Fish/Salmon Oil

The only thread I could find that discusses fish oil at all was kind of short, and didn't really provide the answer I was looking for.

To be frank... should I add salmon oil to my cat's food? I thought it would help with the skin and coat, and by not being the main part of the diet it would be okay. What do you think?

It won't hurt and does give cats a very shiny coat. On his cardiologist's recommendation, Jamie gets it every day for his heart (he has HCM). He used to get one 500 mg. capsule squeezed over his food to treat rodent ulcers (eosinophilic granuloma), and it really helped.

jcat said:

It won't hurt and does give cats a very shiny coat. On his cardiologist's recommendation, Jamie gets it every day for his heart (he has HCM). He used to get one 500 mg. capsule squeezed over his food to treat rodent ulcers (eosinophilic granuloma), and it really helped.

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So I'm guessing all the anti-fish stuff regards feeding it to cats regularly, not simply adding some oil to the food. Which makes sense, as allergies tend to come up due to meat protein... not fat or oil.

There is a lot of discussion on the subject in the raw forum..... a lot of us raw feeders do add some sort of Fish oil or Omega3 Supplementation to the diet - the main reason is to balance the O6 content in the meat.
Grain fed meats especially have a high content of O6, and you want to keep a lower ratio of O6/O3... closer to what they would get in their natural environment, per se.
Omega 3 are good not only for the skin, but as an anti oxidant, has great anti-inflammatory properties as well. Good for the heart, arthritis, and anything that is linked to inflammation (and when it comes down to it, what isn't? IMHO).
I use Krill oil - One of my kitties can't tolerate Fish oil (will give him the runs), and the other 2 will run away from it - because of the strong smell. They all tolerate and love krill though - the capsule is smaller, and it doesn't smell nearly as strong.

I give each 500mg of Krill. I buy the NOW foods Brand, on Amazon, as it is much cheaper than Mega red, and easier to dispense as the softgel are in fact softer. The dosage for Krill is 500mg per 10lbs.

There are some good studies on Krill and arthritis, it is good stuff.

You are correct on the oils - it is not the same as the protein, and chances are, if gotten from a reliable source, allergy will not be an issue.

BryanV21 said:

So I'm guessing all the anti-fish stuff regards feeding it to cats regularly, not simply adding some oil to the food. Which makes sense, as allergies tend to come up due to meat protein... not fat or oil.

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That's exactly it. :nod: Feeding fish is not at all the same thing as providing the omega 3s from the oil. That said, it is important to use a high quality oil, because it is fragile. It is sensitive to processing and temperatures, and cheap fish oils can do more harm that good - but not because of allergies, though the concern regarding toxins in fish can apply to the oils too, which is another reason it's important to purchase a high quality oil. :nod:

Having an "identified" source in and of itself usually means it's higher quality than generic "fish oil." Salmon oil is typically recommended. You probably saw in the other thread, but I use and recommend Pure Alaska Omega. It is a very high quality oil with a very interesting EPA/DHA composition. MUCH more DHA per EPA than any other I've found, and from the work I've done on omegas, DHA is "more important" as re: anti-inflammatory action.

The typical omega 6: omega 3 ratio of cat food ranges between 15:1 and 20:1. The problem is that if you're feeding canned or kibble, the O6:O3 ratio is misleading, because the omega 3s are often provided by plant sources (flax or other stuff): this means the O3 comes from ALA. Cats lack the digestive enzymes necessary to convert ALA into the usable EPA and DHA. And even if the O3 is provided by some type of fish oil, it's most likely destroyed by the preparation process: it's very sensitive to heat. (Another reason I like Pure Alaska Omega, it's "cold pressed."). Pure Alaska Omega is available at Costco or on Amazon.

I feed raw, and analysis of the diet indicated an O6:O3 ratio of 12:1 before omega 3 supplementation. As Carolina points out, the issue is that factory farmed meats are low in omega 3s compared to grass fed/pastured animals (a study of rabbits indicated that even caging them lowers the O3). But that aside - cows, chickens, turkeys, etc. have a higher O6:O3 ratio than the small rodents that cats would naturally eat. An analysis of feral cat diets indicates that they naturally eat a diet that has an O6:O3 ratio of 2:1.

If you want the benefit for your kitty's coat, the salmon oil is a good choice. :nod: If you want additional anti-inflammatory action, there are studies that indicate krill oil has an even bigger impact, beyond just the omega 3 content. I can't afford to give all 8 of my cats 500mg of kril oil daily, but I do use it for four of them that need the additional benefits of the krill oil. Three of them do NOT like the taste, so I just pill them with it. As to the salmon oil for the others? They all seem to either like or not dislike enough to let it dissuade them from enjoying their meals.

