Omega-3 for picky senior dogs

Liquid salmon oil refusal is genuinely common — some dogs just won't touch it, no matter how you try to hide it in food. Senior dogs still really benefit from omega-3s, especially for joint inflammation and coat health, so it's worth finding a format they'll actually eat. Tell me a bit more: is this primarily about joint support, skin and coat, or both? And is your Airedale showing any stiffness, slowing down on walks, or anything else that's been prompting the switch?

Morning stiffness at 10 is very typical for an Airedale — they're a medium-to-large terrier so joints do start to feel it by this age. When a dog consistently leaves the bowl bottom untouched like that, the liquid format just isn't going to work, so there's no point persisting with it. What I'd recommend moving to is a soft chew supplement rather than an oil. They're eaten as a treat rather than hidden in food, which changes the whole dynamic. Are you open to a chew format, and does he have any food allergies or sensitivities I should know about?

Perfect — treat-motivated dogs are the easiest to supplement. My recommendation is YuMOVE Joint Care PLUS for Senior Dogs, the soft chew version. It's specifically formulated for dogs over 8, combining green-lipped mussel as the omega-3 source alongside glucosamine and hyaluronic acid — so you're getting joint support from several angles at once, not just the omega-3 in isolation. The soft chews are flavoured and most dogs eat them without any fuss. It's widely used by vets in the UK and there's good evidence behind the green-lipped mussel specifically for mobility in dogs showing early stiffness. For a 10-year-old Airedale with morning stiffness, this is exactly what I'd start with.

Most owners notice something in four to six weeks, though dogs with mild stiffness sometimes respond a bit faster. YuMOVE themselves suggest giving it a full 6-week loading period before judging whether it's working — the green-lipped mussel builds up in the system. It's worth keeping a simple note of how he is on walks and getting up each morning so you can compare properly. If you see no change at all by eight weeks, that's when it's worth a vet conversation to rule out anything more structural.

Good — I think he'll take to them much more readily than the oil. One practical tip: for the first few days, give the chew separately as a treat rather than alongside his meal, just so he associates it as something good before it becomes routine. Hope you see him moving more freely soon.