Dogs and Owners Go Crazy About Coconut Oil

Unrefined, or "virgin," coconut oil is one of the hottest health foods for pets and their owners. But, if you're like a lot of people, you think of it as suntan lotion, and not a food. 

Coconut oil is one of the world's few saturated-fat vegetable oils, and because of this, it gained a terrible reputation in the 1980s and 1990s. Then the vegetable oils that replaced it caused more harm than good, and coconut oil is making a tremendous comeback.

Whether taken internally or applied topically, coconut oil has numerous benefits. It heals digestive disorders and enables weight loss, relieves arthritis, prevents and treats viral infections, promotes normal thyroid function, reduces allergies, prevents and controls diabetes, helps balance the body's metabolism, disinfects cuts, promotes wound healing, improves skin health and fur condition, deodorizes whatever it touches and much more!

And, most dogs love the taste of coconut oil, which makes feeding coconut oil and coconut-based treats easy and pleasant.

There are two main types of coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconut meat, then treated to remove impurities. Most refined coconut oil is inexpensive, bland and odorless. It doesn't contain all of the nutrients, flavor and fragrance found in unrefined coconut oil.  In most cases, the coconuts are of low quality and chemicals, such as chlorine, are used in the refining process. 

Unrefined or "virgin" coconut oil is pressed by hand, using traditional methods or manufactured in state-of-the-art facilities, and retains most if not all of the nutrients found in fresh coconut.

Depending on the temperature, good-quality coconut oil will be solid or liquid. Below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, the oil will be solid and white, like vegetable shortening.  At 76 F and above, coconut oil is a transparent liquid.

It's very important to start slow when introducing coconut oil into your pet's diet. The solid or liquid oil can be added to food at any meal or given between meals.  The optimum dose for dogs is about 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight daily, or 1 tablespoon per 30 pounds. These are general guidelines, and some dogs need less and others more.  But, don't start with these amounts. Instead, introduce the oil a little at a time in divided doses. 

Because coconut oil kills harmful bacteria, the burden of removing dead organisms can trigger symptoms of detoxification.  If your dog seems tired or uncomfortable, or has diarrhea, simply reduce the amount of oil temporarily.