The Benefits of Adding Fish to the Raw Diet
An incredibly valuable protein source that pet owners often miss is fish. Fish is packed with omega 3 fatty acids. It’s a low fat, high protein food with a great polyunsaturated fat profile (the good fats). Most animals, including humans, are not getting enough omega 3 in their diet.
The two most commonly known and important omega 3’s are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahaexenoic acid (DHA). For starters, DHA makes up approximately 25% of the mammalian brain. So if your pet isn’t getting enough, it could affect behaviour, nervous system function and array of other systems including the digestive, reproductive and endocrine systems.
Most of you have heard of giving fatty acid oil supplements. The problem with a large number of these products is that the oil is particularly unstable after being extracted. It oxidizes quickly and can become rancid even before you buy it. Feeding rancid oil in a regular basis is actually more dangerous than feeding none at all. Rancid oils can cause digestive upset including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms. Over time, they can put the liver and other organs under extreme stress. For this reason, it’s best to only purchase a month’s supply of oil at a time and make sure it is refrigerated before and after purchase. And, adding extra is easy with whole fish!
Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
improved behavioural problems, including anxiety and depression
improved eye health
improved digestive functions, such as symptoms of IBS and Crohn’s disease
reduced risk of heart disease
improved symptoms of autoimmune disease
reduced fat build-up in the liver
equalibrilizes hormone regulation
provides relief from inflammation
provides vital nutrients to the brain in developing infants
promotes bone and joint health
promotes healthy skin
Types of Fish to Consider
salmon
canned sardines in water or raw sardines
canned or raw mackerel
hoki
The lower down on the food chain the fish is, the less heavy metal content when feeding wild fish, hence, the recommendations of hoki, sardines and mackerel. Salmon is another great option. Don’t forget to add this important food to your pets diet!