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Need help or advice on feeding your Schnauzer, whether it be kibble or treats, you'll find the information here. There is food reviews, recipes, remedies for poorly tummies and a wealth of feeding knowledge from your fellow Schnauzer owner. We cover BARF in a separate section.
We have a 13 year old miniature schnauzer/chihuahua mix named Noodle. She has always been a picky eater and it seems like her stomach has become more sensitive as she's gotten older. Last year she got pancreatitis for the first time and we began feeding her Hill's Science Diet i/d low fat food. She actually seems to really enjoy it and hasn't had any stomach issues since starting it. After the switch we read more about how miniature schnauzers require low fat diets (for context she's a rescue and we didn't know she was a schnauzer until we did a DNA test for fun in 2023). The issue is I don't understand much about the different types of fat in diets.
My question is can I add fish oil (omega 3 and/or salmon) to my miniature schnauzers food? There are so many benefits and I think it would really help her joints/brain health. The crude fat is listed at 99.5% minimum on a 473 mL bottle. She would get 1/2 teaspoon once a day which I believe based on the label would be 5g of fat per serving.
You are right that there is so much confusing information around food / supplements for dogs - and people! Generally speaking, the least processed a fat the better and fats from fish/animals preferable to many vegetable oils or those from unknown origin.
Personally I would not feed a dog on a highly processed food at all - many so-called ‘prescription’ diets are just that. Poor quality ingredients of un-named origin, often high in carbohydrates and with taste enhancers to encourage dogs to eat it. Vets promote these brands as they are sponsored by the company who produce it to do so. There is also some debate as to how much the fat levels are the sole cause of pancreatitis. However with a senior dog you do want to keep the nutrient levels high without upsetting their digestive system so fatty foods including supplements are probably best kept to a minimum.
I have listed below a few links re feeding a dog with pancreatitis which may be relevant even if Noodle is no longer ill. They do give some advice re fish oils or substitutes for health benefits for dogs which may be useful. Some dogs cannot tolerate fish oil well even a good quality one:
