To evaluate the effects of a food supplemented with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on weight bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis.
At least in the short term, dietary supplementation with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids resulted in an improvement in weight bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis.
Fish oil omega‐3 fatty acids, mainly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, are used in the management of several diseases in companion animal medicine, many of which are inflammatory in nature. This review describes metabolic differences among omega‐3 fatty acids and outlines potential adverse effects that may occur with their supplementation in dogs and cats with a special focus on omega‐3 fatty acids from fish oil. Important potential adverse effects of omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation include altered platelet function, gastrointestinal adverse effects, detrimental effects on wound healing, lipid peroxidation, potential for nutrient excess and toxin exposure, weight gain, altered immune function, effects on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, and nutrient‐drug interactions.
Adverse effects, if observed, are likely to be dose‐dependent. It is necessary to understand dosages of omega‐3 fatty acids to understand how much fish oil to supplement, or what dietary concentration to aim for when recommending omega‐3 supplementation. Provision of omega‐3 fatty acids can be expressed as milligrams of total omega‐3 fatty acids per kilogram body weight; as milligrams of EPA and DHA per kilogram body weight or metabolic body weight; as a dietary amount on a per energy basis (grams or milligrams per 100 or per 1,000 kcal); or as a dietary amount on a per weight basis (grams or milligrams per 100 grams of diet as fed or on dry matter basis). The amount of omega‐3 fatty acids also can be expressed as a ratio of n‐6:n‐3 fatty acids, or as a ratio of “functional” fatty acids (LA + AA: EPA + DHA). The same enzymes are involved in the metabolism of omega‐6 and omega‐3 fatty acids, resulting in competition between these fatty acids for incorporation into cell membranes and other biological properties. Therefore, dietary excess or deficiency of LA versus ALA may influence conversion rates to downstream products. Dietary amounts of omega‐6 versus omega‐3 fatty acids are frequently expressed as a dietary n‐6:n‐3 ratio in addition to absolute amounts for this reason. However, ALA is not equivalent to EPA and DHA and the total n‐6:n‐3 ratio by itself does not accurately describe the fatty acid composition of the diet. A product with a high total omega‐3 fatty acid concentration could contain high concentrations of ALA, high concentrations of EPA and DHA, or a combination of these fatty acids. Because diets with ALA have different effects when compared with diets enriched in EPA and DHA, the type of omega‐3 fatty acids is crucial information and the lack of distinction between these fatty acids may contribute to the equivocal nature of results of earlier studies.
To describe effects of lifetime food restriction on causes of death and the association between body-mass characteristics and time of death in dogs.
Results were similar to results of diet restriction studies in rodents and primates, reflecting delayed death from species- and strain-specific intrinsic causes. Clinicians should be aware that unplanned body mass changes during mid- and later life of dogs may indicate the need for thorough clinical evaluation.
Physical activity improves outcome of weight loss in obese humans, but limited information exists for dogs. Eight obese dogs (body condition score 5/5), of various breeds and genders, undertook a 3-month weight-loss program which included exercise using lead walks and underwater treadmill exercise. The median number of treadmill exercise sessions per dog was 13 (range: 5 to 17). Median distance walked per session was 0.97 km (range: 0.05 to 2.7 km) (0.6 miles; range: 0.03 to 1.70 miles) and this increased sequentially over the course of the study (P < 0.001). Mean [± standard deviation (s)] percentage of starting weight loss over the 3 mo was 18.9 ± 5.44%, equivalent to a rate of weight loss of 1.5 ± 0.43% per week. Thoracic and abdominal girth also declined significantly during the program (P < 0.0001 for both).
This study demonstrates the potential benefit of including an organized exercise regimen, utilizing an underwater treadmill, in conventional canine weight management programs.
To assess the effect of food containing high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids and a low omega-6-omega-3 fattyacid ratio on clinical signs of osteoarthritis in dogs.
Ingestion of the test food raised blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and appeared to improve the arthritic condition in pet dogs with osteoarthritis.
To determine associations between serum concentrations of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or body condition and serum concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, insulin, glucose, or triglyceride in healthy dogs.
