My dogs have started scratching more since the central heating is now on most of the time, so I want to add a bit more oil to their diets. 

I know Evening Primrose oil is supposed to be good for dry skin, but I am wondering why Dorwest advise not to give it to dogs who have epilepsy. Does anyone know?  Neither of my dogs have epilespy, but if Cod Liver oil would work just as well for skin I will order it instead.

Stacey

Evening Primrose Oil is not recommended for humans with epilepsy as it could exacerbate the seizures - so I suppose it's sensible to use the same guide-lines with dogs. I don't know if this has actually been researched, though. hth.

Recently some have found the same problem re. epilepsy with cod liver oil - which like Evening Primrose is used quite extensively :(

Since learning this I think I'd be looking into topical applications only - although you'd have to ensure that they didn't contain either of the above.  Sometimes it's a minefield getting the right thing because practically everything carries risks!

Good luck, perhaps try a search with our great helpful friend GOOGLE  ;)

Teri

I would rather supplement with evening primrose oil,as you cant overdose them on it,unlike cod liver oil :( (vitA & vitD toxicity if you dont feed the correct amount)
What about fish oil,not fish "liver" oil?This is good for the skin also :)

Thanks everyone, I think I will do a web search on Cod Liver oil. 

Hi Rose - I took a look in the supermarket and saw they sold a fish oil, but I am concerned about the added vitamins.  Maybe they are used as preservatives, but still.  My dogs do not need added vitamins - all they need is a bit more oil.  Thanks for the advice.

Stacey

Stacey you can buy pure fish oil from health food shops,some may have added vitE in them as you really shouldnt feed on without the other.

Hi,

Apparently cod liver oil is not a good idea for dogs, i spoke to my vet about it yesterday infact as my older dog is getting a little stiff around the hips, cod liver oil would be a good solution but i did some reasearch and confirmed with my vet that it is not suitable for dogs as there have been no real studies into it but they do know that too much can lead to liver damage.

So without knowing the correct dosage its not worth using. Its a shame because i believe it would work well, its natural and is relativley cheap - but his health comes first. Need to find something else now.

Hi Kkirgirl,

The more you read the more contradictory some things seem to get, especially with herbs and supplements for dogs.  I spent two hours this morning reading everything I could find about garlic for dogs -- beat working, but it did not make up my mind one way or the other about whether I should supplement with garlic or not. 

Given I can see this could extend into days more research with the same fuzzy results - I think I will just add a bit of olive oil to their meals.  And I am *not* going to do a google search on olive oil with dogs.

Stacey

We have started using evening primrose and green lip mussel for Abby as there isnt a lot of oil in her food.
Mary

lol i know what you mean, i did the same thing - i thought of the effects of cod liver oil in humans and thought it would be great for the dog..got conflicting messages from various websites and decided to ask my vet. The vet said no so thats good enough for me, i prefer to use natural remedies so the hunt is on to find another solution to ease his aching joints.

Good luck with your trial :)

Rox

Hi,
I've just started mine on a teaspoon of Omega-3 oil, which I bought online from quistel.co.uk.  The lotion spray I use from them is great, so am hopeful the Omega-3 will be quite good as well! 
  Hilda

I use quistel lotion & shampoo & my oldest cavalier has actually started to grow his tummy hair back & ha stopped itching too. He has their Omega too

Okay so you can overdose on cod liver oil but that is no reason not to give it at all.  Just err on the side of safety.   A medium sized dog for example could have one human dose of cod liver oil once a week.  Oil based supplements do not need to be given every day because they are stored in the body - the exact same reason as they can be overdosed on.

There is debate as to whether extra vit E is needed when supplementing omega 3 or omega 6.  Some researchers say they oxidise in the body and therefore vit E is needed as an anti-oxident, other researchers say they don't oxidise.   I think the best way is to be sensible and to give a small dose Vit E supplement say once or twice a week - again vit E is stored in body.

Wendy

Hi Seddie,

Only problem is vets are now advising that breeds pre-disposed to epilepsy should avoid both Evening Primrose Oil and Cod Liver Oil as it can lower the threshholds :(

Years ago I advised my vet that ACP used as a pre-med could bring on epileptic seizures in dogs not suffering from the illness but nevertheless having the propensity to have it in their genes (despite careful selection of pedigrees).  It's surprising how few vets mention this although if raised with them you'll find they agree.

I think anything which can cause risk of seizures is best avoided - there are always alternatives as the *cure* for one thing can potentially end up being worse than the original disease if epilepsy is brought out :(

Regards, Teri

Rather than supplementing with capsules, once or twice a week you could replace one meal with a can of pilchards or other oily fish.  Most dogs love pilchards, especially the ones in tomato sauce.  HTH. :)

I give my two fish oil capsules on a daily basis. When I mentioned this to my Vet, he said this was a good idea...a bit worried now that I'm giving them too much

liberty