Can omega-3 help my small dog's allergies? What's the right dose?

Hello. Honestly, I recommend either Nordic Naturals or Bayer Free Form Snip Tips. Both of these are highly recommended by veterinary dermatologists, too. You will need to call other veterinarians to see who carries Cytopoint. It is an excellent product & most of my clients love the convenience of only needing a simple injection once ever 6-8 weeks to control their pet's allergies. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Some fish oil supplements, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, can be given daily, others are given 2-3 times weekly. You will need to read the label of the product you have to determine a schedule. The dose and frequency will depend on the amount of Omega 3s in the capsules and your dog's body weight.

The vast majority of joint supplements will have no negative effects on your dog's allergy condition, most of these supplements are pretty similar as well so you can buy the most convenient for you to find in your local pet store.

Great question. Really the only way to tell if Marshall has dry skin or an allergy would be to treat him for allergies and see if it goes away -- but really he most likely does have allergies, because they are incredibly common in dogs. It could be mild enough that regular fish oils will make a big difference, so I would start with that and then take him to see his vet if the itching is getting worse, not improving, or if he gets any sores or hair loss. Also, if he's itching is severe enough that he interrupts normal daily activities to itch, get him to the vet right away. As far as dose, the type you have is fine and there's a large dose range, but I would say get as close to 2 capsules a day as he'll tolerate. Some dogs get diarrhea at high doses, so you may only be able to do 1 or 1.5. Start with just half a capsule and increase by half a capsule every 2 weeks. You can cut a small hole in the capsule and squirt it one his food or some dogs will eat it whole. My dog always would take it and hide somewhere with carpet and chew on it until it popped - not great. I hope this helps and Marshall's skin is back to normal soon!

If Chloe seems to be doing well I would suggest that you do discontinue the Benadryl. Dogs actually will build up a tolerance to the Benadryl if given consistently over a period of time. At that time it will either stop working or she will need more to get the same effect. You can always start it up again. The probiotic may help with allergies believe it or not so you can definitely do that - it will not hurt anything and might help. I like Fortiflora but you can use any probiotic made for dogs (not human ones or dairy). I do not have any first hand experience using this product but I have had a lot of people tell me it works well for allergies: http://www.dinovite.com/ You can also add the fish oil if you want to as well. It is always recommended. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Yes! It definitely sounds like he needs some omega 3 fatty acids. These treats look like a good source. I also like vetriscience omega 3 fatty acid product. I’ll attach the link below. I hope this helps!

It sounds like Mochu might have an environmental allergy. This based off the commend you make that the skin became a problem when the environment changed. Environmental allergies can be difficult to treat. I highly recommend applying flea prevention every 30 days. Also, you can use an over the counter anti histamine to help control itch. IF the skin is breaking and bleeding you can try an over the counter medicated shampoo. I am not sure about the supplement you mentioned. I have seen fish oils and omega three fatty acids help with skin control. Mochu might need to go see a vet for possible steroid or apoquel to help decrease itchy skin. However I would also recommend a basic blood screen because endocrine disease like hypothyroidism can also cause skin issues in older labs.