Benefits of Coconut Oil for Pets

I’ve talked at length about how much I love coconut oil and how we use it dozens of different ways at our house. There are some members of our household who also get coconut oil daily, and I haven’t mentioned them much in the past:

Our cat “Peneolope” and our dog “Daisy” (and currently her seven puppies) are also big fans of coconut oil.

Many of the health benefits of coconut oil for humans also apply to animals. From a past post:

“Coconuts are an excellent source of nutrition and have healthful meat, juice, and oil. The oil is arguably the most nutritious and has many health benefits. Coconut oil is over 90% saturated fat and has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.
Coconut oil also has antioxidant properties and it helps in the absorption of other minerals.
Coconut oil is an incredible source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which have been shown to have many health benefits.
Lauric acid in coconut oil in combination with oregano oil, has even been found more effective in fighting the staph bacteria than antibiotics. Lauric acid has also been shown to be preventative against some cancers. Coconut Oil is over 40% lauric acid, the richest source naturally available.”

We’ve used coconut oil with our pets for years. I started researching ways to use coconut oil for pets when our cat went crazy trying to eat food from our plates every time I cooked with coconut oil.

Turns out that coconut oil can help aid pets’ digestion, improve their coats, help prevent infection and more. Carnivorous animals like cats and dogs would have consumed a high amount of saturated fat in the wild and the beneficial fats in coconut oil are a great way to make sure they are getting enough in their diets. Our pets also receive a partially raw meat diet to help keep them healthy.

Doginton Post offers some ways to use coconut oil with pets:

“It can be given internally or applied externally, and can provide remedies for many skin infections. It can disinfect cuts and improve your dog’s general skin and coat condition, making it healthier. Wounds also heal faster with coconut oil, and it helps to deodorize your dog’s skin and clear up some rashes as well.

And unlike most herbal products that are good for your dog’s health, coconut is something that your dog will most probably love to eat. They will most likely gobble up the coconut oil and not be too picky with it. Just as humans can get a bit nutty for coconut, so can our beloved buddies. Mix it with their food – it has cured many picky eaters.

Many vets and researchers today are recommending the regular use of coconut oil for dogs and many other pets as an excellent source of nutrients, which keeps your dog in good health.

The recommended dose is pretty easy; just give a teaspoon of coconut oil per 10 pounds of dog, or you can give a table spoon per 30 pounds. Start with about 1/4 the recommended dosage and build up to the recommended level over 3-4 weeks, as sometimes flu-like symptoms can appear if you hurried it right away.”

How to Use Coconut Oil for Cats and Dogs

We give our pets coconut oil in their food every day and use it externally on their coats. Here’s what we do:

Our cat gets a teaspoon a day in food (we started with 1/4 of a teaspoon and worked up over a month)
Our dog (about 55 lbs) gets 2 tablespoons a day in food (we started with 1 teaspoon and worked up over a month)
To help ward off fleas, both get brushed with coconut oil every few weeks, especially in summer
For any dry skin or skin issues, we use coconut oil (or honey) on the skin as needed
Nursing puppies get coconut oil added to first foods when they start eating

What Coconut Oil to Use?

We order our coconut oil from here. Pets seem to actually prefer their pure coconut oil which is also their most economical option. Any unrefined coconut oil will work for pets though. Try it… they’ll love it!

Other Pet Treats and Food

If you want to make homemade treats for you pets, these dog treats and these cat treats use coconut oil and your pets will love them! Or if you are searching for a more natural pet food option that is shipped directly to you, check out Nomnomnow.

Some brands of the best brands of cbd oil for dogs use coconut oil as a carrier too.

Learn more about how we do Natural Cat Care & Holistic Alternatives in this post.

Do you use coconut oil with your pets? How do you use it?

There are many ways to use coconut oil for pets to improve health and soften their coats. Most animals love coconut oil so it's easy to add it to their diet.

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

337 responses to “Benefits of Coconut Oil for Pets”

Susan

November 10, 2015

You mention fleas, but my jack russell mix keeps attracting ticks. Have you found coconut oil repels them as well?

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Kathy Crawford

November 8, 2015

What do you think of Kirkland’s organic coconut oil??

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Angelica Marie

October 31, 2015

Do you use a combo of coconut oil and oregano oil for infections in your dog? If so what’s the ratio and how much do you give her? Thx!

