Essential Fatty Acids for Dogs

Posted by Michelle for PetTest, AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator on 19th Jul 2023

Essential Fatty Acids for Dogs

Essential Fatty Acids for Dogs

I know that many of you with diabetic dogs are a bit nervous to add essential fatty acids to diet since our dogs are prone to or have had pancreatitis; I was nervous when I first added them to Lucy’s diet but slowly worked up to recommended dose and she did fine. Essential fatty acids are an important part of their diet so today I am going to go over essential fatty acids, what they are and why they are essential for our dogs.

Grab a cup of your favorite cold beverage and let’s get to it!

Essential fatty acids, essential vitamins and essential minerals: these are all things that a dog needs for its body to grow and maintain. Any time you see “essential” that means that a dog’s body cannot synthesize, or they do not synthesize enough of these nutrients and are a requirement in their diet. In the wild, dogs foraged for food and did not eat meat only, so certain essential fatty acids were obtained through eating different plants while others were gained from eating certain meats. We now feed our dogs homemade or commercial diets that include essential fatty acids. The AAFCO states a maximum 30:1 (omega-6 to omega-3) ratio in foods. The NRC recommends 2.6:1 to 26:1. These amounts are very low and studies have found that a ratio of 5:1 to 10:1 is more appropriate for dogs.

Fatty acids are essential to the body running properly, here are some functions and organs that require fatty acids:

  • Source of energy
  • Cell development
  • Hormone production
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Nutrient absorption
  • Coat and skin health
  • Nervous system
  • Retinal health
  • Heart
  • Kidneys
  • Liver
  • Brain

It is recommended to give a dog with high triglycerides omega-3 fatty acids because it can lower triglycerides levels.

Essential fatty acids are also beneficial for dogs with certain illnesses or diseases like heart, kidney or liver disease.

GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid is an anti-inflammatory and studies of GLA supplementation have shown to reduce joint inflammation and help with arthritis.

Here is a list of essential fatty acids for dogs:

Essential Fatty Acids Chart for ESA blog mtm

Giving too much or not enough can cause health problems so balance is key. If you give essential fatty acids make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Start at a smaller dose than recommended to ensure that your dog does not get GI upset.

A couple of brands that I have used and had good results are:

  • Grizzly Omega Health for Dogs & Cats, Wild Salmon Oil/Pollock Oil Omega-3 Blend
  • Dr. Harvey’s Health and Shine - Omega-3 Fish Oil
  • Dr. Harvey’s Health and Shine - Salmon & Krill Oil

I hope today’s blog has been informative and you now understand why essential fatty acids are so vital for our dogs!

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.

For a printable version of this blog click here.

Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!

Michelle Miller-Matlock

AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator

Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University

Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook


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