For example, in one of the past days I am browsing the internet. Well when don't I do that, what day it was? I have no idea, they all look alike these days. Does it matter? No actually not… the point is that I suddenly came across something that is so completely different from what I have always 'learned'. When it comes to having dogs, there are many things that are not told when talking about dogs. So about their nutrition!
And of course there are many ways imaginable. When you buy a dog, that may be the last thing you think about, while this is a point that I think is a very important point in the welfare of the dog. Yes, just as you need to eat healthy to stay healthy, so does your dog. And just like with humans, you have seen in recent years that the allergies among dogs are also increasing. I will not go into the causes here, or possible causes… but it is a point to take into account. Since an allergy to certain ingredients is increasingly common in dogs, there is a chance that your dog will also suffer from this, and you will therefore immediately have to deal with it.
As you know, or can understand… there is an awful lot of choice in dog food. And that's exactly where the problem is. There is too much choice. You want the best for your dog, of course, but you also want it to be affordable, and you also want your dog to like it, and you also want it to provide healthy nutrients to your dog, so that he does not have an allergy to it. And where do you find all that in the incredibly large range of dog food nowadays?
If you go googling for dog food you will find a huge selection, which is okay, but if you then look up reviews, then the cheaper affordable food is actually nothing more or less than rubbish that will make your dog shit a lot. The food they call quality is too expensive, and if your dog has an allergy to gluten, for example, you just have to hope that you can find quality affordable food that does not contain other substances that are not good, and that contains everything he needs.
Because of our Lex we have gained experience with dogs with a severe gluten allergy, this time with Skipper we could act quickly, and so Skipper has no further problems with this because we could quickly recognize the problems and therefore respond to them before serious problems started. So we immediately started with a gluten-free diet… and we saw the small irritations that we noticed with him disappear like snow in the sun. Good, that was the confirmation we needed. Skipper, just like Lex, also has a gluten allergy. Unfortunately, it was discovered much too late at Lex, and at Skipper we were now quick.
But it doesn't stop there… because a dog with allergies often needs to be given supplements. Because the intestines do not absorb everything due to the allergy, it may be that he will develop a deficiency. And no, you really do not notice that immediately. But what you don't notice doesn't mean it's not there. In addition, not every dog food contains everything a dog needs. Because even for a dog it is actually recommended to give them a varied diet ... And there you have another problem ...
Because if you have that dog with allergies, who already needs more expensive food, then you will be happy if you have found food that is good for your dog as well as for your wallet. Well, looking for another gluten-free food, which is nice for both Skipper and our wallet, turned out to be and still proves to be difficult. If it were only Skipper, the food could be a bit more expensive, but there are two dogs besides Skipper that need to eat the food. And a 15 kilo bag of kibbles will last for about 10 days. So it goes on quickly… and is not very cheap.
Because we still want the best for the dogs, we were looking to give them supplements with their food to make up for the shortages that could arise. And the first thing we noticed in the composition of the chunks, combined with the information we could find on the internet about Skipper's gluten allergy, was that he might need extra omega-3 fatty acids.
In most pet foods, (and often also in our diet), there is an excess of omega-6 fatty acids. And too much omega-6 creates an imbalance in your body. Not only with us, but also with the dog. And one of the symptoms of an imbalance in the dog's omega fatty acids is allergy symptoms. Chronic inflammation, joint pains, diabetes and autoimmune diseases can also be caused by this. When we started looking for the recommended balance, it turned out that our kibble also contains slightly too little omega-3 fatty acids compared to the omega-6 fatty acids. Then of course you can choose a piece that has the right proportions… leave it alone now almost impossible to find. Quite shocking actually! So much choice, so much choice and not one that our Skipper could tolerate. Because the few kibbles that we found with the right proportions fell off… those were expanded, which we are not in favor of because they can more often cause a stomach tilt in large dogs. Or food with grains / gluten in it. And that is also not a food that would benefit our Skipper. Perhaps the problem would be solved by the correct ratio of the omega fatty acids, but you can only know that if you first supplement the omega-3 fatty acids so that it is back in balance. And only after that you can start experimenting whether his allergy would play out if he were to ingest gluten again.
