Chia Seeds

[bullheaded]

Does anyone on here give their dogs chia seeds? I am trying to find out if they are safe to give to my dog and if so how much? Do I give the 2 Tbsp per day like it says for a person? (No my dog does not weigh the same as a person) I was thinking of putting them in some plain yogurt. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Chrissy

[Misskiwi67]

Seeds also have a tough fibrous coating made of fiber that is not digestable. Most grains are well digested by canines when ground, but when whole, they are not digested at all. So unless you are grinding the seeds, they probably aren't doing anything but passing into the feces whole.

I've seen other people supplement with ground flax seed, but its debated if the omega-3's in flax are absorbed as well as other types of omega-3's...

[jamielvsaustin]

MK, can I share you post here with a friend on Facebook? She was just talking about giving her dogs these.

[Misskiwi67]

MK, can I share you post here with a friend on Facebook? She was just talking about giving her dogs these.

Sure, I don't mind

[bullheaded]

Ok, Thank you. So if we get the milled seeds, that is more beneficial. Worth a try. Thank you for the input.

[Misskiwi67]

So I did some more research on this since there was a couple people curious, and the concern with chia seeds is the same as for flax. The main reason to supplement is usually for omega-3 fatty acids, but plant sources have short-chain acids, and we use long-chain acids. People convert these plant source omega-3's but dogs have limited ability to convert them to useable compounds, so if your primary objective is to supplement omega-3 (and not fiber source, pre-biotic etc) then you are better off supplementing a protein source omega-3 like fish oil.

One of the alternative medicine doctors on the board I use for information suggested using a coffee grinder to grind your own seed fresh daily so there isn't as much oxidation. Oxidation causes the oils to go rancid and actually makes them harmful instead of beneficial.