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My dog Ranger is finally a senior, so I’ve been exploring vitamins and supplements to prevent arthritis issues during his “wiseboy” years. Fish oil is something of a miracle supplement for dogs – but I’ve learned about serious health risks if taken improperly.
Although fish oil is generally safe and beneficial for dogs in the right amount, a dog can overdose on fish oil. If too much fish oil is consumed, dogs can suffer diarrhea and vomiting, weakened immunities, extremely serious vitamin E deficiencies, and other potentially fatal complications.
This perhaps goes without saying, but if you suspect your dog may have consumed too much fish oil, please reach out to your veterinarian immediately.
There’s a wide range between safe and hazardous dosages, and given how beneficial fish oil supplements can be for a dog if you follow proper dosing, the benefits outweigh the risks.
So if you’re a dog parent exploring fish oil supplements, here’s what you need to know about the recommended and maximum dosage levels.
How Much Omega-3 is Too Much for Dogs?
According to the National Research Council, the maximum daily dosage of fish oil for dogs is 370mg/kg.⁷⁵ measured in EPA and DHA, which are two of the primary forms of the essential fatty acids found in Omega-3. Anything above that amount is hazardous to dogs.
The maximum safe dosage, or the upper limit, is quite a high amount though. For context, the recommended daily allowance of EPA and DHA for prevention is 30mg/kg.⁷⁵ (note this is ^.75, not ^75), meaning the maximum dose is nearly 13 times larger.
I know you have more questions – I certainly did the first time I dug into this. Unless you’re a mathematician or dietician, you might be asking “What are EPA and DHA again?” Or maybe, “What’s with the wide range in dosage?” and of course the most important question, “How do I figure out the right dosage to give my dog?”
Not to worry, I’ve got you covered.
What Are EPA and DHA?
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are two forms of Omega-3 essential fatty acids that you find in fish oil and are famous for their anti-inflammatory agents among other benefits.
The NRC (National Research Council) which is the authority on pet diet in the US, combines the total values of EPA and DHA to measure safe levels of Omega-3.
Why the Wide Range on Fish Oil Dosage for Dogs?
The wide range has to do with the condition being treated. Since Omega-3 can treat a multitude of conditions, this range covers everything from prevention to debilitating joint and bone issues.
For example, the 30mg/kg.⁷⁵ recommended allowance is for dogs with no conditions. There are no true therapeutic needs that are requiring fish oil supplements.
For dogs with serious arthritic issues, the safe upper limit of 370mg/kg.⁷⁵ (aka the maximum dose) is the absolute highest dose that could be taken daily.
There are different recommended doses from the NRC for a few conditions in between that range as well, which you’ll find below.
How Much Fish Oil Should You Give Your Dog?
According to the veterinarian, Dr. Ken Tudor, it’s generally safe for a dog to consume a dose of 20-55mg of combined EPA and DHA per pound of their body weight. In more serious therapeutic cases, the dosage can increase significantly but never beyond the upper limit of 370mg/kg^.75 in EPA and DHA.
If you’re like me, seeing “370mg/kg.⁷⁵ of EPA and DHA” makes my brain explode, and since there aren’t many great resources for getting a clear answer, I’ve decided to share three different ways for you to get a clear answer more easily.
- The first is a fish oil dosage for dogs calculator, which lets you plug in your dog’s weight and condition for NRC’s recommended dosage.
- The second solution is a simple table to look up weight and condition to find the recommended dosage per every 10lbs.
- And the third solution is a manual three-step formula that walks through an example, in case you want to figure out the dosage manually.
1. Fish Oil Dosage Calculator for Dogs
2. Fish Oil Dosage Table for Dogs
3. How to Calculate Omega-3 Dosage for Dogs
Referencing the NRC’s (National Research Council) recommended allowance of EPA and DHA dosage for dogs, I’ll walk you through how to correctly calculate your dogs’ dosage, using my dog’s weight as an example.
1. Convert Pounds (lb) to Kilograms (kg)
Ranger (my dog) weighs a total of 45lbs – for those already on the metric system, skip to step 2. To convert pounds to kilograms, we need to divide by 2.2046. 45lbs divided by 2.2046 is 20.41, which means Ranger weight 20.41kg.
2. Raise the Kilogram Weight to the Power of .75 to get the Metabolic Weight
It’s time for exponents, just grab your calculator to make this part easier. Since Ranger weighs 20.41kg, we will multiply that base by the exponent .75, resulting in 9.6.
It’s important to take note of the exponent “.75” – this exponent measures the allometry of your dog – which is a fancy way of saying that it takes into account the relationship between the size of your dog and its shape, anatomy, and physiology.
3. Multiply the Metabolic Weight by the Recommended Allowance
I’m in the home stretch! Simply multiply the allometric weight from step 2 (9.6 for my dog) and 30mg, which is the weight from the NRC recommended daily allowance of 30mg/kg.⁷⁵.
Drumroll, please…
Ranger’s daily recommended allowance of EPA and DHA is 288mg.
It’s important to remember that a lot of dog food and treats already have EPA and DHA in them. So if you are going to add fish oil as a supplement, be sure to account for their values as part of the daily allowance as well.
I Still Think Fish Oil is Safe for My Dog
After reading everything about fish oil lately, the risks and all, I still plan on getting fish oil for my dog. I’m blown away by how cryptic it was to find a clear answer on what the right dosage should be.
But my biggest takeaway is that it would take an incredibly high amount of fish oil to put my dog in jeopardy.
And now that you and I both know how to dose fish oil properly, I’m far less concerned. Especially since I’ll be using the smallest dose as recommended by the NRC. Once I’ve had some time with the fish oil supplements, I’ll report back on how it’s going.
Speaking of which, any recommendations on which fish oil to get? That’s the next stage in my fish oil journey.