What is Coconut Oil good for:
* Applying to doggie’s skin Why?? Coconut Oil can help to clear up skin conditions such as eczema, flea allergies, contact dermatitis, and itchy, blotchy red skin. It can aid in reducing allergic reactions and improving skin health, integrity, and vitality. It really does make our coats sleek and glossy.
Coconut Oil also helps to decrease that “doggy odor” some of us get!! that we like, but hoomans not so much!! BOL!! It can help to prevent and treat yeast and fungal infections, such as candida. Coconut Oil assists in promoting wound healing. Thus, when applied to our skin, it can help to promote the healing of cuts, wounds, hot spots, dry skin and hair/fur, bites and stings . . . AND, it has natural “sunscreen protecting” qualities to it!!
When in doubt, consider this: When applying to our doggie bodies, always remember to try a test spot first and see if our skin improves or not.
* Eating it! YUMMY!! Coconut Oil is nontoxic! Moreover, it can help to improve digestion and nutrient absorption, especially with fat-soluble nutrients. It can aid in the healing of digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel syndrome and colitis.
It can help to reduce or even eliminate, in some cases, “bad breath” in us doggie-pies. It is also good for our immune system health, our metabolic function, and our bone health because it contains powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents, which help to prevent infection and disease.
* Other ways Coconut Oil can be helpful:
It can aid in decreasing arthritis and ligament problems. Coconut Oil can help to regulate and balance our insulin levels and assist in promoting normal thyroid functioning. It can help us to reduce our weight, as well as provide us with increased energy levels.
When putting it in our food, always remember to try just a little to see if we like it and if it agrees with our tummies. You can gradually increase the amount you put on our food over time to the full ¼ teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight per day.
After a week or two and you decide you like the results, then you can up it to twice a day or you can just keep it at once a day.
Dose: ¼ teaspoon for every 10 pounds of doggie body weight, up to twice daily. So a 20 pound Boston could be fed a half of a teaspoon in the morning and another half in the evening for a total of a whole teaspoon of Coconut Oil for the day. Mix it well with food and we just gobble it up!!!
Kind to buy & Where to buy Coconut Oil: Unrefined, expeller pressed, organic virgin coconut Oil is the kind of Coconut Oil you want to purchase. It can be found in the baking aisle of your local grocery store for about $6 to $10 for a 14-ounce jar. Please be aware that it becomes a liquid at room temperature and there is no need to refrigerate after opening the jar. It is edible and safe ((i.e. nontoxic))!!!
You might want to purchase two or more jars of Coconut Oil. One just to dip into for feeding purposes only. One just to dip into for rubbing on our doggie skin only. One just for cooking/baking purposes only. One just for rubbing on hooman skin only, etc. My momma has 4 jars, two for us Bostons and one in the kitchen for baking and one in the bathroom for the hooman skin!!! She says it is really good on her lips and for her skin.
For the Scientific Minded . . .
We have all heard of the benefits of Omega 3s and fish oil, yes? And we have heard of how certain kinds of fats are actually very beneficial to our health because they help our body’s process nutrients that are only fat soluble as well as help to keep our brains healthy, because our brains are basically fatty globes laced with billions of neurons, receptors, blood vessels, etc.
Well, Coconut Oil consists of more than 90% saturated fatty acids. Most of these fatty acids are “Medium Chain Triglycerides” or MCTs -- the healthy fat. More than 40% of the MCTs consist of lauric acid . . . followed by capric acid, caprylic acid, myristic acid and palmitic. Coconut Oil also contains about 2% of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and about 6% oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid.
Most of Coconut Oil’s benefits come from these MCTs.
* For instance, the lauric fatty acid has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. The capric and caprylic fatty acids have similar properties as well, but they are best known for their antifungal effects.
* The MCTs metabolize quickly, providing an immediate source of fuel and energy, thus enhancing athletic performance and aiding in weight loss.
* The MCTs help to balance the thyroid, which also aids in weight loss and providing energy.
Dr. Bruce Fife (a certified nutritionist and naturopathic doctor) has stated that, “Coconut Oil gently elevates the metabolism, provides a higher level of energy and vitality, protects you from illness, and speeds healing. As a bonus, Coconut Oil improves any dog’s skin and coat, improves digestion, and reduces allergic reactions.”
Dr. Karen Becker (an integrative veterinarian and naturopathic doctor) has stated that, “Medium Chain Triglycerides have been shown to improve brain energy metabolism and decrease the amyloid protein buildup that results in brain lesions in older dogs. Coconut Oil is a rich source of MCTs. I recommend ¼ teaspoon for every 10 pounds of body weight twice daily for basic MCT support.”
So why not give Coconut Oil a try and introduce it to your doggie?? It offers many benefits for us and it is more sustainable and a less toxic source of oils than fish.
