Flaxseed

Flaxseed appears on the labels of 101 of the 244 recipes we have read and scored (41 percent of the database), in label forms including Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids), Flaxseed (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Flaxseed, GROUND FLAXSEED, Flaxseed Oil, Flaxseed Meal and 5 more label forms.

What it is

The seed of flax, ground or whole: fibre, lignans and ALA, a plant omega 3 fat.

Why makers use it

A cheap omega 3 claim and useful fibre in one ingredient.

What to watch for

Dogs convert ALA to the active EPA and DHA forms poorly, so flaxseed does not do fish oil's job. Whole seed can pass through undigested; ground is the useful form.

Highest scoring recipes that carry it

The full database, filterable by brand, format, life stage and grains, is the reviews index; the food finder answers it by the proteins a dog must avoid.

Often on the same panels

Vitamin Supplements (the Vitamin Pack), Choline Chloride, Selenium Yeast and Sodium Selenite, Mixed Tocopherols. The full dictionary is the ingredient index.