salmon oil

5 Benefits of Salmon Oil for Dogs

April 21, 2019 4 Comments

Every dog can benefit from salmon oil. We talk benefits, choosing salmon oil over fish oil, and our favorite salmon oil product, Kronch.

There are two things I give every dog that comes into my house: a joint supplement and salmon oil.

Salmon oil has been extremely beneficial for all of my dogs—whether they were a short term foster or a permanent member of the family. Here’s how it can help your dog.

Benefits of salmon oil for dogs

Salmon oil has several benefits for dogs, regardless of breed, age, or size.

Improved coat health

The floofs always get compliments on how soft their coats’ are, and I attribute that to supplementing with salmon oil. It also helps decrease shedding (but we all know pyrs will have endless shedding anyway!).

Improved joint health

Increased inflammation can lead to sore, painful joints—especially in older dogs. If your dog is struggling with arthritis, salmon oil may help ease discomfort.

Related: Feeding Your Great Pyrenees with The Farmer’s Dog

Improved brain health

Puppies can benefit from the brain-boosting benefits of salmon oil. The fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in salmon oil helps to promote better brain development in fetuses and puppies.

But salmon oil can support brain health in older dogs, too. It can help improve cognitive function, keeping your aging dog’s brain sharp.

Relieves skin allergies

We are never short of “the itchies” over here. The floofs all have several food and environmental allergies, leading to itchy, dry skin.

Salmon oil has been a game changer for their dry skin. If we manage to run out of salmon oil, I can tell a difference in their skin in just a few weeks. It goes right back to being dry and flakey.

Regulates the immune system

Salmon oil can boost your dog’s immune system to help fight off any illnesses. It can also help improve heart health.

Salmon oil vs. fish oil

You may be wondering, why should I choose salmon oil over fish oil? While there are benefits to both, I believe salmon oil is superior because:

Many fish have a significant amount of vitamin A, which can lead to a condition called Hypervitaminosis A. Salmon oil contains significantly less vitamin A.

Generic fish oils are often made with smaller feeder fish—grinding up their whole body (including the organs). Salmon oil only uses the heads and tails to avoid a lot of the pollutants in internal organs.

Extracting fish oil can reach up to 450 degrees which dramatically decreases effectiveness. Cold-pressed salmon oil does not exceed 120 degrees. It yields less oil but retains all of the beneficial nutrients.

Cold-pressed oil provides the same nutrient value as salmon oil extracted under warmer temperatures or generic fish oil.

Related: How to Help Your Dog Gain Weight

Kronch Salmon Oil

There are a lot of great salmon oils on the market, but we’ve been loving Kronch salmon oil. Kronch is:

Cold-pressed which ensures the maximum vitamin and nutrient content
Completely natural with no additives or preservatives
Made from fresh, never-frozen Scandinavian salmon
Only human-grade salmon
350 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
450 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Do you think your dog would benefit from salmon oil? Give Kronch a try. And hey, they have delicious salmon treats too (which the floofs will do ANYTHING for)!

Disclaimer: We received compensation to share our honest opinion about Kronch salmon oil. Don’t worry—we only share products we like and believe in.

Joint Health for Giant Breed Dogs [GIVEAWAY!]

April 12, 2016 9 Comments

Joint Health for Giant Breed Dogs

There are many factors that go into joint health for your giant breed dog. One of the most important factors in ensuring your giant breed’s joints stay healthy is their nutrition while they are growing. Since I have already touched on this topic, we’re going to talk about another important factor in joint health: omega-3s.

We use two main sources of omega-3s in the fluffies diet: salmon oil and krill oil. The krill oil is a new addition to the fluffies’ meals, and although it is similar to salmon oil, it does have some notable differences. If you’re interested in more about salmon oil in particular, you can read why I give it to Mauja and Atka here.

Fish Oil and Joint Health

Every person with a giant breed should pay attention to joint health from the day your new furry family member comes home. While joint issues are most common in senior dogs, it is extremely important to set your dog up for success from a young age. This means focusing on preventing a problem, rather than waiting to treat it. Mauja and Atka both started joint supplements at 8 weeks of age and I highly recommend that to everyone!

Growing is really hard on the joints of giant breed puppies so it’s important to help them out as much as possible. You can prevent the vast majority (or even all) of your dog’s growing pains as he goes through adolescence by taking proper care of the joints. Thankfully, the fluffies never showed any apparent joint pain as they grew and I attribute much of that to the addition of salmon oil to their high-quality, giant breed-specific, diet.

Trying Krill Oil

I’m going to be completely honest – I had no idea what krill oil was when I was first approached about trying the product. I knew it was some sort of fish oil, but why was it any different than the salmon oil we were already using?

