How Might Omega-3 And Omega-6 Fatty Acids Benefit My Pet?
Both Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential for health. Pets with allergic (flea allergy dermatitis), auto-immune (pemphigus, rheumatoid arthritis), or inflammatory (arthritis, glomerulonephritis) conditions need more Omega 3 fatty acids. Research indicates that the omega-3 fatty acids are important for neurologic development in puppies.
Pets that have chronic illness (FIV, FIP, cancer) need more Omega 6 fatty acids.
Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids are both incorporated into cell membranes throughout the body. When the cell membranes are damaged, fatty acids are released. Released Omega 6 fatty acids are 10-100 times more likely to promote inflammation than are Omega 3 fatty acids. Inflammation is beneficial if a pet has an infection it needs to fight. Most pets, however, have health problems caused by too much inflammation (flea allergies, arthritis, auto-immune disease), so most pets benefit from supplements with higher concentrations of Omega 3 fatty acids.
The benefits from Omega-3 fatty acid to improve pet health include :
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Atopy
- Flea allergies
- Behavior problems
- Learning difficulties
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Digestive disease
- Immune-mediated skin disease
- Kidney disease
- Seborrhea
- Military dermatitis
- Eosinophilic granuloma complex
- Obesity
- Diabetes mellitus
- Renal disease
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Hypothyroidism
- Dry skin
The benefits from Omega-6 fatty acid to improve pet health include :
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV, kitty AIDS)
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
- Mycoplasma
- Seborrhea
- Dry coat
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