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Omega Fatty Acids and Your Dog and Cat
by T. J. Dunn, Jr. DVM 

THE SHORT VERSION...
What Are Omega Fatty Acids?
Omega fatty acids are in a class of dietary fats that have highly significant effects on the individual consuming them. They are composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen with a small amount of oxygen. Fatty acid requirements of felines are slightly different from the canine’s but both depend upon high quality fat sources in their diets. Over the past twenty years a tremendous amount of research on humans and animals have proven that Omega fatty acid intake in proper ratios and quantities effects a wide range of biochemical actions. Clotting factors, neurological development, cell membrane integrity and function, immune competence, energy generation and fat metabolism are just some of the metabolic activities directly affected by Omega fatty acids.

Omega3 fatty acid, Omega6 fatty acid and Arachidonic acid are the three main fatty acids impacting the health status of dogs and cats. Dogs must eat Omega6 fatty acid in their food in order to survive; and from this single source the other two fatty acids can be created within the dog. Cats need both Omega6 fatty acid and Arachidonic acid and according to some nutritionists they even require an Omega3 fatty acid in their diet in order to survive.

What Are The Sources Of Omega Fatty Acids?
Omega-6 fatty acid is found in safflower, sunflower, corn and evening primrose oils and Borage oil. Linoleic Acid, which is one kind of naturally occurring Omega6 fatty acid, is found in common pet-food ingredients such as corn and chicken fat and is a required nutritional component of the canine and feline diet.

Omega3 fatty acids are derived from plant and animal sources. Fish oils, especially cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and herring, and in animals that feed on these fish, are the primary dietary sources of Omega3 fatty acids. Omega3 fatty acids are also found in oils from some plants such as canola and flaxseeds. Walnuts, freshly ground wheat germ, and soybeans also contain significant amounts.

Arachidonic Acid (AA), an essential fatty acid for felines, is present in some fish oils, pork fat and poultry fat.
Sources of both Omega3 and Omega6 fatty acids are dried beans such as great northern, kidney, navy and soybeans. Certain fish are very rich in EFAs. The body can convert EFAs from fish more easily than fatty acids from other sources.

What Do Fatty Acids Do In The Body?
Fatty acids are precursors to many highly active and influential chemicals that play a role in modulating a variety of biochemical pathways. Immune function, energy production and utilization, cell membrane strength and function, reduction and/or stimulation of inflammation are but a few of the activities attributed to derivatives of fatty acids. The production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins and eicosanoids has profound effects on the health status of the dog and cat… and human.

Why Are They Important?
Without certain fatty acids in the diet mammals simply would not survive; they are as essential to life as water or oxygen. Only through ingestion of a select few fatty acids in the diet are dogs, cats and us able to live and thrive. Conversely, if only poor quality fatty acids are available via the diet, or if high quality fatty acids are present but in minimal amounts or in improper ratios dogs, cats and humans will not thrive. No truer phrase has been uttered than that which states, “we are what we eat” when it comes to the influence fatty acids have on health status. Provide your dog or cat a diet that has low levels of fatty acids, or poor quality fatty acids, or fatty acids that have been degraded by exposure to air, high temperatures or harmful chemicals and the animal will surely suffer the consequences.  Research has demonstrated that changes in the dietary fatty acids actually modify the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane. Any changes in the cell membrane lipid composition changes the cell function. Eicosanoids derived from Arachidonic acid (AA) tend to increase inflammatory processes compared to eicosanoids derived from (GLA) gamma-linolenic acid or (EPA) eicosapentaenoic acid.

In dogs and cats the most obvious sign of fatty acid deficiency is the presence of flaky skin with a greasy, odoriferous character and a hair coat that is coarse and lusterless. Joint pain or discomfort is highly probable and the dog will scratch at itself; skin and ear infections are common. Cats tend to have thin, flaky skin and dull yet greasy coats that mat easily. Less visible but no less real is dulled immune competence. Every cell in the body is challenged and will fail to achieve optimum functionality when fatty acid deficiency is present. Practical evidence of these deficiencies is seen every day in small animal veterinary practice when patients are presented that are being fed poor quality diets. Pet owners are often truly amazed when they observe the transformation dogs and cats experience when their poorly nourished pet is placed on a high quality meat based diet that contain proper amounts of unprocessed fats along with proper amounts of protein and lesser percentages of grain based carbohydrates.

