Gun Dog Forum

I give my dogs fish oil capsules. I just heard from a guy that says if you don't cut open the capsules, the dogs don't get much benefit. I tried to look it up and couldn't find any information or opinions on the capsules vs the fish oil pump forms of administering.

Does anyone have any experience or info on this?

Thanks!

I don't know if there is a difference. Our dogs and my husband take fish oil capsules. The dogs all have nice shiny coats. My husband, well he's losing his hair.

I have fed the liquid poured over the feed and am now using capsules. I can't tell if one is better. I think I prefer the capsules for ease of use and storage.

Unless the capsule is made of titanium , it will dissolve in the dog's stomach a little slower than a liquid but slower may be better.

I'm gonna draw the line when my wife starts cutting open my fish oil capsules... I think if a dogs digestive system can handle and break down some of the things I've seen a dog eat, then the little capsule that will dissolve in warm water won't be a problem...

I find it's less about capsules vs. liquid than about the quality of the oil to begin with. Not all fish oil is created equal. Generic "fish oil" is generally lower quality than a named one like "salmon oil", "sardine oil", etc. The process they use to remove toxins from the fish alters the quality too- you want an oil that is produced by molecular distillation, since that is the lowest temperature process. It's also done in a vacuum so oxygen is not getting to the oil. The more heat applied, the less effective the oil is and the more you have to use. Molecular distilled oils are usually more expensive per bottle, but cheaper in the long run since you use less.

The one thing i can think of is that the dogs process and expel quicker than humans. Maybe the capsule does not have chance to break down in the proper time to utilized.

gotpointers wrote:The one thing i can think of is that the dogs process and expel quicker than humans. Maybe the capsule does not have chance to break down in the proper time to utilized.

I wondered about that too, so I put one in a glass of water... it broke down in less than 5 mins... But what Savage posted makes perfect sence to me!

Are fish oil capsules necessary? Or are you all using them for added skin and coat health?

Just wondering! :]
If I remember correctly, my feed for my dogs has Salmon Oil in it.

Fish oil has been touted as good for years, but in the past year or two we are beginning to hear that giving extra may not be all it has been cracked up to be. As I understand it the problem is a lot of it is contaminated with PBC's and such as many of the fish like the salmon are high up on the food chain and end up with all of the impurities that the small fish pick up. I would rather feed a flax oil if you are wanting to see it in the coat. We have fed linseed meal to show animals of all kinds for years because of the oil left in it when it was squeezed. Linseed comes from flax, by the way.

Ezzy

I remember reading an article, I think it was in PDJ, about scent and scenting physiology, etc. The article mentioned that adding more omega 6 fatty acids to the diet, like those in fish oil, would help improve the health of the nasal mucosa and the olfactory nerves, etc. i started giving my dog a liquid fatty acid supplement, until he started cringing every time i came to put it down his mouth. he acted like he hated the taste!! surprised me, but i quit when i ran out. didnt see any difference in scenting ability, but that can be hard to evaluate. food for thought

Dogs generally get plenty of omega 6 in their diets, its the omega 3 they may need more of for the proper 6-3 ratio from what I have been told?

Georgia Boy wrote:Dogs generally get plenty of omega 6 in their diets, its the omega 3 they may need more of for the proper 6-3 ratio from what I have been told?

I believe you are right. I couldnt remember 6 or 3.

Thanks for all the good information, opinions, advice, and humor.

(Only 17 days until the grouse opener here in Washington. But, for us, we won't be hunting the opener - we have a trial on Sept 1.)

If that was the case then a vet wouldn't give dogs medication in the form or pills...

Omega 3 fatty acids from cold water fish(ocean) have been shown time and again to have many benefits for dogs such as anti inflammatory. There are many studies to support this and also show the difference of omega 3's from fish versus land based omega 3's, such as flax. To get the same effect from flax omega 3's, for instance, you need anywhere from 4-10 times the amount fed versus giving a fish based omega 3's. Omega 3's fatty acids from different sources do have different effects. It really is a great thing to supplement and one of the few I would consider truly useful. Can a dog run with out it? Sure can but they do offer many great additions to the diet of a dog, or person, for that matter. Recovery, injury prevention and healing are just a few. Also, I wouldn't use the omega 6/3 ratio as a key but the overall amount of omega 3 in the diet is most important to see if it is enough supply to do some good.

My dog had double knee surgery and Omega 3's were highly recommended by our surgeon. I usually give two gel tabs in morning and in the evening. The stuff is cheap, so why not? gives her a nice coat and she likes the taste. The nutritional value can be debated but it seems to have helped my girl

go to DOLLAR STORE AND BUY THE BIG CANS, 16 OZ of sardines for 1.75 a can.
they come in tomatoe sauce. drain that off if you like.
i get 10 days out of 1 can with toby my lab and whiskers my SM i can get 2 weeks out of can easy.

How long should it take to see any changes from adding fish oil, such as better skin and coat, if giving a tab or two per day? A week, month, 6-8 weeks?

Chances are you will never see it unless the dog has a problem now before you start.

Ezzy

Most of the people I know that started giving their dogs fish oil noticed a difference in about a month or so. The "improvement" mostly showed up with shinier, thicker coats. Or, in some cases with chronic ear problems clearing up. A friend that has a dog with severe skin allergies was advised by their vet to include fish oil with the other meds. I definitely can see the improvement in his condition.

