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Varieties and Brands of Fish Oils

12K views 88 replies 18 participants last post by  calvinriyon 
#1 ·
I think I need to start adding in some fish oil. Rocky is scratching quite a bit and his coat is dry this summer. We have 100 degree heat constantly and he is in air conditioning non-stop which doesn't help. My new little guy is on "Icelandic Pure" anchovy and sardine oil which the breeder recommends but is VERY expensive for 3 dogs, two of which are 90 pounds! I will get it if it is that really that good for them and will help Rocky's fur. Are there any other brands and varieties that you recommend? I know that he can't have flax oils, he will itch even more. Anything else he seems to be okay with.
 
#2 ·
I use Grizzly Salmon Oil. Tux needs four squirts a day for his allergy/atopic dermatitis issues. And Cabo gets a couple squirts a day b/c he likes it and I figure it can't hurt anything to give him some too. I can order a 32 oz bottle from amazon.com for under $40 with free shipping, and it lasts me like 4-5 months. You can also order it from amazon in a 64oz size for an even better deal, but I just don't like the idea of it sitting around that long, even though I do keep it in the fridge. So I get the 32oz size. Grizzly is the brand my holistic vet recommended for what that's worth.
 
#4 ·
my dogs do get a fish oil....and i had to search high and low for one which does not contain either rosemary extract nor soy.

icelandic health uses soy as its source for its tocopherols.

the only one i found was dr. mercola's salmon oil.....and i am feeding that.

what a difference between then and now....i had been using one from costco.....but they didn't do well on it, and that's when i learned about soy....
and the search began.

there is another one, but totally out of my price range....if you want it, i'll p.m. it to you or post it here ....hella expensive tho.
Hella expensive is out of my price range too! Mercola is the people that make the probiotics that were recommended to me so I can try the salmon oil. I try to avoid all soy for me and the poochies. It is darn hard...... everywhere I look, there it is! I'm hoping it will help Rocky. He started losing his winter coat which is normal for the summer, but then he just didn't stop and now he's turning into a short haired dog! And he scratches all the time again. I can't go the all grass fed red meat route..... we don't get the beef in our part of the country that you do. We are in chicken and pork country here. Beef is astronomical, even just plain grocery store variety.

I'll get some salmon oil to start with him and see how it goes. I can increase his dietary fat, too. Luckily Shade doesn't have the problem because I have to cut the fat out of his meat. Poor boy.
 
#5 ·
I just bought some "Iceland Pure Anchovy and Sardine Oil" from Hare Today (also: Iceland Pure Home page). It seems the most "pure" oil out there-- it is pricey, but I don't use it every day; Mateo eats fresh-frozen sardines and mackerel on a regular basis. Plus, I like that it's in a pump dispenser.

Re-- is this the one you referenced as "Icelandic Health"...?
 
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#7 ·
I looked at mercola fish oil, but the one I saw also had vit A and D. Maybe it was a different one. I'd used the Iceland S&A in the past, but it also has mixed tocopherols in it (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) which is almost always from soy (I wrote and asked them but they never responded which I took to be a bad sign .... so I junked it). What does everything have to have stupid soy it it? It's a world gone mad!
 
#8 ·
Grizzly is just salmon oil and a bit of rosemary to help preserve it. Shouldn't be an issue with the rosemary unless you have a seizure dog....And a lot of dogs can also handle a bit of soy with no problems. Unless they have a known allergy to it, should be fine. And a friend of mine has a soy allergy but can handle the soy oils just fine, most people with allergies to things like this can handle the oils that are derived from the allergens, something about how it doesn't contain the actual thing that makes them have an allergic reaction when it is just the oil....
 
#9 ·
If you want cheaper I actually have used two different brands from walgreens....its sardines and anchovies....no tocopherols or vit e. Its a pain to sift through all the varieties but it has green on the bottle and the last one I bought on sale was called nature's bounty I think. Just read the bottle carefully because they make many different versions with the stuff you don't want
 
#10 ·
I've been using GNC salmon oil capsules. I like that I can pick it up locally at Rite Aid. $14.99 for 180 capsules, 1000 mg (180mg EPA, 120mg DHA) I wish it had more of those, but the savings of time, gas, or S/H m make it ok if I have to give them an extra one every now and then.

Any thoughts as to capsules compared to pump? I've read in more than one article that the oil in the pump bottles allow air In which degrades the oil.

GNC ingredients: salmon oil, gelatin, glycerine. No sugar, no starch, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, no preservatives, sodium free, no wheat, no gluten, no corn, no soy, no dairy, yeast free.

With that being said, could the gelatin or glycerine cause any issues ?
 
#15 ·
I use Wholistic Deep Sea Salmon Oil. Only ingredients is salmon oil and vitamin E. The Wholistic Pet

I've used the oil with Echo since she was about 6 months old. I buy the 64oz container and it lasts my 75lb dog a good 6 months... And I tend to give her a bit extra than the container recommends for her weight too. I think that size is like $60-65? It also comes in capsules, but I'm not sure the pricing on that since I've never used them.
 
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#18 ·
i would have to call the company and ask them from where they source their E.....
I would be interested in hearing what they say if you do... Just out of curiosity.

