Fish/marine oils are the best source of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs. They help mitigate undesired inflammation. The ratio between omega-3 and omega-3 fatty acids is particularly important.
Are you supplementing your dog's diet with fish oil?
We do and we opt for the fish oil gels. The two reasons for this choice are that we like to go with pharmaceutic grade fish oil and the fact that this way the oil is better protected from going rancid. (In fact, there are some oils we were using which are available in gels only, specifically for that reason. For example, wheat germ oil and Evening Primrose oil).
Plus Jasmine hated fishy taste and she would refuse food that smelled and tasted fishy.
With Jasmine, since she was getting a bunch of supplements, we just administered the oils as if it were medication.
A common approach is to cut the gel cap open and add the oil to the food.
Have you tried that? How is that working for you?
Not pretty, is it?
I tried that with some of the other oils in the attempt to cut down on the pills Jasmine had to have shoved down her throat. I find it right down dangerous for my fingers, plus you likely lose much of it.
So I did an experiment and worked great. I was also adding apple cider vinegar to Jasmine's food. I decided to see what would happen if I put the gel cap into a bit of the vinegar.
I took a shot glass, filled it with the apple cider vinegar, dropped the oil gel in there and let it sit while I was preparing the rest of the food.
It worked as I hoped. The vinegar softens the gel cap. You could just probably add it to the food as it is. Or you can give it a little poke with a tip of a knife. It opens up easily and the oil floats right out of it.
Much easier this way.
Are you supplementing your dog's diet with fish oil?
We do and we opt for the fish oil gels. The two reasons for this choice are that we like to go with pharmaceutic grade fish oil and the fact that this way the oil is better protected from going rancid. (In fact, there are some oils we were using which are available in gels only, specifically for that reason. For example, wheat germ oil and Evening Primrose oil).
Plus Jasmine hated fishy taste and she would refuse food that smelled and tasted fishy.
With Jasmine, since she was getting a bunch of supplements, we just administered the oils as if it were medication.
A common approach is to cut the gel cap open and add the oil to the food.
Have you tried that? How is that working for you?
Not pretty, is it?
I tried that with some of the other oils in the attempt to cut down on the pills Jasmine had to have shoved down her throat. I find it right down dangerous for my fingers, plus you likely lose much of it.
So I did an experiment and worked great. I was also adding apple cider vinegar to Jasmine's food. I decided to see what would happen if I put the gel cap into a bit of the vinegar.
I took a shot glass, filled it with the apple cider vinegar, dropped the oil gel in there and let it sit while I was preparing the rest of the food.
It worked as I hoped. The vinegar softens the gel cap. You could just probably add it to the food as it is. Or you can give it a little poke with a tip of a knife. It opens up easily and the oil floats right out of it.
Much easier this way.
Titan gets a gel tab daily. I had the hardest time getting him to take it until I started playing a game with him, with the pill. Now we call it his "handsome" pill and he's usually fairly happy to take it. :)
ReplyDeleteClever. Anything that can be turned into a game can't be that bad, right? :-)
DeleteElka actually loves food with oil on it. Coconut oil, olive oil, sardine oil, etc. What she won't eat is food that smells vinegary (or water!)
ReplyDeleteEach are an individual, aren't they? I was worried about the vinegar too, but that flavor didn't bother Jasmine at all. I guess it's because it doesn't completely over-power everything else, unlike the fish.
DeleteJasmine liked the other oils, just not the fishy smell/flavor, whether it came from oil or other product (such as Sasha's blend)
Cookie and JD like fish too, so they don't mind. Though I wouldn't want to "taint" every meal with it ... who would like having the same tasting food all the time?
I finally found a system that works (better scissors) and then I read this great and easy idea. Once I squirted fish oil on a sweater - it took 10 washes before the smell was gone - I just added to each weekend's laundry load.
ReplyDeleteI'll give this a shot.
Let me know how it works for you. Worked great for me.
DeleteWe use an egg cup to pop open our fish oils capsules. (You know the ones with the little point in them to puncture an egg before you boil it?) Once it's punctured, Felix GOBBLES them down. I have no issue geetting KOly to take them - popped or not. I just toss it in the air, say "catch and boom! It's a goner. They're so fishy & delicious.
ReplyDeleteHA, that is very clever too! Of course, some dogs will swallow whatever is presented to them :-) Makes things even easier.
DeleteHmm...I just put the whole gel cap in their food. Although my Labs will eat most anything I give them.
ReplyDeleteThat, of course works too! :-)
DeleteHow is that working? Well, Jan got tired of trying to poke a hoke in the capsules, especially in winter when the cold makes them hard. The acv is good for the dogs, so this sounds like a much easier idea.
ReplyDeleteYes, since I used acv in the food anyway, I decided to try it and it works. Kolly's idea is quite good too.
DeleteI have two small dogs so one gel cap is split between them. I poke a quilting pin in the top of the cap and squirt half the oil on Willow's food, then I place the capsule with the remaining oil in Gigi's bowl. Once the capsule has been drizzled and shared, I add a teaspoon of non-fat plain yogurt on top of the oil and the capsule. The yogurt disguises the taste and smell and Willow and Gigi gobble their food in no time. Without the yogurt, they would walk away, choosing to go hungry rather than ingest that yucky oil and capsule.
ReplyDeleteOne thing is for sure - our dogs make us more clever :-)
DeleteI used to pierce the cap with a paring knife, but I wound up with a lot of fish oil stains on my shirt from errant squirts.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what mostly happens ... the oil in places one doesn't want it :-) Let me know if you try this idea.
Delete