Yes, fish oil for dogs and cats is a thing! With the correct dosing, fish oil can be very healthy for your pet.

For the full benefits of fish oil, it's essential to purchase it from reputable companies. Such companies often carry certifications for exceptional quality.

We'll spare you the nitty-gritty science. Just know that Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids are fish oil's primary, sought-after components. These omega-3 fats are currently being held on a pedestal in the scientific community for their health benefits.

In this article, you'll discover the health benefits of fish oil for dogs and cats. We'll also go over proper dosing, best practices for administering the oil, and where to get a high-quality fish oil product.

First, let's get to the benefits (hint: they're similar to the benefits you find in humans)!

Boost Heart Health

Improving heart health is a primary motivation for those beginning a consistent fish oil protocol. Unsurprisingly, many supplement their pets to receive similar heart health benefits from omega 3 DHA and EPA.

Have they ever heard of a nasty thing called atrial fibrillation? It's an irregular heartbeat, and it seems to frequent the hearts of humans and pets more frequently these days.

Good news! Fish oil has been shown to help prevent or even correct atrial fibrillation. Further, it works as an anticoagulant, preventing blood clots and heart disease.

Protects Against Arthritis

Arthritis is a painful disease of the joints that plagues many dogs in their old age. Shepherds seem to be particularly prone to age-induced arthritis. It's sad when people have to put their dogs down because their joints are no longer working.

With a solid glucosamine supplement, fish oil can be very promising for your pet's joints. This is because EPA and DHA work to reduce prostaglandins that wreak inflammatory havoc within joints.

Some pet owners notice a significant increase in their agility after being given fish oil for long periods.

Boost Brain Health

As with humans, it's alright for pets to take fish oil for an extra mental edge. A study was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, where a group of puppies took DHA from 8 weeks old to 52 weeks old.

The findings? "Dietary supplementation with DHA-rich fish oils". Implicated in neurocognitive development following weaning improved cognitive, memory, psychomotor, immunologic, and retinal functions in growing dogs."

It's also OK to give older pets DHA, for DHA also seems to contain neuroprotective properties.‍

Aids Dry Skin in Pet Allergies

Research has documented that fish oil has "inhibitory effects on the acute inflammatory response [in mammals]." Many people are taking fish oil to reduce inflammation (which helps with the benefits listed above).

Many see great success in treating their allergy-suffering pets with fish oil. Fish oil decreases the level of inflammatory, allergy-producing cytokines in the body. Thus, fish oil should be handy for helping your furry friend's skin heal and itching to stop.‍

How Much Fish Oil Should Dogs and Cats Consume?

As with food, you should always start small to see how your pet responds to supplements. A good launching point is to try 75 mg of EPA/DHA per kilogram of your pet's body weight. From there, work your way up to 100 mg of EPA/DHA per kilogram of body weight.

By the way, converting pounds to kilograms is easy. Take your pet's weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2. So if your dog weighs 45 pounds, they also weigh around 20.5 kilograms.

In this case, 2,050 mg is the maximum amount of EPA and DHA your dog should consume daily. If your cat weighs 7 pounds, they also weigh about 3.2 kilograms. In this case, 320 mg is the maximum amount of EPA and DHA your cat should consume daily.

How to Give Fish Oil to Your Dog or Cat

You have a few options for administering fish oil to your cat or dog. It's OK if your pet consumes fish oil either with food or on an empty stomach. If taking it on an empty stomach causes digestive upset, try with food instead.

Fish oil for dogs and cats can be consumed in capsule form or as a free-flowing liquid. If you have capsules and your pet is stubborn about swallowing them, try placing them in their food, a small treat, or a piece of cheese. We don't recommend giving capsules to cats. 

Liquid fish oil can be lathered over wet or dry food for easy consumption. This is the method we most recommend.

Where to Get Fish Oil For Dogs and Cats

If you want a safe fish oil that contains safe ingredients and tastes great for you and your pets, check out Wild Fish Oil. Better yet, Wild Fish Oil does not affect sensitive aquatic habitats.

It was seized in the U.S. fisheries in the United States and the waters. We support fishermen that respect the fish that give us their excellent oil!

Wild fish oil is exceptionally pure and offers a guaranteed amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Wild Fish Oil has the following certifications: ISO, FOS, SFSF, SQF, and IFFO. It is molecularly distilled to provide a concentrated omega-3 triglyceride form of EPA, DHA, and DPA. Our bottles are also BPA-free!

At over 1,000 mg of DHA and EPA per 1 teaspoon of oil, Wild Fish Oil contains a whopping 94 servings per container. It will last you over the months and keep you and your cats and dogs thriving.