Coconut Oil

COCONUT OIL – A Tasty “Super Food”

Briefly stated Coconut oil increases metabolism (providing a higher level of energy and vitality), protects your dog from illness, speeds healing, aides in reducing allergies and improves a dog’s coat and digestion.

Additionally, since it increases metabolism Coconut oil helps with weight loss in overweight dogs.

Here is a more detailed, but still incomplete, list of benefits of Coconut oil:

• Improves digestion and increases nutrient absorption
• Aids in increasing energy
• Aids arthritis and ligament problems
• Helps prevent infections and disease
• Reduces allergic reactions and itchy skin and both prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections.  Coconut oil possesses high level antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal agents
• Helps with colitis and inflammatory bowel syndrome
• Helps prevent or control diabetes, balances insulin and promotes normal thyroid function
• Assists with weight loss
• Minimizes doggy odor and reduces or eliminates bad breath
• Creates sleek and glossy coats
• When applied topically coconut oil promotes wound healing and also can help with hot spots, dry skin and hair, bites and stings.

• Helps with coughing

But I already give my dog Fish Oil, isn’t that the same thing?

No.  Fish oil and Coconut oil differ significantly though they do have some overlapping benefits.

In a nutshell Fish oil contains EPA & DHA, omega-3 fatty acids.  Fish oil benefits the heart and coat and helps reduce inflammation and cancer risks.  Coconut oil, on the other hand, contains medium chain fatty acids and it, too, helps the heart and coat and reduces inflammation but also increases energy, muscle production and reduces the chances of a number of diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Coconut oil pairs well with Fish oil in that they both provide their own unique, as well as overlapping, benefits.  Like food proteins (“flavors”), we suggest rotating the oils in a similar fashion.  Like anything fed to a dog continuously and for a long period, some dogs may develop allergies.  By rotating Coconut and Fish oil every other time you minimize this potential.

So how can I get my Dog to eat Coconut Oil?

That’s the easy part of course, many dogs love coconut and may take to licking it right off the spoon.  You can be creative and you might try mixing it with a little frozen/thawed Goat’s Milk (another “Super Food”). 

Most manufacturers recommend a teaspoon of coconut oil per 10 pounds of dog, or you can give a table spoon per 30 pounds.

We advise starting off with a smaller dose for the first 4 weeks to prevent any adverse symptoms that may occasionally pop up.  Noted symptoms (but not illness) are much like a flu which is worth noting should you rush the dosage.