Ingredients
Every active in CanisWell™ Skin + Coat, with its exact amount per serving — nine actives, nine numbers. No proprietary blends, no combined "total omega-3" figure, nothing left off. The chicken and salmon chews contain identical actives at identical amounts; only the flavor differs.
Actives, per daily serving of 2 chews (5 g)
| Active | Amount | Why it is in the chew |
|---|---|---|
| EPA (from 18/12 marine oil) | 72 mg | Supports a normal skin barrier and coat condition. |
| DHA (from 18/12 marine oil) | 48 mg | Works alongside EPA; declared separately because the two are not interchangeable. |
| Pumpkin seed | 200 mg | A whole-food source of fatty acids and minerals in the chew base. |
| Coconut oil | 30 mg | A source of medium-chain fatty acids. |
| Zinc (5 mg elemental, as 25 mg zinc glycinate) | 5 mg | Supports normal skin barrier function. Chelated form, stated as elemental. |
| Biotin | 400 mcg | Contributes to normal keratin production in skin and hair. |
| Vitamin E (natural d-alpha-tocopherol) | 30 IU | An antioxidant that helps maintain healthy skin cells. |
| Vitamin A | 160 IU | Supports normal skin and coat condition. |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 mg | Supports normal protein metabolism. |
Two details on that table are worth pointing out, because most labels leave them ambiguous.
EPA and DHA are listed separately. A single "total omega-3" number can include ALA from plant oils such as flaxseed, which dogs convert into EPA and DHA very inefficiently. Why that distinction matters.
Zinc is stated as elemental. Zinc glycinate is roughly 20% elemental zinc, so 25 mg of the compound provides 5 mg of actual zinc — a fivefold difference if a label does not say which figure it means. Chelated vs non-chelated minerals.
Inactive ingredients
These make the chew hold together, stay soft, taste like something a dog wants, and keep the marine oil from going off.
- Brewer's Yeast — palatability
- Garbanzo Flour — chew base and binder
- Yucca Powder — part of the chew base
- Coconut Glycerin — humectant; keeps the chew soft rather than hard
- Sunflower Lecithin — emulsifier, so the oil stays evenly distributed
- Rosemary Extract — natural antioxidant
- Mixed Tocopherols — natural antioxidant
- Natural Chicken Flavor or Natural Salmon Flavor — depending on which jar you choose
Rosemary extract and mixed tocopherols are doing a specific job: marine oil oxidises, and oxidation both causes the smell people associate with fish oil chews and destroys the EPA and DHA the label promises. More on oxidation, and the three numbers that measure it.
What is not in it
- No proprietary blends. Every active above is published with its amount.
- No corn, wheat or soy.
- No artificial colors or flavors.
- No chicken in the salmon chew, for households that would rather avoid it.
- No flaxseed. It was in an early supplier specification and we removed it, because plant-source ALA inflates a "total omega-3" figure without delivering EPA or DHA.
- No honeysuckle. A supplier proposed it at 10 mg. It is not in the AAFCO ingredient definitions and at that level it would do essentially nothing.
Our standards
- Every active and its exact amount is printed on the label. This is the whole point of the brand.
- Produced in an FDA-registered facility operating to cGMP under 21 CFR Part 507, with NSF GMP and ISO 9001 certification. FDA registration is a legal requirement for feed facilities — it is not an FDA endorsement, and we do not present it as one.
- The formula has been tested by SGS, an independent laboratory, covering heavy metals, microbial safety and a 315-item pesticide screen.
- Zinc is chelated and declared as elemental, and vitamin E is natural d-alpha-tocopherol rather than the cheaper synthetic form. Both were specified in writing, not agreed verbally.
What we have not done yet
We would rather tell you what is unfinished than let you assume it is done.
- Batch certificates of analysis will be published as production batches are tested. We are pre-launch, so there are none yet. The standard we are holding ourselves to.
- Oxidation values — peroxide, anisidine and TOTOX — will be published once we have measured results from a real batch, not before.
- No veterinary nutritionist has reviewed this formula yet. A review is being arranged. Until it is complete you will not see the phrase "vet-formulated" anywhere on this site, because it would not be true.
The reasoning behind each of these decisions is set out in what we put on our label, and why.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is a supplement for supplemental feeding to dogs only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your veterinarian before starting any supplement.