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Cat

October 13, 2015

I treated (“treated”) my cat’s ears with coconut oil because they were filled with brown/black crud and I suspected mites. Swabbed them out with cotton balls and coconut oil once a day for a week. My cat’s ears immediately became inflamed, red, and absolutely terrible – worse than before. As my holistic vet said when he finally saw the little guy and diagnosed a bacterial infection that required ACTUAL MEDICAL TREATMENT: every now and then a health trend comes along and sweeps the human world. You’ll be able to spot it because of the ridiculous, all-encompassing nature of the claims about it (e.g. “it cured my skin! and my stomach issues! and my moods! and my lung cancer! and it did my taxes!” etc.). Coconut oil is NOT a cure-all and the opposite of helpful in many cases, as my poor kitty and I found out the hard way. Nor is it strictly “anti-bacterial and anti-fungal” as so many dubious, under-informed health blogs claim. Yes it has some anti-bacterial/fungal ‘properties’; no it does not work even 1% as well against vicious bacteria/fungus as products specifically formulated to do so. Just an FYI for those who commented saying this harmed their pets.

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Serenee

September 26, 2015

Hi,

I have been using coconut oil on myself and I never knew it can be used on pets. I just adopted a new dog (it’s my first) and it’s coat is a bit yellowish since we’ve gotten it. It doesn’t clean off even when we bathe him. Does coconut oil help in any way? Also, I have read that I can brush it’s teeth using the oil, It’s said to remove plague and nasty smell. How much should I use? Anyway, I’m using the Tiana extra virgin coconut oil from Holland & Barrett. It’s 100% raw. Does that work?

Hope to get an answer. Thanks!

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Kellie Garrison

September 10, 2015

i just wonder how you all measure and use. I store mine in the refrigerator as the label says but it’s so hard, I can barely scrape it in a measuring spoon….suggestions, tips….I just started using this 2 days ago. Thank you!!

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SANJAY BAWA

September 7, 2015

When I read so many positive reports on feeding coconut oil to dogs ,I thought my prayers have been answered ,so we started feeding two tsp Virgin coconut oil morning evening to my pet an orange Ron English Cocker Spaniel it been five days but there is no relief,we are still removing 50-100 plus ticks on daily basis ,we also tried using neem oil feeding him 3 drops daily and also rubbing coconut oil with neem oil added to it but there is no relief, in Jan we had him injected , he was tick free for eight days only against 3-4 months relief,tried anti tick collar (Bayer ) it worked only for 3 days only fourth day found ticks under collar area itself ,we are now desperate I do not want to use chemical on him again ,Please help and advice.
Regards
Sanjay

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Jo

August 20, 2015

How do you use coconut oil in dogs ears for ear mites/ cleaning?
We already add CO to our dogs feed and use it topically on his coat with great results, we would also like to use it for his ears but are unsure how to get best results.

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sheila

August 19, 2015

Since I’d like to try it topically at first with my small dog rather than feed it directly, when you put it on your animal’s fur, doesn’t it get all over the carpeting when they lay down? Can it be rubbed in so that doesn’t happen?

Any info/advice would be appreciated.

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Gina

August 10, 2015

I just gave my oldest long hair cat some for her hairball issues – I gave her very little to see how she reacts to it. She seemed to have enjoyed it and I am hoping it helps with her digestion. I can only brush her when she is in the mood and I have to use a human brush with natural bristles.

We shall see – thanks Wellness Mama

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Kim

July 29, 2015

I have just had my first introduction to “hot spots” on my dog. She’s part Chow & Australian Cattle Dog” So her hind end has a lot of fur. I knew she had dry skin so I’ve been using Aveno Baby shampoo on her. Plus she plays with a neighbors puppy so I thought maybe she was just sore from her playing. Well, we found a huge hot spot and was given an antibiotic shot and pain killers. I’ve been cleaning it with warm water and a little Ambosol (for tooth aches) because it works wonders for numbing sores (on people too, not just in the mouth). Yesterday I started putting coconut oil in her breakfast. So here’s question 1. About how long before I’ll see any changes and less scratching issues? Question 2. Can I rub a little on the hot spot? It’s huge and she’s miserable. If I can how often? Question 3 She’s 48 pounds should I give it to her twice a day? Question 4. She gets yeast infections in her ears so should I put a couple drops in her ears or is what I mix with her food enough?

This is a wonderful blog with a lot of good pointers. Thank you so much

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1. Donna C.
  
  December 9, 2015
  
  We use amber original listerine on our dogs for hotspots..Works wonders
  
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Felisha

July 22, 2015

hey I need some advice recently I seen my cat has fleas and they were bad at first but I had to wait for some money so I can treat her for them . But I got to thinkin I have a giant jar of coconut oil i use it for everything so i looked it up to make sure I could use it on her cuz I found she has a couple of sores now from the little jerks but any way I found this an read obviously so I tried to put it on her an rub in but I only got her head and her neck an now she’s freaking out and won’t let me brush threw it or finish putting it on her she hates me right now an I feel so bad for her an ik I gotta wash it out eventually but she’s gonna tear me up idk what to do I talk to her and try to sooth her but she wants nothing to do with me lol anyone have some advice for me

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Andrea

June 2, 2015

I want to start giving my dogs coconut oil but need to know how much to start them on and for how long before I increase the amount. ..I have 2 larger dogs, both between 60-80 lbs. A pug that’s about 22lbs, and chihuahuas that weigh between 3-6 lbs.. My dogs have been getting brewers yeast tablets from day one and have never had fleas. I do worry about mosquitoes and ticks. Any help would be so appreciated… Thank you!!!

