Does your dog have more to him to love because he spends more of his time loving his food? Just as is the case with people, too much weight on a doag can be harmful to his health. In this blog, we’ll give a crash course on coconut oil for dogs and how that might help with your dog losing weight.

Before giving your dog coconut oil

First thing’s first: make sure you take your dog to a veterinarian to assess the reason for his weight gain or why he may not be losing weight. Oftentimes, it will be related to food intake and energy expenditure, but there are certainly other instances where an illness or disease may be to blame. Your veterinarian will be able to run tests to assess the cause of the weight gain and give advice for how to proceed.

If your dog has been medically cleared of underlying health issues, coconut oil may be able to help your dog with his weight issues. We’ll discuss that in the rest of this blog.

Benefits of coconut oil for an overweight dog

There are many ways that coconut oil may be able to help your dog with his weight so that there is ultimately less stress on his body. One way that it can help is through benefits to the endocrine or metabolic system. Coconut oil has been shown to help regulate and balance insulin which can help prevent or control diabetes and  to promote normal thyroid function.

Studies have also shown that feeding a dog a diet that features medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), such as those found in coconut oil, can help potentially decrease the size of fat deposits. Additionally, when your dog metabolizes MCFAs, he gets an immediate boost of energy which can enhance his stamina and athletic performance, contributing to weight loss ability.

Additional coconut oil benefits for dogs includes help with:

• High blood pressure
• Joint problems or osteoarthritis
• Respiratory difficulties
• Liver disease or dysfunction

How much coconut oil should you give a dog?

While coconut oil is typically safe for dogs, it’s important to gradually introduce it into their diets, as too much may cause discomfort or upset their digestive systems. Start with small amounts (¼ teaspoon, for example), gradually working up to larger amounts (1 tablespoon) for dogs of larger size and breed.

You can give your dog coconut oil straight from a spoon, out of your hand, or mixed into dog food. If your dog is a picky eater and rejects these methods, you might also try making these healthy and delicious coconut oil dog treats.

Final thoughts

Coconut oil is high in fat content, so it’s best not to give an overweight dog coconut oil more than once per day. You’ll also want to check for signs of weight gain instead of weight loss as well as allergic reaction, all of which can be common when introducing any new food into your dog’s diet.

Keep in regular contact with your dog’s veterinarian throughout the weight loss process to ensure that things continue smoothly and in a healthy way.