I Almost Killed My Dog By Giving Him Fish Oil Tablets :(

[*Lolapalooza*]

Dr Billinghursts BARF books recommend to give vitamin E if giving lots of fish, fish oild or omega oils as otherwise they can go rancid and cause problems. I give mine flaxseed oil or fish oils and fish a few times a weekand always give a Vitamin E tab just incase

[Megan2010]

also another reason that if you're making a dog a home made diet to ensure it is not lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. This is why I stick to dry food especially in growing dogs or I reccomend people buy something like the Vets All Natural Health Booster to make sure your dog is getting what it needs irrespective of the ingredients you purchase.

I also recommend the ethical nutrients high strength liquid fish oil instead of the capsules. Yes it has to be in the fridge but a cap full will easily do a 60kg dog a day

I completely agree Nekhbet I'm a huge advocate for PREMIUM (ie not supermarket rubbish) dried dog food, unfortunately in Neo's case he was put on a balanced natural/raw diet by our breeder and vet due to digestive problems, we tried every kind of ultra premium dog food for him, but he just ended up with diarrhea We even tried the "Science" hypoallergenic prescription food gradually and he still couldn't stomach it, trust me I tried everything, I don't give up easily!

My other dog has been on ultra premium dog food since she was a puppy (I import food for her from the USA) and touch wood she's never had any issues, this food is balanced with fish oil and vitamin E luckily.

Neo's diet did have some items rich in vitamin E (corn, liver etc) but unfortunately it wasn't enough to counter the large amount of fish oil i was giving him.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Megan2010

[Mason_Gibbs]

also another reason that if you're making a dog a home made diet to ensure it is not lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. This is why I stick to dry food especially in growing dogs or I reccomend people buy something like the Vets All Natural Health Booster to make sure your dog is getting what it needs irrespective of the ingredients you purchase.

I also recommend the ethical nutrients high strength liquid fish oil instead of the capsules. Yes it has to be in the fridge but a cap full will easily do a 60kg dog a day

I completely agree Nekhbet I'm a huge advocate for PREMIUM (ie not supermarket rubbish) dried dog food, unfortunately in Neo's case he was put on a balanced natural/raw diet by our breeder and vet due to digestive problems, we tried every kind of ultra premium dog food for him, but he just ended up with diarrhea We even tried the "Science" hypoallergenic prescription food gradually and he still couldn't stomach it, trust me I tried everything, I don't give up easily!

My other dog has been on ultra premium dog food since she was a puppy (I import food for her from the USA) and touch wood she's never had any issues, this food is balanced with fish oil and vitamin E luckily.

Yes my allergy dog is the same he just cannot stomach dry kibble, ends up with the runs the whole time and he bottom scoots with it too. He is on raw now with veggies and does much better.

[luffy4688]

So how much vitamin E am I suppose to be feeding?

And where do I get them? Are they especialy for dogs or could I just get some at the local pharmacy?

[Sagittarian]

also another reason that if you're making a dog a home made diet to ensure it is not lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. This is why I stick to dry food especially in growing dogs or I reccomend people buy something like the Vets All Natural Health Booster to make sure your dog is getting what it needs irrespective of the ingredients you purchase.

I also recommend the ethical nutrients high strength liquid fish oil instead of the capsules. Yes it has to be in the fridge but a cap full will easily do a 60kg dog a day

I completely agree Nekhbet I'm a huge advocate for PREMIUM (ie not supermarket rubbish) dried dog food, unfortunately in Neo's case he was put on a balanced natural/raw diet by our breeder and vet due to digestive problems, we tried every kind of ultra premium dog food for him, but he just ended up with diarrhea We even tried the "Science" hypoallergenic prescription food gradually and he still couldn't stomach it, trust me I tried everything, I don't give up easily!

My other dog has been on ultra premium dog food since she was a puppy (I import food for her from the USA) and touch wood she's never had any issues, this food is balanced with fish oil and vitamin E luckily.

Neo's diet did have some items rich in vitamin E (corn, liver etc) but unfortunately it wasn't enough to counter the large amount of fish oil i was giving him.

May I ask how you import food and which type? There are so many hoops to jump through with food importation that I am really interested to know what you had to do to achieve it. Did the food require irradiation and if so, did you also factor that into your discussions with vets etc?

I am a little puzzled why you needed to give an 80 kg dog 8 capsules a day. That seems extreme for a human, and if you were using a human product, then why so much?

Just really curious as this is really interesting reporting on your experience.

Sags

;)

[Staranais]

My much loved Neapolitan Mastiff is now 3 years old, but he very nearly didn't make it to his 3rd birthday due to the essential fatty acids contained in fish oil tablets, this is his story:

<snip>

I decided to write this post in the hope that it will save a dogs life.

Just a question Megan - did you write this post yourself, or did you copy it from an email which does the rounds at various times? Some of your phrases sound rather "fishy" so to speak?