Good for humans and animals. At least that's what is always said. But is that also the case?
To balance the excess omega-6 fatty acids, your dog needs extra omega-3 fatty acids. You can give this to your dog through its diet by means of fish oil.
Fish oil from fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, eel and herring) consists of the essential omega-3 fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). This is good for your dog's muscles, joints, immune system, brain and intestines.
But….
FISH OIL CAN OXIDIZE
If you give fish oil to your dog in the form of drops, oxygen will be added to the oil every time you open the bottle. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are very vulnerable to oxidative damage as soon as they come into contact with oxygen. New oxygen-containing molecules are then formed in the oil, which we call free radicals. And it is precisely free radicals in large quantities that can be harmful to your dog's health!
This can cause more inflammation in the dog's body. This is something that omega-3 fatty acids counteract, but is destroyed by the oxygen.
Holding back oxygen in an oil supplement is quite difficult, especially if the oil is liquid in the bottle. The oxidative reaction can be counteracted if you package fish oil in ampoules, although the chance will always exist.
FISH OIL MAY CONTAIN TOXIC SUBSTANCES
Fish oil extracted from fish that come from the sea may contain toxic substances. The fat in the fish is where the omega-3 fatty acids are stored, but also the place where toxic substances are retained. Think of mercury, lead and other heavy metals. These heavy metals can cause damage to your dog, such as blindness, liver and kidney damage and damage to the nervous system. But microplastic in the sea also affects the quality of the fish oil and the health of your dog - with far-reaching consequences.
Before purchasing a fish oil, you could request a Certificate of Analysis to find out exactly what is in the fish oil. However, this is not always watertight, according to various independent laboratory tests. There are fish oil supplements that are pure, because the fish that provide the omega-3 fatty acids do not come from the sea, but are specially bred. However, this comes with a completely different price tag.
FISH OIL MAY CONTAIN RADIOACTIVE RADIATION
In 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant was hit by a tsunami and its reactors melted. This caused radioactive water to seep into the Pacific Ocean. Every day, 300 tons of this radioactive water still seeps into the ocean. If the fish comes from the Pacific Ocean, this fish may contain radioactive particles. These particles then end up in the fish oil that you take in or give to your dog. This applies especially to fish from the disaster area and fish that migrate from this region or live in an outflow from this area. Therefore, read the packaging carefully before purchasing to see where the fish used for the fish oil come from.
FISH OIL IS NOT SUSTAINABLE
A lot of fish oil is made from fish from the sea. Because a lot of fish is needed to make fish oil supplements, overfishing can occur. But this is also detrimental to all other ocean life. Think of the coral that gets damaged, but also whales, dolphins, sharks and sea turtles that get entangled in the nets. In addition, the fish oil supplements for dogs mainly catch Menhaden fish, these fish are important to eat algae and to keep the seawater clean, so that oxygen enters the water. Because many of these fish are caught, there are so-called "dead zones" where there is no oxygen in the water and no plant growth takes place. Krill is also widely used for the manufacture of fish oil, but that is the food of many whales.
As mentioned, omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your dog's health. After all, he cannot make it himself and does need it as a supplement. However, there are other, better sources of omega-3 fatty acids than fish oil. Because even fish are not born with omega-3 fatty acids in their body. They get these from their food. And what do fish eat? Phytoplankton! And that is a very good, healthy alternative to fish oil.
Phytoplankton are tiny bundles of algae and bacteria that sustain ocean life. Phytoplankton is full of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, proteins and omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, Phytoplankton is so small that your dog (or yourself) does not even have to digest it; the mucous membranes absorb the molecules directly, where all vitamins, minerals and thus omega-3 fatty acids are directly absorbed into the cells of the body.
Now you can say: "Yes, but phytoplankton, like fish, comes from the sea. What about radiation, pollution and overfishing."
That's right, but the phytoplankton that is used to make phytoplankton supplements does not come from the sea. This is specially cultivated in a sustainable way in specially filtered water on a phytoplankton farm.
In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, phytoplankton also contains an antioxidant called Superoxide dismutase (SOD). This antioxidant scavenges many free radicals and can thus improve the health of your dog.
Now I just have to find out where I can order the phytoplankton at a 'normal' price.
