The Official Omega 5 Oil Site: Omega 5 oil for your pet?

EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) For Your Dog?

we love pomega5 products

Essential Fatty Acids and their derivatives serve a number of major vital functions in our dog's body (as well as our own). They are required for the transport and metabolism of both cholesterol and triglycerides.

They are required for normal brain development and brain function. They are required in visual function (retina), brain and nerve function (synapses), and adrenal function. They are required in the structure of the membranes that surround each cell in our body. They stimulate metabolism, increase metabolic rate, increase oxygen uptake, and increase energy production. Omega-3s inhibit the production of prostaglandin.

Prostaglandins play important roles in the development and progression of chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (Research has shown that supplementing with omega 3 fish oils can result in a significant reduction in joint inflammation, this reduces morning stiffness and lowers the number of painful joints in rheumatoid arthritis patients both animal and human), lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and a variety of other inflammatory disorders. They even work to slow down growth of cancer cells. It has been shown in human studies that the optimum ratio of Omega-6 to Omega 3 is 3:1.

Since Omega-6 is available in grains, poultry and many cooking oils, over the last couple of decades this ratio is now estimated to be 20:1 -- or even as high as 50:1 -- for most Westerners! While many pet food and supplement manufacters are adding Flax Seed or flax seed oil as their source of omega 3, I have found through research and study that the very best source of Omega 3s for our pets is in fish Oil. Not only is fish oil a more species appropraite food/supplement, but studies are giving sufficent evidence that oils such as flax, soy and canola, actually are thyroid toxic. Remember, every cell in the body has tiny structures called mitochondria.

These mitochondria are the lungs of each cell. When we feed our carniviorus pets these highly processed oils, they actually clog the respiration of the cell. Blocking respiration equals suffocation. These oils are difficult to metabolize and find places to lodge with other fat and will stay immobile for years.(Not a good thing!) I recommend fish oil for a healthy diet because it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),which are precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body and because it is much more easily digested and assimulated then flax oil.

Flax oil contains an omega-3 called ALA and other fatty acids. (ALA) is the precursor of the Omega 3 oils (EPA and DHA) found in fish oil. ALA must be converted to EPA and DHA to be of any nutritional benefit. But ALA is not readily converted to EPA and is severely restricted in its conversion to DHA and its ability to be converted is lessened if the diet is too high in omega-6 and this conversion does not always take place, especially for carnivores not designed with the proper enzymes to digsest and convert vegetables or grain produts in the first place. Even in people who are in less than optimal health or elderly often are unable to convert the ALA to DHA and EPA.

EPA (from fish oil) also converts to series 3 prostaglandins, which have many benefits such as: Regulating inflammatory responses (Skin and Joint) Regulating immune function (which can help in fighting disease more effectively) Regulating platelet stickiness Regulating arterial muscle tone (which involves blood pressure regulation) The lack of Omega 3 and the excessive amount of Omega 6 in the modern processed pet foods ultimately create degenerative conditions.

The store-bought processed foods still do not supply an adequate amount of Omega 3 after manufacturers add it; to properly balance the ratio. Many nutritional supplements are still promoting and loading up the Omega 6 (LA) fatty acids - which are exacerbating an already severely imbalanced and unhealthy situation.

The best solution to insure our pet's health is to provide a high quality Omega 3 Fish oil supplement along with a home cooked or fresh raw diet when ever possible. "Active EFAs (EPA & DHA as found in Fish oil)can go straight to work in your dogs body, whereas inactive EFAs such as found in Flax as mentioned above, are unable to carry out their vital roles without first being converted by your dog to the active form. This conversion can only be carried out by enzymes, which your dog may or may not produce. If your dog does not produce those enzymes for any reason, those inactive essential fatty acids are not able to carry out many of their vital functions.

This will lead to ill health. Supplements which contain the activated omega 3 EFAs include Cod Liver oil and Fish body oils such as Salmon oil. Supplements which contain the inactive omega 3 EFAs include flaxseed oil and hemp seed oil. Why would critical activating enzymes be missing? The critical enzyme that converts inactive essential fatty acids into active essential fatty acids can be missing for one of several reasons.

