What is the right daily dosage of hemp and chia seeds for my dog?

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Norki. Chia seeds are not toxic to dogs, and they can be given to them. Chia seeds are rich in fatty acids, so he does not need a lot of them. I would start with a very small amount at first to see how he tolerates them, 1/4 teaspoon with each meal. If he tolerates that, he can have 1/2 teaspoon per meal. I hope this helps.

I would not recommend this strength for a chihuhua and recommend either a smaller strength capsule such as viacutan or a liquid supplement which you can measure more accurately. Excess of any supplementation is undesirable and he would be effectively receiving 3-4 times the recommended amount

Human fish oil products are safe for dogs. They are a good source of omega 3 which I use to reduce joint inflammation from arthritis. As Chacha is so small the maximum dose for her is 500 mg Fish oil daily. I usually start with a lower dose to make sure she doesn't get diarrhea and then I gradually increase it. You can split the dose also if you feed twice daily. Some people use liquid, others cut open the capsules and put the oil directly on the food. For EPA aim for 120 mg daily and DHA around 80 mg daily. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Chacha.

Flaxseeds are good for dogs; especially if they are normally given a vegetarian diet. Flaxseeds are a good source of essential fatty acids and B vitamins, so are good to add to a daily diet if you are feeding home-cooked food. Be sure to crush the seeds before feeding though. Otherwise, the seed will not be properly digested and the dog will miss-out on the nutrients. I hope that helps and all is well with Cooper.

You should contact your vet's office for a recommendation as we are not in a position legally to give out dosages. In order to do legally so we would have to have a patient-veterinarian-owner relationship with you. Your veterinarian also knows your dog and the potential risks for your dog receiving this medication. That said, if you are using this product you must read the label and dose it according to the label.

You are welcome! It is preferable that you give the 1,000mg containing 300mg of EPA and DHA per 30 pounds, but you can give a dose range between 20-55mg combined EPA and DHA per pound of body weight. With the Trader Joe's supplement, that's about 29mg per pound of body weight of the combined EPA and DHA so it's within the safe dose range. I'm sorry I wasn't clearer before, and I hope this clears up any confusion :-)

You actually want to look at the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) amounts. Aim for a combined 100mg per kilogram of dog's weight, which would be 400 mg total per day for Charlotte. Start with just 100mg and slowly work up to the full dose. The main side effect that you can see, that would require a lower dose, is diarrhea.