Pet food is often high in Omega-6 but low in Omega-3. Too much Omega-6 and too little Omega-3 can lead to several health problems for your dog or cat. The difference between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is based on molecular structure. A ratio of about 4-1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 is considered optimum for dogs but many commercial dog foods contain ratios of 20-1.
Omega-6 vs. Omega-3 imbalance may lead to:
- Inflammation
- Allergy like symptoms
- Pour coat or skin
- Joint problems
- Overweight and obesity
But why is there too many Omega-6 in my pet diet?
Why Seal Oil?
The best Omega-3 / Omega-6 Ratio
A concrete example comes to us from Norway where a study (Bjørkkjær et al. 2006) clearly concluded: “… administration of seal oil normalised the n-6 to n-3 Fatty Acid ratio and improved the bodily pain dimension of health related quality of life of patients ….”
The ratio of SeaDNA Omega-3 Seal Oil is almost 8:1 in favour of Omega-3, an excellent balance to help promote better overall health. And as science has shown us, seal oil is proven to improve the critical Omega ratio.
Contains DPA
Seal Oil contains the link in the Omega-3 chain that all other Omega-3 supplements now sold are missing: DPA (docosapentaenoic acid). This compound occurs naturally in few places: Seal Oil and a mother’s breast milk are two. DPA amplifies the positive impact that EPA and DHA can have on your pet.
More easy to absorb
Scientific studies have shown that the mammalian molecular triglyceride structure of the seal is more easily accepted by your pet’s body than the foreign fish molecular structure. This means optimal digestion and absorption for better results.
10 X More efficient
A scientific study has shown that the maximal stimulation of endothelial cell migration by DPA pre-treatment was achieved using only 1/10 of the required EPA concentration. These data suggest that the effect of EPA on endothelial cell migration occurs via DPA, and that DPA plays an important role in repairing damaged vessels.
So the answer to the question “Will Omega-3 help my pet” is: “Phoque” Yeah!
SOURCES:
Dr. Michael Dym. Recommended Omega-3 and Omega-6 Ratio for Pets (2011) <https://blog.petmeds.com/ask-the-vet/omega-3-and-omega-6-acid-benefits-for-pets/>
Gregory L. Tilford. Essential Fatty Acids For Increased Canine Health (2001) <https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/essential-fatty-acids-for-increased-canine-health/>
Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomed Pharmacother. 2002 Oct;56 (8):365-79.
Bjørkkjær et al. Short-term duodenal seal oil administration normalised n-6 to n-3 fatty acid ratio in rectal mucosa and ameliorated bodily pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Lipids in Health and Disease 2006, 5:6 doi:10.1186/1476-511X-5-6)
Brox J, Olaussen K, Osterud B, Elvevoll EO, Bjornstad E, Brattebog G, Iversen H: A long-term seal- and cod-liver-oil supplementation in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Lipids 2001, 36:7-13.
Brockerhoff H, Hoyle RJ, Hwang PC, Litchfield C: Positional Distribution of Fatty Acids in Depot Triglycerides of Aquatic Animals. Lipids 1968, 3:24-29.
Yoshida H, Kumamaru J, Mawatari M, Ikeda I, Imaizumi K, Tsuji H, Seto A: Lymphatic absorption of seal and fish oils and their effect on lipid metabolism and eicosanoid production in rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1996, 60:1293-1298.
Evan J. H. Lewis, Peter W. Radonic, Thomas M. S. Wolever and Greg D. Wells. 21 days of mammalian omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves aspects of neuromuscular function and performance in male athletes compared to olive oil placebo. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2015).
Toshie Kanayasu-Toyoda, Ikuo Morita, Sei-itsu Murota. Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5, n-3), an elongation metabolite of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n-3), is a potent stimulator of endothelial cell migration on pretreatment in vitro. 54(5):319-25 (1996).
