Ingredient file // Fat or oil
Sesame Seed Oil
Useful fat and flavor, with limited health proof
Sesame seed oil is pressed from sesame seeds, sometimes after roasting for a stronger flavor. It adds calories and linoleic acid, an essential fat for dogs. Claims that it makes coats shinier or protects dogs from inflammation lack direct evidence.
- What it is
- Edible oil pressed from sesame seeds, sold pale and refined or darker and aromatic after roasting.
- Made from
- Whole sesame seeds
- Main job
- Fat and flavor
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Extra fat in dogs needing a restricted diet
- Not the same as
- Sesame seeds or sesame meal
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 836 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
3 of the 2,508 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All dog food topper.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 5. In the top five of 2 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Price per lb
Median of the cheapest bag price across 3 priced foods, 177% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Solid Gold. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Oil mills press sesame seeds for edible oil. The pressed solids become sesame meal for feed. Food makers can buy pale refined oil or aromatic oil pressed from toasted seeds.3,4,5
- 01 // Source Sesame seeds Dry seeds contain about 40 to 60% oil, making extraction a major use for the crop.
- 02 // Process Optional roasting Toasting seeds develops the aroma of amber sesame oil; oil from untoasted seeds is paler.
- 03 // Process Oil pressed out Mechanical pressure separates liquid oil from a protein rich cake that is sold separately.
- 04 // Output Sesame seed oil The oil arrives pale and refined or amber and aromatic, depending on seed preparation and refining.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
41.3
% linoleic
The share by weight in a reference sesame oil. Dogs need linoleic acid, but this does not make sesame oil a special supplement.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds essential fat
Sesame oil contributes linoleic acid and raises the recipe's fat and calories. A complete food must meet the dog's fatty acid needs as a whole.6,7
-
02
Adds roasted flavor
Oil pressed from toasted seeds has a strong aroma. It gives a topper sesame flavor without adding the seed solids that would bring protein and fiber.4,5,6
-
03
Uses an oil crop
Most sesame seeds sent for processing are used to extract oil, with the meal sold separately. Sesame oil is relatively costly, making flavor a more plausible role than bulk fat.3,4,5
How much No opened dog study shows a sesame oil dose; keep a topper and other extras within 10% of daily calories.1,2,8
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Sesame oil supplies an essential fat for dogs
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A reference sesame oil contains 41.3% linoleic acid, which AAFCO requires in complete dog food. That shows a nutrient contribution. It does not mean a dog eating a complete diet needs sesame oil.6,7
-
Brands say
Sesame oil makes a dog's coat shinier
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A 9-week dog trial improved gloss with linoleic acid plus zinc, without testing sesame oil. A later trial of other oils lacked an untreated comparison group. Neither shows that sesame oil improves a dog's coat.1,2
-
Brands say
Sesame antioxidants protect dogs from inflammation
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Roasting extended one sesame oil's oxidation test from 5.5 to 10.5 hours, a measure of oil stability. In 30 dogs given other oils, inflammatory markers did not differ. Neither study shows protection from sesame oil.2,3
-
Owners say
Sesame oil works like fish oil
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A reference sesame oil contains 0.3% linolenic acid and reports no EPA or DHA. AAFCO lists EPA plus DHA separately for growth diets. Sesame oil cannot replace a specified source of those marine fats.6,7
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoIt is almost entirely fat, so it supplies calories and linoleic acid. Toasted sesame oil also adds flavor. Whether those calories fit your dog's diet matters more than the ingredient's place on the list.5,6
-
Q02
Is it the same as sesame seeds?
NoPressing separates the oil from the seed's protein rich solids. Oil supplies fat and flavor; whole seeds and sesame meal also bring protein and fiber. Their names signal different jobs in a recipe.4,5,6
-
Q03
Can it replace fish oil?
NoSesame oil is rich in omega 6 linoleic acid and has little omega 3 linolenic acid. It does not supply the EPA and DHA for which fish oil is used.6,7
-
Q04
What does label position tell me?
Relative weightIngredients are listed by weight as mixed. Sesame oil below another ingredient weighed less than that ingredient, but its position reveals neither its exact amount nor its share of calories. Check the product's fat and calorie information.10
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Sweet Potatoes 100%
- Carrots 67%
- Apples 67%
- Turkey Bone Broth 33%
- Pumpkin 33%
- Ginger 33%
- Chicken Bone Broth 33%
- Organic Apple 33%
- Chamomile 33%
- Beef Bone Broth 33%
- Turmeric 33%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
3 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Count the fat and skip the health promises
Read sesame oil's label position as relative weight only; it does not reveal the dose or calorie share. Check the product's fat and calories, then whether it is a complete food or a topper. Budget a topper with other extras. Do not buy it for a coat or antioxidant promise.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Effects of zinc and linoleic acid supplementation on the skin and coat quality of dogs receiving a complete and balanced diet
- 2 Effects of dietary camelina, flaxseed, and canola oil supplementation on inflammatory and oxidative markers, transepidermal water loss, and coat quality in healthy adult dogs
- 3 Effects of Seed Roasting Temperature on Sesame Oil Fatty Acid Composition, Lignan, Sterol and Tocopherol Contents, Oxidative Stability and Antioxidant Potential for Food Applications
- 4 Sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds and oil meal
- 5 Sesame Seed Oil Properties
- 6 Oil, sesame, salad or cooking
- 7 AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles
- 8 Treat Guidelines for Dogs
- 9 Re-evaluating your dog’s diet
- 10 Ingredients - Making Pet Food