# Acana Pacifica EPA/DHA Content



## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I won't feed fish oil and would think if he is on a good fish food like he is, he would not need it


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

my vet says the proper dose of EPA is 180 mg/10 pounds of body weight/day.
The dose of DHA is not important.
how did you come up with the 4680? I'm not sure I understand your numbers. The food is 1.3% Omega 3, so he's getting about 5 grams of Omega 3 total, or 5000 mg total of Omega 3. If the food is actually .3% EPA, then he's getting about 1170 mg of EPA (dont combine EPA and DHA for the daily dose). 
If he weighs 70 pounds, an average male golden, he needs 1260 mg of EPA in a day, and the food provides plenty. But it is not excessive by any stretch.


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

Since the breakdown of the Pacifica is that 35% of cals come from protein, 40% from fat and 25% from carbs, wouldn't the EPA/DHA be 1.2% of the 40% of fat???? The 4680 mg of EPA/DHA sounds way too high, if for no other reason, the cost. I feed probably about 6000-7000 mg between the four of ours and my oil costs over $50/ mo. Might be a good question for Champion.


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

hotel4dogs said:


> my vet says the proper dose of EPA is 180 mg/10 pounds of body weight/day.
> The dose of DHA is not important.
> how did you come up with the 4680? I'm not sure I understand your numbers. The food is 1.3% Omega 3, so he's getting about 5 grams of Omega 3 total, or 5000 mg total of Omega 3. If the food is actually .3% EPA, then he's getting about 1170 mg of EPA (dont combine EPA and DHA for the daily dose).
> If he weighs 70 pounds, an average male golden, he needs 1260 mg of EPA in a day, and the food provides plenty. But it is not excessive by any stretch.


The sports medicine vet Anne has seen and that I heard in seminar recommended 300 mg/10 lb of weight of DHA/EPA combined.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

that's interesting. Did they give any breakdown as to how much of each? My vet was very emphatic that the EPA is the important one, saying that as long as they get the 180 mg/10 pounts of body weight of the EPA they'd get enough DHA. 
Maybe he said that because all the good quality supplements he recommends have more DHA than EPA, and if you're getting enough EPA, you're certainly getting enough DHA?
Dunno.




Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> The sports medicine vet Anne has seen and that I heard in seminar recommended 300 mg/10 lb of weight of DHA/EPA combined.


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

No, no breakdown was given. Well might be because they go hand in hand ( or paw in paw). She did say that omega 3's are the one supplement that she recommends across the board to everyone.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

390gms kibble/day x .012 x 1000mg per gm = 4680mg/day of EPA/DHA

I had not heard of basing the dose on EPA only. Recommended doses vary alot but usually you see 1500mg daily of combined EPA/DHA. Rocky is 68 lbs. Using the 300mg combined EPA/DHA per 10lb, Rocky needs 2040mg daily of combined EPA/DHA. I believe recommended doses in the 1500-2000mg range are for normal dogs. Atopic dogs should probably get mega doses, but I am just guessing on that one.

My main concern is how much of the label EPA/DHA is actually there and/or bioavailable. I will ask Champion about this.

Update: Did a quick Internet search and found a couple references indicating EPA is the key. Here is an example:

"Although we need both EPA and DHA equally, as Ralph Holman, an expert on fatty acids once said “DHA is structure and EPA is function”. We need DHA for the proper development of the brain during pregnancy and through the first few years of life, but the rest of the time we need EPA for the brain to function efficiently. Some research has also indicated that the presence of DHA might actually interfere with the beneficial properties of EPA making it somewhat less effective than fish oil with a very high EPA content."


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

The information in this thread has been very helpful for me. I currently give my dogs one 1000 mg salmon oil capsule daily, which evidently is on the low end.

My question: I've often heard to not really count the amount listed on the bag label very much since its effectiveness may be reduced from the heat in the cooking process - plus the exposure to air once the bag is opened. Has anyone else heard reference to this?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

my vet is one smart guy 



artbuc said:


> 390gms kibble/day x .012 x 1000mg per gm = 4680mg/day of EPA/DHA
> 
> I had not heard of basing the dose on EPA only. Recommended doses vary alot but usually you see 1500mg daily of combined EPA/DHA. Rocky is 68 lbs. Using the 300mg combined EPA/DHA per 10lb, Rocky needs 2040mg daily of combined EPA/DHA. I believe recommended doses in the 1500-2000mg range are for normal dogs. Atopic dogs should probably get mega doses, but I am just guessing on that one.
> 
> ...


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