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Three Studies show Fish Oil Reduces Osteoarthritis Symptoms in Dogs
- 3-7-2010
- Categorized in: Pet Food Ingredients, Pets
Three studies show that dogs fed fish oil (high omega-3 fatty acid) improved in mobility and showed less pain. Believers of the power of fish oil (myself included) are not surprised, but at least now we have clinical proof.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) announced in a press release the results of the three studies. The studies included 274 dogs with osteoarthritis that participated at dozens of private veterinary clinics and two University veterinary clinics.
“In the first study, dogs with chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis showed improvements in their ability to play and rise from rest at six weeks after being switched to a diet containing high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. The second study showed that limb strength in dogs improved with omega-3 dietary intervention. In the third study, veterinarians were able to reduce the dosage of carprofen, a common NSAID used for pain relief in dogs with osteoarthritis, while still providing pain relief to dogs that were fed food supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids.” http://www.avma.org/press/releases/100304_omega-3_fatty_acids.asp
Study One was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) January 1, 2010. In this study 38 client owned dogs with osteoarthritis were examined at 2 University veterinary clinics. “Dogs were randomly assigned to receive a typical commercial food (n = 16) or a test food (22) containing 3.5% fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. On day 0 (before the trial began) and days 45 and 90 after the trial began, investigators conducted orthopedic evaluations and force-plate analyses of the most severely affected limb of each dog, and owners completed questionnaires to characterize their dogs' arthritis signs.” Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: “At least in the short term, dietary supplementation with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids resulted in an improvement in weight bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis.”
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.236.1.67?prevSearch=allfield%253A%2528Hahn%2529&searchHistoryKey=
Study Two did things a bit differently; they used high doses of fish oil. Published in the JAVMA on January 1, 2010. In this study 127 client owned dogs with osteoarthritis in 1 or more joints were examined from 18 private veterinary clinics. “Dogs were randomly assigned to be fed for 6 months with a typical commercial food or a test food containing a 31-fold increase in total omega-3 fatty acid content and a 34-fold decrease in omega-6–omega-3 ratio, compared with the control food. Dog owners completed a questionnaire about their dog's arthritic condition, and investigators performed a physical examination and collected samples for a CBC and serum biochemical analyses (including measurement of fatty acids concentration) at the onset of the study and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks afterward.” Results: “According to owners, dogs fed the test food had a significantly improved ability to rise from a resting position and play at 6 weeks and improved ability to walk at 12 and 24 weeks, compared with control dogs.”
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.236.1.59?prevSearch=allfield%253A%2528Hahn%2529&searchHistoryKey=
Study 3 was to determine if pain medicine could be reduced by supplementing the pet’s diet with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. Published in the JAVMA on March 1, 2010, 101 client owned dogs with stable chronic osteoarthritis were examined at 33 privately owned veterinary hospitals. “In all dogs, the dosage of carprofen was standardized over a 3-week period to approximately 4.4 mg/kg/d (2 mg/lb/d), PO. Dogs were then randomly assigned to receive a food supplemented with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids or a control food with low omega-3 fatty acid content, and 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks later, investigators made decisions regarding increasing or decreasing the carprofen dosage on the basis of investigator assessments of 5 clinical signs and owner assessments of 15 signs.” Results: “Results suggested that in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis receiving carprofen because of signs of pain, feeding a diet supplemented with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids may allow for a reduction in carprofen dosage.”
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.236.5.535?prevSearch=allfield%253A%2528Hahn%2529&searchHistoryKey=
Of huge importance is the following statement in the AVMA release: “This finding is especially important because it allows veterinarians to better understand that complications that may arise from pain relief medications could be reduced when the medications are used in combination with proper nutrition.” We can assume that “proper nutrition” in this case implies a diet supplemented with fish oil.
Although none of these studies stated the type or grade of fish oil used, most experts recommended supplementing your pet’s diet with a pure pharmaceutical grade fish oil. Inferior fish oils can be contaminated with mercury and other toxins. Always consult your veterinarian regarding any supplements added to their diet.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Truth about Pet Food
Petsumer Report
www.TruthaboutPetFood.com
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How many mg of fish oil does one give to a dog based on weight??
I would LOVE to try this on my own dogs!!
Omega 3 (EPA + DHA) have also shown to affect behavior. Anybody who wants up-to-date scientific information as well as a database of commercial pet foods and their omega3 content should subscribe to Purdue University's newsletter:
http://www.omega3learning.purdue.edu/
I wonder if Krill oil would do as well. I just switched after years of fish oil use after reading that many fish oils contain unacceptable levels of mercury.
These studies were done with Hill's Prescription Diet j/d. Apparently Hill's isn't so bad after all!
Comcast...Hill's did participate in each study - however none of the studies discuss what brand or type of food that was fed to the test dogs. These studies had nothing to do with quality of food - there were evaluating the benefit of Omega 3 only. If you read the study's you see that study 2 mention above was to evalute very high doses of fish oil to the diet - no pet food Science Diet or otherwise has high doses of fish oil. This was supplemented to the food - it was not the food.
While I will not comment on the quality or lack of quality of Hill's products here - I felt I needed to respond to your comments as it might mislead other readers.
My vet has these studies and the products tested were indeed the Hill's therapeutic diet. Furthermore, my neighbor's dog with arthritis was put on that same Hill's diet and improved significantly. The levels of Omega 3 fatty acids are indeed quite high. I know you have an anti-Hill's bias, Susan, but certain Hill's diets do indeed have high levels of fish oil.
Lord no - These are the ingredients starting from the beginning and leading up to the fish oil: "Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil,"
Disgusting. Imagine how well these dogs would have done on a better diet and good quality fish oil added to it!
My neighbor doesn't think it's disgusting; his dog loves it and has greatly improved! I've seen it myself. You can't judge a product's quality by reading its label. Susan has posted about the games that companies play with ingredient labels to make them "sound better" for owners like you. It's somewhat astounding that a product with multiple clinical evidence behind it would be disregarded because somebody doesn't like the way the ingredient panel reads?
A couple of years ago my vet recommended I double the dosage of fish oil I was giving my old girl when we suspected she had arthritis in her back because she was sensitive when I would run my hand down her back as I was petting her.
I increased the dosage to 4000 mgs in the morning and 3000 mgs at nite after meals, In about a week she quite ducking her back when I would pet her. Been a believer ever since.
1. Fish oil does amazing things. It's made my dog's coat absolutely gorgeous. Along with a good diet.
2. Hills is nothing someone should brag about or even recommend. The high amounts of corn in it are disgusting. Do wolves eat corn? No. Dogs are carnivores. About 99.8% similar to wolves. Corn shouldn't be in a dog's diet. Corn is one of the number one allergies dogs get, along with grain. Grain free is the way to go if you feed kibble. Cellulose?! HAH! Way to bulk up the food without using nutrients. Hills is a big corporation that cares more about money than your dog. Hate to break it to you, but they start brain washing vets as soon as they get accepted to vet school. I would know, I am going to vet school. Free food, scholarships, free everything. Just because vets recommend it doesn't mean that it is good. Vets are not nutrionalists... unless they have been certified as a nutritionalist. You don't get dietary advice from your everyday practitioner... why do our pets? Go to www.dogfoodproject.com... that will open your eyes.
By the way, kids would rather eat potato chips instead of carrots... does that mean it's good for them?
My dog was on a high quality kibble before I switched her to another diet, and she turned her nose up at Purina and Hills. I guess my dog just has good taste. :)