How healthy is linseed oil in dog nutrition?
A generally unhealthy dog diet cannot be compensated by linseed oil. However, as a supplement, flaxseed oil can be quite healthy, as it contains essential fatty acids. What else you need to know about it, read here.
Linseed oil is considered particularly healthy for humans because of its unsaturated fatty acids. In dog nutrition, linseed oil is also said to contribute to the health of the four-legged friend – but it is not absolutely necessary.
Ingredients of linseed oil
Both humans and dogs need omega-3 fatty acids to stay healthy in the long term. Linseed oil consists of about 60 percent alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid can be partially converted in the body to the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Furthermore, in addition to linoleic and oleic acids, vitamins B and E are also found in linseed oil, which are also healthy.
However, not all of the alpha-linolenic acid can be converted by the dog to the valuable fatty acids. Only about 15 percent of it can be processed by your four-legged friend. Since there are other ways to get the required fatty acids directly, for example by adding fish oil to the feed, linseed oil is in principle dispensable in dog nutrition.
Dog nutrition: When is linseed oil healthy?
Provided you feed your dog high-quality meat and occasionally fish, it will usually get all the nutrients it needs. Dog foods that are high in grains and contain only vegetable oils, on the other hand, may need to be supplemented with fish oil or linseed oil. However, be sure to ask your veterinarian for advice on this before you start experimenting. He can first check whether your dog has a nutrient deficiency at all and, if necessary, calculate the correct dosage of linseed oil for you.
In addition, for sick dogs suffering from cancer, for example, it can be useful to supplement the feed with valuable oils and fats. Linseed oil is said to have an anti-cancer effect. But here, too, the following applies: Discuss the dog’s diet in detail with your veterinarian beforehand.
