Ground Whole Flaxseed

Ground whole flaxseed is the entire flax seed milled into a meal, so the oil, fiber and hull all go into the food. Tufts veterinary nutritionists list flaxseed as a source of the plant omega-3 ALA and say cats cannot convert ALA into EPA and DHA. If your cat has a medical condition, your veterinarian can advise on whether its food fits.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Ground flaxseed is added for fiber and plant omega-3, plus a little fat energy. Grinding breaks the seed coat, and Pettings notes that whole flax seeds can pass through a cat's gut intact. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say fiber contained in carbohydrate sources can nourish gut bacteria and improve stool quality. The omega-3 in flaxseed is ALA, a plant form, not the EPA and DHA found in fish oil.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Both come from the same seed. A label that says only flaxseed does not tell you whether the seed was ground. Ground whole flaxseed tells you it was milled and that the whole seed, hull included, went into the food. Pettings keeps separate pages because labels use both names, and it scores both 3 out of 5.

It can. Once flaxseed is ground, its oil is exposed to air, and polyunsaturated fats like ALA oxidize faster than saturated fats. Manufacturers usually protect the fats in a dry food with antioxidants such as mixed tocopherols. At home, keeping the bag sealed and using the food before the date printed on the package limits further oxidation.

Pettings gives ground whole flaxseed 3 out of 5 and files it as a general cat food ingredient. It appears on 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. That score rates the ingredient by itself, and each food's page shows how the full recipe scores overall.