Omega 3

Frequently Asked Questions about Omega 3:
Can I take omega 3 fish oil when I am on other medication?
It is always best to check with your doctor if you are already taking medication.
How long can I take Omega 3 for?
Depending on the condition that you are taking Omega 3 for, most symptoms take from 3 – 6 months to improve. Once an improvement is noticed, a lower maintenance dose is advisable.
[]What is the recommended dosage?
A dosage of between 1,000 – 3,000mg per day is recommended, depending on the condition.
[linkhttp://www.lifetimehealth.com/omega3.asp]http://www.lifetimehealth.com/omega3.asp[/link]

Not sure, but I think the dosage is probably different for dogs and humans because of size and metabolism.

from BNaturals Lew Olsen:
 




I would recommend giving fish or salmon oil capsules. These are already converted to EPA from the ALA and contain no omega 6 fatty acids to compete with the omega 3. For dogs with special needs, give 1,000 mg (180 EPA and 120 DHA) per ten pounds of body weight daily. For healthy dogs the dose would be one capsule per 20 lbs of body weight daily.

Whenever supplementing with these oils, it is a good idea to also supplement with vitamin E, as these two nutrients work best together. The dose for vitamin E for large dogs is 400 IU, medium dogs 200 IU and small dogs 100 IU daily.

Thankyou mudpuppy![]

   If you're going to give him 5 capsules a day, you should start with one and gradually increase the amount so his system can adjust, and watch for loose stool, which is a sign you're going too fast.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

from BNaturals Lew Olsen:

I would recommend giving fish or salmon oil capsules. These are already converted to EPA from the ALA and contain no omega 6 fatty acids to compete with the omega 3. For dogs with special needs, give 1,000 mg (180 EPA and 120 DHA) per ten pounds of body weight daily. For healthy dogs the dose would be one capsule per 20 lbs of body weight daily.

Whenever supplementing with these oils, it is a good idea to also supplement with vitamin E, as these two nutrients work best together. The dose for vitamin E for large dogs is 400 IU, medium dogs 200 IU and small dogs 100 IU daily.

 
Careful about what you read and proceed cautiously in this area.  Some companies actually brag about being omega 3 heavy as if that is a good thing.

I am not discounting omega 3's, my point is both are important and IMO a successful diet will seek balance between omega 3's and 6's.

Correct me if I'm wrong (as I often am) but as I understand it people more frequently substitute Omega-3s on their own because Omega-6s are more commonly available in food, such as kibble, whereas the O-3s are more "fragile" and less likely to be present in appropriate amounts in most prepared food.

Yup thats what i've always thought Cita.
Kibble usually has loads of omega 6,but lacks the 3's.
I've always given 3's such as fish oil,but never omega 6,because it is more abundant in their everyday foods.

Almost hate to do this for fear of turning this into an Abady thread, but the best info I have found about this area of nutrition comes from Abady articles.
 
I quote from the article "How to Choose...":
 