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roberta

May 30, 2015

Cold Pressed Virgin Olive Oil is best for human or pet consumption or external use for many reasons. Just do a quick search! Coconut Oil liquifies on your hands or at about 78 degrees room temperature. Cooking, microwaving, etc depreciates it value. To apply to pet food just stir it into dry kibble or wet food.
FYI re ITCHING: I personally had a terrible reaction to amoxicillin turning my skin into red spots from scalp to toe! Then the red spots joined hands and I developed purple spots on top of the solid red scary itchy miserable person I had become. It was an itch that Benydryl & histamines etc did not tame! I took a bath every night, dried and rubbed on a thin coat of Coconut Oil from Scalp to toes including my eye lids, ears and lips. The CO would stop the itch immediately. If I had any hot spots during the day, I repeated the CO by dipping into the jar, liquifying CO on my hands and applying a thin coat. While my sheets and night clothes did have some oily spots, they washed out easily. Better than scratching to death!
I also use CO in winter when the backs of my senior citizen hands crack and bleed. I apply at night before bed and put gloves or socks on my hands to keep them extra warm and moist. I also use it on hot cereal instead of milk.
Right now my Maltese has a hot spot and I am applying a thin coat of CO when ever I see him biting or scratching. I put CO on the skin [and fur] on his back and he looked bad but stopped biting. In about a week it had absorbed and he looked more like his old self. I also put CO on his food.
I am going to try CO for ear plucking and cleaning both. Will it make the hair too slippery to pluck? Do I have to wait until after plucking to clean with CO?

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Donna

May 27, 2015

My dog suffers from skin allergies she is so raw and itching. I was told to use coconut oil I tried it for the first time tonight in her food she loves it . I’m hoping internally helps I was told to also rub it on her but won’t that cause her to lick herself more ? Which will cause more irritation .

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1. Kerri Dowdy
  
  June 23, 2015
  
  I am putting coconut oil in my dogs food we have been on it for about 2 weeks now, I am not seeing any difference in the scratching, if I put it on their skin won’t they start licking it off they love the taste of it.
  
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Denise

May 3, 2015

I am wondering since my fur babies sleep in my bed if I out the coconut oil on their fur will this leave stains on my bed or furniture. My smallest baby has very bad skin allergies and also gets yeast infections on his skin from the scratching and biting. I have just started him in the coconut oil in his food tonight. Cant wait to see the outcome!

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jojo

April 24, 2015

This is from catchannel.com-fyi- Coconut meat has a high fat content and the fat is quite unusual, being composed mainly of fatty acids that are much shorter in length than those found in meat and most vegetable fats, such as corn. Coconut fat is referred to as medium chain triglycerides or MCT. MCT are actually used therapeutically in humans and some other species because they can be absorbed from the intestine in some disease situations in which regular fats are not absorbed. However, feeding MCT to cats can result in a disease called hepatic lipidosis, a condition in which the liver becomes excessively filled with fat. This disease can be life-threatening for the cat.

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Angie Cruz

April 16, 2015

Thank you Never thought of brushing my dogs teeth with it. duh! I oil pull with coconut oil. And if it safe enough for me then it should be for my dogs. Don’t know what I never thought of this. Thank You for all the great info.

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sheyla

March 27, 2015

What type of coconut oil do i use skin oil hair oil or extra virgin oil?

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Barbara

March 4, 2015

Our new adopted kitty is about a year old, solid black, about 9.5 lbs and adorable. She does, however, have quite a few bumps on her back at the base of her tail and some other places. We changed her diet when she came to us, we use Blue Mountain, grain free for both our babies. The bumps appeared to be clearing up some. Then our son told us he started giving his big boy, lab-pit mix about 150 lbs with serious skin issues, gnawing on his paw and always had to have a hood when he is left alone; the coconut oil has worked wonders on him. So we started our new baby on it and she loves it. I started today rubbing it in to her skin as well. How much should I give her to eat every day; she licks it off a spoon. I want to make sure it is ok to feed it to her every day as well as apply it directly to her skin. I hope to see some good results very soon.

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1. Liz
  
  April 12, 2015
  
  How is your kitty doing now after about a month? I’ve seen an improvement in my black cat after 2 weeks! He was just getting bad dandruff, I am only adding it to their food so far. I tried brushing it into his coat but the dog kept trying to lick it off haha 🙂
  
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