Don’t know about you, dear hearts, but I have had COVID-19 up to my eyebrows, so starting with this month’s column you’ll have to go viral by watching the news because I will never mention is again.
You can run into the darndest things when you search the web. I wanted to know just what all the hoopla was about regarding coconut oil and found out that it contains, among other things, lauric acid. If you then Google lauric acid, you come up with a plethora of articles about what it’s good for as well as the fact that it’s antibacterial and anti-fungal. It’s not only good for people, it’s good for cats and dogs. Externally coconut oil can help with allergies, dry skin, itchiness, and overall coat health. Internally it can benefit the immune system, reduce arthritis inflammation, improve bad breath, and help with a healthy stomach. Believe it or not, it actually helps repel pests like fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. In cats it can help prevent hairballs.
There are risks with diet supplementation, so check with your vet before giving any type of supplement to be sure your pet doesn’t have some underlying affliction that the supplement could aggravate, like pancreatitis. In fact, some vets do not recommend coconut oil for cats at all but prefer fish oil as a supplement. It’s unlikely, but there is always the possibility of allergic reactions in some pets.
So, you’re asking, just how do I go about giving my dog coconut oil, and how much how often. You should build up their intake slowly as too much at first can cause your pet to get a case of Montezuma’s Revenge. Start with ½ tsp. on his food daily for a week. After that, the recommended dose is 1 tsp. for every 10 pounds of dog once or twice daily. Adjust this accordingly if you have a small dog. Once again, please ask you vet how to supplement your particular breed.
Here’s a recipe I found on a site called “Dogster” for doggie coconut oil treats. This should make giving your dog the coconut oil easy. It sounds so good you might want to try one yourself!
PEANUT BUTTER COCONUT TREATS
Ingredients: ¼ cup peanut butter ¼ cup coconut oil 1 cup rolled oats
Directions: Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender.
Mix until all are blended to a firm consistency.
Roll into bite-size balls about 1” inch diameter and refrigerate.
You don’t suppose with all the wonderful things lauric acid can do that it might also kill COVID-19 do you? I know I promised; I just couldn’t resist!
Allie
With You, We Can
Every animal we rescue, heal, and rehome begins with your support.
