Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is a plant fat used as a source of energy and fatty acids in some dog and cat foods, valued mainly for its high content of linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid that contributes to skin and coat health and to skin-barrier integrity. This usefulness is real and recognised (NRC, 2006). A nuance matters on fat balance: sunflower oil is rich in omega-6 but poor in omega-3, and a ration too skewed towards omega-6 is not ideal, since a certain ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 is sought in nutrition. Sunflower oil therefore benefits from pairing with an omega-3 source, for example a marine oil such as [salmon and salmon oil](/glossary/salmon-salmon-oil) or [herring](/glossary/herring) (FEDIAF). Like any unsaturated plant oil it is sensitive to [oxidation](/glossary/rancidity-oxidation) and can turn rancid, so the quality of antioxidants and storage is important, and it supplies no long-chain omega-3 EPA and DHA. On a label, sunflower oil mainly signals a source of omega-6 and energy. The marker: sunflower oil is a good source of linoleic acid for skin and coat, but it should be balanced by an omega-3 source, without which the fat ratio stays unbalanced. It plays a similar omega-6 role to [poultry fat](/glossary/poultry-fat), as set out in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

Petipedia · Editorial team

General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.