The company believes that the Omega-3 Index Test for Pets will change the way pet owners approach supplementation and the types of food they feed their pets.
Incorporating EPA & DHA
Research shows that omega-3s EPA and DHA are linked to several health benefits in pets that include supporting heart, skin and fur, kidney and joint health in dogs and cats.
However, pets often lack important fats like omega-3s in their diets. Measuring a pet’s current omega-3 level will allow pet owners to safely alter the amount of EPA and DHA their pet is receiving in their diet to achieve an optimal Omega-3 Index.
When the Omega-3 Index test is taken it will provide a percentage that indicates the combination of EPA and DHA in the blood. For pets like dogs and cats the ideal level is around 3% whereas for humans it is around 8%. Currently, the Omega-3 Index for Pets only provides an omega-3 status for dogs and cats.
The most efficient way to raise the Omega-3 Index it to strategically incorporate more EPA and DHA from omega-3 fortified food, or supplements.
A Growing Market
According to Bill Bookout, President of the National Animal Supplement Council, the market for omega-3 pet supplements is growing and so is the pet food market containing EPA and DHA. Ellen Schutt, Executive Director of GOED, adds that in 2019, global sales of pet food containing EPA and DHA was $6.4 billion, which does not even include fish meal sometimes added to a pet’s meals.
“There is a rising trend among veterinarians and pet owners of giving companion animals like dogs omega-3s either in fortified foods or supplements,” said OmegaQuant’s Director of Research, Kristina Harris Jackson, who developed the Omega-3 Index for Pets.
“Like in humans, the omega-3s EPA and DHA can help with health issues that have an underlying inflammatory component, but it’s important to know how to dose them. With high concentrate fish oils, for example, you need to make sure you aren’t overdoing it on the EPA and DHA, while at the same time giving pets enough to achieve therapeutic omega-3 levels. We believe this test will close the loop for pet owners and veterinarians and give them the ability to deliver omega-3s to their to their pets with a bit more precision and peace of mind,” Jackson added.
