Dull coat? Dandruff? Food bowl ignored? Senior getting stiff?
Salmon oil is the easiest supplement to give… and one of the best documented. Here are the essentials, no fluff, with the real numbers.
⚡ In 20 seconds
✅ Who it's for: dogs and cats, 4 pumps from 10 kg, 2 pumps under 10 kg
✅ How: once a day, over the food, at mealtime
✅ Results: appetite right away, coat after 2 to 3 months
✅ The right pick: 100% salmon oil + antioxidant + pump bottle
❔ Why salmon and not a vegetable oil?
Because they are not the same thing.
Vegetable oils (sunflower, rapeseed, flaxseed) provide "short-chain" omega-3s. Dogs, and cats even more so, can barely convert them into EPA and DHA, the two omega-3s that actually work on skin and joints.
Salmon oil, on the other hand, contains them ready to use. That makes all the difference. ✔
☞ On the Francodex label: 18.5% omega-3 (including EPA 4.6% and DHA 5.2%) for 12.5% omega-6. Kibble is the opposite: lots of omega-6, little omega-3. The oil restores the balance.
✊ What it really does
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✨ A shiny coat, less dry skin This is use number 1. A fatty acid deficiency shows straight away: dull coat, dandruff, hair loss (Francodex). A placebo-controlled clinical trial showed a clear improvement in dogs with poor coats after 3 months of supplementation. |
✚ Supported joints EPA and DHA produce molecules that calm inflammation. Veterinary nutritionists place the effect between 50 and 220 mg/kg per day. Salmon oil sits at the lower end of that range: it supports, it does not replace a treatment. |
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☺ A food bowl that becomes tempting again Immediate effect. The fishy smell gets fussy eaters, seniors and convalescents going again. It is also the trick for easing a change of kibble. |
✱ Essential with home-cooked / BARF diets A meat-based ration almost always lacks omega-3. Francodex actually recommends it for home-cooked, BARF and raw-food diets. There, it is no longer a "bonus", it is a correction. |
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⬆ When the need goes up Intense exercise, pregnancy, lactation, growth: the manufacturer lists these four situations. DHA is involved in the brain and retina development of puppies and kittens. |
✦ And for cats? Fewer studies than in dogs, let's be honest about it. What is established: coat, dry skin, palatability. Both oils below are formulated for dogs and cats, same dose as a small dog. |
☕ What dose? The manufacturers' table
Once a day, mixed into the food at mealtime (or straight into the mouth).
| Your pet | Francodex (pump) | Trixie |
|---|---|---|
| ▪ Cat / dog < 10 kg | 2 pumps | ½ to 1 tsp |
| ▪ Dog 10 – 20 kg | 4 pumps | 1 to 2 tsp |
| ▪ Dog 20 – 30 kg | 6 pumps | 2 to 3 tsp |
| ▪ Dog > 30 kg | + 2 pumps per 10 kg | ½ tsp per 5 kg |
∑ The reassuring maths: with Francodex, 2 pumps = 500 mg of omega-3 (250 EPA + 250 DHA). A 20 kg dog on 4 pumps therefore gets 1,000 mg, i.e. 50 mg/kg — exactly the maintenance dose recognised by veterinary nutritionists. This is no token sprinkle.
☛ Our salmon oils
Two brands, four sizes. All 100% salmon oil, formulated for dogs and cats.
Francodex 200 ml ▪ Cats & small dogs |
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Francodex 500 ml ▪ Large dogs & multi-pet homes |
Trixie 250 ml ▪ The trial size |
Trixie 500 ml € The best price per litre |
☞ The full range: supplements for dogs · supplements for cats
☑ Choosing well in 4 points
✅ 100% salmon oil (or 99.7% + antioxidant). No blends with a vegetable oil: you would be paying for the word "salmon" and getting omega-6.
✅ EPA and DHA quantified on the label. Without those numbers, you are dosing blind.
✅ Pump or airless bottle. Exact dose, less oxidation, no flooded food bowl.
✅ The size that fits your pet. Cat or dog < 10 kg: 200-250 ml covers a 2-3 month course. Dog of 25 kg or more, or several pets: go straight for 500 ml.
⚠️ What you are not always told
⚖️ These are calories. 99% fat = 9 kcal per gram. For a 4 kg cat or a chubby dog, cut the ration back a little.
✘ Loose stools? Too much, or too fast. Go back down to the previous dose.
✚ Anti-inflammatories, surgery planned: at high doses, omega-3s thin the blood (Lenox & Bauer, 2013). Tell your vet.
◆ Veterinary "joint", "skin" or "renal" diet? It already contains a lot of EPA/DHA. Adding oil on top may exceed the safety limit (NRC: 280 mg per 100 kcal). Ask first.
❄️ Oil goes rancid. Keep it cool, away from light, bottle tightly closed. Francodex adds tocopherols (vitamin E) to stabilise it.
✴ It smells of fish. 9 pets out of 10 love it. For the 10th: a few drops in wet food rather than on dry kibble.
❓ The questions we get asked
⏱️ How long before the coat changes?
6 to 12 weeks. The hairs that grow after the start of the course are the ones that benefit. Appetite, on the other hand, changes from the very first meal.
⌛ Every day, all year round?
Yes, at the manufacturer's dose, on a healthy animal. Many people do 2-3 month courses at the spring and autumn moults. If you give it continuously, keep an eye on weight.
♥ Puppy, kitten, pregnant bitch?
That is precisely when the need for DHA is highest. Dose by weight, and check the minimum age on the label. A growth food already provides some: ask your vet before combining.
≋ Salmon oil or cod liver oil?
Not the same thing. Cod liver oil mainly provides vitamins A and D, which need careful daily dosing. For long-term omega-3s, salmon is simpler and safer.
♨ My kibble is "with salmon", isn't that enough?
Rarely. "With salmon" = the protein, not a guarantee of omega-3. Only the EPA/DHA figures on the label count. If they are not there, the intake is marginal.
✎ Sources
Francodex — technical sheets Salmon oil 200 ml and 500 ml (composition, directions for use) · Trixie — Salmon oil for dogs and cats · Raditic D., Gaylord L., Fish Oil Dosing in Pet Diets and Supplements, Today's Veterinary Practice, 2020 (peer-reviewed) · Bauer J.E., Therapeutic use of fish oils in companion animals, JAVMA 2011 · Lenox C.E., Bauer J.E., Potential adverse effects of omega-3 fatty acids in dogs and cats, J Vet Intern Med 2013 · National Research Council, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, 2006 · Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of an omega-3 supplement in dogs with poor coat quality, Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2020.
Information provided for educational purposes. It does not replace the advice of your veterinarian, who alone is qualified to prescribe a therapeutic dose or to diagnose a skin, joint or kidney problem.