Does My Pet Need an Omega-3 Supplement?

Most commercial pet foods today contain too many omega-6s and too few omega-3s. Excess omega-6s can cause skin and coat health issues, such as inflammation, itchy skin and dandruff, along with other health problems including:

  • Allergies
  • Arthritis
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer

Adding an omega-3 supplement to your pet’s diet gives them a balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio for optimum health.

What Roles Do Omegas have in the body?

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega 3’s are essential; and therefore, must come from your pet’s diet. DHA & EPA are found in marine sources like cold water fatty fish. EPA & DHA help strong immune, cardiovascular & nervous system function, healthy joints, and skin & coat health. ALA comes from plant sources and supports skin & coat health, but it is not as bioavailable as DHA & EPA for pets.

OMEGA 6 FATTY ACIDS

Omega 6’s are also essential fatty acids that support healthy cell function. However, an elevated Omega-6 content may trigger inflammation in your pet’s body.

OMEGA 9 FATTY ACIDS

Omega 9’s are not nutritionally important fatty acids since the pet’s body makes Omega-9s as needed. The body burns excess Omega-9s as a calorie-dense source of energy.

Benefits of EPA and DHA

  • Fights inflammation
  • Supports brain health
  • Lowers risk of heart disease
  • Healthy skin and coat
  • Allergy relief
  • Improves joint health
  • May decrease the risk of some cancers

Sources of Omega-3’s

Fish oils or whole fish sources

  • Sardines (in water if buying canned)
  • Anchovies (in water if buying canned)
  • Salmon – Fresh caught, never farmed

Krill Oil

Algal Oil

Hempseed Oil- But not a lot of the omega-3 can be converted to EPA and DHA

Green lipped mussels

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