What happens if I give sunflower oil to my dog?

In a century of nutritional awareness (we could say that in the last 20 years concepts such as Omega-3, healthy eating, super vitamins from fruit and vegetables have grown a lot), sunflower oil It still has a good reputation with many people.

And it is true that the cooking oil in the country houses or in those of our grandparents since we were children, where Milanese were fried and fried eggs were smoked, was sunflower oil. And they used it in more than one kitchen. And even in more than one day.

Since sunflower oil is rich in vitamin E and linoleic acidsit is worth immediately underlining that although it contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which is part of the belief that it has excellent nutrients, the first problem we encountered is that its Omega-6 acids are many but it does not have very few Omegas -3, when the opposite proportion would be much better for health.

In any case, since it is an oil so closely linked to our homes, it is good to ask ourselves if we can give sunflower oil to a dog. But, when most nutritional advice tells us that humans should limit their intake of sunflower oil, what are the reasons for giving it to a person? dog?

What happens if I give sunflower oil to my dog?

It is an issue that has a lot of history in recent years. And with nuances. But we are not interested in ambiguities: If you love your dog, never feed him sunflower oil. Take care of him like you know you need to take care of yourself.

To be clear, the German dog food brand Bellforcommunicates on its website a note on good oils for dogs, which “Sunflower oil is not a good choice for dogs.” And he justifies his statement with three thought-provoking concepts.

1. Fatty acids

The German site specifies that sunflower oil has “a high content of unsaturated fatty acids. For the average dog owner, this seems good at first.” But sunflower oil contains mainly so-called omega-6 fatty acids and very few omega-3 fatty acids.

And the ratio of omega-3 fats and omega-6 eIt is essential for health effects. If your dog regularly gets too much omega-6 fats and too little omega-3 fats from sunflower oil in his food, this can harm him in the long term and cause inflammation in his body, among other things.

2. Processing issues

Problems in the production of sunflower oil are reported by various specialized media and also by nutritionists who advise against excess in the human diet. Bellfor says it like this: “Another problem that makes sunflower oil a bad ingredient Food for dogs It’s done like this. Because high temperatures are generally used in production. Chemicals, solvents and bleaching agents are also used to give the oil the desired properties.

3. Trans fats harm your health

Bellfor adds that “As if the two points mentioned weren’t bad enough, there is another argument that clearly speaks against sunflower oil in dog food. If this is used in hardened or partially hardened form, so-called trans fats are formed.

Trans fats can cause numerous health problems. These include, among other things, increasing cholesterol levels and perhaps even promoting cancer.”

Consult your veterinarian

The specialized site Organic, with excellent information for pets, warns in a note about this product. And answer the question: When is sunflower oil harmful to dogs?:

“When it was subjected to high temperatures. It may be due to the way it is produced in factories, so you can’t give even a spoonful of your sunflower oil to your dog. Ideally, if you are going to give it to him, is that it is a cold-pressed sunflower oil. This is usually the case when it comes to a dog food supplement or food, but it is best to always make sure of its origin.”

But no one is unaware that it is very complex to know the exact origin of much of the food we eat. And if we give him an oil produced at high temperatures, such as sunflower oil, “trans fats would form (in the dog), which is not advisable, since it causes obesity, a excess cholesterol and triglycerides and can even cause diseases such as cancer. If you give your dog fried foods, the effect is the same, so no fried foods or hot-pressed sunflower oil,” the site warns.

Conclusion on sunflower oil

Besides that it is a good measure to consult and listen to the recommendations from a veterinariannothing better than being able to discover ourselves what the products we eat and those we give to the dog are made of.

You will not easily find a specialized note on sunflower for dogs that does not warn of the serious possible consequences resulting from ingestion. And you will find many notes on the consumption of fish oil, olive oil, linseed oil for dogs. And none present a warning of possible severity.

In any case, giving sunflower oil to your dog can never be part of his daily diet, but rather an addition at times. Thus, taking the risk of giving him something he doesn’t need and it becomes difficult to understand the processing method, it is better to leave it aside. And may our furry four-legged friend not run into unnecessary danger.