Fatty-Acid Supplements for Cats

Fatty-acid supplements are essential and beneficial for the well-being of your cat. They are helpful in many different ailments and also are required for the overall good health of your feline. Available in a variety of different sources, fatty-acid supplements are natural and generally safe.

  1. The Facts

    • Fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat and are essential to the proper health of cats. Felines can produce some of the fatty acids they need, but not all of them. Therefore, they must be supplemented and, usually, this can be found in their diets. The most common essential fatty acids are of the omega-3 and omega-6 varieties.

    Function

    • Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful in the overall health of your pet, in addition to providing essential ingredients for healthy skin and coats. They help to create a protective barrier against infection and irritants, as well as inflammation. However, it is very important to maintain a proper balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. For example, omega-3s prevent inflammation, while too much omega-6s can promote inflammation.

    Sources

    • Fatty acids can be found in a variety of sources, including beef fat, fish and sunflower oils, plants and cold-water fish. Your cat's food should also have a good amount as well. Pet-food companies will usually add a higher amount of omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3's.

    Benefits of Use

    • Veterinarians first started prescribing fatty-acid supplements to cat owners for their help with skin problems. Recently, the animal-medicine community became aware of the many more benefits that fatty acids have to offer. They have been found to be helpful in allergy and auto-immune issues, arthritis, inflammatory conditions, heart problems and yeast infections. In cats, the use of fatty-acid supplements has been extremely effective in battling the skin condition miliary dermatitis.

    Side Effects

    • While side effects from fatty-acid supplements are few and far between, they can occur. The most serious, but rare, complication is the onset of pancreatitis. This is an inflammation of the pancreas and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and pain.

      Since fatty-acid supplements are polyunsaturated fats, they do add calories to your pet and, if given in large amounts, can cause your pet to become overweight.

      In addition, because of the large amount of fish oil that is in fatty acids, they can often cause your cat's breath to have a fish-like odor.