The Secret to Reducing Inflammation

You’ll often read seafood proteins have anti-inflammatory properties. This is due to their generally high Omega 3 content, which helps balance the high Omega 6 content found in commercial pet food. Quick tip: poultry is very high in Omega 6s and low in 3s, making it the most “off balance” meat type.

Although the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio imbalance is most severe in dry kibble, it also occurs in any type of commercial pet food whether wet, freeze dried or raw. This is because these fatty acids are highly sensitive to temperature and oxidation, which means they break down and go rancid very quickly.

For these reasons, it’s very important to supplement all food types with a fresh source of Omega 3s. Without this the dog will be prone to systemic inflammation, which can express itself through skin/ear/paw issues, achy joints, and silently within the dog’s body. If your dog has an existing inflammation issue, Omega 3s will be imperative to return the body to full health.

There are two ways to supplement Omega 3s for your dog: 1) fresh whole food source and 2) whole food supplement.

Fresh whole food sources include small oily fish such as sardines, anchovies and smelt. You can buy the ones that come tinned in water with no added salt. You want to avoid larger fish, as they have higher mercury and pollution contents.

Whole food supplements far outweigh using fish oil or fish capsules because they are more bioavailable and do not risk going rancid as quickly. My two favorites are Origins 5-in-1, which is a powder made of ground whole fish. My other favorite is Phytoplankton, which is a powder made of marine plankton (a non-animal bioavailable source of Omega 3s).

Introduce the Omega 3 sources slowly if your dog is not used to fresh fatty acids. Too much at once may result in loose stools or gas. Slowly increase their “dose” until you reach a ceiling of tolerance. It will differ between dogs — if you have more than one dog in your house don’t expect them to have the same ceiling.