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Red asked in PetsDogs · 1 decade ago

can i give my dog cod liver oil capsules?

My 18 month old chocolate lab has OCD (not Compulsive disorder !!) - its arthritis in the elbows - he has had operation on both legs and is on tablets from the vet - Previcox. Its so sad as he wants to run but when he does he suffers. I know it shouldnt be a case of money but these tablets are so expensive. I was wondering if I could put cod liver oil in his food like we have for our joints. He is on the Hills food which has all the fish oils etc in and these Previcox tablets. Please advise. I dont want to ask the vet cos I know he will say no - he is very money orientated - but I need to know if its possible and wont harm the dog in any way.

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    No Cod Liver is bad, you need to add Salmon Oil or another high OMEGA-3 oil. Have you looked into other natural remedies?

    http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html

    http://www.dogvitaminsupplement.com/

    http://www.greenlivingtips.com/blogs/257%E2%80%A6

    Try finding an all natural vet in your area and taking your dog to him/her. They can recommend an alternative treatment and wont look at you funny like your vet would.

    That first site I recommended would have to be the best.

    Add GLUCOSAMINE First and foremost, I believe all dogs with arthritis or known joint problems should be on some sort of glucosamine-type therapy. This should include oral supplements that contain glucosamine (sulfate or hcl), chondroitin sulfate, green lipped mussel (perna canaliculus), hyaluronic acid, or a combination of these. It may also include the injectible form, Adequan or Cartrophen. Since these supplements are the only things that actually help protect the joints rather than just treating the symptoms, they are a must for all dogs with joint problems. Different dogs respond differently to different supplements, so find one that works for your dog rather than relying on what has worked for others, though that may be a good place to start. Give high doses at first, so you will be able to tell if it is working. If you get results, you can try reducing the dosage to see if your dog will do well on less. If you don't get results, try a different brand. See the section below on Glucosamine and other GAGs for more information.

    2. DIET If possible, reduce the amount of grains and starchy carbohydrates in the diet (THOSE ARE THE MAIN INGREDIENTS IN HILLS DOG FOODS) and increase the amount of protein. This can be done by feeding a better quality food, by using canned instead of dry foods, by adding fresh foods such as eggs and meat to the diet, or by feeding a home made diet. Many arthritic dogs improve greatly when grains are removed from the diet. One of the best things you can do for a dog with arthritis is to keep him lean. If your dog is overweight, start him on a weight loss program right away -- note that traditional high-carbohydrate weight loss products are not recommended. See Pudgy Pups for some guidelines on helping your dog to lose weight. Also see the section below on Diet for dogs with arthritis for more information, and the section on Senior and overweight dogs on my Dog Feeding page. ** I WOULD RECOMMEND A RAW DIET WITH NOT VEGGIES OR FRUITS **

    3. FISH OIL If I was going to suggest any single nutritional supplement for dogs with arthritis, it would be fish oil (fish body oil, such as Salmon Oil or EPA oil, not cod liver oil). Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation. They are beneficial no matter what type of diet you feed. Note that omega-3 fatty acids are fragile and break down quickly when exposed to light, heat or air, so just feeding a food that has omega-3 fatty acids added is not usually helpful. Give as much as 1000 mg fish oil (300 mg EPA/DHA) per 10 lbs of body weight daily. Because fish oil depletes vitamin E in the body, you should also give vitamin E supplements whenever you supplement with oils of any kind. Give around 100 IUs to a small dog, 200 IUs to a medium sized dog, up to 400 IUs for a large dog, anywhere from daily to once or twice a week. ** IF YOU DECIDED TO FEED RAW, ADD FISH TO HIS DIET AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR OPTIMUM RESULTS **

    4. PAIN RELIEF If your dog is in pain, look for ways to relieve it naturally before turning to NSAIDs. DLPA is the first thing I would try, it made a definite difference for my dog and is very safe to use. For worse pain, consider using Tramadol, a synthetic narcotic that can also be used in conjunction with NSAIDs. I would also be trying a variety of natural anti-inflammatories, to see if any of them seem to make a difference. See the section on Chronic Pain Relief below for more information on drugs used to help dogs with arthritis pain. ** HEAT PADS ARE A GREAT IDEA **

    5. ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES Many people have reported success using acupuncture for arthritis. Unfortunately, I am not one of them, and at least in my area, acupuncture is very expensive (over $100 per visit), so it's not the first thing I would recommend trying unless you have access to it at a more reasonable rate. If your dog does respond to acupuncture, you can also consider gold bead implants, which are a form of permanent acupuncture. Chiropractic can also be helpful in many cases, although again, I have not had success with it myself. I do not recommend VOM (veterinary orthopedic manipulation), a form of chiropractic that makes unrealistic claims and in our case had no benefit at all, but other forms may be very helpful for many dogs. I am not a believer in homeopathy, but some people have reported success using homeopathic remedies for arthritis pain, including Zeel and Traumeel.

    NB: I pasted the above from the first link.

    All the best!

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    Cod Liver Oil For Joints

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    I work in a kennel for a breeder of Portuguese water dogs which she shows. We add a teaspoon of cod liver oil and a 1/2 tsp of Flax Oil to their food in the mornings to prevent dry skin (there are also other benefits, but I won't go into all of them here). These are 45-50 lb dogs, so you'll want to adjust for size. We have 2 Bichons that are kept as pets who only get 1/4 tsp of each. I have found that just using the oil on their morning feedings is easier that giving the capsules.

  • 1 decade ago

    i used to work for a breeder and i fed his dogs raw meat diet...i would put cod liver oil in there food everyday...not the capsules though i used the liquid put into a syringe ans just put it in his food. but yes it very good for the dogs. also if he's having problems with his joints, look into getting something called Nupro. its a supplement in powder form and has a lot of essential vitamins for dogs, is very good. It comes in all different sizes....theres a vet catalog called KV vet...they have a website http://www.kvvet.com/KVVet/assets/html/homepage.as...

    anyone can order from there and they have really good prices. They also have a vet on the line so if you have any questions about what your ordering you can ask a professional. but i would look into both of those....especially the Nupro for joints, it really works

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  • 1 decade ago

    Hiya -- firstly OCD is not arthritis in the elbows at all but it will leave arthritis. Secondly you are right to try and take him off of previcox, as at 18 months old he could get serious problems trying to take any NSAID's on a permanent basis. Surprised your vet hasn't said this.

    I would go for a good glucosamine with chondroitin & msm. You can also go for green-lip mussel and or shark cartiledge (trying to find a sustainable source). You can also get devils claw as an alternative anti-inflammatory.

    I have a dog here with OCD and Elbow dysplacia and I have managed his pain over about 8 years with alternative methods.

    To keep him on any NSAID's long term can cause internal bleeding and it would be best to save them for times of flare-ups.

    Carefully manage his exercise so that it is consistent and not too OTT, and he will be fine.

    Add on --- in a hurry this morning (taking foster dog for hydro) but really should of read all of "A trained dog's" post as agree completely, including the accupuncture. Have had that for several of my dogs. Also the tramadol. It is a "human" pain relief used in dogs which doesn't have the risk of internal bleeding with it.

    Excellent post and don't think you can go far wrong in listening to that.

  • 1 decade ago

    Yhh of course you can give your dog fish oil capsules.

    My dog has the same problem with artheritus and we gave him fish oil capsules in his food and slowly we began to see a change in his pace. He got a lot better.

    HOPE THIS HELPED! =]

  • 1 decade ago

    maybe i give my dogs fish oil pills because it gives them a shiny coat

  • 1 decade ago

    DONT, trust me there made for humans;)

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