THE ABC’S OF COCONUT OIL FOR CATS AND DOGS

BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL FOR CATS AND DOGS

**Please note: if your cat or dog has pre-existing health issues, please consult with your animal care practitioner before adding coconut oil to their diet.**

COCONUT OIL FOR CATS & DOGS

Due to an epidemic of side effects from eating poor quality food in combination with environmental toxins and drinking water with heavy metals, companion animals are experiencing many physical symptoms of poor health.

Beginning with food quality, many animals suffer from dry skin and dry coats. Most would have people believe that this is “normal” or “healthy”. It is not. When we examine the ingredients of the food that we are feeding our animal companions, we can begin to see what the issue is. When we examine kibble, for example, we can note that it is dehydrated food. What does this mean? It means that in order for the animal’s digestive system to pass the dehydrated food through his system, water must be sucked from every vital organ such as liver, intestines, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, urinary bladder, eyes and the kidneys,  which take the brunt of the water draining process in order to moisturize and facilitate smooth digestion. We often find that in aging animals, a dry coat and skin is accompanied by redness of whites of eyes. This is a clear sign of dehydration. If your cat or dog eats a mainly dry food diet, red eyes are common. They are a common sign that your cat or dog’s body lacks sufficient moisture to adequately lubricate their eyes. This may not seem like a big deal, however just as it is for humans, dry, red eyes can be uncomfortable and often painful. Prolonged dry and red eyes are a sign of serious dehydration in the digestive organs.  And if caught early enough, it can be treated with coconut oil. If you are feeding your animal dehydrated food (even dehydrated meat and snacks), please check your animal’s eyes for redness. This is often a sign of a deeper issue with major organ dehydration.

Secondly, when we look closely at the ingredients of both kibble and processed wet food, we will often find evidence of carcinogens, toxins and non-food items. Powdered cellulose, for example is a very common ingredient in lower quality cat and dog food. It sounds healthy, doesn’t it? This assumption would be incorrect. Powdered cellulose is a clever word that marketing teams have come up with to disguise this horribly inflammatory ingredient. Powdered cellulose is sawdust. SAWDUST. One other such ingredient is ‘corn gluten”. Again you may think it sounds healthy? Alas, this is just another cleverly disguised word for WEED KILLER That farmers use to kill weeds in their crops. Be mindful that these are just two of many, many toxic ingredients found in cat and dog food; Even veterinary “science diet” recommended brands. It is extremely important to read ingredients and research what you are actually feeding your animals.  Please do not blindly trust professionals. Do your own research and ask yourself if the ingredients listed on what you’re feeding are healthy for your animal or if the ingredients are harming your animal.  With prolonged exposure of ingestion of these items, there are many possible chronic health complications. Coconut oil has been known to aid in the “flushing out” of muscles, joints, digestive tract and all other areas where toxins can build up over time.

Coconut oil is high in omegas 3 and 6. Omega fatty acids allow for the body to absorb moisture more readily. They help with healthy cell development. Omegas have been studied and shown to prevent tumour formation in animals.

Coconut oil is a known lubricator of joints. In aging animals (just like aging people), the joints become dryer and lesser mobile. This is because the joint fluid becomes depleted; which can also most often be associated with dehydration. Many of the lower quality foods contain highly inflammatory ingredients. Powdered cellulose, corn gluten, brewer’s rice (just to name a few- also all located on he ingredients list of veterinary recommended brands) joint lubrication is compromised. Symptoms include lower joint mobility and eventually arthritis. Though arthritis can also be congenital, by adding coconut oil into an animal’s diet, the symptoms of arthritis will be lowered due to the additional joint lubrication that the oil provides. Be mindful that eating a mainly dry food diet heavily contributes to joint mobility issues and arthritis. This is because, as mentioned earlier, consuming a mainly dry food diet (kibble) depletes all of the moisture in the body. This includes joints and tissues. By adding coconut oil to your animal’s diet, you will be replenishing moisture back into their organs, joints and tissues.

For many cats and some dogs, regular water does not provide enough moisture for a healthy body. In cats, this is due to the origin of species as desert animals. Genetically, cats originated in areas of the world with scarce amounts of water such as the desert. Their water drinking habits are learned behaviour. Though they have adapted behaviour to domestication, sometimes their bodies have not. This is to say that water often passes right through them without absorption. And, often they do not drink enough water at all to facilitate healthy kidney function. Cats most often will take exception to having their water bowl right beside their food dish. Have you ever noticed that your cat puts bits of food in her water? This is her way of letting you know tjat she woild like her water to be placed elsewhere in your home. This is because in their origin of species,  they never made their kill beside any source of water for fear of contamination of the water source. This behavior is wired very deeply into their genetics. You may notice that your cat doesn’t drink water from her water bowl that you’ve placed beside her food. She may prefer to drink from the sink or toilet. This is because she prefers to have her water source elsewhere from her food dish. To ensure she does drink adequate amounts of water, you may wish to place a few water bowls around your home. By adding a small amount of coconut oil to their food routine, they will be able to retain moisture within their skin, coat, eyes, mouth and digestive systems, allowing for a more healthful life experience. Because coconut oil is full of omegas, it will help your kitty friend to stay hydrated, keeping the moisture from the water to nourish her vital organs.

Coconut oil has been found to lower symptoms of depression which can aid with animals who are anxious and/or depressed. Omegas can also help with increasing cognitive function which is especially important in kittens and puppies who have been weaned too early or those who have been “found” in the middle of nowhere at extremely young ages. These kittens and puppies have been weaned too early as well and their brains and digestive systems have not had enough nutrition from their mother’s milk to develop properly and fully. Coconut oil can help with cognitive function as well as to lubricate the intestines for those animals who have IBS and suffer from constipation.

Other benefits of coconut oil for cats and dogs include:

-Aids in digestion

-Aids in healing insect bites and stings; applied topically

-Antioxidant

-Antibacterial

-Antifungal

-Antiviral

-Balances thyroid

-Clears eczema and other rashes; applied topically OR ingested orally

-Eliminates bad breath

-Helps control diabetes

-Helps with “hot spots”

-Immediate source of fuel and energy

-Immune system support (for those who have read my previous articles on chronic allergies, this is for you!)

-Improves metabolic function

-Minimizes poor odor

-Moisturizes dry skin & coat

-Prevents Infection

-Promotes wound healing; topically or orally

Be mindful that coconut oil is high in fat and should be used in moderation. As with any new food or supplement, begin by adding a very small amount. Monitor cat or dog’s behaviour and bowels. Because this supplement is oil, runny stools are possible if too much oil is given at once. Begin with a half teaspoon for larger breed dogs and a quarter teaspoon for cats and smaller dogs. If the dosage has no adverse affects on stool, increase incrementally as needed. It is not necessary to administer coconut oil every day. Three times per week is a healthy start, working your way up to 1/8 teaspoon, possibly slightly more if your cat is not overweight day 3x week.

If your animal has pre-existing weight issues, keep the dosage on the lower end as the oil can cause fat increase. Be sure to provide adequate exercise for your animals at all times based on the individual needs (caloric intake, breed specific etc) for optimal wellness.

If your  cat or dog has liver imbalances such as liver disease, liver cancer or any other liver malfunction, please do not feed them coconut oil, as it can make the situation worse. Do ask your vet before adding coconut oil or any other food supplement to your cat or dog’s diet.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com