Omega-3 supplementation for the health of skin and joints
The answer to this is YES, they do work. There are scientific studies verifying the benefits of Omega-3 for both skin and arthritic conditions. If you are interested in reading one actual journal article verifying the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in dogs with arthritis, Multicenter assessment of effects of omega-3 fatty acids in osteoarthritis in dogs.
If Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be effective in preventing and treating allergic skin disease and arthritis, why not just buy a bottle of this product at the retail store and feed it to your dog? That is a fair question. After all, if it is good enough for you, it is good enough for your dog. There must be some standard that nutraceutical products (dietary supplements or products not listed as drugs) are held to, right? The answer depends on who you believe. According to one source,
” Despite the international movement within the industry, professional organizations, academia, and health regulatory agencies to add specific legal and scientific criterion to the definition and standards for nutraceuticals, within the United States the term is not regulated by FDA. The FDA still uses a blanket term of “dietary supplement” for all substances without distinguishing their efficacy, manufacturing process, supporting scientific research, and increased health benefits.”
There are many cases where the standards used in production of dietary supplements or nutraceuticals have been shown to be very inadequate, allowing inferior or even adulterated products to be sold to the public.
Regarding Omega-3 dietary supplements, there are basically three forms in all retail products: Ethyl Ester Triglyceride Free Fatty acid
Bioavailability From the same source cited above it states: “Bioavailability – Bioavailability, which can be thought of as the “absorption rate” of a supplement product, is one of the main challenges in finding effective nutraceutical products. Among unprocessed foods, not all foods are broken down and digested as effectively. Nutraceuticals with poor absorption rates results in nutrients being disposed from the body without providing any nutritional or medicinal benefit.”
In the case of omega-3 fatty acids, studies have shown that if a person or pet were to consume 100 mg of omega-3 FA, the absorption would vary as follows: Ethyl Ester – 20% Triglyceride – 70% Free form – 90%
What does this mean for my pet? We carry a few products, including “Free form Snip tips“and Welactin. These are manufactured in a facility that is held to FDA standards for purity and consistency. In other words, what it says on the bottle is what is actually in each capsule. The form of omega-3 FA is the “free form” meaning that this has the highest possible bioavailability. We offer a few diets that have been proven to improve dog’s ability to rise, walk and play after 6-12 weeks. We also offer Free Form snip tips for pets suffering with allergic skin disease as well as those with pain from osteoarthritis. The recommended dose of Omega-3 fatty acids is higher for the prevention and treatment of arthritis compared to skin disease.
Please call the clinic for more information.
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