Owners who are planning to give their cat fish oil are wondering: is it possible to give it and how does it affect the animal’s body?
Giving preference to natural feeding, people often have no idea that their pet lacks certain vitamins, minerals, and beneficial elements. It is simply necessary to periodically add various vitamin complexes and healthy nutritional supplements to the animal’s diet. For example, fish oil is prescribed not only to adult cats, but also to kittens. Its use is possible for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
What is fish oil and how is it useful?
Fish oil is a compound of animal origin obtained from the liver or carcass of marine fish, mainly cod, and has undergone special purification. Thanks to the substances contained in this product, it is used in veterinary medicine for many diseases.
Fish oil contains:
- vitamins A, E, D;
- saturated fatty acids Omega-2 and Omega-3;
- trace elements: bromine, iodine, sulfur and phosphorus.
Benefits for cats. Using this product as a supplement to your main diet will help:
- lower cholesterol levels;
- improve blood clotting and increase hemoglobin levels;
- normalize fat and protein metabolism;
- increase cell regeneration and improve immunity;
- rapid and proper development of bones.
In addition, fish oil is quickly absorbed and very easily absorbed by the animal’s body.
The benefits of fish for cats
It is now fashionable to say that cats are absolutely not allowed to fish. But many continue to give it to their pet, rightly believing that thousands of cats have happily lived long lives on a fish diet. And it’s fair to say that such food has a number of advantages:
- A complete set of amino acids.
Fish is a complete protein of animal origin. It is easily digested in the short intestines of cats and contains essential amino acids, including taurine. Depending on the type of fish, the amount of protein is 16-24%, and it is absorbed by 95-98%, in contrast to meat protein - 87-90%.
- Source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Unlike humans, it is not lean fish that is healthier for a cat, but fatty fish. In river fish (ruff, perch, pike) the fat content does not exceed 4%, the same amount in pollock, cod, and flounder. Noble varieties of fish contain 9-25% fat: herring, salmon, mackerel, sturgeon. Fat serves as a valuable source of energy and essential Omega-3 acids.
Thus, with fatty fish, the cat receives high-quality protein and the optimal amount of “good” fat. Claims that fish is not a species-specific food for cats are unsubstantiated. In the same way, it is not natural to feed your pet beef or chicken, because in nature a cat would eat a mouse or small bird whole, with head, skin, entrails and bones.
And what should I do with this fish?
- Attractive taste and aroma.
Many cats love the smell of fish and seafood. You can easily add vegetables to your pet’s food by grinding them together with fish, and even feed the tablet. Using fish juice, they flavor the water, stimulating the cat to drink more - this is necessary for diseases of the urinary system.
Even a small amount of fish in industrial food can make the product attractive to cats - this property has been successfully used, for example, in the production of “unpalatable” food for cats with kidney failure (Renal).
Fish...murrr
In other words, fish is a good way to pamper your cat, diversify the menu, and even encourage desirable behavior (training). But fish can bring not benefits, but great harm to health, if fed incorrectly.
Let’s make a reservation right away - you should choose fish not for reasons of cheapness, but based on what kind of fish will benefit the cat.
Cats should not be given:
- Freshwater fish varieties (carp, roach, bream, crucian carp).
Cannot be fed raw due to the high content of antivitamins and deworming. And even when boiled, it is impossible to get rid of many small bones that are dangerous for your pet. The meat is too lean, there is not enough of it, and the labor costs for such food are not worth it - it is easier to give a piece of chicken.
Small fish caught with a fishing rod are not the best treat
- Sea fish that accumulate histamine and mercury (tuna, mackerel, herring).
The most useful varieties include fish from the salmon family:
- river trout (lives only in clean water, quite fatty, rarely infected with parasites);
- salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon.
If you need a diet with a low amount of fat, then you can give boiled lean fish - hake, cod, blue whiting.
Chilled trout is a good choice
More than half of the problems associated with feeding fish can be avoided by boiling the delicacy. When cooked, thiaminase (vitamin B1 antagonist) and trimethylamine oxide (iron antagonist) are destroyed, and parasite larvae are killed.
Before giving fish to a cat, you need to remove fins, bones, and all sharp parts of the carcass. It is not advisable to feed milk or heads separately; they give only meat.
Fish should not be the basis of the diet; it is better to give it as an additional source of valuable substances and delicacies. If your cat eats fish often, you need to take care of additionally including vitamins E, K, and group B in the food.
Fish is an excellent flavoring agent, so many owners use it to disguise cereals or vegetables - the fish is mixed with them in a bowl in the form of minced meat or small pieces.
Let's summarize. In order for fish to be beneficial and not harmful, you should:
- Choose a type of fish;
- Boil for at least 20 minutes (do not add salt to the water!);
- Remove bones (fillet);
- Give no more than 1-2 times a week;
- Make sure your cat is not allergic to fish.
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The owner needs to be careful that the cat does not develop a dependence on fish - when the pet refuses any other food.
Give me more fish, man!
It contains a huge amount of vitamins A, E and group D, substances such as phosphorus, iodine, bromine. However, can this medicine be given to animals, in particular representatives of the cat family?
Fish oil is just as important for cats as it is for people. It must be taken by kittens from an early age.
