Utilizing Coconut Oil for a Canine’s Itchy Pores and skin

Nowadays, most individuals have heard concerning the pure goodness of coconut oil. However up till just a few years in the past, I by no means realized I might use coconut oil for canine, notably that I might use coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin. Positive, I knew loads concerning the well being benefits of merchandise equivalent to safflower and olive oils. However then coconut oil entered my life in a vastly useful means, because of our rescue pup Maizy.
Utilizing coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin — one success story
Coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin? Right here’s the way it works. Pictures ©R.Tsubin | Getty Pictures.
Attributable to her hound heritage, Maizy is what I prefer to name a serial sniffer. She dissects the canine parks each spring, following the scents of squirrels, rabbits, different canines, and who is aware of what else. Typically, she will get so enthralled with this exercise that she barely responds to her personal identify.
Sooner or later, Maizy’s investigations led her straight into an overgrown thicket of weeds and wildflowers … and that led to an angry-looking rash alongside her ears and neck. The medicine used to deal with her pores and skin left it overly dry, and I suppose overly itchy as properly. As a result of she scratched, and scratched, and scratched. After a number of sleep-deprived weeks of this prickly, pervasive drawback — and after making an attempt a sequence of medicated ointments and shampoos, to no avail — we lastly visited a holistic vet.
His suggestion for utilizing coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin stunned me. Deal with this challenge from the within out, he stated. That meant easing up on carbs and grains to reduce the yeast on Maizy’s pores and skin. It additionally meant feeding her a serving of pure, virgin coconut oil each single day, and rubbing some onto her pores and skin and fur. We tried this for just a few weeks, and WOW. Not solely did Maizy lose that yeasty, bag-o-Fritos “doggie” scent, her pores and skin cleared up and her coat regarded glossier than ever. In fact, the second our different rescue pup, Grant, smelled the coconut oil, he needed in on the motion. So now they each reap coconut oil’s tasty advantages regularly.
Why coconut oil for canine? And why coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin?
So, what are the advantages of coconut oil for canine, and coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin? In keeping with integrative pet care skilled Dr. Karen Becker, pure virgin coconut oil has antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoal properties. Which means it may scale back yeast and fungus on contact, each in and out; and it’s additionally very therapeutic for irritated pores and skin, sizzling spots, abrasions and cracked paws. The “virgin” selection usually begins with contemporary coconut meat, so it’s not subjected to chemical processes equivalent to bleaching or filtering. This makes it protected for canine, cats, and people to ingest in acceptable quantities.
My vet cited Dr. Becker’s work, explaining that coconut oil is wealthy in a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) known as lauric acid. This substance is mostly discovered within the milk of mom mammals, and one in every of its major capabilities is to spice up the immune system. That’s why coconut oil is so efficient at serving to to clear up bacterial and viral infections. Like pumpkin, it may additionally soothe digestion and upset stomachs. And simply because the vet predicted, it’s given each my canine super-soft fur.
administer coconut oil for a canine’s itchy pores and skin — and different illnesses
Now that we all know that coconut oil might work to assist a canine’s itchy pores and skin, how will we give it to our canine? Pictures by Africa Studio / Shutterstock.
It’s all the time sensible to start out small when feeding your pup something new — particularly coconut oil, which my very own canine would gobble up with out correct supervision. At my home, we started with about 1/four teaspoon and elevated regularly to half teaspoon per canine, a few times per day.
You may as well:
Drizzle a bit over your pup’s meals, as a result of coconut oil liquefies simply at room temperature.
Mould a small blob round drugs or tablets your pet could be in any other case tempted to refuse.
Rub just a little between your palms, run it over your pet’s fur, and brush frivolously. Work the remainder into your individual arms for severe skin-softening advantages.
Nutty Nuggets* — a deal with that includes coconut oil for canine
Nutty Nuggets. Pictures by Marybeth Bittel.
And right here’s a simple recipe for a no-bake deal with that’s an enormous hit with Grant and Maizy as a result of, naturally, it comprises … coconut oil. You may refrigerate these yummy bites or freeze them and thaw as wanted. They’re even protected for pet mother and father to pattern. Ummm … not like I’d know something about that.
INGREDIENTS
1/three cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
three tablespoons natural pumpkin or applesauce
2 to 2 three/four cups oat, spelt, or quinoa flour
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sprint of cinnamon
Powdered peanut butter (optionally available)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place coconut oil, peanut butter, pumpkin/applesauce, honey, vanilla and cinnamon into a big bowl. Stir till well-combined.
Start including flour about 1/four cup at a time, stirring properly after every addition. Hold including till dough combination is well-combined and pliable. If the combination turns into too stiff to work with, add just a little extra pumpkin or applesauce.
Spoon up the combination in parts which might be roughly the dimensions of mini-meatballs. Form these right into a spherical or rectangular items by rolling between your palms.
If desired, end by rolling every bit in dry, powdered peanut butter to coat.
Prepare completed treats on a plate or pan lined with wax paper.
Refrigerate for at the very least one full hour earlier than serving.
*A phrase of warning: All the time test along with your vet earlier than feeding your pooch something new. That is very true in case your canine already struggles with well being points equivalent to kidney issues or pancreatitis. Whereas pure and wholesome, these Nutty Nuggets are excessive in fats and ought to be given as very occasional treats. They aren’t meant to exchange your pet’s common weight-reduction plan.
Plus, have you ever heard about utilizing coconut oil for reminiscence loss? Learn the way coconut oil could assist Alzheimer’s sufferers keep energetic longer >>
Concerning the creator:
Concerning the Writer: Marybeth Bittel is a contract author who lives within the Midwest together with her fantastic husband, her loopy rescue canine Grant, and her level-headed rescue canine Maizy – all of them Heinz 57 combined breed sorts. Marybeth identifies as principally Italian, so she enjoys feeding household, associates and furkids virtually as a lot as Grant and Maizy get pleasure from consuming. She’s additionally a advertising communications guide and former advertising/PR exec. Join together with her on LinkedIn or — to see her newest pet pics (and watch out what you want for right here) — take a look at her household Instagram feed.
Thumbnail: Pictures by DAE Picture / Shutterstock.
This piece was initially revealed in 2015. 
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