October 15, 2007
Aggressive Dogs Lack Omega-3s; Heart-Sick Dogs Helped by Fish Oil
Italian study finds low omega-3 and cholesterol levels in angry fidos;
Earlier US study found that omega-3s may help dogs with heart failure
by Craig Weatherby

There's good evidence that people with aggression and impulse-control
problems tend to be deficient in omega-3s, based on studies in
prisoners and mental patients.

But who would have guessed that the problem might extend to our canine
companions?

Veterinarians at Italy's University of Pavia wondered whether there
might be a biochemical or nutritional basis for aggression in dogs,
which they say is one of the most common problems reported by dog
owners.

To find out, they studied 18 adult male German Shepherds (average age
five years), who were very aggressive but showed no other health
problems.

As controls, they studied 18 healthy male dogs with no history of
aggression.

The vets tested the dogs' blood levels of fatty acids, including
omega-3s.

They found that, compared to normal dogs, aggressive dogs had lower
levels of omega-3 DHA, which is critical to brain cell membrane
function. DHA deficiency is associated with depression and aggression
in humans.

Interestingly, the aggressive German Shepherds also had higher omega6/
omega-3 ratios, which are also associated with depression and
aggression in humans.

Healthier Dog Food
We recently spoke with our customer and friend, Leilani Laca, founder
of the Tazzy Animal Rescue Fund in Burbank, California.

Leilani informed us that she knows many people who purchase Vital
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Finally, the "bad" dogs had lower cholesterol levels, compared to
their normally behaving counterparts.

As the Italians wrote, "Altogether, our results suggest that low
[levels of] omega-3 fatty acids may adversely impact behavior in dogs,
resulting in greater propensity to aggression."

Because of its design, the study could not prove a causal relationship
between low omega-3s and canine aggressiveness.

But, as the vets suggested, the results encourage rigorous clinical
testing of supplemental omega-3s in aggressive dogs.

Omega-3s May Aid Dogs' Hearts

While researching this story, we came across a study from 1998, which
showed that supplemental fish oil can improve several markers of heart
health in dogs.

They enrolled 28 dogs with congestive heart failure and 5 healthy
control dogs, and measured the canines' levels of key inflammatory
chemicals associated with heart disease.

At the outset, the heart-sick dogs had lower blood levels of omega-3s
and omega-6s. (While high omega-6/omega-3 ratios are not healthful,
small amounts of omega-6s are needed for optimal heart function.)

The dogs with heart failure were divided into two groups, which
received either fish oil or placebo pills for two months.

At the end of the study, the fish oil group showed lower levels of a
key inflammatory marker (IL-1) and improved appetite, weight gain, and
heart function, compared to the placebo group. (Freeman LM et al 1998)

It appears that canines' cardiac health can benefit from fish. Just be
sure the fish is boneless, or give your pooch low-sodium canned Salmon
with soft, edible bones.

Source

Re S, Zanoletti M, Emanuele E. Aggressive dogs are characterized by
low omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status. Vet Res Commun. 2007
Sep 19; [Epub ahead of print]
Freeman LM, Rush JE, Kehayias JJ, Ross JN Jr, Meydani SN, Brown DJ,
Dolnikowski GG, Marmor BN, White ME, Dinarello CA, Roubenoff R.
Nutritional alterations and the effect of fish oil supplementation in
dogs with heart failure. J Vet Intern Med. 1998 Nov-Dec;12(6):440-8.