Fish oil dosage for dogs by weight

By the PetFishOilGuide editorial team · Updated October 13, 2026 · How we compare

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For adult dogs, a range published by a veterinary nutritionist is 50 to 75 mg of combined EPA+DHA per kg of body weight per day, about 23 to 34 mg per lb. A 50 lb dog falls at roughly 1,134 to 1,701 mg. Read EPA+DHA on the label, not "fish oil" mg, and ask your vet first.

This page turns that published range into the units on your product. It shows label math, not a prescription. We are not veterinarians and this page has not been checked by a veterinarian, so every number below comes with its source, and the final call on your dog's dose belongs to your vet.

Maintenance range by weight

The table below is fixed text, so it works without JavaScript. Maintenance range = 50 to 75 mg x weight in kg. Safe upper limit = 370 mg x (weight in kg)^0.75. One pound is 0.4536 kg. All figures are milligrams of combined EPA+DHA per day and are rounded.

Where the numbers come from

The 50 to 75 mg per kg range is a suggested supplemental dose from one board-certified veterinary nutritionist, Dr. Cailin Lenox, in an ACVN Nutrition Notes article in Today's Veterinary Practice (2016). Her words: "I typically dose fish oil at: Dogs: 50 to 75 mg EPA + DHA (combined) per kg body weight." The same article says there is no consensus on how best to dose EPA and DHA. It is one expert's practice, not a legal or nutritional requirement. AAFCO sets no adult EPA+DHA minimum, and the NRC's recommended allowance is far lower, about 30 mg x kg^0.75 (169 mg for a 10 kg dog).

The upper limit is separate. The U.S. National Research Council (2006) set a safe upper limit of 2.8 g EPA+DHA per 1,000 kcal of diet for dogs. Veterinary sources translate that to about 370 mg x kg^0.75 per day for an adult dog at typical energy intake. It counts everything: the EPA+DHA already in the food, plus supplements. Many fish-based diets contain some, so check your dog's food label or ask the manufacturer. We did not read the NRC book itself; we rely on three veterinary articles that quote it, listed below.

EPA+DHA on the label versus "fish oil mg"

This is the most common mistake. A label that says "1,000 mg fish oil" or "1,000 mg omega-3" describes the oil, not the part dogs are supplemented for. Only some of that oil is EPA and DHA. Colorado State's veterinary hospital makes the same point: its doses are based on combined EPA and DHA, not general "fish oil" or "omega 3" labels.

The gap is large in practice. One 1,000 mg omega-3 softgel in our catalog, Strawfield Pets 1000 mg Omega 3 Softgels (250 ct), lists 300 mg of EPA+DHA (the maker does not state the basis explicitly, so check your own bottle). Other products we track:

• Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet Softgels (90 ct): 270 mg EPA+DHA per softgel.
• Nutramax Welactin Canine Softgels (120 ct): 255 mg per softgel.
• Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet (liquid, dogs): 621 mg per 2.5 mL.

If a label gives only fish oil volume or "total omega-3" and no EPA and DHA, you cannot calculate a dose from it. We list such products separately in our product comparison and explain how we read labels on the methodology page. For help choosing between formats, see liquid vs softgel vs chews.

How to use the calculator

1. Enter your dog's weight. The calculator shows the milligram range and the safe upper limit for that weight.
2. Pick a product to convert the range into milliliters, pumps, softgels or chews, rounded to 0.1 mL, or half a pump. Softgels and chews are given as whole pieces, unless the label says they can be split.
3. The calculator never shows an amount above 75 mg per kg. If one serving of the product is already above the range for your dog's weight, it says so instead of giving an amount. Choose a lower-strength product or ask your vet. The NRC upper limit is background information: it includes the EPA+DHA in your dog's food, and a rich diet can push the total over it even when the supplement alone does not. Ask your vet to count the food.
4. Where the maker publishes servings per container, the calculator also shows how many days a container lasts at that amount. That is arithmetic, not advice.

The calculator uses only the maintenance range. It does not compute doses for any condition.

When not to self-dose

Ask your veterinarian before starting fish oil, and especially in these situations:

• Your dog takes any medication, including blood thinners, aspirin or other NSAIDs.
• Your dog has a bleeding or clotting problem, pancreatitis, high blood fats, diabetes, a digestive condition, or is overweight.
• Your dog is a puppy, pregnant or nursing, or due for surgery.

Stop and call your vet if you see vomiting, diarrhea, or unusual bleeding or bruising. Veterinarians Lenox and Bauer list the possible effects of too much omega-3 as including loose stool, vomiting, weight gain, and effects on blood clotting (J Vet Intern Med, 2013). Details are on our side effects page.

Higher amounts have been used in studies of osteoarthritis, but a veterinarian sets and monitors those doses. We do not calculate them. See fish oil for dogs with arthritis for what the evidence looks like.

Sources

All checked October 13, 2026.

• Lenox CE. Role of Dietary Fatty Acids in Dogs & Cats. ACVN Nutrition Notes, Today's Veterinary Practice, Sep/Oct 2016 (Table 5). PDF. Maintenance range and NRC figures.
• Raditic D, Gaylord L. Fish Oil Dosing in Pet Diets and Supplements. Today's Veterinary Practice, 2020, updated 2024. Article. Corroborates the upper limit and notes therapeutic ranges are much higher and condition-specific.
• dvm360. Journal scan of Lenox CE, Bauer JE. Potential adverse effects of omega-3 fatty acids in dogs and cats. J Vet Intern Med 2013;27:217-226. Summary. Adverse effects and the 370 mg x kg^0.75 equivalent.
• Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Canine fish oil dosing chart. Labels must list EPA and DHA; higher doses are for veterinarians.

Our process is described in How we compare. See also omega-3 for dogs, human fish oil for dogs and salmon oil for dogs. Puppies, senior dogs and dogs with kidney disease have their own pages: puppies, senior dogs, kidney disease.