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Is fish oil okay for my dog who recovered from pancreatitis?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 75 lbs

My 12 year old black lab had pancreatitis 3 years ago. He recovered completely and has been on a prescription low fat diet ever since. Is it OK to give him fish oil supplements?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on January 22nd, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This I will tell you from a medical standpoint but also from experience as my Golden Retriever has a history of chronic pancreatitis. When it comes to it, it is really hard to know what may trigger an episode of pancreatitis. For that reason, I would encourage you to avoid this. The reason is that fish oil can be a bit hard on the gastrointestinal system especially for a dog like ours that is a bit sensitive. I have been debating about starting my dog on fish oil and have decided not to for this reason. It is possible that he will be fine though I would suggest you avoid it. Good luck!

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