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Life sciences · Journal article
Veterinary and Animal Science · July 24, 2026
A consensus or society position rather than new primary data.
This narrative review synthesizes evidence that dietary EPA and DHA appear to reduce inflammatory responses and may improve clinical outcomes in inflammatory conditions in dogs, but concludes that current evidence is insufficient and scattered. The authors explicitly state that further well-designed and standardized clinical studies are needed to determine optimal supplementation strategies and provide stronger evidence-based recommendations for veterinary practice.
Narrative literature review. Literature on dogs (healthy and diseased) and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation; studies published between January 1990 and December 2024 in English.. Intervention: Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation, particularly EPA and DHA from fish oil and emerging sources (microalgae, krill, fish by-products)..
Fish oil-rich diets decrease the production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids EPA and DHA decrease inflammatory cytokines in dogs with cardiac pathologies Dietary supplementation with n-3 has been shown to be beneficial in managing osteoarthritis, dermatological and cardiac diseases in dogs
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
Veterinarians should recognize that while EPA and DHA show promise for immunomodulation in dogs, current evidence does not yet support specific supplementation recommendations. Standardized clinical protocols and comparative studies are needed before practice-level guidance can be formulated.
A narrative review synthesizing current knowledge on PUFA immunomodulation in dogs, explicitly stating that evidence remains limited and scattered, and recommending further standardized clinical studies before stronger evidence-based guidance can be provided.
As stated by the source record.
Veterinarians should recognize that while EPA and DHA show promise for immunomodulation in dogs, current evidence does not yet support specific supplementation recommendations. Standardized clinical protocols and comparative studies are needed before practice-level guidance can be formulated.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
What is missing. This record has no reported figures. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly the long-chain (LC) n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have gained considerable attention because of their ability to regulate inflammation and immune function. While their immunomodulatory effects are well documented in humans and experimental animal models, evidence in dogs is still limited and scattered. This review brings together the current knowledge on the effects of dietary PUFA supplementation on canine immune function, combining mechanistic evidence with findings from studies involving both healthy dogs and dogs with naturally occurring or experimentally induced diseases. The available evidence suggests that PUFAs influence the canine immune system through several complementary mechanisms. These include changes in cell membrane composition, regulation of intracellular signaling pathways and gene expression, and modulation of lipid mediators that control both the onset and resolution of inflammation. Overall, supplementation with EPA and DHA appears to reduce inflammatory responses and may improve clinical outcomes in a range of inflammatory conditions. Despite these promising findings, comparisons across studies remain difficult because of considerable variation in PUFA sources, supplementation protocols, dietary n-6:n-3 ratios, treatment duration, and immune parameters evaluated. Recent research also highlights the potential of more sustainable PUFA sources and emphasizes the importance of maintaining lipid stability and preventing oxidation to preserve their biological activity. Overall, current evidence supports the use of dietary EPA and DHA as immunomodulatory nutrients in dogs. However, further well-designed and standardized clinical studies are needed to determine optimal supplementation strategies and provide stronger evidence-based recommendations for veterinary practice.
Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.