Is Generic Fish oil the best choice for your dog? Are the Brand Names just a Rip-Off???

[jamiedolan]

I was recently responded to a comment about fish oil that was made on a different site.
The comment was:

"Some say one brand of fish oil or another is the best, I think that's a gimmick."*

My response 5-3-2011:

There are a huge number of medications that are recalled on a regular basis solely
due to mistakes made during manufacturing. *Supplements are far less regulated
and I can only wonder how many thing should be recalled that are not. *There are
a lot of things that can be done incorrectly with fish oil, it needs to be processed in
a very timely fashion, not over heated during processing, etc.

To me, it is well worth it to buy a trusted name like Nordic Naturals that undergoes
regular 3rd party testing.

NORDIC NATURALS :: NORDIC PET

While you may be perfectly fine getting the generics. I feel your far less likely to
run into a problem with any kind of pill or supplement from a very careful well
known company than you are from some generic manufacture that slaps a Sams
label on the bottle.

Like most things, average is *probably* okay and you *probably* won't have any
problems. I care about the difference between probably won't have any problems
and extremely unlikely to have any problems. Nordic Naturals and Barlean's
products fall into the latter (extremely unlikely to have any problems).

When it comes to products for my dogs, I'd rather buy the best & safest products;
even if all that means is that I have a test result I can look at that proves the
product is safe. As often as possible, I get locally grown, organic foods for my
dogs, I am not going to skimp to save a few bucks on pills, that might or might
now be okay.

Nordic Naturals and Barlean's are the two top names in fish / omega 3 supplements.
They both make exceptional products and they hold to the highest standards.

Many human fish oil pills have a flavoring added to help prevent a fishy aftertaste
from the pills. I've never been able to establish exactly what they use to create
this flavoring and if it is really safe for dogs or not. Regarding it's use for humans;
there is no doubt in my mind that the flavoring is 100% safe for humans.

Oils made for pets generally do not have this added flavoring. (I've never seen it
added to a oil that is sold exclusively for pets.) Also gel-caps from some companies
may contain plant based compounds that dogs are not easily able to break down
and digest.

The Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet contains: fish oil, soft gel, capsule gelatin, water,
glycerin0, d-alpha tocopherol (a preservative). No artificial colors or flavors. These
ingredients should all be easy for dogs to digest.

Nordic Naturals has also started making fish oil in liquid form (in colored glass bottles
- yes, they break when you drop them [put it in the back of the fridge ], but glass
is far and away the best inert storage medium for just about any food). Use of fish
oil in the liquid form from a bottle obviously eliminate any question anyone may have
about the digestibility of gel caps.

Barlean's currently is not making a 100% fish oil product for pets (they do a mix
with plant based oils that is marketed for pets, it is a high quality product, however,
I find most pets do best on a supplement that is 100% fish oil.)

Barlean's has 100% fish oil products that are made for human consumption, however,
the majority of their human fish oil products contain "Natural Citrus Flavoring" to make
them more palatable for people. I do not know exactly what is in this flavoring and as
mentioned above I don't know if it is safe for dogs or not.

As of 5-3-2011, I re-visited Barlean's site, and they have updated their product line
to include a new product. Their pet product still contains a plant based mixed.
They however now have a new product which is called "Signature Salmon Oil."
This product does not appear to contain "natural citrus flavoring" as their other
human products do. The Barlean's Signature Salmon Oil contains: Molecularly
distilled fish oil (Salmon oil, Sardine oil and Anchovy oil), softgel capsule (gelatin,
glycerine, water, caramel color), FreshLok™ antioxidant containing rosemary
extract, d-alpha tocopherol, sunflower lecithin, ascorbic acid, and citric acid to
ensure freshness.

The Barlean's Signature Salmon Oil looks like an excellent product, and even
though it is not marketed for pets; it appears to me that it would be perfectly safe
to administer to dogs. I would be happy to give it try, and will post an update if I
get a chance to try it.

A question was asked about Vitamin E content; Vitamin E is in nearly all fish oil
supplements. It is almost always produced from soy. It is extracted to be pure
Vitamin E, so there is rarely an allergy problem from it.

Both Nordic Naturals and Barlen's are extremely response and very easy to get
a hold of. I have contacts at both companies that I met when I contacted the
company with product questions via their web site. I've had very helpful
conversations with the representatives from both of these companies.

We use Nordic Naturals for the dogs every day and I am confident it has made a
significant difference for them. *I used to use Grizzly Salmon oils (which I think
is a fairly good product also, but not to the standards of the other mentioned
companies), and I did not have nearly the same level of positive of results with
the Grizzly product. (by results, I am primarily referring to licking / itching due to
allergies that the omega 3 in the fish oil helps control.)

I have no financial interest in or connection to any pet product company and am
just a consumer that has done a lot of research.

You can order directly from either of the above companies. You can also order
through distributors. I primarily order from one of the following companies:

vetDEPOT

KvVet Supply

They both provide excellent service with prompt shipping. vetDepot in particular
has been exceptionally responsive to questions and feedback about their products
and service.

*(I've re-written the comment as to maintain compliance with copyright laws; I've
essentially said the same thing, just in my own words.)

I'd love to hear from you;

What kind of fish oil do you use?

Is it a brand or generic?

Do you feel there is any point in using brand
name products for your dog?