addition of flaxseed oil or similar
 

hello, I am very new and have not read all the threads, but does anyone have experience of adding a small amt of oil to each meal, to help with coat & skin?
I have a black poodle & want to keep her coat glossy. Thanks

Salmon oil is better, IMO...

What I give is a supplement that's a sort of mix of oils in a squirty bottle- [URL="http://www.biologicnr.com/biologicvetnx/products/biofats.htm"]this[/URL]

I don't know about salmon in particular but with my poodle, fish or cod oil capsules - and this is a while ago! - worked wonders with his coat. Of course, he also did eat the real thing - salmon - and I think the real thing trumps the capsules every time!!!! (Unless there is some medical reason a dog/cat/bunny.person cannot digest the fish).

Of course, feeding the real fish means deboning and that takes time!

In this month's issue of "The Whole Dog Journal" it is stated that "flaxseed oil and carmelina oil are not good choices to replace fish oil."

This is because flaxseed oil is high in alpha linoleic acid (ALA) which the dogs then have to convert to EPA(eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which are readily available in fish oils.

Hope that explains it.