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Is fish oil safe for my senior dog with joint pain and hair loss?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cocker Spaniel | Female | spayed | 14 years and 2 months old | 22 lbs

Hello! I have a 13 year old female cocker spaniel. I was wondering is it safe to give her fish oil? She weighs 22 pounds. She is on thyroid medication, gabapentin 100mg once a day, 10mg Zyrtec every other day and incurin once a day. She has joint pain and a little hair loss so I was wondering if the fish oil would help her? Thank you! ~Sammie

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 23rd, 2019

Hi Sammie! Yes, it's safe to give to Josie. If she was prone to pancreatitis, I would say no because too much fat causes bouts of it, but if she doesn't have that problem, it's ok to give to her. It's reported to help with joint pain as well as skin and fur issues. I hope this helps!

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  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 23rd, 2019

    As long as Josie doesn't have any health problems, it's safe to give her fish oil. She can have 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/DHA combined. It's good for the skin and coat, and reportedly has anti-inflammatory properties. I hope this helps!

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