• James K Roush, Chadwick E Dodd, Dale A Fritsch, Timothy A Allen, Dennis E Jewell, William D Schoenherr, Daniel C Richardson, Phillip S Leventhal, and Kevin A Hahn.
• Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
• J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2010 Jan 1; 236 (1): 59-66.

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of food containing high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids and a low omega-6-omega-3 fatty acid ratio on clinical signs of osteoarthritis in dogs.DesignRandomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial.Animals127 client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis in 1 or more joints from 18 privately owned veterinary clinics.ProceduresDogs were randomly assigned to be fed for 6 months with a typical commercial food or a test food containing a 31-fold increase in total omega-3 fatty acid content and a 34-fold decrease in omega-6-omega-3 ratio, compared with the control food. Dog owners completed a questionnaire about their dog's arthritic condition, and investigators performed a physical examination and collected samples for a CBC and serum biochemical analyses (including measurement of fatty acids concentration) at the onset of the study and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks afterward.ResultsDogs fed the test food had a significantly higher serum concentration of total omega-3 fatty acids and a significantly lower serum concentration of arachidonic acid at 6, 12, and 24 weeks. According to owners, dogs fed the test food had a significantly improved ability to rise from a resting position and play at 6 weeks and improved ability to walk at 12 and 24 weeks, compared with control dogs.Conclusions And Clinical RelevanceIngestion of the test food raised blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and appeared to improve the arthritic condition in pet dogs with osteoarthritis.

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