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-   -   Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=44957)

mummummum September 26th, 2007 10:07 PM

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
 
We're at the end of our big jar so I thought I would see what the general consensus is amongst other folks who having been adding this to their pet's food.

Personally I'm impressed. It's made a huge difference in skin and coat condition ~ Declan's in particular. I'm not one to bathe my dog's ~ they see the groomer a few times a year and that's just fine. But Declan has ALWAYS had greasy, grimey skin and no matter how hard I try to keep him brushed his shedding is hugemongous and his coat is dull. All of that has improved significantly ~ in all three dogs, but in Declan's in particular. And, they love the taste! I'm feeding about 2 tablespoons per day mixed into their kibble.

Thumb's up :thumbs up from me and I'll be heading out to the health food store for another $25 (:eek:) jar.

Goldens4Ever September 27th, 2007 10:42 PM

Yes, it is truly a miracle product. I sell the Nutiva brand through my business & I recommend it to every dog owner I come across. I have personally witnessed miracles with two different dogs who consume the Nutiva brand; miracles!

One lady told me she gives it to her pet rat, who has/had a skin issue, which is no longer present.

badger September 28th, 2007 07:28 AM

Goldens4Ever, any testimonials from cat owners? And whether there was any problem with the taste?
(I have a friend who puts it on her morning toast :yuck:)

Isolde September 28th, 2007 10:54 AM

[QUOTE=mummummum;482904]We're at the end of our big jar so I thought I would see what the general consensus is amongst other folks who having been adding this to their pet's food.

Personally I'm impressed. It's made a huge difference in skin and coat condition ~ Declan's in particular. I'm not one to bathe my dog's ~ they see the groomer a few times a year and that's just fine. But Declan has ALWAYS had greasy, grimey skin and no matter how hard I try to keep him brushed his shedding is hugemongous and his coat is dull. All of that has improved significantly ~ in all three dogs, but in Declan's in particular. And, they love the taste! I'm feeding about 2 tablespoons per day mixed into their kibble.

Thumb's up :thumbs up from me and I'll be heading out to the health food store for another $25 (:eek:) jar.[/QUOTE]



as far as I know kibble has quite alot of fats and oils, supplementing with even more oil is not too much?

So far my dog seems to not have any problems with her coat or skin but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to give her a little bit of some good oil (fish, coconut, flax or other type).

I am just changing her to Wellness puppy now but she's not that crazy about it ... :cool:

Thanks!

Isolde September 28th, 2007 10:58 AM

also what oil is the best to give them :shrug:

mummummum September 30th, 2007 03:15 AM

[QUOTE=Isolde;483309]as far as I know kibble has quite alot of fats and oils, supplementing with even more oil is not too much?

So far my dog seems to not have any problems with her coat or skin but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to give her a little bit of some good oil (fish, coconut, flax or other type).

I am just changing her to Wellness puppy now but she's not that crazy about it ... :cool:

Thanks![/QUOTE]

The lesser quality brands tend to have more bad fat because it adds "flavour" .

If your dog has no issues with her skin or coat then you probably don't need to supplement.

And, fyi my dogs didn't care for Wellness either.

[QUOTE=Isolde;483311]also what oil is the best to give them :shrug:[/QUOTE]

Some people find success with olive oil, others use herring or salmon oil happily. The fish oils have the omega's as an added bonus. My dogs tired of the fish oils fairly quickly and didn't cotton to olive oil.

Goldens4Ever September 30th, 2007 09:34 AM

There are different types of fats. Omegas & olive oil, for example, are essential fatty acids, which if given too much (Omega 3), can be toxic. Their bodies require these, but only in certain amounts. Some dogs have an essential fatty acid deficiency (an internal dysfunction), so they require additional supplementation. For instance, Aspen has Seborrhea, so she has to take a veterinary strength Omega 3, 6, 9 supplement daily. Goldie does not recieve or require any additional EFA supplement. If dogs are on a super healthy food & do not have problems with an EFA deficiency, then they do not need an Omega supplement.

