Hi guys So I was wondering if any of you use fish oil supplements for your dogs? Our vet recommended that it might be an idea to start Penny on some because of her hips. He said there is controversy over whether or not the glucosamine and chrondroitin supplements actually have an effect but fish oil has been proven to work. I've had Penny on a glucosamine supplement since she was 6 months old, just because I thought it would be a good idea as she is a very active dog and it couldn't hurt, I've just been using the 'vetzyme flexible joint' ones as they are fairly inexpensive. Pending her diagnosis I switched to 'yumove' which are actually a lot more expensive and don't last as long as she has to have two of those a day rather than just one of the vetzyme tablets. Once I've used up the yumove ones I think I'll go back to the cheap ones as I figure if there's nothin to prove 100% that it works then I'm not gonna pay for expensive supplements. I've been doing some reading about fish oils and it seems to be the omega 3 that has the most benefit. Can anyone recommend any that they use? Having never actively looked in the shops for it I'm at a bit of a loss where to start. Also the dosage... There's quite a wide spectrum of acceptable doses so I'm a bit confused about that too. If anyone uses it what dose did you give for it to start having an effect? I've also come across some horror stories... As you do when researching on the web. One was about a dog that almost died because he became severely deficient in vitamin c because of receiving fish oil supplements. So basically I'm a bit confused about fish oil supplements! Help!
Re: Fish oil I can't point you towards any evidence that fish oils or any other joint supplements work. My view is that it's worth trying, but if you are going to do it, stick with it. There is no point doing it for a bit. Discussing this (for the umpteenth time) with the orthopedic surgeon yesterday, we've gone for synoquin EFA because the krill based fish oil is apparently more effective. This is also what Charlie's physio vet recommends. The surgeon said there was only some evidence any supplements work, but indications that if you start when dogs are young there is a better outcome (he described it as "slow build"). I don't know what you think expensive, but I thought these were expensive at £80 for an initial loading dose (4 tabs a day for 6 weeks, but i'd have to look up how much of what that is) but now I know the dose, the surgeon said I can buy them online (for about £63 - or 60 days at a maintenance dose). OH just wants Charlie fed on fresh salmon instead (my OH is French - so he thinks quality food is the answer to everything) and has spent the day emailing me studies linking a high levels of fish oil with prostate cancer in humans. So....um....dunno.
Re: Fish oil I give Meg, my eldest spaniel, salmon oil, and have been doing so for about six months. Her coat has deteriorated steadily since she was spayed ( a common side effect) and I have been hoping that this might improve things. So far, I have not noticed any real change. Every now and then I think - " oh, maybe she is getting a bit of shine back" then my objective side kicks in and I say "no, she looks as much like an old mop as ever." Meg thinks it's great by the way. Breakfast most days is two raw eggs and salmon oil, and I haven't the heart to stop. The other dogs think this is a gross miscarriage of justice.
Re: Fish oil My nearly 8 year old Lab has been on Synoquin EFA since he was about 5 months old, he broke his elbow at 4 months and at his lat x-ray when he was 6 months he had arthritis. So far he is not lame and appears to have no pain at all, so I guess Synoquin has been effective, though of course if I hadn't had him on Synoquin he may be the same! However, I like to think it is the Synoquin.
Re: Fish oil Barley has salmon oil, we mainly used it for his coat and to encourage him to eat as he is a fussy eater. He is not on it currently as the supplier we use is out of stock, but i am hoping to get some more at crufts next week. He is also on cod liver oil, 2 capsuals a day, puzzle has one a day as she is smaller and does not really need them but can't do her any harm. With salmon oil the quality of it is important, we have had good and poor quality salmon oil, and have for us found the cheapest is not the best. We have also used omega oil before that was great and lasted a long time, 1 liter was around £10 but lasted the two of them 2 months.
Re: Fish oil Obi gets two capsules of fish oil on his breakfast every day. We use capsules that are each 2000mg and that each contain 600mg Omega-3 (made up of 360mg EPA and 240mg DHA). EPA and DHA are types of fatty acid. Our vet advised us to use fish oil. He (Obi, not the vet) gets a pollen allergy reaction in the summer and the fish oil helps with this (along with antihistamines) but we keep it up all year round as a 'general good thing' for joints and health. Obi also gets a tin of sardines for dinner.
