Coconut Oil

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Was at one of our local Pet Food/Product stores today buying a coat moisturizer that I like to use on Sophie.  She indicated that it was being discontinued.  When I asked if there was anything else she recommended she told me about coconut oil and said that it was one of the newer things being suggested and was having some positive feedback.  Here is an article that I found on line and they make it sound good, but was wondering if anyone has used it and what their thoughts are.  Thanks.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's true. Years ago, people with heart disease were told not to eat salmon, because it was high in fat and cholesterol. Now we know that it's the kind of fat & cholesterol that matters, and that the kinds in salmon are good for people with heart disease. Eggs are no longer villains, either, lol.

But I still don't think coconut oil is beneficial for dogs.

[Kayla & Milly]

I use it on my Goldendoodle and love it. It improves the softness of her coat, reduces itching and even freshens her breath! You can get it pretty cheap and organic at walmart! Also, do some cooking with it for yourself, its a very healthy fat with tons of benefits.

[Sue and Buddy]

I use coconut oil on my waist long hair. Just take a bit and warm it between my palms. Then I lightly stroke the length of the hair past the ears and maybe a bit more on my ends that are so dry. Sweet Almond oil is another favorite to use. I wouldn't feed the dogs coconut oil and I wouldn't use it to treat hot spots, but it might be good to use on the fur. The problem is that coconut oil is a solid. It does melt when rubbed between the palms, but I don't think it could be sprayed on unless it was mixed with something.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The problem with putting oils and other products on a dog's fur as opposed to putting it on your hair is that dogs generally don't get bathed every day, or even every week. Any kind of oil or emollient is going to attract dust and dirt, and any pollen or other particles that are in the air. This is especially disastrous for a dog with inhalant allergies.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Last week in the pet store I fell for a bottle of some Hot Spot pray thinking it would help the two spots Hunter seems to scratch the most often.  When I brought it home my husband was giving me a hard time over it saying it was another worthless product that would end up with all the others in the closet (he has a point).  As he picked it up and started reading the bottle he said "Uh did you happen to really read the ingredients?"  Me?  Um no, not really (hey it was a good sales pitch!).  Then he says "Well unless you enjoy being on a ventilator and have up-ed your life insurance I think you should take it back".  It was made with almond oil and I am DEATHLY allergic to tree nuts!!!  I am always so careful of everything I eat and I knew a few lotions from Bath & Body had almond in them but never did I think a dog product would.  Good thing I didn't use it!  I steer clear of anything coconut - I have never tried it so I don't know if I am allergic or not but its an easy thing to live without so I never took the chance.  

[Katie and Sophie]

I made some home made sugar hand scrub with coconut oil and use it as a hot oil treatment on my hair occasionally and love it for those purposes, but with that being said I don't think I would ever use it on my dogs. I'm just not convinced of the benefit of taking it orally yet as it is high in saturated fat, and I think using it topically is just setting yourself up for disaster. I know how hard it is to get out of my own hair, I would never want to try to get it out of all that crazy doodle hair!