Essential Fatty Acid Supplements For Dogs

Omega rich food supplements are particularly effective when it comes to helping your dog s dry skin.

Essential fatty acid supplements for dogs.

It s polyunsaturated fat meaning that our furry friends are not physiologically capable of making their own. Essential fatty acid supplementation has been used in the management of sebaceous adenitis in some dogs in conjunction with topical shampoos as this approach is likely to be safer than using immunomodulating drugs that could have adverse effects. As such dogs rely on their food to get this essential fatty acid. Essential omega 6 fatty acids include linoleic acid la gamma linolenic acid gla dihomo gamma linolenic acid dgla and arachidonic acid aa.

You can also find efas in nuts and seeds such as flax seed chia seeds and walnuts and in plant oils including flax seed oil rapeseed oil and sunflower oil. Coatex essential fatty acid supplement is administered as a solution to dry scaly or itchy skin. Vegetable oils including flaxseed oil canola oil walnut oil and soybean oil can provide dogs with another omega 3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid ala which is a precursor to epa and dha. Essential fatty acids or efas are those fatty acids that a species requires that it can t make from other sources.

Omega 6 fatty acids are good supplements for conditions such as allergies diabetes osteoporosis cancer high blood pressure and heart disease. Omega 6 is the only fatty acid that can withstand the high heat in which dry commercial dog food is processed. A prospective randomized double blind placebo controlled evaluation of the effects of an n 3 essential fatty acids supplement agepi ω3 on clinical signs and fatty acid concentrations in the erythrocyte membrane hair shafts and skin surface of dogs with poor quality coats prostaglandins leukot essent fatty acids. Fatty acids are further grouped into categories including omega 3 and omega 6 each with its own specific biochemical structure.

These fatty acids keep the skin hydrated and create a protective barrier against allergens. Essential fatty acids for dogs include omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are not only beneficial for humans but for dogs too. Omega 3 and omega 6 in dog food.

Omega 3 fatty acid is a type of fat that has numerous health benefits both for canines and humans. Linoleic acid is an example of an efa for dogs and cats require both linoleic and arachidonic efas. By choosing omega 3 6 supplements for dogs you ensure that your dog will receive the necessary essential fatty acids. However dogs are not very good at transforming ala into either epa or dha.