THE LONG VERSION

Fatty acids are the building blocks of dietary fat and are formed by specific combinations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are short chain fatty acids (as few as 4 carbons) and long chain fatty acids that can have as many as 24 carbon atoms lined up in a row. Linoleic and Linolenic acids have 18 carbon atoms in a row and Arachidonic Acid has 20. It’s easy to think of the fatty acid molecule’s chemical structure if you picture it like you would the vertebral column of the dog, cat or human. Think of the backbone with ribs attached. The carbon atoms linked together and lined up compare to the vertebra in the spinal column. Attached on opposite sides of each vertebra (carbon atom) is a rib. Each rib correspond to a hydrogen atom. And for extra power, there are two legs attached to the last vertebra instead of ribs. The legs are oxygen atoms. So fatty acids can have a wide number of central carbon atoms lined up and attached to each other with lots of hydrogen atoms stuck to them and just a few oxygen atoms.
One of the truly amazing aspects of biochemistry is the fact that in any molecule, even those made up of hundreds of atoms, if a single atom changes position or gets swapped out for a different atom, the function of that molecule may be radically different from the original. And so it is with fatty acids… just changing the position of a single atom changes that fatty acid’s function. You can see why cooking or any heat applied to fatty acids can alter its form and function in the cell. Too much heat and the backbone of carbon can be fractured, the ribs of hydrogen and legs of oxygen can be knocked off and the nature of the fatty acid is changed.

Over 70 different fatty acids have been discovered in nature but only about a dozen are involved in mammalian biochemistry. For any organism to live and grow certain substances are required from the environment as food as well as from its internal biochemical factory so that cellular functions can flourish. In the dog and cat, there are a multitude of required chemicals that the internal chemical factory (mostly the liver) must produce for life to continue… we might say that any of these chemicals are “essential”. However, and this can be confusing, nutrition jargon defines “essential nutrients” more narrowly. Nutritionally speaking, an “essential” nutrient is one that the animal must acquire via the diet. For example, in the dog there are basic protein components called amino acids that cannot be manufactured in the dog’s liver and must therefore be consumed pre-made by another animal or a plant; these 11 amino acids are then called “essential amino acids”… they can only be acquired via ingestion of the preformed (“pre-manufactured”) amino acid. In dogs there is one essential fatty acid, an omega-6 called Linoleic Acid and from this one other very important fatty acids can be synthesized within the dog’s body. Cats have two essential fatty acids, Linoleic Acid and Arachidonic Acid, that must be obtained via the diet.

Humans and dogs are Omnivores, that is we can utilize either plant sources of food or meat sources exclusively and still survive. Cats are true Carnivores because they must consume some kind of meat in order to survive and will not live long on plant-only sources of food. One of the necessary elements of a health promoting diet for us humans, for dogs and for cats is fats. There are all kinds of biologically active fats and each one plays a role in the biochemical pathways within us that keeps us alive. Some fats can be digested and split up into different, smaller fat molecules with a different name and role to play in the animal’s physiology. That’s what makes Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids so important… they can be split apart in the body and the resulting molecules utilized for some very important duties.
The dog and cat need many fatty acids to run their internal machinery, to make cell structures, to be used for energy, to be incorporated into chemicals such as hormones, for fat soluble vitamin interactions and for secretions such as sebum, tears and sweat. (Dogs and cats do have sweat glands but they are a minor player in thermoregulation.) We’ve learned that only a few fatty acids are required in the diet (called an “essential fatty acid”) through the ingestion of plant and animal sources because other needed fatty acids are manufactured within the animal’s body. In the dog there is in fact only one essential fatty acid; it is an Omega 6 fatty acid called Linoleic Acid and abbreviated LA.

Here’s where things get complicated but to understand the topic better we need to explore a little deeper. The Omega6 fatty acid called Linoleic Acid and abbreviated LA has what is called an active form that is involved in chemical reactions. This active form of LA is called gamma Linoleic Acid and is abbreviated GLA. So when you see GLA described just remember that it is the active form of the only essential fatty acid required by dogs.

