Fish & Fatty Acids 101: Which Oil is Right for Your Dog?

Fish Oil for dogs. Salmon Oil for dogs. Omega Oil for dogs. How do we choose which option is the best for our best friend?

The most efficient way for dogs to receive daily essential nutrients, strong sources of antioxidants, and healthy fats, is from their diet. “Essential nutrients” are comprised of essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that your dog receives when eating certain foods. When Natural Dog Company set out to create multiple variations of fatty acid-packed fish oil supplements for dogs, we knew that we would have to make it easy for our community of pet parents to understand the differences in order to make an informed decision. Afterall, each dog is different and has different needs, so which option is the best for your pup?

This article is intended to give you a complete breakdown of each essential fatty acid, what they mean, how they benefit your dog, and which product may be your best option. Let's start by breaking these down.

Why Does My Dog Need Essential Fatty Acids?

Essential fatty acids are powerhouse nutrients that significantly benefit your pup's overall health and wellness. A dog's body does not produce sufficient amounts of these nutrients itself, so providing their daily diet with vital, fatty acid-packed supplements is a great way to give them what they need and ensure they're living their healthiest life.

In general, essential fatty acids most commonly promote and provide support for the following:

• Coat health to keep your pup protected from the external factors and regulate their temperature, as well as provide a visually luscious, healthy coat
• Healthy skin to try and keep occasional dry skin, itchy skin, and flaky skin at bay
• Cognitive health in support of training, memory recall, brain development, and overall health
• Cardiovascular health to keep their blood pumping and their hearts healthy
• Healthy immune system & inflammatory response
• Joint health, flexibility, and mobility for a happy, active pup!

Getting to Know Your Fatty Acids

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are a general category of fatty acids that support the health of a dog's eyes, brain, heart, metabolism, immune system, joints, coat, and skin. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid), DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid) are all specific types of this fatty acid that are found in our oil compositions.

• EPA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold water fish. EPA helps promote the health of skin, promotes blood flow, and maintains joint health. EPA has more benefits towards external skin health.
• DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid also found in cold water fish. DHA promotes heart health, joint and muscle health, and brain health. DHA shows more benefits towards internal organs.
• ALA is another omega-3 fatty acid found not only in cold water fish, but also grains like flaxseed and chia seed. ALA helps with skin and joints like other omega-3s, but gets turned into DHA in your dog’s system as the nutrient is broken down.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 Fatty Acids are a general category of fatty acids that support the health of the brain, skin and hair, bones, and metabolism. Linoleic Acid is a specific type of this fatty acid that is found in our oil compositions.

• Linoleic Acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid found in fatty fish that helps support your dog's skin, organs, and bones. This fatty acid has a lot of benefits towards metabolism.

Omega-9 Fatty Acids

Omega-9 Fatty Acids are a general category of fatty acids that help promote healthy cholesterol levels and heart health overall. Omega-9 also helps with skin health, but not as much as omega-3.

• Oleic Acid, while not considered to be an essential fatty acid by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profile, is a specific type of omega-9 that helps support normal cholesterol levels and promote heart health.

You may notice that some of these nutrients provide seemingly overlapping beneficial effects as another. With varying levels of each fatty acid across our oil selections, you can decide which of these essential fatty acids supports your dog best.

How Do I Choose the Right Oil for My Dog?

While we don't know your dog personally, even though we wish we did, we have built out a family of natural, high-quality liquid oil supplement solutions that should be able to benefit any and all dogs. In a way, each of our oils is made with your dog in mind.

We will suggest a product for your dog below based on specific health concerns and focal points. These are just suggestions, please keep in mind that all of these oils still provide ample benefits that support whole-health for any and all dogs. Your choice ultimately comes down to your needs, budget, preferences, and what your dog seems to like best. Now let's break down each product.

$27.95 – 16 oz

Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil

The best option for general, overall health and vitality, especially if you are looking for an everyday supplement and have no highly specific concerns or focuses.

Made with high quality Wild-caught Alaskan Salmon Oil, this oil has the highest percentage of DHA in comparison to our other oils. This fish oil supplement supports general, well-rounded health for brains, hearts, eyes, joints, organs, skin, coat, and more.

This is a great option for: happy and healthy dogs that still need their essential nutrients, and dogs who need support in multiple areas (i.e. maybe your dog needs skin AND joint support).

🐟 If you are particular about salmon oil that is wild-caught from Alaska, this is your choice!

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$26.95 – 16 oz

Wild Alaskan Fish Oil

The best "middle of the road" option when it comes to introducing fish oil to your dog, pricing, and overall nutrient levels.

Made with Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, Atlantic Salmon Oil, and Wild Alaskan Pollock, this premium blend of liquid fish oil contains the highest amount of EPA in comparison to our other supplement oils. This fish oil supplement is our best "in-between" option, being priced in the mid-range of our Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil and our Coldwater Atlantic Salmon oil, and containing essential fatty acid percentages that range in between both of those as well.

This is a great option for: Picky dogs who don't like strongly scented foods as fish oil has a much more neutral scent than salmon oil, and dogs who need all of the same benefits as Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil with a bit of added heart & cholesterol support.

🐟 If you are particular about wild-caught fish, but don't necessarily need it to be salmon, this is your choice!

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$25.95 – 16 oz

Coldwater Atlantic Salmon Oil

The best overall option for dog's needing extra support for heart health and other internal support.

Made with 100% pure Atlantic Salmon Oil, this fish oil contains less amounts of EPA, DHA, and omega-3 fatty acids than both of our Wild Alaskan oils. However, this high-quality salmon oil has the highest amounts of Omega 6 and Omega 9 out of all our fish oils.

This is a great option for: Dogs who need support for heart health and cholesterol, dogs who need extra bone support, and dogs who need a nutrient-packed supplement that also promotes a healthy metabolism.

🐟 If you are particular about salmon oil, but don't care if it's wild-caught, this is your choice!

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$21.95 – 16 oz

Ultra Omega Oil

The most price-friendly option for those who are looking for basic, everyday essential fatty acids with some extra support for heart health.

Made with a premium blend of Flaxseed Oil, Wild Alaskan Pollock Oil, and Atlantic Salmon Oil, this essential nutrient supplement oil combines fish and flax oils to provide the highest percentage of omega-3 fatty acids of all of our oils. This is a great whole-health benefit supplement oil with a little bit more added support for skin. This is also the most price-friendly option of all our oils.

This is a great option for: Dogs who need skin support and overall wellness support but could also benefit from a little bit more support for heart and cholesterol health, dogs with owners on a budget!

🐟 If you generally want an omega-3 supplement, but don't need it to come from fish, this is your choice!

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$26.95 – 16 oz

Skin & Coat Oil

The best option if skin & coat is your main priority and concern.

Made with a blend of Wild Alaskan Pollock Oil, Chia Seed Oil, Flax Oil, and Biotin, this blend is composed of a high percentage of omega-3 fatty acids to support the coat. This oil also contains essential vitamins and moisture in its ingredients, much higher than our fish and omega oils, to help with hydration and water retention for moisturized, shiny coats.

This is a great option for: Dogs whose skin and coat are the main priority, and dogs who typically deal with common skin conditions and skin issues

🐟 If your primary concern for your dog is skin and coat health, this is your choice!

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Fish Oil Products Comparison Chart

We've created a visual breakdown of each oil by comparing the amounts in the guaranteed analysis of each product. We hope you can use this chart to make an informed decision for your dog's individual needs!

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