Has anyone read this anywhere I was surfing around one night read this but then did not remember where I read it ??? just thought I would ask around have been giving fish oil to my dogs to help with winter dryness of being in the house really has helped keep them from having the big flakes on there skin.Papbouv
O. M. G.
I just ordered fish oil for Hallie a couple of nights ago. I just googled it and found a couple of articles also.
This one by Dr Dressler, sounds like it's not the omegas but the porportion of 6 and 3 together. BUT then...how does he know this, were there studies done? And if it is true, then each dog would have to be evaluated on what they are eating, etc. Sounds like it could cause cancer in some if conditions were right and prevent it in others. :crazyeyes:
Many people ask me if dog food has something to do with the development of cancer in their pet. Before I devoted my time to studying the topic, I never gave it much thought. Nah, I would say. Dog cancer is mostly genetic, viral, a few carcinogens…who knows? ”There is no real cause of cancer”, I would say.
Baloney. There are causes of cancer, and they are real. Most of us vets just don’t take the time to really investigate the literature. Due to our personal biases, lack of motivation, no time, fatigue, or professional indoctrination, we sometimes condemn before investigating.
A great example is dietary omega 6 fatty acid excess. Fats are grouped according to their chemical structure. Two biggies are the omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acid groups. Dog’s bodies, and our own, are designed to have a certain ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids in the diet.
Too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3, and bad things happen. These bad things are not minor, folks. Excessive intake of omega 6 fatty acids suppress cells that are key in the body’s natural cancer fighting ability (Natural Killer cells and cytotoxic T cells). The omega 6 group promotes inflammation, which is critical in cancer development. They also stimulate cancer cells directly by turning on a path in the cancer cells called PI Kinase, one of the central signalling events in cancer cells which make them behave like…cancer cells.
Where do omega 6 fatty acids come from? Next time you are at the grocery store, read the panel on some popular dog foods. Look for corn (grain, oil, meal), vegetable oil, and beef fat (lard, tallow), to name a few. Foods are put together to be successful enterprises (profit), and omega 6-rich items are favored for this reason.
There are ways to offset the effect of the omega 6 excess in dog foods. I’ll go over some ways in upcoming posts. Stay tuned!
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
I copied this from one, which isn't one that says it causes cancer but other problems.
The fish oil recommended for health benefits is the body oil of fish such as wild salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, menhaden and herring. If fish liver oil (such as cod liver oil) is used instead, and the dog is eating a commercially produced diet, there is a danger of overdosing it on vitamins A and D, with potentially serious consequences.
Then there are those that say things like this:
Studies show that pets fed high doses of fish oil also have better control of cancer.
Could there be more conflicting reports? And what are we supposed to do for our kids. :dontknow:
We fed Red and Islay the Royal Canin vet teckel food for 3years till Orijen 6 Fish became available and since they have eaten only that. All their twice yearly blood works come out perfect, teeth and skin are great, bone density tests great and nerve condition ditto. On recommendation of my Aunt in Galloway who is a vet of over 59 years standing and has run 9 clinics and is still actively studying and working Red and Islay have always had pure fish as treats. I used to make fish biscuits and dried fish for them. As of a few years ago we can buy superb quality 100 per cent fish dried biscuits from fish4dogs so they have those and love them.
Fish and naturally ocurring fish oils rich in Omega 3 are very healthy and rarely overdosed. The "bad" Omega 6 tends to come from bad animal fats and processed grain fats which are not very good for us or dogs either.
I have no idea what the latest scares or reports are in this respect but can vouch for good results with real fish in dogs - working dogs on farms at home and pets very well petted too - over many, many years. I suspect over-refining and chemical processing may be at the root of any negative results, as with our own food too, it is so hard to guarantee our little angels the absolute best nutrition but I put my vote on the fish and natural fruit and veg line and reject processed meat and bulking products as we do for ourselves too.
If anyone has more reliable technical data on this and long term personal experience I would be really interested to read it and learn more
Thanks for that (your aunt sounds like an awesome lady!) That makes sense as the article I saw mentioned the Omega 6. I didn't realize it came from the bad fats. I will not return Hallie's fish oil order then :grin: But yes isn't it hard to know what to do when new studies and theories keep coming up out there and many of them are contradictory.
I guess one just has to hope they are doing the right think for their Fur Kids and hope for the best its just like the stuff we eat too do not eat eggs oh no its OK eat eggs. With all of the dog food brands and everything guess you need a degree in nutrition for people and dogs.just mind boggling.
Quote from: Dee Dee and Hallie on December 21, 2010, 06:52:48 PM
Thanks for that (your aunt sounds like an awesome lady!) That makes sense as the article I saw mentioned the Omega 6. I didn't realize it came from the bad fats. I will not return Hallie's fish oil order then :grin: But yes isn't it hard to know what to do when new studies and theories keep coming up out there and many of them are contradictory.
That's why they call them theories.