My two dogs just visited the vet for a check-up, and I was asking about some dry skin/dandruff on one of them. The vet recommended adding an omega-3 supplement for him depending on how much was in their kibble; I'm feeding Canidae which according to the label contains .60% Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega-3). After reading a few posts here I also saw that concurrently feeding Vit. E is important for omega-3 absorption (I hope I understood that correctly); Canidae All Life contains 200 IU/kg.

With all that said-- how do I figure out how much to add to their diet?

Also- is there a recommended food containing Omega-3's (like salmon or shellfish) that I could feed instead of adding capsules or sprays? or is the concentration of these supplements so low that it's not advisable? I'd much rather give them a treat of fish or mussels if I can afford it, although I'd probably end up with canned...

By all means please point me towards another post if this stuff is addressed, I could surf here all day and never run out of new info!!

Thanks!

p.s. my dogs are 70 lbs & 85 lbs if that helps.

Carolyn,
My dog also had the flaky dandruff and dry skin. Several members on this web forum recommended the Grizzly Salmon Oil. I started using it about two months ago along with the Vit E capsules. It made a huge difference in my black dog's coat - no more dry skin or flakiness and his coat glistens like black satin! We are now on our second 32 oz bottle of the salmon oil.

Both my dogs love the salmon oil - they get it each morning squirted on top of their plain yogurt. Under the two globs of yogurt is the Vit E capsule - the whole mess is gone in the blink of an eye. I also feed them Canidae with very good health results.

Carolyn, I'd definitely go with the Grizzly Salmon Oil. That way you know exactly how much the dog is getting and it will be a consistent amount each time, versus feeding fish. And of course the salmon oil is specifically from salmon. Wonderful stuff and they love it!
http://www.leerburg.com/47.htm

ALA is not converted into the long-chain Omega 3s by dogs the way it is by humans (and even humans do not do it well or efficiently).

So ALA is NOT sufficient, and I predict that the time will come when the manufacturers of "Omega-3-fortified" foods will have to name which EFAs they mean.

So ALA does not replace marine sources.

An occasional fish meal is not enough to replace the Omega 3s that have disappeared from land meat because of grain-feeding instead of pasture-feeding.

I'm a strong believer in daily fish oil - and feeding oil supplements means feeding extra Vitamin E, which is needed to keep the delicate PUFAs from degrading.

I use 1 gram (1000 mg) of fish oil per ten pounds of dog weight. I give a 200 IU capsule of Vitamin E (not synthetic) to a small dog and 400 IU to a big one.

Thanks again Connie, diane & sandy--

I looked at the Canidae nutritional info again and it does list fish meal under "10 Natural Skin & Coat Conditioners", however it doesn't list amounts, etc. I'll order the supplements.

Also- thanks for the advice about the boarding at the vet last week. Both the dogs and the kennel staff had a good experience I think. The kennel staff recognized us after our pre-visit the evening before, and were very happy with me for prepping all their meals ahead of time. The dogs were a bit bonkers with energy on the way home monday, but were no worse for wear after the experience. Plus someone was nice enough to clip their nails and give them a bath (without adding any extra charges) before I took them home. I was really happy to hear that the vet recommended the 3-year rabies vaccine... and didn't push any of the others. I also thought it was cool that they had a model of the inside of a dog ear when I asked about how to clean, among other questions, lol.

--anyway, thanks.

That's all good! :>

BTW, I seriously doubt that even substantial fish meal in kibble would be sufficient. I don't think that Omega 3 EFAs can survive the kibble process intact. The reason I say that is this: I know that frying fish degrades the Omega 3 EFAs, so I suspect that the process of cooking, extruding, and drying food enough to allow it a long unrefrigerated shelf life will also negatively affect polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Fresh fish would be different, but even that would have to be eaten quite regularly to make up for the lost Omega 3s in virtually all modern diets.

I have a puppy (5 months) who is about 10 pounds, aiming to be around 20 pounds as an adult (I think?). I just bought some salmon oil capsules (for us humans too) and they are 1000mg. Is it okay to give him a whole capsule a couple of times per week?

 Quote: Melanie Martin

I have a puppy (5 months) who is about 10 pounds, aiming to be around 20 pounds as an adult (I think?). I just bought some salmon oil capsules (for us humans too) and they are 1000mg. Is it okay to give him a whole capsule a couple of times per week?

Every day, along with a 100 IU capsule of natural Vitamin E.


I use 1 gram (1000 mg) per ten pounds of dog.