adding extra oil in food?

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:43 pm

My buddy told me to add 2/3 teaspoons of olive/vegetable oil to the dogs food twice a week. He said it will help make the dog have a shinny and healthier coat. Is this a good idea?

Also my dog is almost all white, is hair is a little dry and looks dirty but is not, by doing what i stated above, will this help him have a whiter, shinny, healthier coat?

thanks

Born2Hunt · Post by **Born2Hunt** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:59 pm

I have a buddy that swears by salmon oil... Ive never tried it ...

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:27 pm

I heard it helps, so i wanna know from someone who does it.

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:50 pm

I add oil for extra calories in the winter and to control the condition of the stools. Dogs like it also.

Ezzy

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:18 pm

what do you mean by "stools" and does it help with the dogs coat?

Born2Hunt · Post by **Born2Hunt** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:48 pm

Ezzy does it make the stool softer ??? Also what kind of oil??

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:53 pm

Yes it does make them softer. Thats why you need to control the amount. I use regular canola oil or whatever we have. I started doing this to get dogs ready for the show ring years ago.

Ezzy

WildRose · Post by **WildRose** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:39 pm

During cold weather or when working dogs hard I've added a teaspoon or so of Manna Pro Fat Suppliment For Horses for many years. Just adding any oil won't necessarily help. Wheat Germ , Soy Bean, Safflower , Olive Oil, all however work very well. You will definitely see a difference in the skin and coat pretty quickly particularly if you are feeding them something that is relatively low fat, or a ration high in fats they don't easily break down and uitilize. CR

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:15 pm

Charlie,

10W30 probably won't cut it but the list you presented plus Canola and corn oil are all good but probably the best one you didn't mention is Linseed Oil. Thats what has been used for years as a coat conditioner for every show animal there is. Main thing is just use a good vegatable or animal baed fat or oil. I used to use butter when we had the Jerseys and made home made butter.

Ezzy

Post by **slistoe** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:05 pm

I have found that if you are using a high fat, top brand food that adding oil to the food is not necessary to improve coat condition. If you are using a lesser food with lower fat content then it will improve the coat. Any cooking oil will work, as well as a tablespoon of lard. An egg a few times a week will help with the gloss on the coat as well.

I used to supplement quite a bit until I discovered that feeding a better quality food got me the same results for less money.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:36 am

I have never needed to feed oil for the coat. I used it to condition the dog.

Ezzy

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:56 pm

What do you mean that you use it for conditioning?

WildRose · Post by **WildRose** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:15 pm

Indeed Flax seed oil is another one that's got huge dietary benefits. However I'd be very careful about recommending linseed oil (made from boiled flax seed) as many of the additives and solvents used to reduce it's curing time are highly toxic. CR

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:12 pm

CR

You are right. You don't want the boiled Linseed.

Conditioning is putting on a pound of two of weight, controlling the condition of the droppings so they are not too hard, possibly adding a little gloss to the coat if it has been broken during the hunting season. Just little things you will notice as you watch your dog everyday.

Ezzy

..... · Post by **.....** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:18 am

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Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:24 am

I fill a bottle with olive, corn or safflower oil and use one of those "drizzler" spouts for olive oil. I drizzle their food with it each feeding within reason. The dogs love it and their coats have been the largest benefactor. Soft and shiney. Everyone comments how soft they are.

Justin

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:23 am

Thanks for all the help guys.

markj · Post by **markj** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:41 pm

home made butter

Man oh man do I miss that. My sis was a master at making this. I would do the biscuits and we had real honey back then from our hives. I sure do miss the way I grew up.

Dad used to put some of the bacon grease on the dogs food in the winter. He said it helped em handle the cold.

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:05 pm

Took a long time to churn that butter by hand, same with ice cream .. but there's nothing like homemade !!!

I have used Flaxseed Oil. More expensive but you get what you pay for. Read on the net that some dogs don't digest flax oil well.

If you use dry food rich with the Omegas, recommendations I've seen are against added oil.

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:33 pm

BigShooter wrote:Took a long time to churn that butter by hand, same with ice cream .. but there's nothing like homemade !!!

I have used Flaxseed Oil. More expensive but you get what you pay for. Read on the net that some dogs don't digest flax oil well.

If you use dry food rich with the Omegas, recommendations I've seen are against added oil.

Do you mean adding extra oil in dry dog food is not recommended? And why is it like that?

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:27 am

Sorry if I wasn't clear. There are some formulations that are more heavily fortified with the Omegas. They'll say something like "sensitive skin formula" along with a recommendation to not add extra oil to their formulation. With a new food or with the addition of oil to an existing dry food it can take upwards of two weeks or so to see the changes in the coat.

