Does your pet suffer from poor skin and/or coat health? We have some useful advice to assist pet parents with common skin conditions.
There are many factors that can affect the health of your pet’s skin and coat. Natural changes (winter/summer coats) to allergies to minor irritations can affect your pet’s skin and coat. For pet parents, it can be very hard to know where and why to start so we have some advice that may be useful to assist with skin and coat care.
The Science Behind Skin/Coat Health
The health of the skin and coat depends on the type and properties of fatty acids available in the diet. This is because essential fatty acids (Omega 6 and Omega 3) are structural components of skin cell membranes and in addition play a major role in the reduction of the inflammatory process. As the body cannot manufacture these essential fatty acids they must be supplied by the diet. Essential Fatty Acids are generally two types, Omega 6 and Omega 3. They differ according to their chemical structure. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are components of membranes eg: skin, fur, nails and hair. Omega 6 fatty acids are found in cereals and crops. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in marine plants, fish, game and other wild animals. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids play an important role in the inflammatory process.
Why Skin Inflammation Occurs in Pets
Inflammation in the body is caused by the release of inflammatory mediators (e.g: prostaglandins and leukotrienes) the substrates of which are Essential Fatty Acids.
- Inflammatory mediators derived with Omega 6 fatty acids cause very aggressive reactions such as intense pruritus, red skin, irritation and itchiness
- Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids compete for the same enzyme system in order to produce the inflammatory mediators.
- Therefore, if we can influence the balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids in favour of Omega 3’s in the diet, we can almost ‘switch off’ the allergic response.
As today’s pet diets are high in Omega 6 fatty acids, to correct the balance there must be an increased intake of Omega 3 fatty acids; these levels can be corrected using a nutritional supplement, such as Omega Aid from NutriScience.
What is Omega Aid?
Omega Aid is a supplemental source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids plus vitamins A, D, E, Biotin and Zinc which are beneficial for the maintenance of healthy skin. The product corrects dietary fatty acid imbalances ensuring the supply of the correct nutrients to maintain a healthy skin and coats in cats and dogs. Omega Aid comes in a liquid formulation and is aniseed flavoured for palatability.
How Does Omega Aid Work?
Omega Aid works in three ways:
- Corrects Omega 6 : Omega 3 fatty acid ratio by increasing significantly the intake of Omega 3 fatty acids
- Reduces inflammation in the skin by increasing the Omega 3 levels in skin cell membranes
- Reduces the inflammatory reaction, therefore breaking the cycle of irritation which exacerbates skin problems
Omega Aid actually changes the profile of the cell membranes which can take several weeks, but once corrected continued use of Omega Aid will have long term benefits. Studies indicate that adding combinations of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids to the diets of cats and dogs, result in significant reduction of erythema, pruritus and inflammation.
Omega Aid breaks the cycle of irritation and comes in two pack sizes: 250ml and 500ml. Ty it today to help your pet’s skin and coat.