I wrote it myself, except for the bits I put in inverted commas, and I included the reference for that too, and added some references to some of my research down the bottom.

Sorry if it sounded a bit fishy, I have been writing it all week so it might be a bit fragmented!

Haha - fishy!

Sorry.

[sas]

You're always meant to give Vit E when givign Fish Oil, I thought that was a known thing but obviously not.

[dwynwen]

You're always meant to give Vit E when givign Fish Oil, I thought that was a known thing but obviously not.

The vets must think it's known too... I've had several recommend fish oil and never a mention of vit E. (which I did know about, thanks DOL)

[Aidan3]

I am a little puzzled why you needed to give an 80 kg dog 8 capsules a day. That seems extreme for a human, and if you were using a human product, then why so much?

9/day is about right for an adult male. At times I have taken much more to counter exercise-induced inflammation. I get the good quality concentrated stuff that isn't rancid to begin with, only need 3/day then. There is no benefit in taking cheap, rancid fish oil unless you really enjoy fishy burps.

[Sagittarian]

I was assuming that the op was using good quality capsules - which is why I asked about the volume, as the better quality products don't require the volume for the same results.

Sags

[Are You Serious Jo]

I was just reading about some research that regular fish oil is harmful to humans, I'll see if I can find it again.

[OSoSwift]

I was told the dose was 1000mg per 10kg bodyweight which can be doubled if used in a dog with arthritis.

So 8 capsules a day for an 80kg dog would be the 1000mg/10kg bodyweight dose if using the 1000mg tablets and not the 1500mg. .

Edited December 3, 2010 by OSoSwift

[all that glitters]

I add Vit E mainly because I freeze the raw meat which depletes it.

I didn't know this! So if my minced chicken frame mince and bones Shyla eats are frozen and then thawed and given to her, they aredepleted of Vitamin E and I should give her "E" supplements?

[dancinbcs]

So how much vitamin E am I suppose to be feeding?

And where do I get them? Are they especialy for dogs or could I just get some at the local pharmacy?

Any large pet supply warehouse will sell powdered vitamin E for dogs. The dosage is usually for greyhounds as most racing greyhounds are on it regularly. Just divide the greyhound dose for a smaller dog. I used to use the Troy brand, but cannot get it any more. White E is very expensive but there is now a new one out from Value Plus that works out much cheaper.

I have always supplemented all my dogs with Vitamin E and have been wondering lately if it also has something to do with the fact that I have never had any puppies with undescended testicles. This is a reasonably common problem in my breed and seems to happen in many lines, so I am wondering why none of my puppies and none of those sired by my stud dogs were ever affected. Maybe it is the lifelong Vit E supplements?

[4Kelpies]

More information about fish oil capsules and vitamin E can be found here.

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/suppl...-for-daily-use/

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/feedi...-december-2009/

The recommended doasage rates are

Vitamin E minimum dosage:

0-25 pounds – 50-100 IUs

25-50 pounds 100-200 IUs

50-75 pounds 400 IUs

75- 100 pounds 400-800 IUs

Omega-3 fatty acid minimum dosage:

0-25 pounds – 100 mg

25-50 pounds – 250 mg

50-75 pounds – 500 mg

100 pounds – 1000 mg

I feed fish oil capsules because omega 3 fatty acids are fragile and can very easily be destroyed by heat light and air. They are not present in many foods and even if contained in commercial foods, can lose their effectiveness during storage.

[cavNrott]

My vet must have been aware of the need for Vit E if giving fish oil to the dogs. He told me about 9 years ago to alternate. I use Wild Salmon Oil one day and the next day a natural Vit E capsule. I never use the synthetic Vit E.

[mita]

Tufts University is one of the top vet med schools. They summarise (2010) about when to use fish oil supplements in the diet of dogs & cats. And what kind & how much.

BUT, if the dog has any disorder associated with bleeding or if it already has a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids...then they say, be very cautious & check with vet, before giving fish oil supplements.

http://www.tufts.edu/vet/heartsmart/diet/i..._nutrients.html

US National Library of Medicine summarises safety issues for humans taking fish oil supplements. One comment is that too high levels can interfere with clotting and cause bleeding. That links with the caution issued (above) by Tufts vet school.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginf...993.html#Safety

Edited December 3, 2010 by mita

[sllebasi]

will talk to my vet tomorrow as i think my dog has a pancreatitis attack so will ask about this topic as well

[Shirakhan]

I don’t feed my dogs fish oil caps but they do get flaxseed / olive oil and sardines along with their chicken frames . Should they be supplemented with Vitamin E ? If so how often?

Thanks for any info.

[mish13]

Thank you so much for this thread, my standard poodle was just diagnosed with SA so he is on a number of tablets including three fish oil tablets a day.

I was not aware I had to give him vitamin E as well.