9 important facts about coconut oil for dogs

The coconut is bursting with important nutrients, minerals and vitamins. That is why this fruit is a key food on the coasts of the coconut palm. It contains water, fat, protein, sugar, fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C.

To the coconut palm & coconut

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is believed to have originated in Melanesia - a group of islands northeast of Australia. Meanwhile, they can be found all along the coastal strip of the tropics.

The tree is very hardy and grows in regions where usual plants would have no chance to grow. Sandy soil, salt water, the extreme heat and storms can not harm the coconut palm.

It can bear fruit for up to 60 years. The growth of the fruit is not seasonal. This means that it can produce nuts all year round. They are grown in Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Brazil.

Did you know? The coconut is not a nut at all, but a drupe. The fleshy part (copra) inside is protected by a thick layer of fibers. This in turn is coated with a waterproof outer skin. It is usually green, yellow or orange. The copra is filled with coconut water. The nut can weigh up to 2.5 kg.

Coconut oil is a white to yellowish fat mass at room temperature and is extracted from the copra, the dried pulp of the coconut. It smells mild, fresh, waxy and has a slight coconut note.

The oil contains a high proportion of saturated fatty acids. It is rich in caprylic, lauric and myristic acids, which have antiviral and antibacterial properties. It has traces of minerals, amino acids, vitamin E and lactones.

Natural sources of lauric acid are:

• Breast milk 5.8 %
• Cow's milk 2.2 %
• Goat milk 4.5 %
• Palm kernel oil 8 %
• Coconut oil 45 - 53 %.

In order for lauric acid to actually have an effect, the proportion or content of lauric acid should be at least 45 %. However, if the oil is refined, the most important substances are lost.**

It is used in the production of food, cosmetics, technology and industry. In the cosmetics industry, the oil is used in the production of shampoos, shaving soap, sun protection cream and oil, massage oil, cream and soap.

It has a moisturizing effect and a cooling effect. It also helps as a natural insect repellent. According to the German Green Cross, applying the oil to the skin helps as a mosquito repellent.

Coconut oil can be used in hot and cold dishes. It can be used to refine soups, sauces and curry dishes. It is also perfect for frying. Similar to butter, the fat has a solid consistency at room temperature (melting point 24 °C, smoke point 234 °C).

It has fewer calories compared to the other fats. Thus, with coconut oil you do something not only for your health, but also for your figure.

Coconut oil is a real trump card, even for your body, especially for skin and hair. It provides soft hair and fights blemished skin. It cools and soothes the skin after shaving.

Moisturizes and regulates the acid-base balance of the skin. Thus, it actively combats wrinkles. It can also be used as a massage oil.

Its antiviral effect accelerates the disappearance of herpes. The lauric acid contained in it protects the skin from fungi, germs and bacteria due to its antibacterial function.

Our beloved pets, dogs and cats, can also benefit from coconut oil. You can use the oil for external treatment of the skin or for internal treatment, for example as a dietary supplement.

I'll show you the nine most important tips now.

Natural coconut oil makes the coat of your favorite shine. It becomes softer and thus it is also easier to comb.

To do this, you should rub a pea-walnut sized amount into the palm of your hand and massage it into the coat. In the beginning, you should do the treatment two or three times a week. After that, once a week is sufficient.

You can also pour the oil into a spray bottle. Heat the spray bottle briefly in a water bath before each use so that the solid mass becomes liquid. Spray it on your furry friend. You can then massage in the oil. Treatment with the spray bottle ensures that the oil spreads more easily and evenly over the body.

Coconut oil can have a healing effect on dry skin, chafed areas and skin fungus. Take a nail tip of the oil and apply it directly to the affected areas.

For dried wounds, you can safely apply the oil several times a day. It has an antibacterial effect and reduces the risk of inflammation. You can also treat dried surgical scars with it.

If the paws are too dry or cracked, you can clean them with lukewarm water after the walk. Then take a pea-sized amount of coconut oil in the palm of your hand and rub it into the pads of your faithful companion.

