Oh My Megas! Omegas 3-6-9
Almost every time I feed my dog and cat, I incorporate extra omegas in one way or another. There’s a good reason for this, they provide a ton of benefits when used consistently, including helping all the cells in our bodies function properly. There are a few things I would consider to be the most important additions to your pets food, and finding a way to incorporate extra omegas is definitely in my top 3. They’re what I call a “powerhouse ingredient” meaning something that provides a ton of added benefits that basically any pet can benefit from! Omegas provide energy, reduce inflammation, aid in the absorption of vitamins, are great for the skin and coat, can help regulate hormones, and promote good brain and heart health.
Let me take a step back and explain what I mean by “omegas” because that’s actually a pretty broad term. There are three main different kinds of omega fatty acids, omega-3’s, omega-6’s and omega-9’s and each one plays an integral and important part inside of your pet's body.
Omega-3’s & 6’s are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential to our pets. These fatty acids promote energy and must be obtained through diet, as their bodies don’t create them on their own. Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory and help to promote healthy skin and coats, aid in joint health, can strengthen the immune system, support brain development for puppies, can reduce stress and anxiety and some studies have shown omega-3s to help our furry friends fight cancer! Omega-6’s on the other hand are pro-inflammatory, which I realize sounds bad, but it isn’t! They help to activate our pets' appropriate response to things that could go wrong like skin infections, allowing their body to try and fight the problem. Inflammation has become one of those words that everyone is afraid of, but it’s a natural process that is part of their defense and tissue healing. Inflammation also creates an environment that is hostile to pathogens and it’s one of the reasons cats and dogs are able to eat raw meat and animal products, but we’ll talk about that more in another blog post! Overall these two fatty acids aren’t all that different and a balanced mix of both is what will provide the best results and the most benefits. Like anything else, you don’t want to overdo it, but when used properly omega 3’s and 6’s are an amazing addition.
What about Omega-9’s? They’re monounsaturated fats, which just means they only contain one double bond, whereas omega-3’s & 6’s have several double bonds, but we’re not going to get into the chemistry details of bonds and atoms today - don’t worry. Since dogs, cats and humans can all create omega-9s on our own, these omegas are not classified as quite “essential acids”, but a diet high in omega-9s can provide many benefits. The main benefit being omega-9 fatty acids help to decrease bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. This cholesterol management contributes to the prevention of the risks of hypertension, strokes and cardiovascular diseases. Erucic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, has also shown to reduce the effects of cognitive decline. AKA, it’s good for your brain.
Personally, I’d classify all three as “essential” but I didn’t make the rules and I suppose if you had to choose, you should prioritize the ones that your pet's body can’t make on their own. Good news is, it’s really easy and convenient to add omegas to their diet! Theres a few things you can do:
Rotate in fish-based foods when you’re shopping for a base
It’s important to implement diversity into your pets diet and I recommend changing up their protein each time you buy a new bag of food, no matter what kind of base you feed (kibble, raw, wet, fresh, etc…) Every once in a while grab a fish-based recipe. Most brands have some sort of fish as a protein option. If you can’t or don’t want to incorporate a fish protein, grass-fed red meats like beef, bison and lamb are also pretty high in omegas.
Go shopping for toppers and treats
I’m guessing you’re here from our social media channels, so you’ve probably seen me adding in items like mussels, whole prey fish, salmon skins, squid and more. They’re surprisingly easy to find and most of our favorite shops carry a large variety of omega-rich additions! Be sure to check out places like Lone Star Pet Treats, Kairo & Willow and Wulf Snacks if you’re looking to shop small. Green lipped mussels, whole prey smelt, squid and minnows are some of our favorite additions and you can use all of these as treats or you can throw them onto their food as a topper! The whole prey items have a ton of benefits as well, but we can talk about whole prey another time. Oh, and I almost forgot - EGGS! Eggs are a great source of omega-3’s and they also contain omega 6’s and 9’s as well. I always just feed my pets raw raw, which wink wink we have a blog post all about egg terminology AND a deep dive post about our favorite eggs, quail eggs! If raw eggs are a hard no, you can cook them, but definitely check out those other two posts before you make any firm decisions.
Find a good oil-based omega supplement
Fish and omega oils are essentially concentrated versions of what you’d get from adding in omega-rich foods. There are a few different options, but don’t get overwhelmed. You’re basically choosing between a “fish oil” and an “omega oil”, or you can do what I do and have an option for both that you just rotate between, but that’s not necessary. Omegas 3-6-9 are found across different types of foods including fish and seafood, nuts and seeds, algae and seaweeds, and even insects. So lot’s of brands include more than just fish in their oils. It all depends on what you’re looking for. I prefer to have a good mix of the categories these fatty acids are found in, but you’re not missing out by grabbing a single-ingredient fish oil.
What about chews? If you already have a chew-based omega supplement, don’t let it go to waste, you can use it up. However, next time you go shopping I would recommend an oil or omega-rich topper over chews, only because most “skin and coat” treats or chews have unnecessary ingredients used as fillers and bonding agents to get them to be the shape and texture they need. This isn’t inherently dangerous or bad, it’s just unnecessary. That being said, if your dog likes them, and isn’t a fan of other options, it’s certainly better to have an omega-based chew or treat than it is to have nothing at all.
There are always ways to improve on your pets bowls and in my opinion adding in omegas is one of the easiest and most affordable things you can do. There are so many different ways, there is bound to be one that works for you. I’m the crazy person that has 4 different omega oils, a ton of omega-rich toppers and treats. I add in eggs regularly, and I rotate in fish-based meals, but that’s not necessary at all. Choose a few, or even one thing you can do to add in some extra omegas and you’ll be improving your pets diet a ton, no matter what you decide to go with.