A New Twist: Best Coconut Oil For Dogs

Many dog parents watch, helplessly, as their dogs suffer from skin conditions that cause damage to their skin as well as terrible pain. As a result of allergies or bug bites, a dog’s skin can get dry, cracked, and bloody because of the constant scratching. Often, the dog’s parents are given prescription medications to alleviate these symptoms but they usually induce unpleasant side effects that can result in additional problems.

Coconut oil can treat many of these symptoms and improve your dog’s dry skin, reduce allergies, ward off ticks and give him or her a sleek and shiny coat. The best coconut oils for dogs also come in the form of supplements or treats. If you are interested in using coconut oil with your pooch, it stands to reason that you are going to want to choose the best product available. This guide on buying the best Coconut Oils for dogs in 2021 will inform you about all you need to know before picking a jar off the shelf.

Why Coconut Oil?

In its natural form, with no additives or preservatives, coconut oil is a magic bullet capable of providing relief and promoting your pet’s overall health without any side effects. It contains numerous vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that help improve cognitive ability, metabolism, and skin coat.

What Are The Types of Coconut Oil?

Yes, there are numerous coconut oil products out there for pets. But luckily there are only four main types you need to get familiar with. The differences exist in terms of how they are made, processed and what to use them for. For simplicity, we have compared them below:

Organic vs non-organic

Organic coconuts are grown naturally without the aid of chemicals, while non-organic coconuts are grown with fertilizers and may have been treated with pesticides. You should always aim to buy oil sourced from small local, rural producers that farm traditionally. Try to select a coconut oil that is labeled both “organic certified” and “eco-friendly” as this action helps protect the environment and local farmers.

Extra virgin vs virgin

Virgin oils retain the natural antioxidants and vitamins that make Coconut oil the superfood that it is famous for, but as an extraction process, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil really doesn’t exist. The concept of “extra virgin” is a hangover from Olive Oil. When coconut oil was first becoming commercialized, manufacturers were trying to differentiate the better quality oils from just the normal run-of-the-mill oils. However, the extraction process of Olive Oil is quite different from that of Coconut Oil. Whenever you come across a jar labeled “Extra Virgin Coconut Oil”, just know that you’re paying extra money quite literally for the word “extra” on the label.

Refined vs unrefined

The most important element of coconut oil and any oil really is to define whether it is “refined” or “unrefined”. Refined oil is low grade and has very little nutrition. It virtually has no anti-oxidants or vitamins left and so If you’re buying refined coconut oil, then you’re losing all the benefits of using coconut oil.

Refined coconut oil has very little if any benefits of real coconut oil as there are Refined is classed as a low-grade oil as it’s been bleached or heated to a high degree and mechanically extracted. It’s basically trying to squeeze out the last drop from whatever is leftover from the virgin extractions. Whatever Coconut oil product you intend on buying for your dog, make sure the oil is refined especially if you’re looking to apply it both topically and internally.

Raw vs cold pressed

Cold-pressed coconut oil is the most common way coconut oil can be made/extracted. The oil is extracted by drying and heating the flakes at low temperatures, before pressing them to extract the oil. Cold-pressed coconut oil comes with a strong coconut flavor and has a moderate to high nutritional value due to its restricted heat extraction. It is good for both eating, cooking, and applying topically as it retains a lot of the nutritional benefits of the oil.

Raw coconut oil is pressed from the fresh mature white meat kernel which is why it is referred to as the optimal extraction process. It has such a rich natural white color and flavor and requires little to no heat, or chemicals during the oil-making process. Raw coconut oil is full of antioxidants, nutrients, enzymes, and all the other benefits that coconut oil is famous for.

Can Dogs Be Allergic to Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is well tolerated by all breeds of dogs regardless of age. However, overdosing could lead to some side effects, including weight gain and diarrhea. It is always advisable to talk to your vet first before introducing coconut oil into your dog’s daily diet. Although Coconut Oil is known for its immense health benefits, Certain health conditions such as pancreatitis could be exacerbated if it is consumed in large amounts.