If you don't see the change you're looking for you can increase the amount of oil. By the time you get to a couple of teaspoons of oil daily if the coat doesn't look good after a couple of weeks there may be some other underlying skin problem like mites.

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:24 pm

Ok thanks i understand now.

birddogdoc · Post by **birddogdoc** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:10 pm

Fish oils are a better choice because they are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids...they are good for the skin/coat as well as great for the joints where as veg oils are higher in Omega 6's which can be inflammatory to the joints!

IANative · Post by **IANative** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:39 pm

With my labs, I always replaced 1 cup of feed w/ a 16 oz can of sardines in tomato sauce for their Saturday night feeding. Super WalMart has them for $1.17 per can. Dogs loved it, gave 'em a little extra Omega-3, and hey if I can have a beer on Saturday night...

Don't remember who I got the tip from, but it makes sense. Labs were originally fishing dogs in New Foundland, and fish was a big part of their diets. I'll probably continue the practice w/ my Boykin, as long as he doesn't have any adverse reaction to the fish.

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:50 pm

Information on fatty acids, source oils and effects on dogs can be found here:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=666

P.S.

The only oils I have tried were refrigerated, cold-pressed flax oil and fish oil.

Here's a shorter article to review:

http://placervillevet.com/Omega_3_fatty_acids.htm

petey · Post by **petey** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:30 am

I've used "Smart Balance" from the cooking oil section with good results. Only use about a spoonful every three days are they will get to loose.

Beaver's Straight Arrow · Post by **Beaver's Straight Arrow** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:02 pm

We put salmon oil on our Brittany's food and we have a lot of people tell us how good his coat looks. Even our vet says he looks good.

Richard

bullseyebill · Post by **bullseyebill** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:27 pm

Do you feed them oil or use oil supplement pills. The reason I ask is our dog has sebaceous adenitis, an inflamation of the sebaceous glands and one of the recommendations is supplemental oil to their diet as well as oil baths.

Thanks
Cindy

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:37 pm

I pour Canola or some good vegetable oil on the food. It works fine. The dogs like it. A good fish oil woud be good if you can find it at a decent price.

Ezzy

panovski · Post by **panovski** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:01 pm

Im just putting some vegatable oil in there food, then when the snow is gone im switching to Eukenuba, then im not adding any oils at all.

Beaver's Straight Arrow · Post by **Beaver's Straight Arrow** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:23 pm

Cindy,

We feed our Brittany salmon oil. Here is the web address for the salmon oil that I use in Alaska: http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/ I am sure there are other name brands on the market.

Richard

AZ Brittany Guy · Post by **AZ Brittany Guy** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:59 pm

I would think that if you give your dogs a good quality dog feed that should be enough. The feed I use has a 27/18 blend with omega 3 and other beneficial ingredients. Bird dog doc just enlightened me on the veggie oil issue. I am not a good dog chef so I will stay out of the kitchen.

PowerPoint · Post by **PowerPoint** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:02 am

As with alot of other topics its kinda "to each his own" but I really like what I see with flax seed oit.I just drop a gel tab in the food bowl.Flax has tons of benifits,but I would highly recomend it for pregnant,lactating,or for cold weather conditions...

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:27 am

Flax oil is probably the best vegetable oil going. It's not as available and more expensive than most of the other oils so doesn't get used as much. It will show in the dogs coat more than the others

Ezzy

mtjim · Post by **mtjim** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:24 am

IANative wrote:With my labs, I always replaced 1 cup of feed w/ a 16 oz can of sardines in tomato sauce for their Saturday night feeding. Super WalMart has them for $1.17 per can. Dogs loved it, gave 'em a little extra Omega-3, and hey if I can have a beer on Saturday night...

Don't remember who I got the tip from, but it makes sense. Labs were originally fishing dogs in New Foundland, and fish was a big part of their diets. I'll probably continue the practice w/ my Boykin, as long as he doesn't have any adverse reaction to the fish.

Good tip on the sardines. Dollar General has 'em or used to for $.50/can.

I would always pack a few on hunting trips. I call them "adult lunchables". They're great for the dogs too!

claybuster_aa · Post by **claybuster_aa** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:15 pm

birddogdoc wrote:Fish oils are a better choice because they are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids...they are good for the skin/coat as well as great for the joints where as veg oils are higher in Omega 6's which can be inflammatory to the joints!

I have some information contradictory this, but will not post it for it can be considered biased and marketing (comes from my feed maker).

