Requisite Fatty Acids (EFAs) are a requirement inside everyone’s diet, both human and animal. However, the body cannot produce EFAs on its own, so it has to be added to the diet every day. The two most generally known fatty acids are omega 3 (linoleic acid) and omega 6 (alpha-linoleic acid).

The diets of our pets, like citizens, tend to include more omega 6 fatty acids rather than omega 3. This is an imbalance that needs to be addressed.

Omega 3 fatty acids are requisite because they assist with the proper formation of cell membranes, cardiovascular functions, nourish the lining of the digestive tract, and work to  keep your cat or dog’s skin and coat smooth, soft and shiny . Another requisite function of omega 3 fatty acids is that they work to reduce inflammatory problems inside the body. If you discover the coat is dull and brittle or if he/she tends to have dry skin and scratch a lot, it may perhaps be due to a lack of this particular fatty acid.

There are different types of required fatty acid supplements that are available, however which selection you decide to supplement your dog or cat’s diet can be a bit of a dilemma.

Pure plant oils such as flax oil, evening primrose oil, safflower oil or a blend of plant oils is a wonderful alternative to fish omega-3 fats. These must be “cold-pressed” oils, because opposed to oils that are typically extracted with chemical solvents. The trouble with plant oils is that animals have a harder period converting the fatty acids to a form finest used by the animal’s system.

Fish oils, such because salmon oil, halibut liver oil, or cod liver oil are more simply converted and used by an animal’s body. The downside is that fish oils often contain deadly toxins, including high levels of dangerous PCBs, dioxins and detectable levels of mercury. Farmed salmon is the worst for contamination and contains less omega 3 acids than wild salmon. At this moment nearly 30% of all fish are farmed, with salmon being in the 90% farmed range. As well, farmed salmon are often carriers of disease and parasites. When supplementing diet using fish oils, you want oils that come from wild sources, not farmed.

There are also blended fish and plant oil supplements available. These often include a mixture of salmon or cod liver oil and flax, safflower or other such oils that make available a mixture of 3 to 4 parts omega 3 oils to 1 section omega 6 oils. Giving your animal a combination fish/plant supplement may perhaps be a excellent alternative to believe, since they must contain fewer toxins because they are not strictly fish oils, yet always should be better assimilated by the animal’s body than straight plant oils.

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1. christine Says:
   March 4th, 2010 at 3:00 pm

   Wow! Nice and amazing topic. Thank you for sharing these. I like it. Now I know that just like us, our pets needs some essential fatty acids to. A helpful guide and tips which I could do for my pet dog and cats.. =) Great site!=).

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