Let’s get this “Omega” term defined. Chemists use this term to describe where in the molecule’s carbon backbone an unsaturated bond exists between two carbon atoms. Remember before we said that when a hydrogen atom rib is missing from the carbon atom backbone the molecule is called “unsaturated”? The term omega tells us where on the backbone there is a carbon atom looking for a lost hydrogen atom. The carbon backbone of fatty acids wants to be saturated with hydrogen atoms and we need to know which carbon is without the hydrogen. The term omega tells us where there is one or more carbon atoms unsaturated. So Omega 3 fatty acid has the third carbon atom in the chain not saturated with a hydrogen atom. In Omega 6 fatty acid molecules it isn’t until we get to the sixth carbon that we find it is missing hydrogen atoms. This may seem to be insignificant trivia until you realize that in biochemistry any change in structure can have a tremendous impact on how that molecule works or doesn’t work. Think of it as a long distance phone number… change a single digit and an entirely different result will occur when you dial.

You will hear the term PUFA… polyunsaturated fatty acid… which refers to a fatty acid that has more than one carbon atom without hydrogen “ribs”. An example of a monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid which is present in olive oil. A polyunsaturated fatty acid would be (ALA) alpha-Linolenic acid
present in flaxseed oil, (EPA) eicosapentaenoic acid present in fish oil. When unsaturated fatty acids are heated in the presence of hydrogen the carbon backbone can attract and become saturated with hydrogen atoms. We hear about saturated fats being “unhealthy” and PUFAs being more desirable. Saturated fats can ultimately affect cholesterol and other lipid factors. Heating fats can also cause what is known as trans fats. Think of naturally occurring fatty acids as being “right handed”… heat them up and they can develop a twist in their shape and become “left handed”. Exposing naturally occurring fatty acids to high temperatures or forcing hydrogen gas into them at high temperature and pressure (called hydrogenation) will cause trans fatty acids to develop. Scientists have documented unhealthy effects on mammals that consume saturated trans fatty acids. Examples of products with trans fatty acids are cooking oils and margarine. Most packaged goods that contain "partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils" or "shortening" most likely contain trans fats.

The primary EFA in the dog and cat is linoleic acid (LA), also called Omega6 fatty acid. Its derivative gamma-linolenic acid is abbreviated (GLA). Linoleic Acid (Omega6) maintains skin and coat condition in dogs and cats. Without enough linoleic acid dogs and cats may experience dull, dry coat, hair loss, greasy skin and increased susceptibility to skin inflammation. When the skin is already irritated due to insufficient high quality fat sources in the diet, any additional irritant such as pollen, dust, bacteria or dampness can trigger intense itching. That's why supplements of table foods that contain fatty acids can often have very noticeable beneficial effects in alleviating itching in pets. Cats also require another fatty acid, Arachidonic Acid, for normal skin and coat health. Therefore, in cats Arachidonic Acid is an Essential Fatty Acid; as mentioned earlier, dogs can make their own Arachidonic Acid from Omega6 fatty acid.

Omega-3 fatty acids that recently have been getting a lot of attention include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and its derivatives eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acids, and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA). These derivatives of omega-3 fatty acid have been shown to have significant impact on cell structure, strength, and function. Additionally they modulate the release of some good and some not-so-good chemicals in the body. EPA and other derivatives of omega-3 fatty acid influence clotting factors, cell membrane integrity, release and clean-up of nasty chemicals called free radicals, trienes, COX-1 and COX-2 molecules. COX stands for cyclo-oxygenase which is a free roaming chemical that ends up as an activated and rather harsh oxygen atom. Free roaming oxygen, unattached to a heme molecule that safely carries oxygen to cells, is the body’s enemy within. Saturated and trans fatty acids are no help against these free oxygen atoms, interestingly called “radicals”. “Free radicals” are much less likely to form within the body and in fact are counteracted by naturally occurring polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet.

Omega3 fatty acids produce compounds (called eicosanoids) that are much less inflammatory than omega-6 eicosanoids. The total amount of fatty acids in the diet is very important. Not only that, research has shown that the ratios of fatty acids to each other in a diet are important. A ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids between 5:1 and 10:1 produces the least amount of proinflammatory compounds and the largest amount of less inflammatory eicosanoids.

Arachidonic Acid (AA), an essential fatty acid for felines, is present in some fish oils, pork fat and poultry fat. It is synthesized in the canine from Omega6 fatty acid and so is not required in the dog’s diet.

