Does your fur baby have difficulty going up and down the stairs?  Do they suffer from mood swings or get upset when you touch certain parts of their body?  Or do they have a constant itch that won’t go away and is destroying their once beautiful coat?  If so, your dog may be suffering in silence with some form of canine arthritis and inflammatory problem.

At just one year old, my beautiful little mini-dachshund was suffering from terrible skin and coat issues.  It’s like she had a persistent case of hives that wouldn’t go away. 

Roughly six months ago I came across a company called Bonnie & Clyde Premium Pet Goods.  If you take a look at their site, they specialize in one product, which is their Wild Omega 3 Fish Oil.

Many of us have heard of omega 3 fish oil.  If we aren’t taking it ourselves we certainly know someone who is.  Human trends tend to trickle down to our pets.  Therefore it’s no surprise that just like us, our fur babies also reap the benefits of this supplement.

What is Omega 3 Fish Oil?

The Omega-3  in fish oil contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).  It is these nutrients that provide your pet a multitude of health benefits which include the following:

• Anti-inflammatory For Canine Arthritis:  Some studies have shown (here and here) that dogs who take omega 3 fish oil have some improvement with their osteoarthritis.  This is crucial, especially since roughly 16-20 million dogs in the U.S. suffer from some form of arthritis.  If you are old enough to have arthritis or know someone who suffers from it, you understand how painful it is.

• Skin & Coat Improvement: Angelo had terrible dermatologic issues and even with changing his diet, he still had problems itching.  When we added omega 3 fish oil, his skin and coat drastically improved. So much so that he has not had one skin flare up since.  Several studies echo our experience (here, here and here) and show that the anti-inflammatory properties of omega 3 fish oil can aid in treatment of dermatologic conditions, chronic inflammatory disease and pruritic skin disease.

• Brain Health: Neurological development is extremely important and two studies (here and here) have shown that puppies who are fed omega 3 fish oils have improved cognitive function and memory.  Another study has shown that omega 3 fish oil helps those with cognitive impairment or more precisely, alzheimers and dementia.

• Heart Health: Heart disease is a silent killer and affects all dog breeds.  Most of you already know that Angelo was diagnosed with mitral valve disease 2 years ago.  To promote cardiovascular health, we do give him omega 3 fish oil and feel that it has helped mitigate his MVD.  Studies (here, here, here and here) show that omega 3 fish oil supplementation has positive effects on cardiovascular function.

Why Bonnie & Clyde Wild Omega-3 Fish Oil?

At the direction of our holistic vet, I am keeping Angelo on his current fish oil supplementation.  Basically, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?  BUT, my issue was finding a good omega 3 fish oil supplement for Aries.  She’s a mini-dachshund and sometimes has issues swallowing the huge pills that we administer to Angelo.  For those who don’t know, Aries has some skin/coat issues and she also may have potential arthritic problems.

Our primary vet suggested a well-known glucosamine supplement for Aries’ arthritic issues.  It DIDN’T HELP.  Furthermore, after a bit of digging, I discovered that there is inconclusive evidence to suggest that glucosamine helps with arthritis (here, here and here).  It’s hard knowing that your one year old puppy is facing such things and not knowing where to turn!

Ill be honest I was very skeptical and concerned about buying any old fish oil, but I was pleasantly surprised with Bonnie & Clyde for the following reasons:

• Price: The prices for omega 3 fish oil can be astronomical.  I once purchased a 4oz bottle for $40, that was crazy.  Bonnie & Clyde has two sizes a 16oz bottle for $28.95 and a new 8oz bottle for $18.95.  Perfectly reasonable and not to mention, depending on the size of your dog, a bottle can last you between 2-4 months.  Oh yeah, and shipping is 100% free in all 50 states…cool huh?

• Wild Fish: Most other companies utilize salmon, krill or cod liver oil in their products.  But Bonnie & Clyde uses only wild caught fish.  This is important because those aforementioned oils have less EPA/DHA per teaspoon.  Which means that you’d have to spend more money and give your pup more fish oil just so they can get the same benefit contained in Bonnie & Clyde’s Wild Omega-3 Fish Oil.

• Contains Vitamin E: This is important.  There is an argument that fish oil is actually dangerous for you and your pets.  Opponents say that since the fatty acids are susceptible to oxygen, they undergo a process called ‘lipid peroxidation.’  This process releases free radicals which can in turn cause oxidative damage to your pets body (oxidative stress can cause cancer, alzheimers, heart disease, among many other things).  The vitamin E is a powerful anti-oxidant that fights lipid peroxidation, thus keeping it safe for your pup.

• Quality Sourcing & Manufacturing: I’m always worried about where pet products are sourced and manufactured.  Bonnie & Clyde is bottled in Canada and manufactured at world class facility in Iceland.  The fish oil is primarily sourced from The South Pacific and the vitamin E is derived from non-genetically engineered sun flowers.

• Purity: Bonnie & Clyde Wild Omega-3 Fish Oil does not contain soy, gluten, corn, wheat, artificial flavors, preservatives or colors.  B&C is also a member of the international fish oil standards program, and is tested for dangerous contaminants.  If you want to check the results of the testing for your batch, you can go here.

The Good & The Bad

• One of the things I didn’t like at first is that Bonnie & Clyde only had the larger version available when I first bought it (which frequently sells out).   This made it difficult for me and I’m sure for others who have small breed dogs.  However, the company listened to it’s customers and created the 8oz version.

• The fact that there is a pump that comes with this is golden.  There really is no measuring, as each pump is good for approximately 5lbs of your pets body weight.  It’s that easy.  After you’re done you put it in the refrigerator.  But, this is where I ran into some issues.  I’m not sure if my refrigerator is too cold, but sometimes the pump gets stuck.  I have to remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit outside for a couple of minutes, after that, I can freely use the pump with ease.

• I was worried about the taste of the product.  Aries is not particularly picky, but if something doesn’t smell or taste right, she won’t even touch it.  The first few times it was a bit of a challenge.  Her food is already homemade and freshly cooked, so after I pump the oil into her food, I’ll mix it around for a bit.  This usually worked well.  For picky pets, Bonnie & Clyde recommend dabbing their paws in the fish oil, that way your pup can lick it up and get used to the taste.

Does Bonnie & Clyde Omega-3 Fish Oil Work?

The moment of truth.  Does it live up to what it says it will do?  The answer is, Yes.

I’m not sure about the arthritic problems that Aries has, as we need to do further testing to evaluate her.  But as far as her skin and coat goes, it’s helped her tremendously.  She had terrible bumps and and scabs on her back from gnawing/scratching.  When petting her, you could feel it go all the way down her spine.  It was like she had a case of hives or something.

However, after 2 months of continuously using the product, Aries skin began to clear up.  She has occasional seasonal allergy problems, but for the most part, her skin remains in check and healthy.  Basically, no more bumps, no more itching and no more gnawing!  Just a happy and healthy Aries!

Aries being happy after taking Bonnie & Clyde Fish Oil

(P.S. Bonnie & Clyde, Aries says to call her if you need a model) 🙂

Be sure to Check out Bonnie & Clyde Fish Oil

Have you tried omega 3 fish oil for your pets?  What has your experience been?  Comment below and don’t forget to share!

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