Skip to content
Whole Fish vS Fish Oil Pills for Dogs; Considerations when Finding a fish source for your dog
Whole fish is good for your dog. Many dog owners, however, give their dogs fish oil pills. It is clear that a fish supplement is great for your dog, but in what form? Rogue Pet Science and Labdoor, a prominent testing lab in San Francisco, have done the research to understand the best way to get your dog the fish it needs.
Do you remember this from grade school…..“1 is equal to or greater than 1 ”
Science keeps proving the greatest benefits of fish oil come from eating fatty fish, not from off-the-shelf fish oil liquids or fish oil pills, which are all processed and concentrated.
Reasons Why Whole Fish is Good For Your Dog
- Whole fish (gulf menhaden species) contains 38 naturally occurring fatty acids with diverse health-promoting effects
- Whole food sources in their most natural state are always better than processed products
- Omega 3 fatty acids in fish are great for your dog's skin & coat
- Fish is an awesome protein source for your dog
- Omega 3 fatty acids have amazing health benefits, including reducing inflammation
“Omega-3 fatty acids found in whole fish have diverse health-promoting effects, potentially protecting the immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems ”
Does Fish Oil Quality Really Matter?
The Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in March of 2013, showed what we’ve known for years now. Their study conclusions were this, “In comparison, the team found that a dietary supplement, DHA ethyl ester, found in most fish oil pills fails to activate the same channels, and even antagonizes the positive effect of DHA from natural sources, on the cells. The DHA ethyl ester seems to compete with the natural form of DHA for binding sites on the ion channel. The team concluded that these channels have receptors for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and that DHA — unlike its ethyl ester cousin — activates the channels and lower blood pressure.”
Didn’t understand what those findings mean? Getting whole full spectrum fish oil from fish directly is what science shows to improve health, and that artificially created fish pills are not having the same effect in health improvements and benefit as once thought. So whole food sources are better than artificially processed products…does this sound familiar for other areas and aspects of nutrition?
Fatty Acid Diversity Is King!
Pills and over-the-counter liquids contain the usual concentrated 3 omega fatty acids (DHA, EFA, DPA) plus whatever oil stabilizer is used to stabilize the extracted omega 3s. These products simply lack the all-natural fatty acid diversity found in Total Fish Oil (TFO) that best represents the full spectrum of possibilities. How diverse is TFO? A true whole fish product is rich in 38 naturally occurring fatty acids, not just the three omega-3 fatty acids. It's what nature intended. Whole fish is good for your dog, better than fish oil pills or liquids. The below figure shows the full fatty acid composition from the Gulf Menhaden species used in Origins 5in1 by Rogue Pet Science.
Fatty Acid Composition in Origins Canine 5in1
Label Claim or Label Tricks?
An additional problem with both fish oil pills and liquids, not from a whole fish equivalent source, are these products rarely meet their own label claim concentration amounts of omega 3! If diversity and quality were already enough problems, getting the right amount of omega-3 becomes yet another concern for pet parents. Don’t take our word for it. Labdoor, a prominent testing lab in San Francisco, looked into this label claim problem. Labdoor analyzed 54 best-selling fish oil supplements in the United States, measuring total omega-3s, EPA, and DHA content. The results they found were:
- 3,254 products showed omega-3 levels that varied over 10% off their label claims
- 18 brands recorded a 25% variance between actual levels versus claimed levels
- EPA & DHA content showed significant variance ranging from -25.3% to +32.7% versus their stated label claims
So what does the omega profile look like from a wild whole fish source, like that found in Origins Canine 5in1 by Rogue Pet Science? Labdoor tested Origins 5in1 to verify our total omega content and the results are below.
Omega Profile In Origins Canine 5in1
Origins 5in1 Is The Best Fish Oil Product For Pets
Origins 5in1 Supplement provides 3 grams of full spectrum wild fish oil per 1/4 cup which is naturally still in the fish. Of that 3 grams, it has 755 mg of omega 3 per 1/4 cup. So, when someone says they are using fish oil or fish oil pills, now you know that there is a better source and why Origins 5in1 is the better choice!
Here at Rogue Pet Science, our entire goal has been to fix problems for all dogs. We can do this quickly, naturally, and with little cost. We can do this because we believe in being a real solution for all dog owners by putting dog health before money every day to earn your trust. We invite you to try Origins Canine 5in1 where all our products are, as always, 100% Guaranteed.