Fats and the Omega#%92s
 
Fat is absolutely necessary.  It is the body#%92s chief storage of energy.  The storage of fat is a valuable evolutionary mechanism for animals that must live a feast or famine existence.  Fat enables them to remain alive during famines.  They provide most of the energy to perform work, especially muscular work.  Fat in the body surrounds and cushions the vital organs and serves as a shock absorber.  The fat blanket under the skin insulates the body from extremes of temperature, thus assisting with internal climate control, protecting unborn puppies during pregnancy.  Some essential nutrients are soluble in fat – vitamins A, D, E, and K and the essential fatty acids.  Fat is important to all the body#%92s cells.
The essential fatty acid linoleic acid and its derivatives are the omega 6#%92s.  Linolenic acid and its derivatives are the omega 3#%92s.  They cannot be synthesized by the body - they must be present in the diet.  The most important of the two are linoleic acid and its derivatives, the omega 6#%92s because they have more tasks to perform; they can even replace the omega 3#%92s if the omega 3#%92s are deficient or absent.  Those tasks may not be performed as well, but the regulatory functions will nevertheless continue to be performed.  Most tasks require that the essential fatty acids, either the omega 6#%92s or the omega 3#%92s be of the 20 to 22 carbon length variety.  These long carbon chain fatty acids are only derived from animal (lamb or pork) fat or fish fat.  This demonstrates that notions advocating that there are benefits associated with the absence of animal fat in a diet for companion carnivores are baseless.  In fact, the absence of animal fat in a diet makes the body work very hard to overcome the deficiency of the 20 to 22 carbon variety.  When plant oils are used they provide the 18 carbon chain fatty acids which the body has to lengthen in order to be able to use them.  In that competition the omega 6#%92s have the advantage.  Given equal amounts of the 18 carbon starting materials (omega 6 and the omega 3#%92s), the enzymes will prefer to use linoleic acid to make its longer chain derivatives and will use very little linolenic acid (omega 3#%92s) to make its longer-chain derivatives (EPA & DHA).
In short both the omega 6 and omega 3#%92s are very important in the diet.  The ratios between the two that are present in the diet must be accurate.  Here is an example of how this works.  The omega 6 fatty acid may lower blood cholesterol by causing it to degrade faster.  The omega 3 fatty acid will also lower blood cholesterol by reducing the availability of carriers for it.  In this scenario the omega 6 is the most important.  On the other hand the growth of certain tumors is slower in the presence of omega 3 fatty acids.  There are notions being circulated that because sunflower oil (a premier source of plant-based omega 6 fatty acids) was used to demonstrate that tumors grow more rapidly in the presence of omega 6 fatty acids than in the presence of omega 3 fatty acids that it was the sunflower oil that is at fault.  Sunflower oil was selected because it has the highest concentration of omega 6 fatty acids, is the purest, and the only non-toxic oil in the marketplace.  Virtually any other omega 6 oil could be used.  Sunflower oil is a marvelous source of omega 6 fatty acids and for proper dietary balance it should be combined with adequate supplies of omega 3 fatty acids.  Overstating the amounts of omega 3 fatty acids in a diet in relation to the amounts of omega 6 fatty acids is a prescription for disaster (we know of one company that makes this error and brags about it as if it were advantageous - it isn#%92t) particularly because the omega 3#%92s cannot substitute for the omega 6#%92s, while the omega 6#%92s do substitute for shortages of the omega 3#%92s.  The Abady Company was the first company, over 30 years ago, to recognize the need for omega 3 fatty acids and to address it.
 
Hope this helps give a better understanding of importance of each in the diet.
 
Charlie
 
 
 

Charlie, I think that's all correct, but again as I've been told (so feel free to disagree!) most dog food is made with an appropriate Omega 3 : Omega 6 ratio. However, since the Omega 3s are delicate, they are often "destroyed" (degraded?) during processing and preservation whilethe O-6s remain intact, hence the emphasis on supplementing O-3s. However, most people who add a significant amount of Omega-3s (e.g. fish oil) to their dog's diet also add vitamin E, which I'm assuming is to make sure the 3s are balanced with an appropriate amount of 6s. []

also add vitamin E, which I'm assuming is to make sure the 3s are balanced with an appropriate amount of 6s.

The purpose of adding vitamin E is actually due to the fact that the body depletes its vitamin E stores when metabolizing omega 3's.  [] 

Okay but is Salmon oil safe to use? Doesnt salmon have some toxin in it?

Okay but is Salmon oil safe to use? Doesnt salmon have some toxin in it?

   Yes, but not wild salmon oil. Omega 6's are important, especially when combined with a larger than minimal amount of zinc that is in most dog foods. My vet copied an article for me that was in the June '07 issue of JAVMA which discussed fatty acids. It said that dog foods only provide minimal amounts and that increased amounts benefit the skin and coat, which you already know. What I found interesting is that  Omega 6 (linoleic acid) combined with an increased amount of zinc is especially beneficial according to one study, decreasing transepidermal water loss (allergy dogs like Jessie lose more water through their skin than non-allergic dogs) and resulting in a softer, shinier coat. I read before that it's important to supplement fatty acids in the same ratio as in the kibble you're feeding, but the article said that doesn't matter; any supplementation can be beneficial. There are some foods like Nutro Lamb and Rice that say they guarantee a shiny coat because of high amounts of linoleic acid and zinc;  [linkhttp://www.nutroproducts.com/ncdry-lr.shtml]http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncdry-lr.shtml[/link];

  Healthy Skin & Shiny Coat
With high levels of linoleic acid and zinc, we guarantee your dog will have healthy skin and a shiny coat.