The oil penetrates the skin and protects against the effects of weather and side effects of road salt, especially in winter.

At a glance:

• Effective for eczema, flea allergies, contact dermatitis and itching
• Reduces allergic reactions and increases skin health
• Makes skin and coat more supple, shiny
• Mitigates body odor
• Prevents and acts against fungal infections, including Candida
• Disinfects wounds and promotes their faster healing
• Protects against fleas, ticks and mites
• Soothes and heals dry and cracked paws

Bad breath in your pet is a sign that he has too many bacteria in his mouth. With proper dental care and regular check-ups at the vet, you can solve this problem.

Here, coconut oil is a true savior. Mix a small amount of coconut oil with your cat's toothpaste and rub it into the teeth and gums with a toothbrush or finger ring. This prevents bad breath and prevents inflammation in the mouth.

It also helps with eye and ear infections. You can dissolve the oil in a water bath and use it as eye or ear drops. However, these drops must not be administered into the eye, but only applied to the area around the eye.

Coconut oil as a dietary supplement gives older dogs in particular more energy and strengthens their immune system. Internal treatment makes your pet less susceptible to worms. It also ensures a healthy nervous system and good brain function. It also helps to prevent dementia.

Dosage: A daily ration of half a teaspoon per 10 kg of body weight is sufficient to strengthen the immune system of your furry nose. You can simply add the oil to the food.

In the beginning it is advisable to start with 1/4 of the recommended amount. In this way you can prevent the feces from becoming too soft. If your pet tolerates the initial ration well, you can gradually increase it to the recommended amount.

At a glance:

• Contains antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents that protect against infections and diseases
• May reduce cancer risk
• Regulates insulin levels and thus can work against diabetes or help keep it under control
• Promotes normal thyroid function
• Increases vital energy and helps reduce weight

The fatty acids in coconut oil kill microorganisms that are responsible for joint diseases such as arthritis and arthrosis. They also make a major contribution to strengthening the bones. A four-week course of coconut oil is recommended to reduce infections and pain.

**Dosage:**Daily 10 ml coconut oil per 10 kg body weight. Start with a smaller ration in the beginning to avoid diarrhea. If your dog tolerates the oil well, you can gradually adjust the ration to the recommended dosage.

For natural deworming, you can mix coconut oil into the food every day (1 teaspoon per 10 kg body weight). However, you should discuss severe worm infestations with your vet.

There are around 800 tick species in the world. Of these, 19 are native to Germany. The brown dog tick, the brown tick and the common wood tick are generally the ticks that infest our dogs.

They like to stay in damp and shady places. That is why they are generally found in the undergrowth, on damp, unmowed meadows and near bodies of water.

They do not infest our dogs from a tree or bush, but stay near the ground. As soon as our pets pass by with their fur, the ticks jump on the body of our darlings.

Due to their way of life, ticks often transmit pathogens between hosts when they bite, but without becoming ill themselves. More types of pathogens are involved than in any other parasitic animal group.

Humans are also affected by diseases such as Lyme disease, early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE), babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, rickettsiosis, or neoehrlichiosis.

Ticks are very hardy, they can survive low temperatures, which means that almost all year round there is a risk of being bitten.

Not only can they transmit the dangerous diseases to your dog, you can be affected too. One of these dangerous diseases is Lyme disease. It can be very protracted because it is often not recognized or diagnosed too late. Lyme disease can only be detected by a targeted search for the pathogen.

For a long time, only the tick was known in conventional medicine as a carrier of Lyme disease. In the meantime, mosquitoes, horseflies and other insects have also been named as possible carriers.

Symptoms of Lyme disease:

• Redness of the skin at the bite site
• Fever
• Drowsiness
• Loss of appetite
• apparent signs of summer flu

If you experience these symptoms, be sure to see your veterinarian!

Protective measures against ticks and vermin

So, in order to protect yourself from these bites and stings when you are in the field, meadow and forest, you need to wear long-sleeved outerwear and long pants. You should also wear sturdy shoes. The socks or knee socks should be pulled over the trouser legs.

