Coconut – A Natural Miracle???

I add oil to my dogs’ diet each day.  I alternate different types of oils that I add to their food each day. What’s the problem with ingesting coconut oil?  After all, isn’t it contains MCTs?  New research indicates that coconut oil is not so great for your dog’s gut health so I no longer recommend giving coconut oil internally.  I have (and still do) recommended the application of Cold pressed virgin unrefined organic coconut oil topically to heal hot spots and other skin irritations.  MCTs are highly beneficial to consume as they provide excellent health benefits for dogs (and humans) to consume. 

There are several benefits to including MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) in their dog’s diet.  Just to name a few, MCTs are great for:

• Fueling the brain
• Forming ketones that improve cognitive function in older dogs
• Reducing the number and severity of seizures
• Helping with weightloss
• Lowering blood sugar levels
• Reducing chronic inflammation
• It has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties

I no longer add coconut oil to my dogs’ food.  New research indicates that coconut oil is not healthy for dogs to have in their diets.  Approximately 2/3 of coconut oil contains MCTs.  The issue is that around half of that amount is lauric acid.  The lauric acid in coconut oil is disruptive to the intestinal lining that separates the intestines from the bloodstream.  This leads to a condition which is referred to as leaky gut which is when that lining develops small gaps.  When this happens, the lining riddled with gaps can no longer act as an effective barrier between the bloodstream and the intestines.  As a result, viruses and bacteria, and other toxins can easily enter the bloodstream through those gaps.  Furthermore, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly.  As you can imagine, this contributes to a myriad of health issues including autoimmune deficiencies such as  allergies, food intolerances, inflammation, and other problems. 

Another downside to coconut oil is that it contains 80% saturated fat (compared to butter which is 63% saturated fat).  Saturated fat is unhealthy.  I don’t know very much about ketogenic diets, but I am wondering and guessing that coconut oil might be ok to consume on that diet. I am only talking about biologically appropriate dog diets.

Despite all the benefits of adding coconut oil to the diet, gut health is of the utmost importance.  Gut health directly affects the immune system.  Health of the gut is a big influence on general health (in humans as well).  Despite all the benefits of  adding coconut oil in the diet, gut health is more important so it cancels out all the plusses of ingesting it.  

A great article to read that goes into detail is  Coconut Oil for Dogs: New Research Says Stay Away.  It’s a very important article by Dogs Naturally that describes gut health and leaky gut syndrome as well as why coconut oil is bad for the gut.

What would I use coconut oil for?  

• I have used it as an eye lubricant for dry irritated eyes (for myself as well as my dogs).  A little bit of coconut oil can be applied directly into the eye.  Yes, right onto the eyeball.  This can be soothing to the eyes.  I have used it to protect one of my dogs from getting eye irritations when bathing. It is very soothing and has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Before you use coconut oil on the eyes, confirm with your vet that it is ok for your dog.  If your dog’s eyes are irritated due to an infection, coconut oil might make the issue worse.  
•  I would use coconut oil topically to lubricate irritations and dry areas on myself and my dogs.  After a bath and drying my dog’s hair I dip a finger into it. With one of my dogs, I used to put the tiniest bit onto my hands, rub my hands together, then rub the residue onto my dog’s hair.  Beware:  This is not for fluffy hair.  Only use on sleek hair After applying it, I comb it through and see how shiny her coat becomes.  With dogs like labs, you can just run your hands along the direction of the hair growth.  Remember not to overdo it; just use a tiny bit.  You can always add more, but taking excess off can be a headache.
  

Wait!  So what are good MCTs alternatives to coconut oil?

• Hempseed oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Fish oil (ONLY very tiny fish)
• Green lipped mussel oil

Sources:

Only Natural Pet & Starwest Botanicals