If you’re anything like me, you are always searching for the next best thing to improve the lives and health of your furry companion.  Fish oil is an amazing supplement with many benefits, whether you have a feline friend or a canine companion.  Fish oil is a supplement derived from coldwater fish, such as salmon.  Fish oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which can help with inflammatory diseases including skin allergies, dermatitis, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes, epilepsy, and some types of cancer.  Fish oil is given orally in the form of a liquid or a capsule.  Personally, I would recommend liquid form for kitties, as they are not exactly the best pill takers.  Dogs can take it in capsule form, wrapped up in a piece of cheese or with some peanut butter!  Or, liquid form if they are picky with pills as well.  Fish oil can easily be mixed into food, and its naturally fishy smell is actually enticing to pets, so you won’t have to worry about them turning their head at the smell.  

We previously touched on some benefits of fish oil but let’s dive deeper into the 6 key benefits.  Fish oil protects the heart, it has been shown to reduce the heart’s vulnerability to developing an irregular heart rhythm.  It can also prevent blood clots from occurring in cats with heart disease.  Fish oil provides protection against flaky skin in allergy pets; giving fish oil to pets with allergies may reduce their itching by decreasing their bodies production of stimulators of inflammation called cytokines.  Fish oil helps slow the progression of kidney disease; in failing kidneys, fish oil may lower blood pressure, and decrease undesired protein loss in urine.  In a study of 146 cats with kidney disease, cats that were given fish oil supplements lived a median of 17 months compared to 7 months of those who did not take the supplement.  Wow!  Fish oil aids arthritic joints; studies have shown that arthritic cats and dogs who take fish oil are more comfortable and agile than those not supplemented.  Fish oil improves neurological and cognitive function; a Hills 2012 study found that supplementing puppies with DHA (found in fish oil) increased their ability to learn and retain certain skills.  Older pets suffering from cognitive dysfunction had improved recognition of family members and other dogs when supplemented with fish oil.  Lastly on this list of 6 key benefits; it lowers blood triglyceride level.  Supplementing patients with fish oil may decrease harmful triglyceride levels, which is especially critical in patients suffering from IBD, heart disease and pancreatitis. 

My parents Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Colbie was diagnosed with a stage 4 heart murmur and heart disease in 2021.  They decided to start giving him a fish oil supplement to see if there would be any improvement.  Colbie has been going for 6 month routine check ups since then.  He just had an echocardiogram this past week, on March 5th (2024).  The doctors were shocked to see that his heart rhythm had improved, and also his heart disease had improved.  That’s pretty amazing!  I encourage you to look into fish oil supplements if your pet is struggling with any of the health issues I talked about above, or if you would like to use it as a preventative.  

The dosing for fish oil obviously differs based on canine vs. feline.  For dogs, the recommended dose ranges from 50 to 220 mg/kg body weight.  For cats, 20-55 mg per pound of body weight a day. For reference, my cats are both 8.5 lbs, and I give them ¼ tsp a day. 

 There are a lot of factors that play into the dosage for your specific pet, such as; size and breed, stage of life, health status, and the amount of Omega 3’s already consumed in their diet.  Please consult your veterinarian before giving your pet fish oil supplement, they can help you figure out the dosage, and if it’s right for your pet.  I am by no means a professional.  Thank you for reading!