Why DHA and EPA Must Be Added to Every Pet’s Bowl

Dietary fat has long faced criticism in human diets, but when it comes to dogs and cats, this vital macronutrient serves as much more than caloric filler. Felines and canines efficiently process and utilize fats, relying heavily on them for their energy, cell structure, hormonal function, insulation, immunity, and nutrient absorption.

Functional fats are dietary fats added to pet food or supplements for specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition and are included to target certain wellness goals. Examples include medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which support brain function and aging, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), known for aiding in weight management and muscle maintenance, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which supports skin health and inflammation control. These fats are used strategically to support immune health, cognition, metabolism, and more, making them valuable tools in integrative veterinary nutrition.

Dogs and cats use dietary fat very efficiently as an energy source. They naturally maintain higher levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and don’t experience “arterial plaque” issues like humans do. In pets, fat plays essential roles, including:

• Concentrated calorie storage
• Formation of cell membranes and transport systems
• Precursor molecules for inflammation-regulating compounds
• Hormone synthesis (estrogen, progesterone, cortisol)
• Preservation of body temperature, organ protection, and hydration balance

The fear of excess dietary fat for our pets can result in micronutrient imbalance. Instead, the focus should be on quality and function, including meeting the minimum essential fatty acid requirements, processed vs. fresh, and inflammatory vs. therapeutic fats.

Why I Prefer Homemade Diets or Minimally Processed Pet Foods

The sources and types of fat in your pet’s diet matter—a lot. While healthy fats, rich in EPA and DHA (from marine sources, including fish and seafood) are anti-inflammatory and therapeutic, fats that are exposed to extreme processing conditions—such as high heat used in kibble extrusion—become oxidized and harmful. These damaged fats generate toxic advanced lipid end products (ALEs), which are well known to contribute to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Unlike fresh, unprocessed fats that support cellular repair, brain function, and immune health, thermally damaged fats actively work against your pet’s body, silently undermining long-term wellness.

Feeding ultra-processed pet food means feeding high levels of not just ALEs, but also advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—both of which are potent pro-inflammatory compounds, contributing to the epidemic of pancreatitis and gut-related issues in pets. Research has also linked AGEs and ALEs to accelerated aging and the development of chronic diseases, including kidney dysfunction, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and cancer.

In contrast, whole food diets that include bioavailable sources of omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA help reduce inflammation, support skin and joint health, and protect against cognitive decline. Prioritizing fresh, nutritionally balanced homemade or minimally processed pet food is one of the most powerful strategies to reduce inflammation and promote resilience in pets, which is why I wrote The Forever Dog Life recipe book, which optimizes the intake of omega-3 fatty acids in delicious recipes for dogs and cats that can be served raw or gently cooked.

If you don’t want to prepare homemade meals, opt for commercially available raw, gently cooked, freeze-dried, or dehydrated pet food to avoid the unwanted heat-processing tagalongs.

Understanding Essential Fats: Not All Fat Is Equal

Saturated fat from meat supports energy metabolism and food palatability, while omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids must be supplied in our pet’s food because their bodies cannot make these molecules.

Dogs and cats require three types of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These three essential omega-3 fatty acids play critical roles:

• Reduce systemic inflammation
• Support brain and nervous system development and function
• Maintain cardiovascular health by improving lipid profiles and blood flow
• Protect kidney function and slow progression of renal disease
• Enhance skin and coat health, reducing itchiness and flakiness
• Support joint health and reduce symptoms of arthritis
• Improve cognitive function and delay age-related decline
• Regulate immune function and help manage autoimmune conditions
• Aid in visual development and retinal health
• Support a healthy gut microbiome

Pets also require the easily obtainable omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid (LA), to support healthy skin, coat, joints, immune response, and brain function. Cats also require a special omega-6 fat called arachidonic acid in their diet, as they cannot synthesize it from linoleic acid like dogs can and must obtain it directly from animal-based fats to:

• Maintain skin barrier integrity and prevent trans-epidermal water loss
• Promote healthy growth and development
• Support reproductive health and fertility
• Aids in wound healing and tissue repair
• Play a role in immune cell signaling and inflammatory responses
• Serve as precursors to important signaling molecules like prostaglandins and leukotrienes
• Help regulate cellular metabolism and gene expression

A proper balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids is essential. Excess omega-6 without sufficient omega-3 can promote chronic inflammation, but according to science, omega-6s, in and of themselves, are not innately pro-inflammatory; it’s only when there’s a deficiency of DHA and EPA that inflammation ramps up (check out our recent Inside Scoop interview with lipid researcher Dr. William Harris to learn more).

While omega-6s are abundant in commercial pet foods, compared to EPA and DHA, which are intentionally missing or kept low in shelf-stable food products because they’re hard to stabilize and are prone to oxidation and rancidity. Annoyingly, AAFCO doesn’t recommend that pet food manufacturers encourage owners to add the deficient EPA and DHA at the time of feeding, so pets eating unsupplemented commercial pet food are all deficient in DHA and EPA.

According to what I see online, pet parents are also confused about effective sources of DHA and EPA; Ahi flower, camelina, flax, chia, hemp, coconut, olive, and walnut oil contain zero EPA and DHA, yet are often supplied by pet owners hoping to reduce inflammation in their pets’ bodies. Adequate, anti-inflammatory levels of EPA and DHA are only achieved when pets consume sufficient amounts of EPA and DHA-rich supplements or seafood.

