Can Dogs Absorb Flax Oil?
I understand, from extensive reading, that dogs can absorb, at most 15% of Flax Oil and should be given Krill Oil instead. Is this the case?
Dr Susanna's Response
This is a common misunderstanding which has been propagated by the fish industry for many years. Dogs and cats can digest absorb and use the omega 3 in flax. Just look at the glossy coats of any animals that are given flax oil or ground flax seeds (as in PET Plus). One of the many comments I receive from people giving PET Plus to their dogs and cats is how wonderful and shiny their coats are, a direct result of the flax.
Being an anti-inflammatory, omega 3 EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) help the body to overcome all sorts of inflammatory conditions, the most obvious being stiffness in the joints. Less stiffness and more fluidity of movement is another frequent comment from thousands of happy PET Plus pet owners. We use ground flax seed as this provides the many health giving properties of the whole flax seed, rather than the isolated oil. As always, whole is infinitely better than any isolated part.
Also, ethically, I will not steal the krill from the whales. Pets and people absolutely do not need it at all. Whales depend on it. Flax is a much cleaner source of omega 3 oils than fish as we have polluted the seas and rivers to such an extent, there is no such thing as clean fish. Toxins are stored in fat, so when you squeeze the fish to get the oil out of it, all the toxins come along too. I am not going to add anything that could be at all toxic to my wonderful PET Plus formulations which are proving to be so incredibly beneficial to our dogs and cats.