Unfortunately, there are no exceptions or alternatives in the summertime and can make life difficult for you. The second protective measure for you and your four-legged friend is chemical insect repellents.

For your protégé there are collars or drops that you drip on the neck. The ingredients contained in them penetrate through the fatty layer of the skin and partly into the bloodstream and provide protection against bites or stings.

To provide reliable protection, these products must be applied regularly.

Unfavorably, this will expose your pet to chemical agents. These agents have possible side effects. So it is more advisable to look for natural alternatives.

Of course, you can also check your faithful companion's body for ticks after every walk and remove them with tick tongs.

For animals with particularly thick fur, however, it can usually happen that you miss one or the other tick. Therefore, additional protective measures must be taken in any case. This is where Mother Nature comes to our rescue with coconut oil.

Coconut oil against ticks, fleas, mites & Co.

Ticks - including mites and fleas - literally "can't smell" the ingredient lauric acid in coconut oil. As soon as they notice the smell, they take flight.

To protect your pet from these annoying "guests", you should rub coconut oil on their belly, head, legs, neck and ears immediately before every walk.

Depending on the size of your dog, a maximum of a walnut-sized amount is sufficient. You can also use a spray bottle to evenly distribute the coconut oil on the dog's body and then rub it in.

Please note that coconut oil is a natural remedy and therefore does not have the same effect time as a chemical remedy. If you plan a trip of several hours with your protégé, it is useful to take the oil with you. So you can treat him with it, if your trip should last longer.

If your four-legged friend has ear mites, you can soak a cloth or absorbent cotton in liquid coconut oil and carefully wipe the mites out of their ears. You should always discuss severe infestations with your vet!

What to do if a tick has bitten despite protective measures?

Here you must not use coconut oil in any case. The tick would vomit into the puncture site, transferring many more bacteria into the bloodstream than normal.

Now you need to get to grips with the tick using tick tweezers. The quicker you remove the tick, the more difficult it will be for the bacteria to spread into the bloodstream. This is because the bacteria need around 12 - 36 hours to spread through your four-legged friend's body.

Make sure you have pulled the tick out completely. Therefore, proceed carefully and slowly. After you have removed the tick, you can disinfect the puncture site with a little alcohol.

Again, as a reminder: If the puncture site is reddened, swollen or hot, you should immediately consult your veterinarian. This also applies if you could not pull out the tick completely!

Of course, the commercially available protective agents are effective and have a longer duration of action than natural agents. However, these are chemical agents that can trigger possible side effects.

Laboratory tests at the FU Berlin showed that between 81 and 100 percent of ticks were deterred by a solution containing just 10 % lauric acid.

The solution also had a deterrent effect on humans. When the ticks were deliberately placed on the pre-treated skin of the test subjects, the animals dropped immediately. The protective effect of the lauric acid lasted for over six hours.

Make sure that the coconut oil is one of organic quality. Because many of the coconut oils offered in the trade are processed, heated or filtered for too long. Thus, no lauric acid or vitamin E is present in these oils.

Other oils (e.g. palm oil) are also enriched with coconut scent and sold as coconut oil.

Important properties must be present

Even if Palmin is made of coconut oil, it has no effect like the coconut oil itself. The Palmin is treated too much that it loses the effect against ticks.

The following properties should be clearly declared on the package in any case:

• Not refined
• Native
• Cold pressed
• Specification of lauric acid (should be approx. 50 %)
• Organic Certified /Designated Origin

It is also advisable to make sure that the oil is offered in a glass container rather than plastic jars.

Whether as an insect repellent, dietary supplement or for skin care. Keeping a jar of it at home won't do you or your dear friend any harm.

Not to mention all the good properties that coconut oil hides in itself to promote the health and vitality of your dog:

As a change from a treat, your pelt-nose will certainly enjoy a little massage. In his looks and posture, you will definitely discover the balloon hearts that he will release into the sky for you while you pamper him with a coconut massage.