The benefits of fish oil are supposed to be similar for dogs as for people. Reducing inflammation is one of the many things listed. Like so many of the supplements we take, I guess we'll never know for sure how much they really help. But, for me, I plan to continue the fish oil for my dogs as well as my husband and me. We can vouch for an improvement in our arthritis symptoms, but I can't say if my hair is any shinier as I've colored it for years now, and my husband "buzz cuts" his hair.

there is also a stuff liquid you put on your dog food that makes coats shiner.
it is around 47 dollars a jug.

someone posted it on here before.
i think you get 147 days out of jug.
i use SARDINES FOR .80 CENTS CAN for 3.8 oz or 1.75 for 16 ounces for my dogs.

I have always said that if you supplement with Fish Oil that you need to protect the double bonds of the fish oil from oxidation (peroxidation) with Vit E (or other antioxidants).
Here are excerpts from an article that supports my view concerning this.

Dietary omega-3 fatty acids. Lack of antioxidants?
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
August 2011; Vol. 94; No. 2; pp. 618-619
Bjarne OsterudThis author cites evidence that increased intake of dietary omega-3 fatty
acids may increase the risks of peroxidation

“Intake of omega-3 fatty acids may not always be beneficial because
incorporation of these polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the cell membranes makes the cells more susceptible to oxidation if there is a lack of antioxidants where the omega-3 fatty acids are present in the membranes.”
“Contrary to an anti-inflammatory effect, PUFAs may cause oxidative stress
whereby the production of pro-inflammatory products is enhanced.”
“Everywhere where PUFAs are present in live, natural material, there is always an excess of antioxidants, which are removed when the omega-3 fatty acids are refined or when they are isolated. This means that these fatty acids when taken as dietary supplements may cause severe oxidation in their local environment in which support of antioxidants may be quite low. Omega-3 fatty acids may thereby cause oxidative stress and subsequently an increase in pro-inflammatory products.”
The lack proinflamatory agents in native Greenlanders despite their high intakes of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet through seal and whale blubber may be credited to the fact that “their diet is also rich in natural antioxidants associated with omega-3 fatty acids contained in blubber.”
Thus, antioxidants may be required for the anti-inflammatory and other benefits of
omega-3 fatty acids.



.

Doc E wrote:I have always said that if you supplement with Fish Oil that you need to protect the double bonds of the fish oil from oxidation (peroxidation) with Vit E (or other antioxidants).
Here are excerpts from an article that supports my view concerning this.

Dietary omega-3 fatty acids. Lack of antioxidants?
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
August 2011; Vol. 94; No. 2; pp. 618-619
Bjarne OsterudThis author cites evidence that increased intake of dietary omega-3 fatty
acids may increase the risks of peroxidation

“Intake of omega-3 fatty acids may not always be beneficial because
incorporation of these polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the cell membranes makes the cells more susceptible to oxidation if there is a lack of antioxidants where the omega-3 fatty acids are present in the membranes.”
“Contrary to an anti-inflammatory effect, PUFAs may cause oxidative stress
whereby the production of pro-inflammatory products is enhanced.”
“Everywhere where PUFAs are present in live, natural material, there is always an excess of antioxidants, which are removed when the omega-3 fatty acids are refined or when they are isolated. This means that these fatty acids when taken as dietary supplements may cause severe oxidation in their local environment in which support of antioxidants may be quite low. Omega-3 fatty acids may thereby cause oxidative stress and subsequently an increase in pro-inflammatory products.”
The lack proinflamatory agents in native Greenlanders despite their high intakes of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet through seal and whale blubber may be credited to the fact that “their diet is also rich in natural antioxidants associated with omega-3 fatty acids contained in blubber.”
Thus, antioxidants may be required for the anti-inflammatory and other benefits of
omega-3 fatty acids.

.

This something we see all too often when we start overusing something in a feed. There is practically always a reaction with some other ingredient no matter how great the additive is. One of the main reason I do not use any of the supplements we hear are so great and we do not see any adverse effect on our dogs. And I hear more and more vets agreeing.

Ezzy

ezzy333 wrote:1. This something we see all too often when we start overusing something in a feed. There is practically always a reaction with some other ingredient no matter how great the additive is.

2. One of the main reason I do not use any of the supplements we hear are so great and we do not see any adverse effect on our dogs. And I hear more and more vets agreeing.

Ezzy

1. I definitely disagree with your assessment.
The benefits of Omega-3s are well documented. It is also well documented that in order to protect the double bond from oxidation (peroxidation) that all that is needed is 100 iu Vit E per 600 mg to 1200 mg of Omega-3s.

2. How can you actually know if not using a supplement has not had an adverse effect :roll:
How can you actually know if using a supplement has had a beneficial effect :roll:
We never will know the benefits of suplements by only using them on our own dogs (much too small of a sample and we can't do a decent double blind study), so what we have to do is go by the best scientific research available.



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ezzy333 wrote:Fish oil has been touted as good for years, but in the past year or two we are beginning to hear that giving extra may not be all it has been cracked up to be. As I understand it the problem is a lot of it is contaminated with PBC's and such as many of the fish like the salmon are high up on the food chain and end up with all of the impurities that the small fish pick up.
Ezzy

That can be true unless you buy a higher quality fish oil that has been purified through Molecular Distillation.