Serum concentrations of docosapentaenoic acid were significantly positively associated with concentrations of adiponectin and leptin and negatively associated with concentrations of triglyceride. Serum concentrations of α-linolenic acid were significantly positively associated with concentrations of triglyceride. No significant associations were detected between serum concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid and any of the outcome variables. Percentage of body fat was significantly positively associated with concentrations of leptin, insulin, and triglyceride but was not significantly associated with adiponectin concentration. Age was positively associated with concentrations of leptin, insulin, and triglyceride and negatively associated with concentrations of adiponectin. Sex did not significantly affect serum concentrations for any of the outcome variables.
To determine the effect of weight reduction on clinical signs of lameness among overweight dogs with clinical and radiographic signs of hip osteoarthritis.
Results suggest that in overweight dogs with hind limb lameness secondary to hip osteoarthritis, weight reduction alone may result in a substantial improvement in clinical lameness.
To evaluate factors associated with lameness severity and hip joint range of motion in dogs with hip dysplasia and to assess the association between hip joint range of motion and degree of lameness.
Conclusion:Longer daily exercise duration was associated with lower lameness scores in dogs with hip dysplasia. Dogs with hip joint luxation secondary to hip dysplasia had higher lameness scores than did dogs without hip joint luxation.
To determine the effects of feeding a diet supplemented with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on carprofen dosage in dogs with osteoarthritis.
Results suggested that in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis receiving carprofen because of signs of pain, feeding a diet supplemented with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids may allow for a reduction in carprofen dosage.
The aim of this randomized, placebo‐controlled and double‐blinded trial was to compare the effect of a veterinary therapeutic diet (VTD) rich in omega‐3 fatty acids (omega‐3) from fish origin to a regular diet used as control (CTR) over a period of 13 weeks in dogs afflicted by naturally occurring osteoarthritis (OA). Thirty privately owned dogs were selected. Dogs had lameness confirmed by an orthopaedic examination, had stifle/hip OA and had locomotor disability based on the peak of the vertically oriented ground reaction force (PVF) measured using a force platform. At Baseline, all owners were asked to determine 2–5 activities of daily living that were the most impaired. Activities were scores (0–4) in accordance with severity using case‐specific outcome measures (CSOM). The PVF was also measured. Dogs (15/group) were then randomly assigned to receive either the CTR or the VTD. The CSOM was completed twice weekly. The recording of PVF was repeated at Week 7 and 13. The VTD‐fed dogs showed a significantly higher PVF at Week 7 (p < 0.001) and at Week 13 (p < 0.001) when compared to Baseline. From Baseline to Week 13, VTD‐fed dogs had a mean (± SD) change in PVF recording of 3.5 ± 6.8% of body weight (%BW) compared with 0.5 ± 6.1%BW (p = 0.211) in CTR‐fed dogs. This change in the primary outcome was consistent with an effect size of 0.5. Conversely, dogs fed the CTR did not show significant change in PVF measurements. At the end of the study, the CSOM was significantly decreased (p = 0.047) only in VTD fed dogs. In lame OA dogs, a VTD that contains high level of omega‐3 from fish origin improved the locomotor disability and the performance in activities of daily living. Such nutritional approach appears interesting for the management of OA.
Citing Literature
This clinical trial evaluated the functional outcomes of lame privately owned dogs afflicted by OA follow- ing 13 weeks of feeding with a VTD containing high levels of omega-3. According to the primary study outcome (PVF), OA dogs were significantly improved (p < 0.001) 7 weeks after the beginning of a dietary modulation. The improvement in the functional disability was maintained through the 13 weeks duration, achieving a mean improvement of 3.5 ± 6.8%BW when compared to initial limb support (p < 0.001). When expressed relatively to Baseline (pre-treatment) values, the improvement corresponded to 6.9 ± 12.2%. The ameliorative effect of VTD was in accordance with previous trials performed by our group (Moreau et al., 2003, 2004, 2007) and others (Budsberg et al., 1999) using NSAID and powder of elk velvet antler. Moreover, the level of improvement represented an increment of 1.4 kg applied to the afflicted and painful limb for a dog of 36.7 kg. The effect size of the VTD improvement was 0.5, which was consistent with a moderate therapeutic effect (Cohen, 1992).
