Did you know that if you're feeding your dog fish oils you should also be giving your dog additional vitamin E? So many vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids can interact within a dog's body and this is a prime example of one of those instances. When we feed fish oils it can deplete the amount of vitamin E available to our dogs. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that functions as an important antioxidant and is essential for skin and coat health as well as protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals.

AAFCO and the NRC recommend supplementation when feeding dogs polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) which come in the form of fish oils. It is recommended that when feeding fish oil to add in 10 IU of vitamin E for every gram of fish oil per kg of diet. 

This is information I provide to all my diet formulation clients as most all recipes I formulate contain fish oils.

A general guideline to follow is below, especially when first getting your dog started on supplements: 

• 50-100 IU for small dogs 
• 100-200 IU for medium dogs 
• 200-300+ IU for large to giant dogs

I prefer the Solgar brand for vitamins you can either purchase in liquid form or pill form. 

• Liquid: https://iherb.co/4jaBn8AW
• Pill: https://iherb.co/AmNrcxh9

From AAFCO: “It is recommended that the ratio of IU of vitamin E to grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) be > 0.6:1. A diet containing 50 IU of vitamin E will have a ratio of > 0.6:1 when the PUFA content is 83 grams or less. Diets containing more than 83 grams of PUFA should contain an additional 0.6 IU of vitamin E for every gram of PUFA.”

“Add 10 IU Vitamin E above the minimum concentration for each gram of fish oil per kilogram of diet.”

Sources:

https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/Regulatory/Committees/Pet-Food/Reports/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Midyear-Proposed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf

Are you adding in vitamin E already to your dog's diet if you feed fish oils?