brookcove
Posted : 3/31/2009 10:38:23 PM
Plant oils are not as good for most dogs as animal based (ie, fish body oil) because the form of omega 3 they provide, ALA, must be further broken down into EFA and DHA before the body can use it. Humans can do this easily in most cases, but it's much more difficult for most dogs, and some can't do it at all.
Human supplements that are the quality that is worth your while, are just as spendy. BUT, here's the catch with the discount stuff. If you spend $8 on 100 fish oil capsules at Walmart, they might have only 125 mg of EFA and 75 of DHA, while my Sea Starr (Sea Pet for people, lol) capsules provide 435 mg of EFA and 312 mg of DHA per single capsule. Plus, they arrive guaranteed fresh and free of heavy metals and other toxins.
Not so much with the discount drug store brands. If they are contaminated they are worse than useless. You spend just as much or more to get the same levels of OFAs, except if the oils are oxidized or exposed to heat, then you are buying a bottle of nothing!