As with all nutrient intake, ingesting too much or too little will result in imbalances in the body and health issues may thereby manifest. Having the intake of essential fatty acids balanced is equally important to stave off health problems. Here we will take a look at the role, and necessity of balance, of essential fatty acids Omega 6, Omega 3, and Omega 9 play in dog and cat health. We will first examine the notion of preventative healthcare vs. supplementation to simply assuage the health effects that often-times result from an unbalanced lifestyle/diet.
Modern diets have much evolving to do, especially when caring for pets who by nature are unable to articulate complaints of ailments and who therefore may have health problems that go unnoticed for longer without treatment. All in all, pet health is approached at this time in a way similar to the way human health longevity is attempted to be preserved – in a reactionary way. In other words, only when we see a health problem manifest is care taken to help resolve the issue. Preventative human healthcare is relatively new to the mainstream, which takes the approach of trying to balance lifestyle and dietary needs before rectification of discomfort becomes necessary via medication and/or dietary supplementation. This same issue of preventative vs. reactionary health care for pets is also present in our society, though pet supplements are becoming increasingly popular in the interest of pet owners desiring a longer, carefree life for their pets which are normally considered part of the human family.
With preventative care, dietary needs must be properly met in order to help ensure imbalances that lead to health problems do not occur. Nutritional supplementation, both in humans and pets, can be dangerous as often-times it’s a lifestyle-route that’s administered in excess. Worried that your pet may develop poor skin or fur due to the main diet you feed them being sub-par and you can’t afford raw, natural core, holistic diets for your pet? Many pet owners will consider an addition to their pet’s diet with fatty acids due to this fear, the supplementation of which is generally quite inexpensive (think flax seed oil, one bottle can last 6 months or so for a pet if not longer and this costs $10 on average… if you can’t afford a high-quality diet then this supplementation is logical). The problem is proper balance with current diet, as that care is taken that over-administration is yielded against.
Giving Omega fatty acid 6 and 3 in equal proportions to your dog, for instance, can result in health problems. Omega fatty acids must be added to your pet’s diet such that Omega 6 is given in a higher amount than Omega 3 in a ratio between 5:1 and 10:1 – and you see, this already is complicated enough that the advice of a veterinarian is needed to asses your pet’s specific breed, genetic predispositions, age and current health issues (if known) so that you can best regulate the fatty acid balance necessary. On the other hand, if not enough of these essential fatty acids are given to your pet you can see a slew of deficiency-related health problems arise, including but not limited to: fur loss, delayed would healing and susceptibility to infections, skin eruptions, male sterility, liver problems, miscarriages, any one of the spectrum of arthritis-related pet conditions, kidney failure, heart health deprecation, physical growth and learning retardation, gland issues and weakness. In short, it’s essential that fatty acid intake is guided and balanced as with all nutritional supplementation in your pet.
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