If you're interested in the krill oil, to be more specific, it's the NOW Neptune Krill Oil. If you go looking for krill, you'll see a lot of NKO trade-marked stuff. That's because Neptune "owns" the ... patent, I guess it is, for the process. So anything advertising NKO or Neptune Krill Oil has the same nutrient profile. Many are enteric-coated - meaning meant for ingestion IN the capsule, and those things are apparently impossible to puncture to squeeze on food. The NOW brand has enteric coated OR a softgel - you definitely want the softgel. :lol3:

LDG said:

That's exactly it.

Feeding fish is not at all the same thing as providing the omega 3s from the oil. That said, it is important to use a high quality oil, because it is fragile. It is sensitive to processing and temperatures, and cheap fish oils can do more harm that good - but not because of allergies, though the concern regarding toxins in fish can apply to the oils too, which is another reason it's important to purchase a high quality oil.

Having an "identified" source in and of itself usually means it's higher quality than generic "fish oil." Salmon oil is typically recommended. You probably saw in the other thread, but I use and recommend Pure Alaska Omega. It is a very high quality oil with a very interesting EPA/DHA composition. MUCH more DHA per EPA than any other I've found, and from the work I've done on omegas, DHA is "more important" as re: anti-inflammatory action.
The typical omega 6: omega 3 ratio of cat food ranges between 15:1 and 20:1. The problem is that if you're feeding canned or kibble, the O6:O3 ratio is misleading, because the omega 3s are often provided by plant sources (flax or other stuff): this means the O3 comes from ALA. Cats lack the digestive enzymes necessary to convert ALA into the usable EPA and DHA. And even if the O3 is provided by some type of fish oil, it's most likely destroyed by the preparation process: it's very sensitive to heat. (Another reason I like Pure Alaska Omega, it's "cold pressed."). Pure Alaska Omega is available at Costco or on Amazon.
I feed raw, and analysis of the diet indicated an O6:O3 ratio of 12:1 before omega 3 supplementation. As Carolina points out, the issue is that factory farmed meats are low in omega 3s compared to grass fed/pastured animals (a study of rabbits indicated that even caging them lowers the O3). But that aside - cows, chickens, turkeys, etc. have a higher O6:O3 ratio than the small rodents that cats would naturally eat. An analysis of feral cat diets indicates that they naturally eat a diet that has an O6:O3 ratio of 2:1.
If you want the benefit for your kitty's coat, the salmon oil is a good choice.

If you want additional anti-inflammatory action, there are studies that indicate krill oil has an even bigger impact, beyond just the omega 3 content. I can't afford to give all 8 of my cats 500mg of kril oil daily, but I do use it for four of them that need the additional benefits of the krill oil. Three of them do NOT like the taste, so I just pill them with it. As to the salmon oil for the others? They all seem to either like or not dislike enough to let it dissuade them from enjoying their meals.
If you're interested in the krill oil, to be more specific, it's the NOW Neptune Krill Oil. If you go looking for krill, you'll see a lot of NKO trade-marked stuff. That's because Neptune "owns" the ... patent, I guess it is, for the process. So anything advertising NKO or Neptune Krill Oil has the same nutrient profile. Many are enteric-coated - meaning meant for ingestion IN the capsule, and those things are apparently impossible to puncture to squeeze on food. The NOW brand has enteric coated OR a softgel - you definitely want the softgel.

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Thanks. I was thinking of the Grizzly Salmon oil, but we do carry the Pure Alaska stuff too. Any thoughts on Grizzly?

http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/salmon_oil/salmon_oil.html

I wouldn't use the Grizzly:

1) I can find no nutritional composition of the oil
2) It contains rosemary for preservation.
3) That is because it is in a pump container - not capsules.
4) People have had problems with it going rancid

Fish oil of any kind is very fragile and easily oxidizes. So having it "contained" in capsules will keep it stable longer, even without a preservative.

Here is the Pure Alaska Omega information: http://www.alaskaproteinrecovery.com/salmonoil

...as they put it in their discussion, "Oxygen is an unsaturated fat’s worst enemy." :lol3:

LDG said:

http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/salmon_oil/salmon_oil.html
I wouldn't use the Grizzly:
1) I can find no nutritional composition of the oil
2) It contains rosemary for preservation.
3) That is because it is in a pump container - not capsules.
4) People have had problems with it going rancid
Fish oil of any kind is very fragile and easily oxidizes. So having it "contained" in capsules will keep it stable longer, even without a preservative.
Here is the Pure Alaska Omega information: http://www.alaskaproteinrecovery.com/salmonoil
...as they put it in their discussion, "Oxygen is an unsaturated fat’s worst enemy."

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Oops, we don't have capsules or anything from Pure Alaska. It's a pump of Holistic Blend,and the ingredient list is simply "cold pressed Alaskan salmon oil".

Oh! I'm talking about an actual brand of salmon oil. :lol3:


I don't know where you live (US or another country), but Costco carries it.