Coconut Oil is a saturated fat (medium-chain fatty acid), that is not toxic at any level given. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil refers to the way in which the coconut oil is processed-this is the statement you want on the jar. This is beneficial for any dog (I don't know anything about cats). Kibble does contain some fat, it's not the same as a healthy spoonful of a concentrated source of saturated fat-adding some of this to their food will only benefit them (if given the correct amount). Here is the slip I give my clients who purchase this:

[B][U]WHY GIVE NUTIVA ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL TO DOGS?
[/U][/B]
-A healthy source of saturated fat (medium chain fatty acids)
-Provides energy & aids in weight loss
-Dramatically improves skin & coat health
-Possesses natural antifungal properties
-Helps reduce symptoms associated with allergies
-Aids in healing minor skin abrasions and bug bites

[B][U]HOW TO FEED:[/U][/B]
a) For dogs & puppies weighing 10 pounds & under, start with 1/4 teaspoon per day for 1-2 weeks. Gradually work your way up to 1 teaspoon per day.
b) Feed 1 roughly tablespoon per 30 pounds of weight. But, introduce it gradually, starting out with a few teaspoons for 1-2 weeks & then working up to however many tablespoons they need for their weight. It may be given in liquid or solid form. (Mine lick it off the spoon)!
*If you introduce too much of this product too soon, it may result in loose and/or runny stools. It takes a week or two for their stomachs to adjust to the richness of this food. If this occurs, reduce the amount given & work up from there.

rainbow September 30th, 2007 12:53 PM

[B]Goldens4Ever,[/B] thank you for your informative post. :thumbs up

otter September 30th, 2007 01:24 PM

Would it be any help for "oily" ish coats. Molly's coat looks a bit oily and when you scratch her your hands sometimes get a whitish oily coating on them. Adding more fat to her diet seems contradictory but I could be wrong. Anyone know?

Goldens4Ever September 30th, 2007 02:49 PM

[QUOTE=otter;484003]Would it be any help for "oily" ish coats. Molly's coat looks a bit oily and when you scratch her your hands sometimes get a whitish oily coating on them. Adding more fat to her diet seems contradictory but I could be wrong. Anyone know?[/QUOTE]

If her skin is oily to that degree, than you are probably dealing with a dematological condition. That [I]sounds[/I] symptomatic of Seborrhea - I would go to a vet to get that checked out ASAP because that is NOT normal, but it can be improved once you know what the problem is. I would not delay on that. Dogs with Seborrhea are susceptible to lots of other problems.

For dogs with Seborrhea, like my Aspen, the Nutiva can do wonders, along with with a high-quality diet, Omega 3, 6, 9 supplement, & shampoos with a medicated product, such as Virbac's Sebolux. Aspen's skin used be very oily around her neck & shoulder area, but it was all covered with scales, which looked exactly like fish scales. So, it was a combination of oily & dry. This sounds similar to what you are describing.

I had to shampoo Aspen 2x/week for about a month with Sebolux, then 1x/week for about 2 months. Now, I shampoo her with 1x/month. One would never know she has this condition because her skin is healthy now; however, that transpired from a combination of things - no one product did it alone. But, I can say that I noticed the biggest improvement once we started introducing the Nutiva. Seborrhea cannot be cured, only controlled.

mummummum September 30th, 2007 03:00 PM

excellent explanation Goldens4ever!

Otter ~ it's worth a try. Declan's skin was very oily (not to mention dirty, my bad likes to roll after a good swim :D) and I'm amazed at the result.

otter September 30th, 2007 04:32 PM

:goodvibes:Thanks for all the info... goldens4ever your suggestions and experience is a great help. We've been working with the vet, trying out first antibiotics (cause she also had red spots and very itchy) which helped while she was on them but the itchy came back about a week later (though no red spots). I think Seborrhea was mentioned as a possibility...

