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What is omega-3 oil for?
Omega-3 oil is often mentioned as a supplement to be given to improve your dog’s skin or joint condition; many vets suggest it and research does support this. However why are there so many variants of fish oil on the market? What makes one brand so much cheaper than another? Part of the answer lies in the active ingredients which make up the fish oil
What goes into fish oil?
The active ingredients we are concern about: DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) + EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). These fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation.
Some labels will state the total amount of fish oil VERY clearly and not show the EPA/DHA as obviously. Sometimes they might even state the total omega-3 oil amount, but the important thing is EPA + DHA amount! It is good to calculate the oil strength as a percentage of the total fish oil:
(EPA+ DHA) ÷ fish oil x 100%
Oil strength is a good way to compare the myriad of products out there. Aim for a higher oil strength so that your pet do not have to consume a large amount of oil to get the same effect. Oil strength greater than 30% is acceptable.
Real-life example 1
In the above example the total fish oil is 1250 mg, and the combine EPA + DHA amount is 750 mg + 250 mg = 1000 mg, so the oil strength would be
1000 ÷ 1250 x 100%= 80%
This is quite a high percentage of EPA + DHA! This is quite suitable as a supplement for your pet (dosage depending on the size of your pet)
Real-life example 2
In this example we can calculate the oil strength with the formula:
(180 + 120) ÷ 1000 x 100% = 30%
This is quite a bit lesser than the first fish oil supplement, but still ok to use as supplement.
Relevance to pet owners?
This strength is not an issue by itself, but if you were changing from the first supplement to the second, the change might appear to be going from 1250 mg to 1000 mg, but in reality it’s more like going from 1000mg to 300 mg!
To keep close to the previous effective dose, you would have to start giving three times as much as before, but the additional oil might cause increased weight gain or even possible pancreatitis.
Dosage
Pets taking Omega-3 oil for ongoing skin/joint condition will require a much higher dosage than one taking it for general health. You may like to talk to your vet about the dosage required. Too much omega-3 may lead to diarrhoea or weight gain due to increased caloric intake.
Other sources of Omega-3 oil
We can get EPA and DHA from fish or krill oil. We have had owners asking about other sources due to allergies. However only 10% of ALA, fatty acid in flax seed oil, is converted to EPA. Hence, unfortunately flax seed oil is not as effective as fish or krill oil.
Take home message
From this article hopefully this would give you a new way to look at supplements, and this would arm you with the knowledge to make better choices! Remember when in doubt, do ask your vet!
Photo taken by Steffi Koh