Krill oil is derived from a tiny, shrimp-like animal, which is commonly eaten by Baleen whales, mantas, and whale sharks. In comparison to other fish oils, krill oil has up to 2.5 times more bioavailable sources of essential fatty acids, meaning that less is more. The high absorption rate is due to krill oil’s unique, naturally occurring phospholipids. Whereas other fish oils rely on free triglycerides to deliver the essential fatty acids, phospholipids delivery the omega-3s directly to your pet’s cells.

In other words, increased efficacy with a smaller amount of oil.

Another benefit of krill oil is that since krill are much lower on the food chain, they do not accumulate heavy metals, such as mercury. This means that krill oil is a pure form of oil and quality sources will be certified to contain no detectable levels of toxins or heavy metals.

Only Natural Pet Krill Oil & Cod Liver Oil Blend

The Krill Oil & Cod Liver Oil Blend from Only Natural Pet was our first experience with a fish oil other than salmon oil. Aside from the bright red color of the krill oil, which makes their food look kind of bloody (eww.), I’ve been really pleased with the product.

The best part about krill oil, in comparison to fish oil, is how much less you have to use. Even though the krill oil is more expensive, you really end up paying a similar amount for a much higher-quality product.

A few other notable benefits of the Krill Oil & Cod Liver Oil Blend:

High is omega-3s DHA and EPA
Improved cardiovascular health
Increased brain development
Promotes healthy inflammation response
Strengthens the immune system
Regularly tested and certified to contain no detectable levels of toxins or heavy metals
In compliance with Friend of the Sea sustainability requirements

Is joint health for giant breed dogs important to you? Enter the giveaway below for the chance to try the Krill Oil & Cod Liver Oil Blend from Only Natural Pet!

Have you tried krill oil? Did you see benefits for your dog?

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Benefits of Salmon Oil: Only Natural Pet

March 10, 2015 13 Comments

Atka has a few allergy issues. We’re not sure what triggers them as they are so incredibly random, but every now and then he will develop a small rash around his right eye. The rash doesn’t seem to bother him, but I give him some Benadryl to help alleviate any symptoms he might be experiencing. I really don’t want to give him medication every time his rash flares up, so it was time to look into alternatives.

After a bit of research, I determined that salmon oil or coconut oil could be a great option for dealing with Atka’s skin allergies. I had some coconut oil in the house and figured it would be an easy way to start. Getting Atka to consume the coconut oil? Not so easy. So, I moved on to option 2; salmon oil.

The Benefits of Salmon Oil for Dogs

improved skin and coat health
prevention and treatment of skin allergies
alleviates inflammation
reduces joint problems, such as arthritis
lessens symptoms of kidney problems, such as frequent urination and loss of appetite
cancer preventative

Potential Side Effects of Salmon Oil for Dogs

smelly breath (brush those teeth!)
change in stool
weight gain (up that exercise!)
stomach pain, dizziness, or nausea

Salmon Oil We Love

It’s important to find a pure salmon oil without filler ingredients. You really want to ensure your dog is getting quality essential fatty acids (DHA and EPA). Also, look for salmon oil certified free of toxins or heavy metals.

I am absolutely loving the Pure Salmon Oil from Only Natural Pet. Their salmon oil goes through a quick purification process to prevent the creation of trans fats and remove virtually all toxins and heavy metals.

On top of that, Only Natural Pet’s Pure Salmon Oil is packaged in a safe, eco-friendly bottle. The bottle is made of green, brushed aluminum with an interior epoxy coating that is safe enough to hold liquids for human consumption. This ensures you get the “freshest and safest fish oil available”. The Pure Salmon Oil bottle is even 100% recyclable!

How Has it Been Working for Atka?

Atka’s rash is slowly starting to clear up and I’m hoping that continuing to use salmon oil will help avoid future flare-ups. We have also only experienced one “side effect”: Mauja and Atka will eat more food. The salmon oil is almost like a gravy to the fluffies’ meals. When they get their salmon oil, they always eat at least 3/4 of the food they are given. Now, I know this isn’t an issue for most of you, but getting the fluffies to eat enough is a never-ending task. They get SUPER excited (almost as excited as when they get wet food added to their dinner) when I grab the bottle and give their meal a little something extra. Human bonus: it doesn’t smell!

Only Natural Pet’s Pure Salmon Oil is definitely going to become a staple in our home. I’m contemplating putting this product on automatic shipment so I never run out. It’s a great quality supplement at an affordable price.

Save 15% + Free Shipping on your first order at OnlyNaturalPet.com with code AF15FREE. Disclaimer: It’s Dog or Nothing was provided the product mentioned above in exchange for an honest review. Don’t worry, an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog and we only share products we believe in and feel our readers would enjoy. This post contains affiliate links.