Questions about omega-3 supplement

[debskats]

Katy is 16 and has some chronic health issues. Four years ago, she was diagnosed with HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) which has been treated since then. At the same time she was diagnosed with hyperT and had I131. That same year, she was also diagnosed with IBD and has been on oral prednisolone since. She's also on medicine for high blood pressure and arthritis. I know . . . poor girl.

For about the last year she hasn't been doing very well, much more lethargic and she's lost 2 pounds though right now her weight is fairly stable. She's been re-scoped for IBD, had mountains of blood work and x-rays, and was switched from oral to injectable then back to oral steroids. The only thing they've found is a low potassium and a couple of weeks ago she was started on a potassium supplement (the gel which she loathes). I have to admit that since starting her on the potassium and restarting her Cosequin, she's acted much perkier.

Her vet at Iowa State suggested starting her on omega-3 fatty acids which should just help her overall health.

The problem . . . I can't find any that are a size I can use to pill her. She eats nothing but dry food . . . no canned, no tuna, no kitty treats . . . nothing, so I can't pierce a gelcap and put it on her food. Even the gelcaps I've found specifically for cats and dogs seem to be too big for cats.

Any suggestions?

[Traci]

I haven't personally worked with these (yet), but ask your vet about Nutramax Lab's Welactin for Cats, it's an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for cats that actually contains what it claims (quality). Also, you have to be careful when choosing supplements of this type because some brands may have various ratios of fatty acids in the product and you don't want too much or too little of one or the other. Lastly, never give in high doses, since Katy has IBD, a too high dose in fatty acid supplements could aggravate the pancreas, which often occurs in some IBD cats.

The Welactin for Cats is unfortunately, another gel cap, however, can you simply administer by squeezing the liquid into the lower corner of her mouth? Another thing you could do is use a syringe with needle, draw out the liquid from the cap, remove the needle from the syringe, and use the needle-less syringe to administer the liquid orally, just as you would any other liquid suspension. The Welactin has a twist-off cap. Just ask your vet about this first, so if necessary, he could consult with Nutramax vets to confirm this method would be ok.

I hate that manufacturers automatically assume the convenience of gelcaps for humans must be the same for pets. There is a real danger of using any capsule or gel cap lodging in the esophagus, not only risking choking, but poor distribution of the medication as the capsule dissolves, in the wrong place, thereby causing irritation at the site of dissolving. This is why I suggest simply puncturing the gel cap and squeezing the contents directly into the mouth, making sure the pet swallows it. (for other types of meds in gel caps, depending on their type, you probably wouldn't want to do so this way as the medication's effects could cause oral or esophageal irritation).

And you never know, the Welactin might have a pleasing taste to Katy where she might actually eat it when placed on her food. At this time, I believe it's only available through your vet, but really worth discussing with him.

[debskats]

When I was searching online the other night for omega-3 supplements, I found the Welactin for cats and thought aha! Until I actually looked at the gelcap.

I'm going to call Katy's vet at Iowa State tomorrow and talk to her about it. She didn't even give me a dosage that I should look for, just said to look around and see what I found in a lower dosage and smaller gelcap size, then call her before I started giving it. She said that they have it there at Iowa State, but she thought I might be able to get it cheaper at a health food store. I'm afraid that what they have at ISU will be "dog-sized".

I'll probably hold off trying to give it to her at the moment. She's always been the easiest cat in the world to pill, but I'm giving her the potassium gel through a syringe because it's the only way I can be sure of getting it into her mouth, and she's fighting me with all of her meds now. If she continues to need potassium, then once the tube of gel is gone, I'll probably ask to switch her to a pill. At that point, I'll consider using a syringe to give her the omega-3 because it sure seems like that'll be the only way I can get it into her.

Thanks so much for your help, Traci.

[debskats]

I forgot one more thing. I had no idea that too high a dose of fatty acids could aggravate the pancreas. Katy's already had 2 or 3 bouts of pancreatitis and I don't want her to go through that again!

[Traci]

Your vet can call Nutramax and get their literature, and even talk to them about the formulation. As with most omega 3 fatty acid supplements, it is usually best to start at low doses, then slowly work up enough to get a therapeutic level, you just have to be careful of the formulation. Most of that problem lies in generic or brands that can't guarantee quality, there's no way you can know for certain what's in it (remember, some also have other minerals and vitamins). With Nutramax, they're pretty clear about their research, their formulations etc.

Disclaimer: Don't trust health food staff advice!! Not that you couldn't get a product there, but the knowledge about the products they sell is minimal to none, or worse, hyped up.

Ask your vet about the Welactin, since it's only available through vets at this point, she's obligated to look into it for you if it's a product you're interested in. Tell her to inquire of Nutramax about the size, and about your concerns, but I'm sure they will be very helpful. Let me know how this turns out, ok? I hope Katy is feeling much much better, it sounds like she's been through a lot, what a little trooper!

[debskats]

I just thought I'd give you an update after my conversation with Katy's vet.

For the time being, we've decided to put the omega-3 supplement on hold. She had no other suggestions about getting the omega-3 into a cat. There's always the possibilty of syringing it I suppose, but I'm not going to do anything as long as I'm syringing the potassium gel and she hates it so much.

Katy has her potassium rechecked in a couple of weeks and if she continues to need that, then I'll switch her to the pills and decide about the omega-3 then.

Thanks again for all your help.