Vegetable oil in dog food?

[kcdawg]

A friend of mine has a 5 month old BC pup and he has dry skin. Her Grandmother told her to put veggie oil in the dry food. The other day i was petting him and noticed how soft his fur was and asked her if she had just given him a bath and what kind of shampoo it was, but she said no, he did not get a bath but she is adding the veggie oil to his food.

Have you heard of this? Im wondering how good it is for the dogs arteries.

[Aquarius89]

I dunno about veggie oil, I always heard fish oil did the trick.

[stockdogtta]

Dont know about the arteries but I use Canola oil-2oz

[OffTopic]

Most commercial oils labeled "vegetable oil" are made from soy and contain a decent amount of linoleic and linolenic acid, which is probably what helped the puppy's skin and coat.

 

My only concern using oil or any type of additives is to remember the added calories and to adjust the amount of food given so that the dog doesn't end up getting too fat!

[Pat W.]

I supplement any kibble with oil rich in omega 3's for good skin/coats I feed about 1 tbsp per day with no problem on dogs ranging in age from 14 yrs to 1 yr

[juliepoudrier]

I supplement with both vegetable oil (usually safflower oil and sometimes olive oil) and fish oil capsules (+ vitamin E). My dogs, ranging in age from 1 to nearly 13, do well on this regimen. Because they are working dogs (except for the retirees), I aim for them to have a higher fat content in their diets so they can draw on the fat for energy when working. That doesn't mean the dogs themselves are fat, but the extra fat in the diet can be utilized as an energy source when working.

 

J.

[BustopherJones]

One of my former dogs (a Springer Spaniel now gone to Rainbow Bridge) had a problem with dry skin. The vet had us add safflower oil to her food.

[Liz P]

Dogs don't get clogged arteries like people do unless there is an underlying disease. Veggie oil is safe, but according to the studies I have read dog just don't utilize fats or proteins from plant sources very well. Some vege oils are very high in omega 6 FAs, which are involved in inflammation, while fish oil is high in omega 3 FAs, which counteract inflammation. Long story short, I choose fish over vege oil. (Grain fed beef, chicken, etc will also be much higher in 6 than 3 while pasture raised beef and lamb will be relatively higher in 3.)

[Daviid]

We've been giving safflower oil with vitamin E for years, they also get fed fish once or twice a week, usually mackerel or salmon. Coats are always nice and soft and no dryness.

 

Also, regular brushing stimulates oil glands and brings out your dogs natural oils.

[PSmitty]

People are constantly complimenting my dogs on their soft coats. I tell people it's thanks to the fish oil (+ Vit. E).

[IronHorse]

I know I sound like a old broke record but if you want your dog to have beautiful skins and coats as well as a multitude of other benefical attributes then get some Emu oil!

Its not that pricey when brought in bulk (like a quart)

And you can use it yourself as well as using it for your dogs.

It works wonders.

[Dixie_Girl]

I used bacon grease on my weinie dog's food for her dry skin.

 

Question: I get that vegatable oil comes from vegatables, and fish oil comes from fish. And stepping out on a limb, I'm thinking that emu oil comes from emu's. You get corn oil only from corn, and olive oil comes courtesy of olives. And I bet everyone else knows these things too.

Sooooo, is it just me, or does anyone else find using baby oil kinda creepy?

[IronHorse]

Sooooo, is it just me, or does anyone else find using baby oil kinda creepy?

Its just you,

 

Emu oil comes from the rendered layer of fat that exsist between the hide and the meat on the body of the Emu,it creates an insulating barrier that allows them to live in extremes as well as providing them with reserves in times of shortages for forage.

[OurBoys]

Sooooo, is it just me, or does anyone else find using baby oil kinda creepy?

 

 

JJ and Jake get 1000 mg of flaxseed oil and 200 IU of vit E twice a day. I tried fish oil, even as recently as 2 wks ago, but for some reason JJ started itching again and chewed a raw spot on his backside again. Needless to say, I made a trip to the store for some more flaxseed oil.

[OffTopic]

Sooooo, is it just me, or does anyone else find using baby oil kinda creepy?

Guess that explains why babies have such soft skin though.

 

I started adding a small amount of milled flax seed to Finn's food about 4 days ago and can already see a huge difference. His coat was dull and his skin was dry and flaky (he was a stray before being rescued....he's only had about a month of good nutrition). He's already looking nice and glossy and his itching/flaking is almost gone.

I'll probably switch over to the flax oil or just some olive oil once this box is empty. I'm feeding kibble in the mornings and a mix of kibble and canned at night, so the seed mixes just fine with the nighttime feeding, but it might make the dry kibble more palatable to him if it's got some oil on it.

[kcdawg]

LOL on the baby oil

 

Wow, i never knew so many dog owners used oils in the food. Im going to try it now.

Im thinking of the fish oil. Just that, some of my dogs breath is already pretty fishy, hope that doesnt

make it worse

Lately, i have been giving them a little yogurt every day and a raw egg if i have any. They like it.

Ash had a really nice treat yesterday, she ate the rest of my home made RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Shes the dog i have that is really sneaky and will find the garbage if i dont set it outside, she even got

into an empty bag of dog food with food in her bowl,,,,,go figure!!

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Try a marrow bone for the breath! That will distract your dog from the garbage, too, lol. We are using CET gel too on Gus because he gets plaque buildup really fast. As long as I remember to do it after every meal, it works great on that fishy breath.

 

I use fish oil too. I usually use a brand that is balanced with vitamin E, also - you have to give E along with the oil because the oil will take more antioxidants to process (E is an antioxidant). 200 units a day is plenty.

