Those of you that have been in the store know that we are big fans of supplementing our pets' diets. It's not as though we feel that our foods aren't "good enough" to nicely sustain our pet pals, it's just that each animal is different and has different needs.
Some animals, like people, need more of certain vitamins or minerals than others, some need a joint supplement to help them with pain or stiffness, some need an herbal or homeopathic remedy to help with anxiety or fear. Supplements are not a "one size fits all" thing and we love to talk to people to try to help find the right nutritional fix or remedy for their pet.
Still there are some supplements that can be used that really will help most any animal, and one of those is an Essential Fatty Acid Oil in the form of fish oil. We feel that Dr. Shawn Messionnier, author of the excellent book, The Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats, (available at The Pet Cabaret) perhaps provides one of the best explanations as to why fish oil is such a great choice for a supplement.
Dr. Messonnier says,
"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 is useful for reducing inflammation in pets with allergic skin disease and kidney failure. It possibly also helps pets with heart disease and osteoarthritis. Studies show that pets fed high doses of fish oil have better control of cancer. Extra vitamin E is needed when giving fish oil on a regular basis as fish oil supplemented for many months can lower vitamin E levels (most fish oil supplements contain additional vitamin E for this reason [all available at The Pet Cabaret contain additional vitamin E.])
Side effects are very rare using fish oil...There is concern about environmental contamination of fish oil with toxins. Studies have shown that fish meat (not oil) may be contaminated with methylmercury."
So, next time you're in the store, take a look at some of the EFA and fish oils we offer by Bravo, The Wholistic Pet, Nordic Naturals, Animal Essentials, and Wysong. You and your pet will be glad you did.
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