Can Fish Oils Stop Aggression in Dogs?

Does your dog exhibit signs of aggression towards humans or other animals? Canine aggression may manifest as nipping, biting, growling, or snarling. In most cases, aggression in dogs is motivated by either fear or dominance and territorial issues. Surprisingly, a recent study shows that aggression problems in dogs may be associated with dietary deficiency, more specifically deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, fortified eggs, and flaxseed, are rich in two essential fats known as eicosa-pentenoic acid (EPA) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These omega 3's have already been shown to have health benefits in humans including a role in the prevention of heart disease and, possibly, cancer. Researchers in Italy now report they may be effective in treating aggression in dogs.

Italian researchers in an attempt to look at the role omega 3 fatty acids play in aggression problems in dogs measured blood levels of DHA in both healthy, aggressive dogs and dogs that had no history of aggression. They found the dogs who exhibited aggressive behavior had lower blood levels of DHA than did their more laid back counterparts. The aggressive dogs were also noted to have higher ratios of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids suggesting a deficiency state of omega 3's relative to omega 6's.