Q. After an automobile accident that fractured my sternum and ribs and resulted in a herniated disk, I searched diligently for pain relief. Conventional over-the-counter pain relievers all had side effects.
Then I discovered that evening primrose oil provided the pain relief I needed, with no bad reactions. Additional benefits include stopping hair loss.
Since then I have found that my two cats will stop eating to have their daily dose of evening primrose oil. Their fur is very beautiful and they don’t shed nearly as much as they did before.
A. The seeds of the evening primrose are a good source of a fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). It is found in only a few other plants, such as black currant, borage and hemp.
GLA seems to fight inflammation, which may explain why it relieved your pain. But we don’t know why it seems to be helping your cats’ fur.
Animals deprived of essential fatty acids may develop hair loss that can be reversed with evening primrose oil supplementation. We have not seen research documenting its value against hair loss in healthy individuals, whether human or feline.