The first is heredity. The other more important reasons for the loss of this enzyme include aging, viral infections, any chronic disease state and by a diet rich in trans fatty acids. Prevention is achieved by removing processed pet foods from our dogs’ lives and switching our dogs to their evolutionary diet together with appropriate fatty acid supplementation as and when required and at the very least, supplementing with a good combination of digestive enzymes.

Read more about Enzymes Here A diet that lacks sufficient omega 3's is the number one fatty acid associated problem caused by modern processed pet foods. This lack of the omega 3’s allows the omega 6’s to produce the whole range of problems caused by an excess of the omega 6’s. "In addition, the lack of the omega 3’s can be a potent cause of infertility in our breeding stock together with growth problems in young pups and kittens, and most importantly, problems with the development of the nervous system.

This can result in early deterioration of vision and hearing, learning difficulties in puppies and kittens and behavioral problems in our pets that can continue throughout life." Dr. Billinghurst "Fatty acids are essential components of cell membranes and are an integral component of the intercellular barrier in the stratum corneum.

This barrier is formed by extrusion of lamellar granules containing phospholipids, glycosphingolipids, and free sterols that are produced by keratinocytes. Essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized and, therefore, must be supplied in the diet. Animals are unable to change one series of fatty acids to another, eg, omega-3 to omega-6. Dermatologic signs of fatty acid deficiency include a thin and discolored haircoat, scaly skin, sebaceous gland hypertrophy with hyperkeratosis of the sebaceous ducts and increased sebum viscosity, increased epidermal turnover rate, weak cutaneous capillaries, and decreased wound healing. Fish Oil is a favorite supplement for many pets as it seems to improve and help a lot of different problems.

"Fish oil is one of my favorite supplements for a variety of problems in both dogs and cats, even normal pets can benefit from improved haircoats when supplemented with fatty acids such as fish oil. In pets, fish oil has been found to be useful for reducing inflammation in pets with allergic skin disease and kidney failure.

It may even help pets with heart disease and osteoarthritis. Studies show that pets fed high doses of fish oil also have better control of cancer. The additon of vitamin E is sometimes recommended when giving fish oil on a regular basis as fish oil supplemented for many months may lower vitamin E levels (most fish oil supplements contain additional vitamin E for this reason). There is concern about environmental contamination of fish oil with toxins. Studies have shown that fish meat (not oil) may be contaminated with methylmercury." Fighting Cancer with EFA's In a diet supplemented with fish oil and the amino acid arginine appears to increase survival time in dogs with lymphoma, a cancer that affects white blood cells.

Dogs with this kind of cancer, similar to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans, are easily treated, but as with humans, their cancer sometimes returns. In this study, half of the dogs received a special "chow" with the two supplements in it, and the other half ate "chow" with soybean oil added. The two diets or "chows" were identical in nutritional value, and formulated to be equally tasty to the dogs. All the dogs were being treated with the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin every three weeks, and were living at home with their owners.

The dogs were fed one of the chows twice a day during and after their cancer treatment. The researchers report that compared to the control dogs, those who ate the supplemented chow showed higher blood levels of two fatty acids called C20:5 and C22:6 that seem particularly effective in fighting cancer. Dogs with more of these fatty acids in their blood also tended to have more normal levels of lactic acid, which tends to accumulate in the blood when metabolism is disrupted in cancer patients.

The dogs with higher levels of these two fatty acids survived longer than those with lower levels, and had longer remissions, periods of time before their disease came back. There is also research which has shown that some polyunsaturated fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, may help prevent the growth and spread of cancer tumors, and may help prevent cachexia -- the devastating weight loss and muscle wasting seen in some cancer patients despite adequate nutrition. Likewise, arginine supplements have been reported to improve immune responses, and might help the body fight cancer.

Cancer 2000;88:1916-1928 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1999; 70: 560 - 569 Simopoulos AP, Kifer RR, Martin RE, Barlow SM, eds. Health effects of 3 polyunsaturated fats in seafoods. World Rev Nutr Diet 1991;66:1-592.