How often should I give my dog omega 3 fish oil for allergies?

Yes omega 3 fatty acids are great for them! I would recommend a brand made for dogs. I have attached a link below. You can also give 1/2 tablet of benadryl twice a day to help with itching. You may also think about switching her to natural balance limited ingredient diet venison and sweet potato food in case it is a food allergy. This food has no grains and no chicken/beef which are the most common allergens for dogs. I hope this helps.

You can give the fish oil pills 3x a week to lessen the amount, but to get the full benefits of it, it should be given daily. Because the amount of those pills is still well within the recommended dose range, it is fine to give them daily.

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!

Hello. I would have Emma on a fish oil supplement year round. In order to calculate the right dose, look at the label for the amount of EPA & DHA it contains. Add them together & that is the total fish oil content per capsule. A 50-pound dog would need about 1500 mg of fish oil. For example, SnipCaps by Dechra contains about 850 mg per capsule, so in this case, 2 capsules are needed per day. I would also go back to whatever shampoo worked for you before. Do not stop when everything is OK. If he clears using the shampoo 2-3 time a week, then continue to bathe him at least once a week all year round ( maybe once every 2 weeks ), but do it regularly. The allergy medicine ( which I hope is Apoquel ) can also be given all year. When he is doing well, you might be able to cut back to 1 dose 1-2 times a week, & immediately bump it up if she flares. Also, talk with our vet about trying some of the different over the counter antihistamines to supplement your allergy medications. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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.

One fish oil capsule a day is fine. There is a risk of giving your dog too much fish oil, and there are serious side effects from that including a tendency to bleed more when injured due to the fish oil interfering with platelet function, interfering in wound healing, and an interference in the inflammatory response of the immune system. I would not add any fish based kibble due to these risks.