Small kittens and adult cats should take a fortified complex. This strengthens the kitten’s immune system and protects against various diseases, including infectious ones.
If the kittens have poor bone tissue development, sexually mature kittens have lost their appetite, weakness and problems with the digestive system have appeared, the sclera has become dull in color - this indicates a lack of vitamin A, which needs to be replenished. Fish oil is used for general strengthening, so that bones heal faster in case of a fracture.
Methods of application
Fish oil is used not only as a food supplement, but also as a primary medicine. Depending on the disease it is prescribed:
- Intramuscularly . In this case, fish oil has a biostimulating effect. Injections should only be given as directed and under the supervision of a veterinarian.
- Externally . The product has an anti-inflammatory and sedative effect, which makes it possible to use it for burns and frostbite. Veterinarians often use it as an antiseptic in the treatment of various types of dermatitis and eczema, weeping wounds, as well as seborrhea. With this method of application, fish oil is applied to a sterile bandage or the affected area.
- Orally . Used as a general tonic for chronic infectious diseases; to strengthen the immune system, especially for animals in the postoperative period. It is also recommended to take it in case of deficiency of vitamins D and A, for the prevention of anemia and rickets, and with increased fragility of the animal’s bones.
As an adjuvant, fish oil is used for various allergic reactions, and is involved in the treatment of gastrointestinal and oncological diseases, as well as for reproductive disorders.
How to use
The dosage of the drug should be prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the pet (height, weight, breed) and the specific purpose of taking the drug. It is worth remembering that each new drug should be introduced gradually, carefully monitoring the animal’s reaction to it.
For preventive purposes, children are prescribed 0.5 ml per day. Remember that fish oil should not be administered earlier than 3 months. For adults, the daily norm is about 5 ml per day.
When treating any disease, the dosage is increased by 2-3 times. In any case, carefully read the instructions that come with the specific drug. The average course of treatment is 3-4 months.
Some animals independently consume capsules or a liquid solution mixed with food, but with more capricious pets it is necessary to resort to radical methods. To do this, the capsule is placed on the root of the cat's tongue, the pet's mouth is closed and the muzzle is tilted back a little. When the swallowing reflex is triggered, the animal will swallow the capsule.
The natural supplement can be used externally. It perfectly helps in the treatment of the skin, and more precisely with dermatitis, burns, eczema, frostbite.
Dosage
For kittens to prevent diseases, the maximum daily dose is 0.5 g and only after reaching 3 months of age. For adult cats and female cats, the dosage of the drug is calculated individually depending on the size and weight, as well as the age of the animal.
Usually 5-10 g are prescribed for prevention.
And in case of illness, the dosage is calculated by the veterinarian.
conclusions
To summarize, we can say that pets, like people, also need dietary supplements, which can be used to prevent many diseases, including the development of cancer cells.
To prevent many pet health problems, world-renowned veterinarians recommend the use of balanced, comprehensive supplements that have been tested in licensed US facilities. Supplements are the most effective way to help an animal find joy, health and a comfortable life with its owner.
Top 6 Omega-3 Supplements for Cats on iHerb:
Charlie & Frank, Advanced Animal Joint Health Formula with Omega Acids, for Cats and Dogs
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NaturVet, Omega-Gold with Salmon Oil, Supplement for Dogs and Cats, Improves Skin and Coat Condition
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Halo, VitaGlo, dream coat, leather and wool, for dogs and cats
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Barlean's, Flaxseed Oil, Pet
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Halo, Liv-A-Littles, Protein Treat, 100% Whole Wild Caught Salmon, For Dogs and Cats
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Now Foods, Now Pets, dog/cat joint health
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Overdose and side effects
Side effects are individual for each member of the cat family. Whether they will be or not depends not only on the correctly selected dose, but also on the condition of the entire organism. Main symptoms of overdose:
- Most often, an incorrectly calculated dosage leads to digestive problems. This may manifest as diarrhea or vomiting. In this case, you should consult your doctor and reduce the amount of medication. In severe cases, treatment is stopped and another drug is prescribed instead of fish oil, but this happens extremely rarely.
- Sometimes a reaction to taking fish oil is dandruff. This phenomenon is temporary, and if the cat does not scratch the skin to try to get rid of the itch, there is no cause for concern.
- Often there is a phenomenon such as increased oily skin. There is nothing to worry about; the symptoms disappear a few weeks after stopping treatment.
- A rare side effect is a bleeding disorder. In this case, you should consult a specialist and possibly stop taking the drug.
At the beginning of a course of treatment or prevention with fish oil, the owner must carefully monitor the condition and behavior of the animal.
If alarming symptoms appear, you should contact your veterinarian.
What to look for when choosing
You need to purchase the drug only in specialized pharmacies or pet stores. When purchasing, be sure to:
- Pay attention to the expiration date and composition of the product. It is advisable to choose a product made from a carcass and undergone several degrees of purification.
- Take fish oil from a reputable manufacturer, as this will protect you from counterfeit products.
- Study the composition of the drug. It should not contain additives in the form of rosemary, lemon and others. This will help avoid allergies in the animal.
In addition, when choosing, you should take into account the release form. Liquid fish oil is suitable for external use. In other cases, it is better to take capsules. The effectiveness of both forms is the same, but capsules eliminate the need to measure the dose and the possibility of error.
