Coconut, that is or, rather, coconut oil. A few weeks ago a Beardie friend posted on FB regarding the health benefits of coconut oil for the dogs (Dogster Post). So I did a little on line reading to determine if it was something I wanted to try. For the last year or more Sam has had terribly dry skin and no amount of supplements seemed to be helping - not even salmon oil.
After determining that coconut oil wouldn't harm the dogs in any way, I went ahead and bought a small jar of Virgin Coconut Oil from Whole Foods. My first surprise was that when I opened the jar the oil had solidified. Coconut oil solidifies at 76 degrees or lower so, when I took it out of the highly air-conditioned store, it was in a solid state. It has fluctuated between liquid and solid since I brought it home but it doesn't need to be refrigerated.
This weekend I groomed all the dogs and, for the first time in over a year, Sam's skin wasn't dry and flaky. He's been getting 1-2 tsps of coconut oil, daily, for the last 3 weeks. His coat feels great too, very soft and silky (I know, that's not really correct for a Cardi). Overall, I'm thrilled with what I've seen. Coconut oil doesn't have the anti-inflammatory properties that salmon oil does but it seems to have a lot of other benefits so I think I will continue giving it.
Do some research for yourself and see if it is something you want to add to your dog(s) diet.
1 year ago
