By the staff at Petagogy

Coconut oil has many uses—as a cooking oil, skin moisturizer, hair conditioner, the list goes on and on—but did you know that it can also be beneficial for your pets? 

Most people know that adding fish oils, like salmon, sardine and Pollock, to your pet’s food is beneficial for your pet’s coat, skin and joints. However, incorporating coconut oil, both topically and orally, can offer even more health benefits ranging from skin and coat health to preventing yeast infections to boosting your pet’s immune system. 

Coconut oil is comprised of mostly saturated fats, specifically Medium Chain Triglycerides.  The fats in coconut oil are easily used by your pet’s body for fuel and energy, so ingesting these beneficial fats can boost performance and help promote weight loss. In dogs, coconut oil helps balance the thyroid, which can help overweight dogs lose weight and help sedentary dogs feel energetic. Coconut oil also has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. If that’s not enough, coconut oil improves skin and coat, improves digestion and nutrient absorption and reduces allergic reactions.

The wonders of coconut oil are many:

Healthy Skin
•    Helps soothe itchy skin
•    Promotes a shiny, smooth coat
•    Can prevent matting by combing it through fur
•    Treats and prevents yeast infections
•    Disinfects and promotes quick healing with cuts, hot spots, bites and stings

Healthy Belly
•    Helps alleviate bad breath
•    Helps prevent hairballs
•    Aids in overall digestive health

Healthy body
•    Anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties help prevent infections and illness
•    Increases energy and aids in weight loss
•    Promotes healthy thyroid function
•    Lessens inflammation from arthritis and similar ailments
•    Helps control diabetes

With so many potential benefits, try incorporating coconut oil into your pet’s health and food regimen. You can simply add virgin coconut oil to your pet’s meals. The recommended amount to give your pets is 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight, or 1 tablespoon per 30 lbs of body weight. Too much coconut oil can actually damage your pet’s pancreas, so it’s best to give it in small doses (about a quarter of the recommended amount), gradually building up your pet’s tolerance overtime.

Any virgin coconut oil from a health food store can be fed to pets, but we love Organic Virgin Coconut Oil by both CocoTherapy and K9 Granola Factory. Both also have chips that can be given to pets as treats or sprinkled over food. Additionally, Cocolicious by Party Animal is a wet canned dog food that features coconut oil as a main ingredient, making it easy to incorporate into your dog’s diet. 

Petagogy (pronounced pet-uh-go-jee) specializes in premium and natural pet foods, treats and supplies. Petagogy is located at 5880 Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside. Store hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Learn more at www.petagogypgh.com.