A series of studies published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) offer new insights into the possible benefits derived from feeding foods containing high omega 3 fatty acid concentrations to dogs with osteoarthritis. The results of the three studies, according to contributing author Dr. Kevin Hahn, director of research and chief medical officer at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., show the dogs that were fed foods fortified with omega 3s experienced less pain associated with the disease and greater mobility.

The studies, published in the January 1, 2010 and March 1, 2010 issues of JAVMA, included 274 dogs with osteoarthritis that took part in clinical studies at dozens of privately owned veterinary clinics and two university veterinary clinics. The researchers focused on three areas: the effects of omega 3 fatty acids on clinical signs of osteoarthritis in dogs; the effects of omega 3 fatty acids on weight bearing in dogs with the disease; and the effects of omega 3 fatty acids on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) dosage in dogs with osteoarthritis.

In the first study, dogs with chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis showed improvements in their ability to play and rise from rest at 6 weeks after being switched to a diet containing high concentrations of fish oil omega 3 fatty acids. The second study showed that limb strength in dogs improved with omega 3 dietary intervention, Dr. Hahn said. In the third study, veterinarians were able to reduce the dosage of carprofen, a common NSAID used for pain relief in dogs with osteoarthritis, while still providing pain relief to dogs fed food supplemented with omega 3 fatty acids.

These studies show that omega 3 fatty acids provide pain relief and improve mobility in dogs with osteoarthritis. They also indicate that proper use of a food containing a sufficient amount of omega 3 fatty acids may result in a lower dosage of medication required to manage joint pain and improve mobility in a dog with osteoarthritis. This finding is especially important because it allows veterinarians to better understand complications that may arise from pain relief medications that could be reduced when the medications are used in combination with proper nutrition.