Aug 08, 2024

Perfect Press® Pets: Health Benefits for Our Furry Friends

We love our fur babies here at Activation! Many of us have cats and dogs at home and I even have ducks, chickens, turkeys, horses and cows on my little farm. Keeping our pets healthy helps to ensure that they live long, happy lives… which has been shown to benefit us too.

Just like people, pets need a healthy balance of proteins, fibre, fat, vitamins and minerals. For most pets, like cats and dogs, protein comes from meat or a high-quality pet food that has meat as one of its key ingredients.

Many people are now feeding their animals raw food diets some or all of the time. That involves giving them raw meat (including organ meat), eggs, bones, vegetables, fruits and even some dairy. It’s important to do your research before starting this kind of a program for your pet as some foods, especially certain fruits and vegetables, are not suitable for all animals.

Regardless of whether you’re giving your animals whole raw foods or canned and bagged pet foods, it’s likely that they aren’t getting enough healthy fats.

The same is true for pets as it is for people: not all fats are the same. Cats and dogs are carnivores, which means that they need animal protein, but along with meat comes saturated fat. Sometimes you’ll see house pets carrying too much extra weight, which is often the result of them getting too much unhealthy fat in their diets (from too much food at meal times, extra treats or low-quality kibble) and not enough exercise to balance it out.

The good news is there are lots of sources of healthy fats that pets love. You’ll know they’re getting good nutrition and they’ll think they’re getting bonus rewards.

Healthy fats, also known as unsaturated fats or omega fats, have benefits for humans and animals alike. To discover more about healthy fats and what they do for your body, check out our recent blog post.

When it comes to dogs, the situation isn’t all that different. According to PetMD.com:“Fats have many important functions in the canine body. Not only do they provide energy, but they are also necessary for the normal development and function of body cells, nerves, muscles, and body tissues. They are important components in the body’s production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins work to reduce inflammation, as well as perform many other important functions in the body.”

So what are some sources of healthy fats? They can certainly come from meat, especially fish. Other meats do contain unsaturated fats, but in low amounts compared to saturated fat. Fish oil, which can be added to pet food in liquid form, is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. There are other excellent plant-based sources of healthy fats too.

Seeds for Sparky

Specifically, seed oils can make a huge difference in the overall health of your pets. Flax, coriander, sunflower, coconut, black cumin, pumpkin oil — they all contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, along with other nutrients that can benefit your pet.

Many plant-based oils contain high levels of omega fatty acids, which help your pet’s skin and coat, reducing dandruff and shedding and encouraging shine. They’re great for their heart health too, working to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes and ensuring better circulation. Healthy fats help to improve cognitive function, they support healthy cellular growth and they help to reduce inflammation. This is especially important for older cats, dogs and horses that often experience stiffness and pain as they age. Just as humans can benefit from different oil supplements and expect improvements to their overall health on multiple fronts, so can animals.

Take pumpkin for example. In many top-end cat and dog foods, pumpkin is making an appearance, why is that? Well, it can help to settle their stomachs for one. In addition to that, it is great for urinary tract health. Lisa Spector, at Care2.com, notes that: “pumpkin seeds are high in essential fatty acids and antioxidants (good for overall healthy skin and fur), and the oils in pumpkins’ flesh and seeds are believed to support urinary health. They are also an excellent source of Vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium and iron, and may even reduce the likelihood your pet will develop cancer.”

Giving your pets nutritious oil is easy; they can be added to their food or fed right from a spoon or dropper, and you can even use them topically. Many people find coriander oil helps with hot spots for example because it’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.

Like I said before, not all fats are created equal, it is important to know which varieties of plant-based oil are safe for your pet, which they can benefit from and which are the best quality. Many foods that are good for people are not good for animals (for example, dark chocolate and avocados are both harmful to dogs), so be sure to check before you go giving any supplements to your furry friends.

DogAware.com notes that: “Cold-pressed, unrefined oils are healthier than those subjected to heat processing and refinement, which destroy antioxidants and other beneficial properties. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils should never be fed.” This means that you should be sourcing your oil supplements from a company that does not sacrifice quality or cut corners to make a cheaper product.

The Perfect Press® line includes numerous seed oils that are perfectly pressed to preserve nutritional value and ensure zero damage. Five Seed Blend is a fusion of five seed oils, all of which can benefit your pet’s health: flax, coriander, pumpkin, sunflower and black sesame. It’s a great all-in-one option that covers a wide range of issues for animals and humans alike. We also offer single seed oils for a variety of pet health benefits. Black cumin and coriander oils are among our most popular options.

And what would a pet's post be without some furbaby video? Check out this adorable video of Ariel, gobbling up her Styrian Pumpkin Oil:

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Perfect Press® Pets: Health Benefits for Our Furry Friends

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