[Krista B]

Hi,

I wanted to make sure my dog gets plenty of omega 3s without unbalancing her diet. She already gets fish oil capsules daily. Would feeding a
fish based kibble (eg. Orijen six fish) a few times a week be enough to do this? Or do I need to use actual fish? I’m already giving her around 10% extras as part of her diet. (Veggies and fish/coconut oil) Canned sardines would be wonderful but it would most likely unbalance things a little too much. And I’ve thought about getting premixes but they have a lot of calories per cup so I wouldn’t be able to feed much fish with it. (And I would probably need to feed it at least 4x per week)

[anonymous]

When you are feeding a quality kibble, no supplements are needed (imo).
About a tablespoon of topper, cooked chicken, fish (canned fish is usually cooked), scrambled egg, etc. added to the kibble usually works well.
Again, I don’t think anyone can respond to your question with a blanket statement, it depends on the dog, best to go by what a veterinarian that has examined the dog recommends.
BTW, Orijen is rather rich for an inactive senior dog that may have a medical condition (diagnosed or undiagnosed) my dog with a sensitive stomach abruptly vomited within 20 minutes of being served this quality product (twice). I would add water to any kibble or presoak if the dog has a sensitive stomach. Some supplements, even fish oil, can upset a dog’s stomach, check with your vet first.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by anonymous.

[Susan W]

Don’t forget that farm-raised salmon/fish doesn’t have the nutritional benefits of wild-caught fish – and most dog foods that use salmon, use farm-raised salmon. VeRUS dog food uses menhaden fish that are a wild-caught, renewable resource. If you contact VeRUS (via their website) you can ask questions and try out the food (they send samples) before buying it. They’ll ask you questions and make recommendations so it’s kind of like custom ordering w/o the expense. They have helped me with my dogs’ nutrition. Juse google Verus pet foods.

[Susan]

Hi,
just be careful, a diet with too much omega 6 fatty acids will increase inflammation & cause skin problems & other health problems & a diet high in Omega 3 & not much omega 6 will reduce inflammation……
There’s a few kibbles out there that aren’t balanced properly & have too much omega 6 fatty acids & very low in omega 3 fatty acid & are causing skin problems in dogs…
Rodney Habib talked about this last year on his F/B page he said, make sure you contact the kibble company you feed & tell them the omega 3 should be 1/2 of what the omega 6 is & if enough people start whinging these kibble companies will start balancing their kibbles properly….
Now I have look at the Omega 3 % & the Omega 6% & a lot of kibbles have very low in omega 3 fatty acids, it’s in believable….
I feed Almonds, 3 Almonds a day as treats, I bite 1/2 the Almond & eat then I give Patch the other 1/2 almond & make him chew it, it’s as big as a kibble, so he does chew it, his coat has become real shiny also tin sardines in spring water are excellent, add about 1-2 sardines as a topper on their kibble.

How Too Much Omega-6 and Not Enough Omega-3 Is Making Us Sick

[anonymous]

Ask any veterinarian, it is not a good idea to give a dog almonds, or any other nuts.
“While not toxic, almonds are not easily digested can give your dog an upset stomach and create gastric intestinal distress”. https://phz8.petinsurance.com/healthzone/pet-health/pet-toxins/nut-dangers-to-dogs

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by anonymous.

[Acroyali]

Too much of a good thing (omega 3’s) can be bad. I would stick with fish oil, or small oily fish as you’re doing without worrying about getting too much into her system.

If you’re using capsules of oil, keep in mind oil can go rancid pretty quickly!

Is there a reason you’re feeding all, or mostly fish? If she can handle other types of meats, some grass fed beef would be great as the Omega 3 content blows the feedlot beef out of the water. Eggs, IME, are much loved and are a great skin and coat supporting addition. (A few of mine get them raw, others prefer them warmed in a skillet. They’re spoiled..!)

[Krista B]

Thanks guys. I just called my vet and he said 1000 of fish oil daily and some fish based kibble given several times a week is ok. I feed her meat based kibbles most of the time. I just thought it would be beneficial to feed some fish based kibble 20-30% of the time. I like to rotate brands and kibble as well as flavors, so she gets plenty of variety. My vet said this was fine as long as she is able to tolerate it. (Which she is) I will look into those brands you guys mentioned, thanks!

[Krista B]

That was supposed to say 1000 mg of fish oil, sorry.

[Christie]

Are their any known issues with feeding sardines (approximately 2) per day. I had been splitting a can between my two dogs to mix in with their evening meal. Both seemed to enjoy it (they are not fans of dry kibble alone and canned sardines are cheaper than quality wet food to use as a topper).

About a month after starting this routine, one of the dogs developed stomach issues. Excessive drooling and licking and he wouldn’t settle down easy at night. I stopped feeding the sardines and did a 10 day Pepcid AC regimen twice a day and haven’t had any issues since.

It could be coincidence, but I wonder if the sardines were the culprit.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Christie.

[Susan]

Hi Christie, yes Sardines are very rich in omega 3 fatty acids very greezy, I can’t give fish oil or greezy fish to my boy, he gets his bad acid reflux, even when I feed a fish kibble, I look for a Salmon & Whitefish kibble & try to stay away from the Sardine & Anchovy kibbles, Patches acid reflux starts up again after eating these kibbles for 1-2 weeks, look at tin pink Salmon or tuna in spring water, I find these fish better & are less greezy more meaty…..

[Author]

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