Coconut oil is one of the fastest growing foods in terms of popularity. It seems that this special oil is becoming popular in every part of the world because more people discover the health benefits of coconut oil consumption and use.
Coconut oil is associated with many benefits including improvement of skin health, lowering and soothing allergies, boosting digestion and preparing all-natural toothpaste. So, it is no surprise why so many people have it in their kitchen.
But, have you ever wondered whether you can give coconut oil to your pets? It turns out that coconut oil is not beneficial only for humans. By adding coconut oil on your dog’s daily menu you can bring many health benefits in your furry friend and many of them are similar like the ones experienced by humans.
Coconut Oil for Dogs: Health Benefits
According to some statistics, there are more than 530 million pet dogs all over the planet. Many people claim that they simply can’t live without their pets and that’s why most of them are taking good care of their pet buddies. By using coconut oil in the diet of your dog, you can drastically boost its health.
There are many naturopaths and nutritionists who believe that coconut oil is able to:
- Slightly speed up the metabolism
- Keeps your dog safe from ailments
- Generate more energy and vitality
- Sterilize cuts and accelerate wound healing
- Boost digestion
- Boost dog’s coat and skin
- Lower the intensity of allergic reactions
- Soothe inflammation or ligament problems
- Assist the removal of coughing and hairballs
- Help your dog eliminate bad breath
Keep in mind that these are only some of the health benefits of coconut oil when it is used by your dog. Now let’s see what makes this oil so special.
The health benefits of coconut oil originate from the Medium Chain Triglycerides or simply MCTs that are one of the basic elements of this oil. On the other hand, lauric acid which is the active ingredient of MCTs provides strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects and caprylic and capric acids two other ingredients found in medium chain triglycerides have strong antifungal properties.
With the help of MCT which is metabolized fast, the health benefits of the aforementioned acid work fast and lead in a myriad of improvements. In other words, the dog gets the benefits in the same way as its owner.
Dr. Karen Becker, who works as a naturopathic veterinarian doctor, says that MCTs have the ability to boost metabolism of brain energy and lower the accumulation of amyloid protein which is a common occurrence in old dogs. Becker suggests giving a quarter of teaspoon of coconut oil for every ten pounds of weight, two times a day. In addition, she also says that this amount should be increased slowly each week until you reach the highest dosage. So, how can we include coconut oil in our pet’s diet in the simplest way?
Dog Treats Based on Coconut Oil
The fact is that there is more than one good way to include coconut oil in the pet’s diet. However, many dog owners agree that the easiest and simplest way is to make treats.
These treats based on coconut oil are actually a mixture of the health benefits of MCTs and organic foods.
Ingredients:
- Half a cup of raw coconut flour
- Two medium-sized sweet potatoes (cooked and cooled)
- Half a cup of organic coconut oil (use room temperature)
- A quarter a cup of gelatin powder (organic)
- Two tablespoons of filtered water
- One organic egg
Directions:
Begin by turning the oven to 350 F. Take one relatively large mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients well. In case you are not sure whether the consistency is right, you can use additional amount of coconut flour. The dough you get must have the same consistency as regular Play Dough.
Shape dough in order to get balls with the size of a golf ball and after that flatten these balls. Bake for about twenty minutes or at least until the edges turn golden. After that, remove them from the heat and wait until they are cooled. Put them in an container and place them in a refrigerator when you want to store them. They last for a few weeks.
What Kind of Coconut Oil Should be Used?
Now that you know all the health benefits that coconut oil can bring to your dog, we should only give you a suggestion about the type of oil you should use. The fact is that every organic coconut oil brand found in stores is perfect. But, in case you want a less expensive solution for your dog, you can use some unrefined oil too.
Via Healthy Holistic Living | Dog Naturally Magazine