Ratios of different fatty acids in foods and supplements:

Current AAFCO guidelines do not mandate the inclusion of EPA or DHA in dog or cat food. Instead, they accept ALA, the plant-based form of omega-3, to meet all omega-3 requirements. The problem is, ALA alone can’t¹;. Flax, hemp, chia, ahi flower, camelina oil, and other “high omega-3” plant oils only contain ALA, and dogs and cats lack abundant Δ6-desaturase activity², the enzyme needed to convert ALA to EPA and DHA.

This is why it’s so important to include pre-formed EPA and DHA from fish or marine sources to meet their nutritional needs. When purchasing marine-sourced oils (regardless of the source, such as Perna, squid, sardine, anchovy, krill, salmon, etc.), always look for third-party sustainability certification, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Spectacular Health Benefits of EPA & DHA

Supplementing pets with pre-formed EPA and DHA from marine (ocean) sources has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to support multiple areas of health. Key benefits include:

• Cognitive support: DHA-rich fish oil improved learning and memory in puppies, while nutrient blends containing fish oil, B-vitamins, antioxidants, and arginine enhanced executive and visuospatial function in senior dogs and cats³.
• Skin and coat health: A 10-week study showed that supplementing dogs with EPA (50 mg/kg) and DHA (35 mg/kg) significantly reduced clinical scores of atopic dermatitis⁴.
• Joint comfort and improved quality of life: A randomized 16-week trial using marine-derived EPA and DHA (approximately 70 mg/kg total) increased omega-3 index levels and reduced pain scores in small and medium dogs⁵.
• Cardiovascular protection: In dogs with naturally occurring heart failure, fish oil supplementation reduced inflammatory cytokines and improved overall clinical condition⁶.

These are just a few of the studies that highlight that EPA and DHA offer measurable benefits for brain, skin, joint, and heart health in pets—benefits that cannot be matched by ALA-rich plant sources alone.

If your pet is allergic to fish or other marine sources of omega-3 fats, algal oil (from algae) is a safe and effective plant-based alternative that provides preformed DHA—and in some products, lesser amounts of EPA. Research in dogs showed that diets supplemented with algal oil containing up to 3 percent DHA and EPA were well tolerated during gestation, lactation, and growth, with significant increases in plasma omega‑3 levels and no adverse effects⁷.

In cats, algal oil supplementation during pregnancy and early development resulted in dose-dependent rises in plasma DHA, confirming its safety and bioavailability⁸. However, most commercially available algal oils are rich in DHA and contain very little EPA, so they may not offer the full anti-inflammatory benefits associated with fish/marine-derived oils. That said, algal oil is hypoallergenic carries no risk of marine allergens or heavy metal contamination, and remains the only viable option for partial omega-3 support in sensitive pets.

While beneficial for other health reasons (including joint and gut health), don’t bother with dry algal or Perna mussel powders; without consuming cups of these supplements, there’s not enough EFAs in these powders to make a meaningful difference when it comes to improving DHA and EPA blood levels.

How to Optimize Your Pet’s Intake of Omega 3’s

• Supplementation with EPA and DHA has well-documented benefits across multiple health areas. General dosing is 70 mg combined EPA + DHA per kg body weight per day for maintenance⁹, with therapeutic dosing adjusted higher as prescribed by your vet
• It’s important to refrigerate liquid/pour-on supplements after opening and use them within 30 days to prevent oxidation
• Reduce reliance on ultra-processed kibble, which typically has a high omega-6 to omega-3 balance, increasing inflammation in the body
• Cold‑water, wild-caught fatty fish, like salmon, offer high levels of EPA and DHA, while smaller species like sardines, anchovies, and herring minimize mercury exposure
• Supplement manufacturers often use molecular distillation and third-party testing to ensure safety and purity. Check website for details

Omega‑3 supplements come in different forms: triglyceride (TG), ethyl ester (EE), and phospholipid (PL). Phospholipid-based oils have been shown to raise the Omega‑3 Index faster and higher than TG or EE forms. TG and PL forms are closest to natural oil and well absorbed with food; EE variants are less expensive, but less bioavailable (and I’ve found they cause more GI symptoms, including bloating and belching). Check websites or email the company to ensure the oils you purchase are in the more bioavailable phospholipid form.

• Combined EPA + DHA should be 60–90 percent of the total fatty acids
• Choose PL (or minimally, TG) molecular forms
• Verify third-party testing for heavy metals, dioxins, and PCBs
• Look for oxidation-resistant packaging (dark bottles, nitrogen-flush)
• Verify sustainably harvested sources such as MSC-certified krill or wild sardine

Testing Omega-3 Levels

Testing omega‑3 status is increasingly relevant in veterinary preventive care and something I recommend doing. Many of our beloved pets are omega‑3 deficient even after years of supplementation, because their bodies need more than their guardians have been supplying. Omega‑3 index tests from providers like OmegaQuant or Vibrant Wellness return the percentage of EPA+DHA in red blood cell membranes and can be done at home. A target index of 5.5–8 percent supports optimal health in dogs¹⁰. By measuring your pet’s levels, you can tailor dosages for osteoarthritis, cognitive decline, cardiomyopathy, or renal disease and avoid over-supplementation, which can impair clotting, which is critical to avoid prior to surgery.

In summary, marine omega‑3s like EPA and DHA support the health of heart, brain, skin, kidneys, joints, immunity, and gut in pets. Offering high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood or marine oil, along with a minimally processed whole-food diet, provides a strong foundation for resilient organ systems, long-term wellness, and the control of inflammation.