Omega-6s and Inflammation

 That's very interesting Becca; thanks. I hope your recovery is going well.

brookcove

I'm sitting here recovering from major surgery and this is quite uppermost in my mind every time I overdo it - my stomach blows up like a beached whale.

I've heard that complaint quite often from women who've had hysterectomies. What is it that causes that? Is it just the inflammation from the surgery itself or is it somewhat hormonal? 

It happens any time you have surgery.  It's inflammation.  I have a friend who's had half a dozen different abdominal surgeries and she says it happens every time.  The extent depends on the amount of trauma.  Hysterectomy is the removal of one or more major organs (I only had the uterus removed), so the swelling can go on for months, I've heard.  Joy joy.  It's not too bad for me but it keeps surprising me and it does make me pretty miserable.  I have this morbid fascination with watching my weight go up and down.

Other than that it's going well!  Mostly I have to remember NOT to do stuff! 

brookcove

Other than that it's going well!  Mostly I have to remember NOT to do stuff! 

That would be the most difficult part for me. When I thought I was going to have the surgery, I remember reading that I'd be pretty much laid up for 6 wks. I thought "oh, there is NO way I could not get back in my routine for that long". You do what you have to do though and the alternative will just delay the healing even longer. I'm glad you're doing well.

I had gotten to where I couldn't do anything anyway.  Even before the doctor put restrictions on me, if I did anything I'd hurt so bad I'd have one day I could do stuff, then three days getting over it.  Ironically, if I'm careful and don't put myself flat on my back from overdoing it, I can do more now than I could right before the surgery!  For instance, I'm now allowed long walks and very slow, short jogging, light housework, gentle stretching, etc.

To get this sort of back on topic, right now my enemy truly is inflammation, where before it was gravity (lol).  Everything I do I have to try to be careful to try to "trick" my body into not realizing it's been traumatized.  Otherwise scar tissue will form and in many respects I'll be back to square one. 

So, would Omega 6s and/or 3s help with something like back problems? Are fish oil supps adequate?

If you are combating inflammatory problems you want to racket up your omega-3s - for dogs, that means fish body oil.  Lu has some pretty severe problems and I've gone to CMO, which is a very refined fatty acid, as well.  But I'm also sticking with the pharmaceutical grade fish body oil she's on.

I had her diet evaluated and Sabine recommended a diet very low in inflammatory ingredients, both for joint and liver health as she is an older dog, but then supplementing with a source of omega-6s.  That's something I only would have thought of myself, as in Zhi's case, when she started showing signs of depletion.

Dogs get plenty of omega-6s from meat, usually - I'd only consider supplementing when the diet is actually lacking or when one suspects that might be the case. 

brookcove

That's something I only would have thought of myself, as in Zhi's case, when she started showing signs of depletion.

Dogs get plenty of omega-6s from meat, usually - I'd only consider supplementing when the diet is actually lacking or when one suspects that might be the case. 

What would be a sign of depletion?