# Fish Oil



## ataylor (Dec 28, 2008)

I am looking for some good fish oil to give to my dogs. I was a store yesterday and I started wondering if it is a good idea to give human fish oil pills to dogs.

Any advice?


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi there,
We give human fish oils to both Katie and Paddy. We use Genestra brand oils, but there are many other good fish oils on the market.
The kind we buy has a mix of anchovy, sardine and salmon. Each capsule contains 1050mg of fish oil (omega 3) yielding an optimally balanced 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA. From everything I have read in my research, this seems to be a very good balance.

I currently give Katie 4 capsules a day (or 2 with each meal). I give so many this time of the year, as she gets some seasonal allergy issues in September and it seems to help. 

You want to be careful with storage of fish oils, that is why I usually buy the capsules. They should not be exposed to heat or bright light or they go rancid. So look for an opaque bottle and do not buy if the shelf in the store has them exposed to the bright afternoon sun. I often see this when at pet stores - they have their bottled fish oils placed right next to the windows and fully exposed, and I always wonder whether or not they are still good?!

Another thing to mention, is to introduce slowly, as some dogs have tolerance issues and you might see some loose stools. 

There is varying advice on how much oil to give. For therapeutic reasons (arthritis or severe atopy), many will give as much as 1000mg per 10lbs body weight. I am more in the school of thought that 1000mg per 20-25lbs of body weight is sufficient.

You will definitely notice a shiner and softer coat. And often less shedding and scratching!

There are many threads with great recommendations on brands other use successfully!

Kim


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Absolutely agree with the above. 

And something that wasn't mentioned is the pills do not smell b-a-d. 

I ordered a bottle of Grizzly Salmon Oil (the same stuff I had my Danny on and it made a big difference for his joints). I'm not looking forward to pouring the hideous stuff in the kibble twice a day. (I'm holding my nose thinking about it).


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

I have heard several people on several boards talk about human grade for fish oil and joint supplements so it is probably ok. On another board I am on they were talking about about fish oils etc. You have to be careful where the fish is coming from (wild v farm raised in the case of salmon) and knowing the DHA content... kind of over my head... :bowl: I give my girls SeaPet Omega 3 Fish Oil 200. We have been happy. It is more expensive than some but has good ingredients. I don't like capsules, as my dogs don't eat them. I get tired of stuffing things down my dogs throat. I do have 3 dogs and the large container of SeaPet lasted me quite a few months.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I give Ranger 3 capsules of 1000 mg a day around this time of year since the climate is so dry and he gets really itchy. It definitely helps and I prefer the capsules to the oil for storage reasons and ease to give to him since he's raw fed and I can't squirt oil on his raw meat (well, I could, but that'd be pretty messy).

Katie and Paddy's Mum had great advice (as usual), and I'll add just one thing - dogs that don't puncture the capsules when they're given them won't get as much benefit since the "skin" around the capsules is a little harder to digest for a dog. If your dog doesn't puncture them upon eating (you'll hear a little pop if they do), then it might be better to use something sharp to puncture the outside of the capsule, and then squirt the oil on the kibble. Ranger and his friend Blue were both getting the same kind and the same amount of fish oil pills a day, but the effects were way more noticeable in Ranger. We didn't know why until I gave Blue a pill and he swallowed it whole...then pooped it out whole a day later! Blue now gets his pills punctured and emptied over his kibble and the effects are now noticeable. (Ranger always pops them in his mouth like he does with raw eggs).


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

We use Grizzly Salmon Oil and when we order it in the larger container it comes with a pump on top. I leave it in the door of the fridge and when its feeding time, open the fridge door, give it a pump and we are done. No muss or fuss.

I used to give capsules and think I wore more then they got when I tried, mostly unsuccessfully to puncture the capsule before feeding them.

Certainly think it helps their skin and coat. But, when they are having tummy issues I cut out the oil for a feeding or two.


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## Garfield (Apr 7, 2009)

At veterinary recommendation, I go with a supplement specifically designed for pets and use solely Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet as it's the only pet product of the sort that meets certain purity and effectiveness criteria (and I like that the company makes independent testing results available to the public, something that many human such products will not even do).

With whatever you choose, make sure the product comes in opaque packaging, is stored away from light and heat, and is fresh (check expiration and conduct regular taste and smell tests). If using a liquid form of oil, it should be in a glass or non-plastic containment. I also refrigerate to extend the life of the product (when doing so, recommend the hardened gel caps be punctured or brought to moderate temp before feeding in the best interest of teeth preservation).


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

If you search the forum threads you will see several threads about fish oil supplementation, dosing and whether you should use human vs. dog brand formulations. There are several issues to consider such as whether it is certified free of mercury and does not contain any Vitamin A because it is toxic to dogs in large amounts. Also I believe there is good information by Iowa Gold about fish oil supplementation in her sticky thread about supplements for arthritis: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...supplements-etc-arthritis-joint-problems.html


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