From what I have learned (however biased and skewed that info may be)
the best thing to do is try to achieve balance between your omega 3's and 6's. Being heavy on the 3 side is not advantageous. 6's can make up for a lack of 3's, but 3's cannot replace 6's. 3's should be present in the diet, but should be balanced along with 6's. Both are important.
I would recommend the use some plant oils, either Sunflower or Safflower. Look for 100% pure and natural. If it doesn't say that you could be getting the genetically engineered variety in oils, in which case I would say stay away.

I will post the info if it is welcome, but would rather not if it will be construed as marketing and biased and an attempt to be persuasive, which is NOT my intent.

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:16 pm

the best thing to do is try to achieve balance between your omega 3's and 6's

clay double a,

If you go back up to my post of Fri. March 7th you'll see a reference to a web site. I have copied a bit of the pertinent text below:

Ratios of fatty acids

Research is being performed to determine the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids that should be consumed. Previously, it was thought that the ratio should be approximately 15:1. Current recommendations are for ratios of 10:1 to 5:1.

Most pet foods contain far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3's. Some pet food companies have added omega-3 fatty acids to their foods to lower the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to realize that although the ratios may be a guideline, the actual concentration of EPA in the omega-3's is what is most important.

I'd be interested in your thoughts after you review the entire peteducation.com article.

Mark

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:21 pm

I would recommend the use some plant oils, either Sunflower or Safflower. Look for 100% pure and natural. If it doesn't say that you could be getting the genetically engineered variety in oils, in which case I would say stay away.

Charlie, that statement is another one that isn't true. It may be your opinion but it isn't fact. We need to make an effort to state the things that are fact so we don't mislead some of our younger new comers.

Ezzy

claybuster_aa · Post by **claybuster_aa** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:25 am

ezzy333 wrote:
Charlie, that statement is another one that isn't true. It may be your opinion but it isn't fact. We need to make an effort to state the things that are fact so we don't mislead some of our younger new comers.Ezzy

You don't think it is a good idea if you have to shop for an additive like oil not to look for "pure" or "natural"? I said it could be of the other variety,
doesn't mean they all are, but IMO I think it is a good idea to look for certain words. "Organic", IMO would also be another good watchword to look for.

claybuster_aa · Post by **claybuster_aa** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:38 am

BigShooter wrote:
the best thing to do is try to achieve balance between your omega 3's and 6's
clay double a,

If you go back up to my post of Fri. March 7th you'll see a reference to a web site. I have copied a bit of the pertinent text below:

Ratios of fatty acids

Research is being performed to determine the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids that should be consumed. Previously, it was thought that the ratio should be approximately 15:1. Current recommendations are for ratios of 10:1 to 5:1.

Most pet foods contain far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3's. Some pet food companies have added omega-3 fatty acids to their foods to lower the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to realize that although the ratios may be a guideline, the actual concentration of EPA in the omega-3's is what is most important.

I'd be interested in your thoughts after you review the entire peteducation.com article.

Mark

I just read the article. Interesting how they have come down from 15:1 to maybe 5:1. Research is being preformed, so maybe when they are all done they will come down balance between the 6's and 3's. The info I have comes from a lengthy article. I'll PM you the relevant parts that you may find interesting. I would rather send it along in a PM to avoid the “marketing” and “biased” aspect.

big steve46 · Post by **big steve46** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:38 am

Looking for key words like "organic" or "natural" can be a good thing. Words can also be misleading. The word "organic" only has to mean there is a carbon bond for example. The less contamination that a food has the better but often terms are used just to get a bigger price for the food.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:54 am

Charlie,

You don't think it is a good idea if you have to shop for an additive like oil not to look for "pure" or "natural"? I said it could be of the other variety,
doesn't mean they all are, but IMO I think it is a good idea to look for certain words. "Organic", IMO would also be another good watchword to look for.

We have been genetically engineering plants and animals since we started controlled breeding. Its been a rather slow process but we have come up with a hundred different breeds of dogs. Same is true with the plants we grow.

If we get oil from a soybean it is "pure and natural" as long as we don't add anything to it. And as far as organic is concerned I would shy away from those products as you are normally going to pay more for the same product and there is no control as to wether it is "ORGANIC" or not. Organic means nothing more than a set of man made rules that have little or nothing to do with the term organic. I have never found any plant ot plant product that isn't organic.

One thing we have always done when we start testing products that come from new plants that we have mechanically changed a gene in rather than do it with selective breeding is what it would do to the products we use and if there is a difference, is it safe. The only way you would ever know if a grain plant was altered is to check the DNA of the plant since the quality of the grain has not been altered. We have altered some corn and soybeans to with stand Roundup and not die. This allows us to use this herbacide that breaks down quickly and leaves no residue in the soil instead of many of the others that do leave a residue. But the grain produced is the same.

Ezzy

Ezzy

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