# Krill oil vs Fish oil



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

My pets are all raw fed, and as I get a lot of supermarket meat it's low in Omega 3. I currently supp fish oil. Just saw this article about krill oil being better, both environmentally and in terms of Omega 3.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/09/pet-krill-oil.aspx


> * Why Krill Oil is the Best Source of Omega-3s for Your Dog or Cat*
> 
> Aside from the fact that krill are a thriving, highly sustainable food source, there are specific reasons why it is an optimal source of omega-3s for your pet.
> 
> ...




Thoughts?


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

Krill oil is kinda the "new thing" over fish oil. As such it's not as cheap and not as widely available. It is suppose to be better.

With Dr. Becker, I tend to wonder how much the truth is exaggerated for marketing. They are the only ones that sell krill oil for pets afaik.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

On my cat forum, a lot of the raw feeders swear by krill oil. One takes it herself for arthritis and says it works way better than any fish oil she's ever tried, and she can get the same results with a lot less. They use krill oil sold "for humans" so I don't think they have a stake in it .

But the price!


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

I've always been curious about Fish Oil. We feed both our puppers raw (they get fish once a week). How much fish oil do you give - I'm guessing it is based on the weight of your dog?


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## Juramentado (Sep 24, 2012)

sounds good. i did some research as well and so far all i've found are positive reviews about fish oil.
the cost(at least for my country) is only a little bit more expensive than fish oil.

i'd love to hear more responses about other people though before i switch.
i've been using and trusting fish oil for a long time now for my workouts and health. so it has my full trust for my dog's health as well
i'll be a little hesitant to switch unless i hear more


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Loki Love said:


> I've always been curious about Fish Oil. We feed both our puppers raw (they get fish once a week). How much fish oil do you give - I'm guessing it is based on the weight of your dog?


 If you give mostly supermarket meat (as most raw feeders do due to cost) it is low in Omega 3 but high in Omega 6. Fish oil is to bring Omegas back into balance. Btw, it's not about giving fish, it's about giving Omega 3. You'd have to feed a *lot* of fish to make up for it. Anyway.

Maintenance Dose:
100mg per 10 lbs of pet. For example, a 40 lb dog would get 400mg per day.

Therapeutic Dose: (for dogs with skin conditions, allergies, arthritis, etc)
300mg per 10 lbs of pet. A 40 lb dog would get 1200mg per day.

Make sure to read the BACK of the label. The number on the front is a lie. Look on the back at the Omega 3, which is DHA+EPA. Typically most gelcaps are about 300mg each. The label often shows the dose for 2 gelcaps; look at the top and see if it says "serving size: 2 gelcaps" or something.

Find an oil that does not have tocopherols, Vitamen E, citrus, rosemary, etc. Nothing but glyercin and gelatin and fish body oil.

I would not use salmon oil unless it clearly specifies it is wild salmon. Regular fish oil is fine though, herring, sardine, mackerel, anchovies..


So a 300mg cap once a day would work for a 30 lb dog. Mine are 40 lbs. So I give one cap a day and then twice a week give 2 to make up the difference. For my cats, which weigh 10 lbs each, I split one gelcap between them 2-3x a week. Better to give a little over the maintenance dose than a little under. It doesn't have to line up perfectly with the 100mg per 10 lbs.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

I've never given fish oil because I can't stand the smell of the dogs breath after they eat it. My friend gives her yorkies some (squirts it on their kibble). Is there a pill that's not like HUGE that could just be given (wrapped in cheese or something?) or are they all pretty huge capsules?


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

Afaik they're all pretty much the same size. Since it's typically 1000mg of oil containing 300mg of omega-3s so there can't really be much variance in size. Krill oil might be smaller caps if they get them more concentrated. I actually just pop the caps and squeeze out the oil for my dog. Never noticed any fish breath.


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## Juramentado (Sep 24, 2012)

never noticed any fish breath as well.
the only thing is i dont like it when my dog licks me after he gets his fish oil gels. his saliva is stickier lol


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

I've also read that krill oil is better than fish oil, but it's much higher cost keeps me from buying it. We can find fish oil capsules BOGO a lot around here, which makes it very affordable. My dogs all get one daily, and they eat it w/out me having to puncture it and squirt it over their food, thank goodness. In fact, they'll often bite into it to be able to taste the oil before swallowing it - yuk! I haven't noticed a fishy smell either.


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

Sibe said:


> If you give mostly supermarket meat (as most raw feeders do due to cost) it is low in Omega 3 but high in Omega 6. Fish oil is to bring Omegas back into balance. Btw, it's not about giving fish, it's about giving Omega 3. You'd have to feed a *lot* of fish to make up for it. Anyway.
> 
> Maintenance Dose:
> 100mg per 10 lbs of pet. For example, a 40 lb dog would get 400mg per day.
> ...


Very helpful - thank you!


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I've read the marketing about Krill oil and the main point to me is that it is lower on the food chain, so it won't concentrate as many potentially toxic heavy metals and impurities. However, most fish oil capsules are 'expensive' b/c they are purified to remove the toxins. I've personally tried a Krill oil and a quality fish oil and saw no difference. So, I don't think that Krill oil is worth the added expense.

On the other hand, I highly recommend fish oil for people and for pets, b/c the Omega-3 does help reduce all kinds of inflammations. Personally, I've noticed that Fish oil and borage oil [ gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)] make me feel like I've had a cup of coffee in the morning. I'm not recommending Borage for anyone...different topic.

I give my dog Missing Link Plus with Flax Seed for Omega 3... but I think that Fish Oil is better.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

I plan to start taking the Krill oil and giving it to the dogs as well once I finish my enormous bottle of Wild Salmon + Fish oil (sardine & herring). The bottle of salmon/fish oil I have now was approximately $22 on sale, and lastnight walking down the isle I noticed Krill Oil, for a smaller bottle was around $25. I'm going to check Costco when I run out of my current bottle and see if they have Krill oil. I just recently started giving my dogs some fish oil, they do eat a lot of raw sardines and their coats/skin seem to be doing pretty good thus far but since its winter and considerably drier figured it wouldn't hurt to add the extra Omega 3 boost, plus it helps out with a lot more than just their skin. Sometimes I add a drop of coconut oil into their food as well if I happen to be using it myself.


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