I've really been happy with all the supplements I've gotten from them... Salmon oil, coconut oil, and their Canine Complete. I like that they use all natural human grade ingredients and as an added bonus I can get them locally at Cherrybrook so there is no shipping! Yay! But even without Cherrybrook I would most likely still order them online and ship.
 
#20 ·
I didn't realize it was going to be so complicated! Here I've just been tossing the boys some canned salmon and hoping for the best. Bad momma!!!

Okay.......I'm now going to get them their fancy salmon oil, check out the Icelandic Pure Anchovy and sardine oil to see if it has soy, and browse the Mercola website for anything else the darlings need. Good thing us humans don't need to eat much! Keep all this info coming everyone. I've got sooooo much to learn.
 
#21 ·
We use Life Line, and so far I've been impressed. They're located near me, and we make several huge bulk orders through our co-op every year. We have such big orders sometimes that they make a fresh batch just for us!! Their service seems to be top notch. Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil | Life Line Pet Nutrition

Magicre - Aside from it not working well for Bubba & Malia, do you see any problems with this oil? Do you know if their mixed tocopherols are soy based?
 
#24 ·
I get mine from this place: Bulk Organic Oils | Bulk Essential Oils | Bulk Natural Oils
I got these: Jedwards International, Inc.. bulk fish oil capsules softgels
But they were 1,200mg, not 1,000mg, and they had them in smaller boxes of 400 count for $5 a pop. Now they only have the 1,000 count boxes in stock for $80, plus shipping which varies depending on where you are, but you may be able to get them to split one if you call and ask if you don't need that many capsules.
So far, I really like them. They have been the highest quality and best priced of all the fish oils I have tried. Jedwards also carries omega 3 concentrates and non-encapsulated oils.
 
#27 ·
this will be my next purchase:

Wild Salmon | Omega-3 | Wild Seafood | Organic Foods | Vital Choice
the reviews i've read on this product are outstanding.....and it too has vitamin a and d.


as to mercola....i don't mind that it has vitamin a and d.....i just give a little less liver...:)

he also has this thing about making his gel caps magnesium stearate free....and beef gelatin free....

so, he's nuts, but he's got good marketing, for he reeled me in LOL
That picture... mmmm.... now I want me some salmon...
 
#29 ·
When you finally do decide on a brand and a species of fish, how do you dose the dogs? Do you give so much per pound and daily? My little guy will be 2 pounds so he will get like a drop but Rocky will have to get a lot more at 90 pounds (I'd better not mix them up on a bad morning!)
 
#31 ·
Re: a couple things, what is the difference between the mercola oil you use and the Vital link you posted? I just use a salmon or fish oil capsule I buy at a drug store; Boone doesn't do well with soy so i thought I was all set if it didn't have soy listed as an ingredient on the label. Now, I'm wondering if I should be switching. I see a link in your signature that you're looking at shelties....yay,! I've had three and even though I don't currently have one, they're my breed.
 
#35 ·
i called them....i have left a message with one of their people, but i spoke to customer service. very helpful.

interestingly, many of their products simply say soy free.....except for their salmon oil....it is d-alpha tocopherol....and the only thing she could say was that it is plant based...which makes sense....and believes it is NOT soy..but cannot say for sure.

it could well be sunflower.....most of the time, it's soy...but she also added that the amount was very very small....

their products look to be a high quality product...if not for the question of soy, i'd order it.

as to mercola and vital choice....vital choice has less vitamin a and d in it.....and i would prefer that.

but either or, depending on budget, works for me....mercola is less expensive, i believe.

https://vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=122&idcategory=239

Virgin Salmon Oil | Fish Oil: Omega-3 Source - Mercola.com
thank you! As you may know, I don't feed pmr. I do a couple days of pre made raw (Darwins) and a couple days of The Honest Kitchen. Would either one of these oils work for us? No soy needed here in my home.
 
#43 ·
i think you know, that if ever i were to feed a pre made, it would be darwin....
i don't know enough about honest kitchen to comment, although i have heard very nice reviews...

the fish oil you are feeding now....is he itchy? is he having a reaction?
if not, then why fix it if it's not broken?

however, yes, mercola's or vital choice would work for your dogs.....and the reason for feeding fish oil is simply to balance out the lack of omega 3s in today's foodstuffs.....

factor in the vaccines and other things in the environment and surely a little omega three cannot hurt. :)

my dogs reacted to soy, both of them........and i have such a hate on for soy....especially the soy grown in this country...it is so cheap in quality....that i did search high and low until i found a human fish/salmon oil product the dogs and i could take without issue.
Boone is mostly a paw licker. I currently have him off potato (with the Honest Kitchen, using their Zeal now) to see if that means something. After reading this thread, I am wondering if the fish oil he currently gets, that has "natural tocepherols" (sp) could possibly have soy. While looking around at Mercola, I see they have a krill oil now for pets. I once got a fish oil, didn't check the label, he got an ear infection after about a week of taking it. That's when I noticed a secondary ingredient was soy.
 
#37 ·
Darn, I totally missed the A&D in Vital Cost. I've never been a fan of soy, and even less so after watching Food, Inc., and all that jazz about ... what the heck is the name of that company ... Monsanto that holds a patent on GMO soy and running folks out of business that don't buy their seed from them .... yada, yada, yada. Not the time or place for that rant! The search for soy-free/rosemary-free FO continues :suspicious:
 
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