It should be apparent that optimum quality fats in the diet that provide sufficient precursors for these eicosanoids are vital to the overall health and well-being of us, our dogs and our cats. Insufficient fats in the diet, improper ratios of fats or poor quality fats (heated, saturated and trans fats) or a narrow spectrum of fat sources will have a predictable adverse impact on the individual. I have witnessed this fact in a multitude of canine and feline patients through the years. Dogs and cats consuming a diet limited to highly processed, rendered (cooked) ingredients composed mainly of grains do not fair well. Diets with a single source of fats such as one limited to beef fat, which is very low in omega-3 fatty acid, will not be as healthful as a diet with multiple source fatty acids. These dogs and cats with fat deficient diets consistently display dry, coarse, sparse coats and their skin feels and appears to be greasy while also being flaky. One would think that a greasy coat would indicate too much fat in the diet but research indicates that there is an over production of poor quality sebaceous material from the skin’s oil glands. Interestingly, if the pet owner is feeding a poor quality diet BUT ALSO supplementing the diet with table food such as chicken, fish, meats, eggs and other whole foods the dog or cat will often look great and be in excellent health! This is a predictable, consistent scenario that anyone can verify. Feed poor quality fats or too little fat in the canine or feline diet and within six weeks the animal will have visible adverse health effects.

Sources of Omega6 fatty acid…
Omega6 fatty acid is found in safflower, sunflower, corn and evening primrose oils and Borage oil. Linoleic Acid, a naturally occurring Omega 6 Fatty Acid, is found in common pet-food ingredients such as corn and chicken fat and is a required nutritional component of the canine and feline diet.

Sources of Omega3 Fatty Acids…
Omega3 fatty acids are found in plant and animal sources.  Fish oils, especially cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and herring, and in animals that feed on these fish, are the primary dietary sources of Omega3 fatty acids. They are also found in oils from some plants (canola and flax). Flaxseeds are rich in
Omega3 fatty acids. Walnuts and soybeans also contain significant amounts as well as freshly ground wheat germ. Linolenic Acid (Omega3) also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent by stimulating the production of certain hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Omega3 fatty acids are found in the bodies of all wild animals but appear to be somewhat deficient in domestic livestock such as beef cattle.

Sources of both Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids...
Dried beans, such as great northern, kidney, navy and soybeans are inexpensive sources of both Omega6 and Omega3 Essential Fatty Acids. Certain fish are very rich in EFAs. The body can convert EFAs from fish more easily than other forms.  Fatty fish including mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore, tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of Omega3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

In the voluminous text published by Mark Morris Institute titled SMALL ANIMAL CLINICAL NUTRITION 4th EDITION it states that the proportion of different types of fatty acids in the cell membrane can be changed by altering the composition of fatty acids in the diet of the animal. Modifying the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane has a direct effect on membrane function. Understanding those two sentences leads us to the obvious assertion… the food the animal eats has a direct effect on its cell function.

Essential Fatty Acids and their derivatives serve a number of major functions in the body. They are required for the transport and metabolism of both cholesterol and triglycerides. They are required for normal brain development and brain function. They are required for ocular function, brain development and nerve function, and adrenal gland function. They are required in the cell membrane. They govern metabolism, increase oxygen uptake, and increase energy production. They influence immunity and inflammation and modulate pain receptors.

EFAs belong to the class of fatty acids called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Plant sources contain the parent omega 3 essential fatty acid, Alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), which must be converted in the body to Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in order to perform most of their critical functions.
Fortunately there has been a wave of interest in Fatty Acids and what they can do for optimizing the health of dogs and cats. For too long these nutrients were ignored or trivialized, much to the detriment of pets’s health. Just what are fatty acids and why are they important in a proper diet for dogs and cats? In simple terms, the basic facts are presented below so that you will have a useful mental grasp of the topic. Essential fatty acid supplements are made from a number of natural sources including evening primrose seed, borage seed, flax seed, and some species of cold-water fish.
The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil; these oils are overabundant in the typical diet, which explains our excess omega-6 levels. Avoid or limit these oils. Omega-3, meanwhile, is typically found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and fish.

