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Rodrigo has itchy paws. I followed the advice of our veterinarian and started giving him Benedryl (1mg x his weight), but it can’t be good to feed him this on a daily basis. I have hay fever and I'm not a fan of how Benedryl makes me feel; why would I subject our dog to those feelings. So I started researching alternatives.
I found a fantastic video by Dr. Karen Becker that helped provide him with some relief.
Today, we wash off Rodrigo’s paws daily, wiping them with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water, and they don’t seem to bother him anymore. Another thing I read was that salmon oil for dogs is great for itchy skin and it’s also great for our dogs’ coats. What I wasn't prepared for were the pros and cons of Salmon oil.
Types of Oils for a Dog's Diet
When researching the health benefits of salmon oil for dogs, I was surprised to find out that salmon oil isn’t the only options. Our options include
- Fish Oil
- Salmon Oil
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Krill Oil
Bonnie & Clyde Fish Oil for Dogs
I add Bonnie & Clyde fish oil to our dogs' diet. Many people believe fish oil is inferior to salmon oil, but this isn't the case. When comparing Bonnie & Clyde fish oil (made with herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines) to salmon oil for dogs, you'll find these differences in the EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids (something many people don't realize):
- EPA and DHA in a teaspoon of Bonnie & Clyde Fish Oil: 690mg EPA and 460mg DHA
- EPA and DHA in a teaspoon of Salmon Oil: 480mg EPA 500mg DHA
Bonnie & Clyde fish oil is the best omega-3 oil on the market for dogs. It's concentrated (so a little goes a long way), it doesn't have a fishy smell, and it has vitamin E that is naturally sourced from sunflowers (so we don't have to worry about deficiencies).
Benefits of Bonnie & Clyde Fish Oil for Dogs
- Improves skin and coat health
- Improves joint health
- Improves digestive health
- Improves cognitive functions
Downsides of Bonnie & Clyde Fish Oil for Dogs
If you feed too much, your dog might get diarrhea. Otherwise, there are no downsides to this product that I've experienced with my dogs.
- CLICK HERE to order Bonnie & Clyde fish oil
Salmon Oil for Dogs
Salmon oil is touted to be great for our dogs' coats, skin allergies, and joint problems. Sounds great!
Joe Craven, a fellow writer (EssayWritingServices.com), raises show dogs and took the time to enlighten me about the pros and cons of salmon oil. He regularly gives his dogs salmon oil, because there are so many health benefits. Together, we were able to find the benefits and downsides to salmon oil and being new to the product, I was pretty surprised by the downsides.
Benefits of Salmon Oil for Dogs
- Improve the coat and skin condition of the dog, make it soft and shiny.
- It helps in producing more collagen
- It helps to prevent skin allergies
- Dosage of about 1000 mg per 10 lbs of dog weight can prevent arthritis
- Fish oil is useful in the treatment of kidney problems (frequent urination, loss of appetite)
- Appearance of joint problems, like arthritis, is lessened.
- Salmon oil helps alleviate inflammation, fights heart disease, and prevents renal disease.
- It’s preventative against cancer.
Downsides of Salmon Oil for Dogs
After more than a year adding salmon oil to our dogs' food, our dogs haven't experienced any of these “downsides.”
- Weight gain; this can be managed with a healthy diet and regular exercise
- Bad breath (it is salmon oil); this can be resolved by regularly cleaning their teeth
- Stomach pain, dizziness, and nausea; not all dogs have this reaction, but you should watch your dog to be sure that s/he is compatible with salmon oil
- Loose stool and diarrhea; it’s not clear if this is lasting, but it could be a sign that your dog isn’t taking to the salmon oil well
Salmon oil can go bad and you want to pay attention to a use by date on the bottle to make sure that you’re not feeding your dog expired oil. I store our salmon oil in the fridge.
Salmon Oil I Recommend
- Lifeline Salmon Oil
- Lifeline Wild Alaskan Fish Oil (a great alternative to salmon oil when salmon oil is low)
I'm very careful about the salmon oil that I give to my dogs because of the toxins in the oceans. I only trust a couple of brands.
Olive Oil for Dogs
Carol Firenze is the author of the book – The Passionate Olive – 101 Thing to do with Olive Oil. She wrote a chapter for pet owners and shared the following benefits of drizzling olive oil on their food:
On the Inside…Internal
- Shine your Pet’s Coat & Keep your Pet Healthy
- To Slow Down the Shedding Process
- Prevent “Hairballs” in Cats
On the Outside…External
- Massage your Pet
- Remove Ticks
- Soothe Ears
- Lubricate the Skin on Your Pet’s Nose
- Lubricate your Dog’s Paws
- Give your Pet a Pedicure
- Remove “Ice Balls” from an Animal‘s Hair or Paws
Coconut Oil for Dogs
Jennifer Kehres was kind enough to enlighten me about Coconut Oil, which she gives regularly to her dog and I would not have considered as an option. “Our gluten-free, dairy-free, coconut oil loving Shih Tzu loves it! Coconut oil helps prevent and reduce itchiness and is good for her overall health too.” ~ Jennifer Kehres
Coconut oil isn't an alternative to fish oil.