 

I've recently become convinced of the increasing importance of supplementing essential fatty acids and certain vitamins, even in the most balanced diets. Our soil is so depleted and our farming methods favor fast turnaround on meat, sacrificing nutritional value.

 

I started using fish oil and a complete vitamin and mineral supplement myself the last couple of weeks and have been shocked at the difference in that short amount of time. Hair, skin and nails have made a complete turnaround (I thought I was "just getting old"). Some major chronic pain I've been experiencing for years is lessening. I even feel like I'm thinking clearer. I know, I sound like an infomercial, but I've been really surprised.

 

I'll never underestimate the importance of this aspect of nutrition in my dogs again!

[3dogslater]

Animal based oils are more easily processed - so salmon, sardine, seal, emu etc are better for them than flax, corn/canolla, hemp or other veggie based oils. If your dog is allergic to salmon or other fish oils, seal and emu are a great choice although more expensive than the fish oils. The veggie oils provide ALA which needs to be converted to DHA and EPA to be used by the body. Not all dogs (or people) have the ability to effectively convert ALA to DHA and EPA, so the addition of flax or other veggie oils may be inefective.

 

Along with being great for skin and coat, Omega 3 oils are also a natural anti-inflamatory. My arthritic dog gets four times the regular dose and I've been able to take her off of Metacam in the summer, and use it sparingly in the winter.

 

Look for high levels of EPA and DHA, rather than measuring just by capsule or teaspoon because the quality of oil varies.

 

A link to a series of studies on Omega 3 and arthritis in humans:

http://www.oilofpisces.com/rheumatoidarthritis.html

[kcdawg]

That is so weird, i was just talking to my sister today about the oils you use on your dogs and she mentioned us people using it, and i thought, well, maybe that would be good for our hair and skin and i have the worlds driest hair!

so glad i found out about this, i will get some for me and the dogs! Any certain brand for me and for the dogs that work best or are easiest to take?

[SoloRiver]

I'd watch out for marrow bones -- both of my dogs have broken teeth chewing them.

 

I know, I know, lots of people get away with giving marrow bones to dogs, but lots of people don't. Marrow bones are the most common cause of broken teeth, according to the excellent veterinary dentist who did both of Solo's root canals. Yes, Solo has had two root canals. I would suggest to anyone looking to treat a broken dog tooth and deciding between extraction and root canal to look at the differences in the procedures, results, and recovery times rather than only the cost. In Solo's case it was a difference of a couple hundred dollars and I was happy to put that on my credit card in order to save his teeth.

 

I digress, but either way, broken teeth are expensive to fix. There are softer bones than marrow bones that offer good chewing benefits. My dogs enjoy lamb ribs, duck wings, poultry carcasses, that kind of thing.

[IronHorse]

That is so weird, i was just talking to my sister today about the oils you use on your dogs and she mentioned us people using it, and i thought, well, maybe that would be good for our hair and skin and i have the worlds driest hair!

so glad i found out about this, i will get some for me and the dogs! Any certain brand for me and for the dogs that work best or are easiest to take?

 

This is the stuff

just be sure that you purchase Molecular distilled Emu oil

It is very nondiscript taste wise,I just mix it with my honey and use it on muffins or whatever,its wonderful stuff to bake with or fry with.

But just taking it plain is no big deal,it really doesn't have much taste.

you can apply it directly to the skin full strength (a very little bit goes along way)

All kinds of shampoos and cosmetics,but I steer clear of most due to the other ingredients that negate the very reason for useing Emu oil in the first place.

We just mix some of the 100% Emu oil in with our Tea Tree Oil shampoo and the stuff Rox and both my wife and I have alot of hair,lol

We also use Emu oil and goat's milk soap.

Invest in a pint of the 100% Pure Fully Refined and Molecularly Distilled Emu Oil and try it for a month on your dogs as well as yourself and if you can honestly say you don't see a big difference I'll personally reinberse you,lol

(Best place to buy it is off ebay.)

Use it to fry chicken in and really impress your friends too,lol

Its one of my fried chicken secrets.

This link has great resources where you can reseach.

Emu Oil

[1sheepdoggal]

I think that what you put inside the dog, shows on the outside. Having 8 dogs myself, starting by feeding a premium food can be costly, but still it saves in the long run. There are a lot of "premium" feeds on the market, who's companies have changed hands over the course of the years, and arent what they use to be, and then theres some premium foods that were never worth a crap to start with. I would suggest trying any of the foods made by Natura. You can go to their website, and check out the various types that they make to suit your needs. Stay away from any foods with soy, and artificial colors. Offer you dog natural foods such as green beans, carrots, ( I steam them for mine) and the like. I also give mine a "cookie" that is a product made by NuVet. it is a preventitive that builds the auto immune system. You can google that as well. Good product! As another poster suggested, regular brushing brings out the natural oils in a dogs skin, and distributes it throughout the coat. Dry skin can be caused by many different things, such as food alergies, reactions to their enviornment, ( inside dogs, can get dry skin because of the heating in the house) over bathing, or worse, bathing with the wrong type of shampoo, ( people shampoo can cause dry skin because the Ph's are different for people and dogs) But if there is a problem, I would suggest first, finding the root of the problem, ( IE> what is causing the coat and skin to become dry and flaky)and then adjusting or changing something, before trying to correct that which your not sure what the cause is to start with. Darci

[kcdawg]

THANK YOU ALL!!!

You really made my doggies happy, will get some "good stuff" for them this week, the lucky dogs!