should do for Flora, or wait until she was older.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

We didn't start until ours were older either. If she's doing well, I would wait..... just my gut feeling. Hope others chime in.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We started our golden Toby on fish oil at 6 months, the day we adopted him. He came to us with a congenital cataract and reducing inflammation is important to keeping him pain free. Our regular vet suggested starting him on Fish oils (as well as Cosequin DS for the hips) and his opthamologist approved of the fish oils for the inflammation. He actually likes them more than the older guy and begs for them for treats.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

mylissyk said:


> I use liquid, Icelandic Pure Salmon Oil. Mine don't have fishy breath.


Same here.....


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

NuttinButGoldens said:


> From the story:
> 
> "A carnivore, be it a cat, a dog or a salmon, is a heavy burden for the environment and should not be brought under human care lightly."
> 
> ...


He's probably a PETA member who subscribes to their notion that no animals should be bred or kept as pets.


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

Wow. All I can say to to this is:





Celeigh said:


> He's probably a PETA member who subscribes to their notion that no animals should be bred or kept as pets.


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