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Dogs
- Reduces pet allergies and clears up skin conditions
- Improves digestion and reduces “doggie breath”
- Aids in arthritis or ligament problems
- If applied topically, treats and aids faster healing of wounds
- Prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections
- Helps prevent or control diabetes
- Helps to reduce weight and increase energy
Coconut Oil I Recommend
- CocoTherapy Coconut Oil (you can order on Amazon or pick it up at a local, independent pet store)
Krill Oil for Dogs
Krill oil is derived from shellfish and contains the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA along antioxidants. I read that some feel that Krill Oil is superior to salmon oil partly because it’s easy for our bodies to absorb it allowing it to do more good. In fact, there is a site devoted to promoting krill oil.
Benefits of Krill Oil for Dogs
- Effective in weight loss
- No fishy after taste
- Longer shelf life than salmon oil
- More easily aborbed into the body, so you don’t need as much
Downsides of Krill Oil for Dogs
- More expensive
- Not for animals (or people) who are allergic to shell fish. I have no idea if our dogs have shell fish allergies either.
You can read more about the Difference Between Krill Oil and Salmon Oil HERE: Krill Oil vs Fish Oil: Which Is Better for You? | Healthline.com. And like with the other oil options mentioned here, double check with your veterinarian, before adding krill oil to your dog's diet.
Krill Oil I Recommend
Whether your dog is on a raw or kibble diet, I think a quality Omega-3 oil is beneficial. I recommend products that are specifically made for dogs so that you can know that the serving amount is correct.
Hello! We recommend rotating through all the oils. All the oils offer something a little different in their rations of omegas. Whatever we’re using the Goldens get!
Great tip. Thanks for sharing. I love coconut oil, I’ll try that next.
I’ve used fish oil in the past but don’t any more because it was expensive and I didn’t notice any real benefit. Perhaps we are just lucky and our dog is allergy-free. Her coat has a lot of natural oils and other than the first year she was with us, I haven’t noticed any itchiness.
Thanks for all this great information. I’ll have to keep this in mind for our next vet visit.
I have 6 dogs, they all get Coconut oil twice a day. Other than a lttle soft stool now and then I have only seen good results. They LOVE it, helps with the doggie breath and all their coats/skin has become less dry, my Yorkie and my Bernese have beautiful shiny coats. Would definately recommend it.We even have coconut oil chips as a treat once in while. We like it so much that Sassy has decided will be carrying it at Sassy’s Pet Paradise soon.
Thanks so much, Debbie
I’m really excited to add coconut oil to their diet now. Wow! 6 dogs. HOW DO YOU DO IT???
Some days it’s a little challenging but I just love them so much and they are so entertaining (and a little rotten). They just make me happy every day. I have them from 3 lbs to 80 lbs. I also got invloved in rescue and just love it. Right now I’m not fostering but do other stuff to stay involved. Don’t have human children so all my time is dedicated to them (and work.)
I have have experimented with oils for the Newfs and salmon oil has always been one of my top choices. I’ve also tried cod liver oil supplements and those work great for them too!
I didn’t read about cod liver oil – thanks for sharing that one, Jen. I’ll check it out!
Yes, Jasmine has number of oils in her diet:
– safflower oil (but considering switching to evening primrose oil instead)
– olive oil
– fish oil (couple different ones, in capsules, both pharmaceutical grade)
– wheat germ oil
– coconut oil
Never had an issue with any of the downsides listed for fish (salmon) oil, except the occasional fishy breath. Some of the things would depend on dosage, proper dosage and proper ratios between omega 6 and omega 3 is important.
The only thing I’d really worry about with fish oil would be contamination, that’s why we’re using pharmaceutical grade.
I think that coconut oil is great but I can’t see how it would be substitute for fish oil – coconut oil doesn’t contain any omega 3 fatty acids.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/508/2
Thanks for stopping by, Jana
I love reading about what you’re doing, because I love how much homework you’ve done; I’m just getting started. A friend of mine chose coconut oil over fish oil for her dogs and she’s really happy with it. I haven’t added coconut oil to our dog’s diet, because I like the benefits of fish and olive oil. But I have started taking coconut oil supplements – don’t know if I feel a change or not.
What I find fascinating is how complicated it can all get. I’m now interested in speaking with the folks at our natural vitamin store to get a better grade of fish oil than what I picked up at Costco. It was also not very easy to understand how much to give them at first – everyone has a different experience and I have no idea which of our dogs will benefit and which will not have a great reaction. But so far, no side effects and they’re doing great.
Kimberly
You need to be careful with future fish oil purchases. Does the oil come from the Pacific? That is now being affected by Fukushima radiation. The media and the fed. govt. are keeping this quiet as to prevent a financial crisis of major proportions. But you can research the effects that it is having on marine life and it’s already on the West coast beaches.
It’s so very sad that we have to always stay one step ahead of what is being done to our oceans. 🙁 Thanks for sharing. I’m looking into phytoplankton for my dogs now.