Re: Fish oil Our ortho vet recommended high strength human Omega-3 fish oil capsules but double the dose. We just use fairly inexpensive ones but have a good quality food which is rich in Omega-3 too. We could use a more expensive one but opted to use a better food generally. We discussed this previously and you might find this thread interesting http://www.thelabradorforum.com/index.php?topic=2181.msg19847#msg19847 (hope that's the right one)
Re: Fish oil Can anybody tell me what brand of salmon oil i can give Cooper im currently giving him omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid supplements in syrup form or should i give it in tablet form which one is better and also im thinking of feeding him fish not as a main course but occasionally jus for his coat and skin my vet suggested it but i don knw where to start and what type to give so any help on this will be appreciated....
Re: Fish oil Thanks for the info guys, but I think I'm still more confused! Is there a canine specific supplement you use? Or is it generally human grade stuff but a different dose? Would be great if I can walk into holland and Barrett and pick some up as it's pretty good value for money there... Teena - I didn't think you were supposed to give omega 6... Im probably wrong as new to the fish oil supplements. It's probably not doing any harm but I thought it was the omega 3 that was most beneficial? Also I don't think it matters how it's given, tablets or liquid, as long as your dog eats it.
Re: Fish oil Lauren its a combination of omega 6 and omega 3 in 10:1 ratio and its really doing gud on Cooper and this is what is available in my locality and my vet suggested it as it is canine specific i suggest u try wat is available in ue area and get help from ur vet and im sure Penny will benefit from it bcoz we all want wat is best for our pet so hoping to hear from u soon.. Good luck
Re: Fish oil Oh ok, perhaps I'll look for something that's got both of those in. I definately want to get her on to some sort of fish oil supplement but I have no idea what to try. I'm hoping our physio appointment will be soon so I can ask her what she thinks. Our ortho vet is supposed to be phoning me when the official measurements of her hip laxity X-rays comes through so I will add this to the list of questions I have for him!
Re: Fish oil I think asking the vet and physio is a good idea - but I have quizzed several orthopedic experts now, and although they are helpful, and look up the dosage etc. I don't get the impression that any of them have looked into fish oils, and other supplements, in much depth at all. I rather get the impression that for Charlie, they have recommended a standard product (synoquin efa) which is the "go to" product and the maker has set out the loading and maintenance doses. I'm doing more research into this, and starting to get troubled because I cannot obtain sufficient information on the product.... I do wonder where to get some decent information, it's all very tricky. Jaq's previous post in the thread she linked to is helpful.
Re: Fish oil You use human grade fish oil capsules. I use a brand called Nature's Own but I don't know if you'd have that in the UK or US or elsewhere.
Re: Fish oil [quote author=Penny+Me link=topic=4671.msg57386#msg57386 date=1393486610] Is there a canine specific supplement you use? Or is it generally human grade stuff but a different dose? Would be great if I can walk into holland and Barrett and pick some up as it's pretty good value for money there... [/quote] Having been with a friend who gets her dog's supplements in Holland & Barrett, I can vouch for the fact that the staff in there said they were used to being asked for their canine as well as human customers.... ;D Clare
Re: Fish oil [quote author=JulieT link=topic=4671.msg57396#msg57396 date=1393488366] I think asking the vet and physio is a good idea - but I have quizzed several orthopedic experts now, and although they are helpful, and look up the dosage etc. I don't get the impression that any of them have looked into fish oils, and other supplements, in much depth at all. I rather get the impression that for Charlie, they have recommended a standard product (synoquin efa) which is the "go to" product and the maker has set out the loading and maintenance doses. I'm doing more research into this, and starting to get troubled because I cannot obtain sufficient information on the product.... I do wonder where to get some decent information, it's all very tricky. Jaq's previous post in the thread she linked to is helpful. [/quote] One of the dogs homes I used to work in used synoquin for quite a few of the dogs. They stopped using it as they said it was too expensive (they are a charity after all!) and just recommended a general glucosamine supplement instead... Makes me wonder what all the hype is about with synoquin. I think I'll be heading to holland and Barrett at the weekend to browse products...
Re: Fish oil Hi Lauren, I use Super Solvitax Pure Cod Liver Oil 5 ml each per day. It contains Vitamin A (Palmitate 2000 I.U) Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol BP 200 I.U) Vitamin E (dl Tocopheryl Acetate) BP 5. I.U it only costs £7.00 for a 450ml bottle. I don't know if that helps but my dogs coats look great on it and hopefully it is helping their joints and general health x
Re: Fish oil People turn to supplements when science has failed to find the answer to a particular medical condition and it is not surprising that there is much confusion. Provided one realises that there is a huge market for these supplements most of which have no scientific basis and there is no medical alternative, then it would be churlish for anyone to suggest otherwise. If it brings some comfort why not try it? Roger
