Coconut Oil For Dogs

Coconut oil is now on everyone’s lips and many supermarket shelves would be unimaginable without it. Whether for humans or animals – it is becoming increasingly popular.

Here you can find out how it is produced, what the oil can be used for, how it works, and how you can best use it with your four-legged friend.

Coconut oil – the white miracle

Coconut oil is extracted from the white flesh of the coconut. The production can be done in two ways: industrial or organic.

Industrial production of coconut oil

In industrial production, the fruits are dried before processing. Sometimes months go by before they are processed further. Chemicals are often used to remove the shell. Then the pulp is crushed, heated to high temperatures, and then mechanically pressed. It is then often refined and sometimes even bleached so that it meets the “demands” of customers, who often want pure white coconut oil.

Organic production of coconut oil

Organic production, on the other hand, usually uses organically grown fruit. They are not first dried but directly processed fresh. The coconuts are often peeled by hand so that no chemicals are used.

Immediately after peeling, the “white gold” is cut up and pressed. After pressing, the organic, cold-pressed, and native coconut oil is not refined or bleached but only filtered. After this step, the bottling takes place directly.

The clear advantage of organic production is the pure taste, the naturalness, and the preservation of the valuable ingredients, which are preserved without the usual heating in mechanical production.

Coconut oil is solid at normal room temperature. However, if the ambient temperature rises, if you hold it in your hand or heat it up in a pan, it becomes liquid. When used for our four-legged friends, it can be easily melted and crushed in the hand’s thanks to the body heat.

Coconut oil – valuable ingredients

Coconut oil is very popular these days. You can use it yourself as a dietary supplement, for cooking, like homemade toothpaste, and deodorant, to moisturize your skin, or for your hair.

Because of its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, many people also use coconut oil for a number of medicinal purposes.

Although supplements can be a confusing topic for dog owners, you probably know about the benefits of feeding your dog omega-3 oils such as fish, krill, or flaxseed oils. These oils contain essential fatty acids which, as the name suggests, are essential to your dog’s health.

Coconuts are a staple food for the people of the South Seas – a staple food that has kept them fit and healthy for thousands of years without ever having to worry about diabetes, cholesterol levels, heart attacks, or strokes.

Certainly, other oils also support your dog’s health and coconut oil is just one of them. But the fats in coconut oil are considered “conditionally necessary,” meaning they are essential in certain circumstances, such as during pregnancy. While coconut oil is not an omega-3 oil, it still has many health benefits for your dog.

What is coconut oil made of?

Coconut oil consists of more than 90% saturated fat and contains 64% medium-chain fatty acids (MCT). Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), or MCT fats, are triglycerides that contain medium-chain fatty acids. The medium-chain fatty acids include caproic acid (C 6:0), caprylic acid (C 8:0), capric acid (C 10:0), and lauric acid (C 12:0).

The coconut oil consists of u. out:

• Lauric acid: 44-52%
• Capric acid: 6-10%
• Caprylic acid: 5-9%
• Myristic acid: 13-19%
• Palmic acid: 8-11%
• Stearic acid: 1-3%
• Oleic acid (monounsaturated FA): 5 – 8%
• Linoleic acid (polyunsaturated FA): 0 – 1%

Lauric acid

Most of the health benefits of coconut oil come from the medium-chain fatty acids, primarily lauric acid. Lauric acid has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

Capric and caprylic acid share similar properties and are best known for their antifungal effects (An antifungal is an antimicrobial substance that works against diseases caused by fungi.).

In addition, the body can efficiently use the metabolized MCFAs as an instant source of energy, leading to improved athletic performance and weight loss. In addition, medium-chain fatty acids provide one fewer calories per gram than other fatty acids.

But what can coconut oil be used for?

The areas of application

Coconut oil is a true “all-around talent”. There is almost nothing it cannot help. Its antibacterial, antiviral, and herbicidal effects are a real and, above all, natural help for minor skin abrasions, wounds, or minor inflammations. But coconut oil can do much more! The usual areas of application for our furry four-legged friends include:

• grooming
• dry foot pads
• tick repellent
• wound treatment
• protection against sunburn (e.g. on the bridge of the nose)
• strengthening teeth
• protection against mosquitoes
• as a wormer
• infection with fungi (e.g. in the intestine or on the skin)
• control of fleas and mites
• regulation of the intestinal flora
• joint support

Coconut oil for a beautiful coat

Even if the dog is not in danger of being infested by parasites, its coat should still be treated with a little coconut oil from time to time. This results in a very nice shine, hair growth is positively influenced and dull and brittle areas in the fur are a thing of the past. The coconut oil can also be applied with a comb in the direction of fur growth, so it is distributed particularly evenly.

Coconut as a remedy for worms

Coconut is said to have repellent properties in relation to parasites. In contrast to veterinary wormers, coconut is even said to have a prophylactic effect.

Regular feeding should prevent worm infestation and even kill parasites present in an acute infestation. It is also said to have a positive effect on digestion.

Internal and external use of coconut oil

Coconut oil can be used both internally and externally. Its uses are so varied that it is always good to have a can of it in the house. Depending on the area of application and the size of the dog, the smallest amounts are sufficient.

1 teaspoon is usually the “measure of things”. You can treat your dog with this from the outside (e.g. to ward off ticks), or you can mix this amount with the food (e.g. to fight worms).

Incidentally, the defense potential of coconut oil against ticks was confirmed in a study at the Free University of Berlin! Even with a 10% lauric acid solution, 81-100% of the ticks were deterred. Native, cold-pressed organic coconut oil contains an average of 40-60% lauric acid!

Conclusion

Coconut oil really is a true “miracle cure”. Its uses range from the paw to the tip of the tail. Whether internally or externally – the daily “treatment” with the “white gold” is always a good thing. And your four-legged friend will thank you!