EFAs… essential fatty acids. There are numerous abbreviations for these nutrients so we have to get used to understanding to what the abbreviations refer.
Every cell in the body has a protective outer membrane composed mainly of fats and proteins. Among other chores, fatty acids help keep certain intracellular materials from leaking out of the cell and outside substances from getting in. It’s obvious that if the cell membrane is composed of poor quality fatty acids due to deficient or degraded dietary sources of fats, the entire organism will not thrive. Conversely, if the diet is rich in essential fatty acids, the entire animal benefits because every cell in the body benefits.

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS?
Fatty Acids (there are over 70 of them!) are important for a wide array of cell structure components and for many chemical reactions in the body including hormonal and energy activities. Fatty Acids play a vital role in establishing a healthy lipid barrier in the skin to block irritants and infections. They are used as an energy source. In an animal's body (and ours) the liver and other tissues can manufacture many of the fatty acids that are required for the body's chemical factory to operate. In dogs, though, there is one that they cannot make within the internal chemical factory... Linoleic Acid (also called Omega6 Fatty Acid). It is called an ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID because the dog needs to consume it from dietary sources. With adequate Omega6 in the dog's diet the other two important fatty acids, (Arachidonic and Linolenic) needed for metabolism can be created internally. In cats, however, there are two ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS, Linoleic and Arachidonic Acids; some nutritionists believe that three are required in the diet which would include Omega6.. And since Arachidonic Acid is only present in animal tissues, cats must consume meat as a source for this chemical. That’s why felines are classified as true carnivores.

The word Omega is a chemistry term indicating where along the carbon backbone there is a carbon atom that does not have a hydrogen atom attached. At this specific carbon atom, either the third carbon in the backbone or the sixth carbon in the row, there is an empty place just waiting to find a hydrogen atom. It is termed an “unsaturated” fatty acid because there is that space for a hydrogen atom to attach. Energized chemical bonds exist at this carbon atom until it finds and binds with another hydrogen atom; when this happens the hydrogen attaches where the chemical energy bonds are and now we say the fatty acid is “saturated”... all the available spots for hydrogen are filled. Omega 3 means the unsaturated chemical bond is three carbon atoms from the beginning of the carbon backbone and Omega 6 means the empty space is 6 carbon atoms from the first carbon atom. What seems to us to be an insignificant difference between structures of a chemical can really make a huge difference in the chemical's activity… just like changing one single letter's placement in a sentence can change the entire meaning and function of the sentence.

Different types of omega-3s...
Key omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), both found primarily in oily cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel. Aside from fresh seaweed, a staple of many cultures, plant foods rarely contain EPA or DHA.  However, a third omega-3, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found primarily in dark green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oils, and certain vegetable oils. Although ALA has different effects on the body than EPA and DHA do, some mammals have enzymes that can convert ALA to EPA. All three are important.

Fatty acids consist of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) arranged as a carbon chain skeleton. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) have all the hydrogen that the carbon atoms can hold, and therefore, have no double bonds between the carbons. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) have only one double bond. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have more than one double bond.

Chemical Names and Descriptions of some Common Fatty Acids

SOURCES OF OMEGA FATTY ACIDS
Omega3 fatty acid from plant sources especially flaxseed oil have abundant ALA (alpha Linolenic acid) but little to no DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Omega3 fatty acid from cold water fish oils contain both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and whitefish are good sources of Omega3 fatty acids. Linolenic Acid (Omega3) also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent by stimulating the production of certain hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Omega3s are found in fatty tissues of all wild animals but appear to be somewhat deficient in domestic livestock such as beef cattle.

SUBGROUPS OF FATTY ACIDS
EFAs are structural components of all cell membranes, where they ensure the proper structure and function of all cells. But they have a multitude of other vital functions within the dog and cat’s body including as energy sources. They are building material for very important hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids. Eicosanoids have a 20 carbon “backbone” and modulate a myriad of metabolic activities including blood clotting, inflammation, blood pressure, blood vessel tone and immune function.

Important conclusions…
In the dog, cat and human dietary fatty acid balance can influence the inflammatory response in the skin, joints and tissues and modifies white blood cell responses to inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids produce compounds called eicosanoids that are much less inflammatory than omega-6 eicosanoids. Research has shown that three to six weeks of fatty acid therapy may be required before a therapeutic response is seen for the nutritional management of canine and feline skin disorders.
 
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