She's still pretty itchy and has the oiliness so we're looking at other options. Shampoo is next on the table but right now she swims so much I didn't think any value in shampooing, maybe i'm wrong about that. I know the swimming doesn't help her skin but I think Molly would be soooooooo depressed if she didn't get to swim. She sulked for about two hours the other night when I wouldn't let her swim on our walk.:sad:

My vet is very young and probably doesn't have a huge amount of experience - actually Molly's first vet visit (back in May) was her FIRST day on the job, she just graduated from vet school. Don't get me wrong, she has been [B]WONDERFUL[/B]!!! and has no qualms about asking the other vets for advice. Anyways, any ideas I can bring to her really help:thumbs up

Looks like coconut oil would be a good investment for us. I think her food is OK (Canidae lamb and rice) though i'm pondering a change due to soft poops, we'll see about that after we try out the coconut oil.

mummummum September 30th, 2007 07:03 PM

Otter have you thought along the lines of a yeast infection?
[url]http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_yeast_infection_of_the_skin.html[/url]

Frenchy September 30th, 2007 07:08 PM

[QUOTE=mummummum;482904]
Thumb's up :thumbs up from me and I'll be heading out to the health food store for another $25 (:eek:) jar.[/QUOTE]

How long does a jar last for your 3 dogs M3X ? Not that my doggies seem to need it , but if it would help with Sam's shedding .....

mummummum September 30th, 2007 07:22 PM

Jeepers Frenchy about two or three weeks I think (can't remember when I bought the first jar).

Frenchy September 30th, 2007 07:40 PM

[QUOTE=mummummum;484237] about two or three weeks I think (can't remember when I bought the first jar).[/QUOTE]

So about a month 1/2 for one dog .... does it really make a difference with the shedding or only with the skin and fur condition ?

Frenchy September 30th, 2007 07:42 PM

Oh and one more thing , what does jeepers means ? :p :o

otter September 30th, 2007 08:34 PM

"Jeepers" is kinda like "Yikes"...sometimes used in the case of "jeepers creepers" which is more like "what the heck"

Don't think it's yeast infection for Molly - her skin isn't smelly or scaley/crusty, just oily, sometimes you get white oily residue on your hands but her skin LOOKS OK. Chole (rip) had similar condition and the Sebolux shampoo seemed to help her a bit, made her coat very soft and reduced the oiliness. The "condition" seems to get better and worse at different times, no idea why. Itchiness is the worst part for poor Molly thus it's getting critical to do something so she doesn't go mad.

I'm off to "civilization" (Thunder Bay then Calgary - we don't have a pet store or a vet in my town:sad:) next weekend so i'm going to try and get some coconut oil, then the week after we'll be seeing the vet again and hopefully get some shampoo. Anything else I should be looking for when i'm in the city that might help with itchiness?

growler~GateKeeper September 30th, 2007 08:53 PM

Cally also had Sebboreah, I used the Sebolux shampoo when he had a bath & I was giving him Omega 3 capsules daily which definately helped plus he had Flea Allergy Dermatitis so he was on Program year round.

Are you giving her Omega 3?
Has your vet looked into FAD?

Molly :cloud9:

otter September 30th, 2007 09:05 PM

So far no Omega 3's for Molly - I can do that easily though i'm I doubling up if I do Omega 3's and coconut oil? I have Omega 3's that I take (some kind of fish oil) but i'm guessing the dose would have to be checked out with a vet - you can overdose on this stuff right?

FAD has not been considered, no evidence of fleas around but maybe that doesn't matter?:shrug: I'll ask though.