Yeah, you don't really want to buy salmon/fish oil in anything other than capsules, unless you're making large batches of homemade food.

LDG said:

Oh! I'm talking about an actual brand of salmon oil.

I don't know where you live (US or another country), but Costco carries it.
Yeah, you don't really want to buy salmon/fish oil in anything other than capsules, unless you're making large batches of homemade food.

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I knew what you meant, I just don't speak good.

I'll look into the capsules, as I'm sure we can get them. Thanks.

I was thinking of adding some fish or salmon oil to my kitties' diet, as well. Might be very good for them since they are eating raw already.

Do we have a recommended dosing?

I have two kittens, 13 weeks old, bengals, already on diet of raw mixed with wet.

I plan on supplementing them with more taurine, either by nuvet or hare today's taurine supplment.

I do want to give them fish oil too, they already have such beautiful coats, and i lost my last cat to heart diseas (not hcm)

I will admit, I did see the Icelandic brand today on HT site, but you are right about the capsules vs pump.

Recommendations for amounts are all over the place, but generally are 500mg for an adult cat. I'd use 1/2 an adult dose for a kitten - and I'd start smaller than that and see how they react to it first - just a couple of drops initially.

Whatever supplement you use, just poke the capsule, and count how many drops come out. Divide in half if you have a 500mg capsule for the daily dose to drop on their food.

LDG said:

Recommendations for amounts are all over the place, but generally are 500mg for an adult cat. I'd use 1/2 an adult dose for a kitten - and I'd start smaller than that and see how they react to it first - just a couple of drops initially.

Whatever supplement you use, just poke the capsule, and count how many drops come out. Divide in half if you have a 500mg capsule for the daily dose to drop on their food.

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Is that daily?

Also, my big guy gets dandruff occasionally, and sometimes has bouts of itchy skin (you should hear the purrs when he gets a good scratchin') and I'm wondering if the oil will improve his skin as well as his coat.

(sorry I know this is an old thread, but thought it was relevant to my question)

Cat Dad said:

Is that daily?

Also, my big guy gets dandruff occasionally, and sometimes has bouts of itchy skin (you should hear the purrs when he gets a good scratchin') and I'm wondering if the oil will improve his skin as well as his coat.

(sorry I know this is an old thread, but thought it was relevant to my question)

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Hi Cat Dad, 

I do believe that is the daily dose. You might want to start your own thread to get more responses about what might help your cat. Here is a helpful article on skin allergies in pets (http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/01/pet-allergies.aspx).

Franksmom said:

Here is a helpful article on skin allergies in pets (http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/01/pet-allergies.aspx).

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That was very helpful thank you very much.

We have a kitty with dandruff. I bumped the amount of fat I include in their raw diet, and added the salmon oil. This helped, but not completely. I was chatting with the vet about it, and she asked if he was a "good groomer." I thought about it - and realized he really isn't. He doesn't groom nearly as much as the other cats. So I take that brush to him more frequently, and that solved the problem. :lol3:

If the salmon oil (and yes, that 500mg for adult, 250mg for kitten is the daily dose - but start small and work up) doesn't resolve it after about a month (though you will likely see results before then) with the good brushings, you can consider adding 500mg of Evening Primrose Oil. This is very high in a specific omega 6, GLA, but it works like an omega 3. It's particularly helpful for skin and coat, and many breeders use it prior to shows. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=24+1306&aid=665

Wow! Great advice! Thank you so much! I have some Nature Made Fish oil already that I take so this morning I thought I would squeeze one into my cats breakfast wet food. She didn't seem to tell the difference. She has a few different things going on. She has always had bumps under the chin in her fur and recently they are also behind the ears and shoulder. It seems like they are in all areas she cannot reach to groom herself. I started spraying some lavender water that I put together. The lavender oil is high quality. It didn't seem to help. It did make her smell great though and has a natural calming affect. the natural cleaning properties and anti fungal abilities behind lavender I know would benefit her. However the bumps and itching and scratching and her continues on. She fusses and cries a lot about the annoyance. Poor thing! I was doing the lavender water spray and rubbing it in for about two weeks. It works great to clean their coat. This morning I decided to try treating the itchy stabbed bumps with lanolin oil on a quitip and kind of rubbed that in a bit. It gave her an instant relief. This is high quality and 100 percent lanolin oil so it's really thick. A little goes a long ways. I am anxious to see if it clears things up. This has been going on for too long. I may get the krill oil and squeeze that into her food instead of the fish oil. So the other thing she has is some balding on one leg and hind quarter mostly one side and slightly top of the tail. I am hoping the krill oil will help that.

She was having the balding before and I switched to grain free dry food and that seemed to help. But for some reason it came back later. In the balding area there doesn't appear to be any dry skin so it must be some deficiency internally. She is 15 so I cannot rule out the possibility of a disease. I hope that is not the issue!

keep us posted! My Mikki gets scabs as well!