Byrd September 30th, 2007 09:14 PM

Willow's been very flakey lately, and is a little irritated between her toes. Where does one buy these oils? Is there anything less costly than $25/jar that would work as well?

jiorji September 30th, 2007 09:16 PM

[QUOTE=Byrd;484303]Willow's been very flakey lately, and is a little irritated between her toes. Where does one buy these oils? Is there anything less costly than $25/jar that would work as well?[/QUOTE]

grocery store. or nature stores

growler~GateKeeper September 30th, 2007 09:16 PM

Dose should def be checked w/ vet, I think anyone can overdose on anything whether good for you or not (ie vit c can be very bad if you od on it).

Not very familiar w/ the coconut oil so I'm not sure about the 2 together - someone here should know though :D

If she has FAD & there are [B]no[/B] fleas than she won't be itchy, so you have no fleas then it's probably not FAD :thumbs up

rainbow September 30th, 2007 09:25 PM

[QUOTE=Byrd;484303]Willow's been very flakey lately, and is a little irritated between her toes. Where does one buy these oils? Is there anything less costly than $25/jar that would work as well?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=jiorji;484304]grocery store. or nature stores[/QUOTE]

Personally, I think coconut oil is the best and I have never seen it in a grocery store or supermarket. As far as I know, it is only available in a health food store.
:o

otter September 30th, 2007 09:35 PM

Any thing to look for or avoid when purchasing coconut oils? Goldens4ever Nutiva sounds good but they don't seem to distribute it much in Canada.

jiorji September 30th, 2007 09:36 PM

[QUOTE=rainbow;484310]Personally, I think coconut oil is the best and I have never seen it in a grocery store or supermarket. As far as I know, it is only available in a health food store.
:o[/QUOTE]

that's where i got mine for Peanut

rainbow September 30th, 2007 09:51 PM

[QUOTE=otter;484312]Any thing to look for or avoid when purchasing coconut oils? Goldens4ever Nutiva sounds good but they don't seem to distribute it much in Canada.[/QUOTE]

I couldn't find Nutiva where I live either. I think as long as it says "organic extra virgin" on the label it's likely just as good. :)

Goldens4Ever October 1st, 2007 07:27 PM

[QUOTE=otter;484312]Any thing to look for or avoid when purchasing coconut oils? Goldens4ever Nutiva sounds good but they don't seem to distribute it much in Canada.[/QUOTE]

As Rainbow mentioned, Nutiva is the BEST, but if you cannot find that, make sure the label says all 3 of these words:

[CENTER][B]Organic Extra Virgin[/B][/CENTER]

As stated previously, Omega 3 can be toxic if given too much; however, dogs with Seborrhea usually are deficient in the essential fatty acids, which is why Aspen needs a veterinary strength Omega 3, ,6, 9 daily - it's by Vetri Science.

Dogs cannot overdose or reach toxicity with saturated fats, which is what coconut oil is.

If you find out that it is Seborrhea, remember, [B][U]no one product alone will help, as it is a combination of things: [/U][/B] routine shampoos with medicated product, coconut oil, Omega supplement, & healthy diet. But, I can say that I noticed the biggest improvement once we started introducing the Nutiva. Seborrhea [U]cannot[/U] be cured, only controlled.

otter October 1st, 2007 07:51 PM

Thanks goldens4ever... I will be on the lookout for good coconut oil and will definitely as the vet about adding some Omegas.:thumbs up

Thanks everyone for all the coconut oil info..... sorry to mummummumm for kinda hijacking your post.

Goldens4Ever October 1st, 2007 08:02 PM

[QUOTE=otter;484675]Thanks goldens4ever...and will definitely as the vet about adding some Omegas.:thumbs up....[/QUOTE]

:thumbs up

First, I would want to know if it's Seborrhea though before starting any type of Omega supplementation program. I am always leery about recommending Omega supplements to people if I know their dogs are consuming a good diet because you have to be really careful with those. Even though Aspen eats a good diet, her body has a biological need for higher levels (due to her condition) & dogs with other conditions need them as well.

Actually, one needs to take caution with all of the fat soluble vitamins because all of those can be toxic at certain levels.

Best Wishes. :highfive:


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