Is coconut oil better than olive oil for dogs

12 Surprising Benefits & Uses of Olive Oil for Dogs

Olive oil is a must-have ingredient in every kitchen. It brings out the best flavor in your salad and nourishes your body. As a dog owner, you might also be wondering if olive oil for dogs shares the same benefits. The most straightforward answer is yes, but theres a lot more to it than that.

Lets learn about everything olive oil does for your pet:

Benefits of Olive Oil for Dogs

We can safely say that olive oil supports your dogs overall health, both physical and mental. But how does it do that?

1. Olive Oil for Dogs Joints

25% of dogs in the US suffer from some type of arthritis. Most susceptible are:

• older, obese, or malnourished dogs
• some large dog breeds
• dogs that have suffered injuries

At least thats what statistics say. But in reality, any dog can develop the symptoms.

Even if the issue worsens over time, proper treatment can help your pet live a long and comfortable life. For instance, joint supplements for dogs are the most common therapy that slows the progression of arthritis.

But can dogs have olive oil to ease the symptoms? They can. Olive oil contains oleic acid and antioxidants that have an anti-inflammatory effect, similar topain medications. Also, the Omega-3 fatty acids provide joint lubrication. So regular doses of olive oil will reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness in arthritic joints. That can work wonders in combination with glucosamine for dogs.

Suppose you give anti-inflammatory drugs to your dog long-term. That can cause significant side effects on the liver and kidneys. Thats why olive oil is an excellent natural alternative.

2. Olive Oil for Dogs Skin

A healthy dogs skin should be soft and smooth, without any bumps, dry flakes, pimples, or itchiness. These could be symptoms of medical issues, so you should take them seriously. If you notice any changes in your dogs skin, its best to consult a vet.

Before treating your dog, youll need to find out the underlying problem. For example, if your dog has an allergic reaction to food, adding olive oil to its diet wont do it any good. Veterinarians recommend olive oil for itchy dogs only after ruling out allergies, parasites, and infections.

Hopefully, your dogs skin condition is a mere reaction to cold weather or low humidity. In this case, the Omega-3 fatty acids in olive oil will moisturize the skin and clear the flakes.

3. Olive Oil for Dogs Coat

While regular grooming and a sensitive shampoo improve the look of a dogs coat, real health comes from within. So, its essential to feed your dog a nutritionally rich diet.

To keep your puppys coat healthy, consider adding supplements with vitamin E and Omega fatty acids to its diet. And guess what! Olive oil is full of them.

We highly recommend olive oil for dogs with dull or damaged coats. It could take up to a month to see the results, but it will definitely make your dogs hair stronger and shinier.

4. Olive Oil for Dogs Shedding

Shedding is a natural and healthy process that promotes new hair growth, and you cannot eliminate it. But it wouldnt hurt to reduce the amount of hair that ends up on your furniture.

Regular baths and a proper brush usually do the trick. They help you remove the loose or brittle hair before it falls on its own.

But when a skin or hair condition leads to excessive dog shedding, its much wiser to address the underlying health issue rather than the symptoms. And thats where olive oil comes in.

Using olive oil for dogs with skin problems will ultimately make shedding more manageable. After all, firm, healthy, supple skin means stronger hair follicles and less shedding.

5. Olive Oil for Dogs Ears

Did you know that dogs with floppy ears are more susceptible to ear infections? Thats because long ears trap dirt and moisture, creating a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.

But theres no need to worry too much. Ear infections are usually mild, and you can treat them yourself. If you dont have any dog ear cleaner, olive oil for ear infection in dogs is your second-best option. It will reduce the swelling and help fight the bacteria.

Heres how you can use olive oil to ease your dogs ear discomfort:

• Gently warm a dropper of olive oil in a bowl of hot water.
• Check the temperature of the oil. It shouldnt be too hot.
• Pour a few drops into your dogs ear.
• Rub it to make sure the oil goes deep inside.
• Dab the inside of the ear with a cotton ball to remove debris or excess oil.

If your dog is in great pain and refuses to eat, or its ear is particularly red or smelly, its better to go to the vet. Severe ear infections can damage a dogs hearing and balance.

6. Olive Oil for Dogs Constipation

Olive oil is a handy home remedy if your dog has constipation and youre wondering how to make your dog poop. It lubricates the digestive tract and enables easier passage. Just a spoonful of olive oil in a dogs meal can help clear mild constipation.

In contrast, olive oil for dogs that are severely constipated isnt as effective since food takes at least one day to reach the intestines. If thats the issue, contact your veterinarian and consider administering an enema.

7. Olive Oil on Dogs for Fleas

Unlike other insect repellents, olive oil doesnt contain lauric acid that kills fleas. Still, its high-fat content might suffocate the fleas. Heres what you can do to free your dog from these annoying and gross pests:

• Mix a few drops of lavender into a handful of olive oil.
• Massage your dog with the mixture.
• The smell of lavender can be overwhelming, so dont overdo it.
• Avoid the eyes and the face.
• Leave the oil for three to four hours and rinse it off.

You can use the same mixture of lavender and olive oil for dogs as prevention during flea season. Just spray it on your dogs collar or around the fleas favorite hangouts, like the armpits and groins.

8. Olive Oil for Weight Control

With 120 calories per teaspoon, olive oil is a calorie-dense substance, meaning too much of it in your dogs diet will result in weight gain. If so, can dogs have olive oil and reap all its benefits without gaining pounds? Yes, and the answer lies in moderation.

Paradoxically, moderate amounts of olive oil can even help your dog lose some weight. Like in humans, the monounsaturated fats in olive oil break down the fat cells in the canine body. Whats more, the fat will curb your dogs appetite by keeping it satiated longer.

9. Olive Oil for Cardiovascular Health

Research shows that a daily intake of half a tablespoon of olive oil lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by 15%. Then, can dogs have olive oil for the same purpose? Science says yes.

The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil reduce cholesterol to a heart-healthy level and increase blood flow. Plus, the antioxidants neutralize the effect of free radicals and prevent over-oxidation, which can damage your dogs cell membranes and lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Dietary supplements can get expensive. But using olive oil is a low-cost way to protect your dogs heart.

10. Olive Oil for Brain Boost

Olive oil offers a significant supply of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your dogs mental development. They can improve attention, memory, and learning ability.

We highly recommend using olive oil for older dogs. Thanks to its richness in oleocanthal, it can prevent or delay the onset of CCD (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction) a cognitive disorder similar to Alzheimers disease.

11. Olive Oil for Stronger Immunity

Extra virgin olive oil is loaded with antioxidants, such as vitamin E, polyphenols, carotenoids, and chlorophyll. These ingredients improve your dogs immune system and help it fight off viruses and diseases.

12. Olive Oil for Longevity

Its fair to say that olive oil can help your dog live longer by warding off certain diseases. Lets go through some life-prolonging effects of olive oil for dogs:

• Its monounsaturated fats prevent and decrease the impact of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• The oleic acid, alongside squalene and terpenoids, could protect against cancer, which kills half the dogs over the age of ten.
• By preventing free radical cell oxidation, olive oil could also fight premature aging.

What Kind of Olive Oil Is Best for Dogs?

For the best results, you should use extra virgin oil. Its made from cold-pressed, high-quality olives, which help it preserve most of its precious nutrients.

In contrast, pure and light olive oils come from low-qualityolives processed with heat or chemicals, which destroys their beneficial properties.

Plus, extra virgin olive oil has lower acid levels, so its gentler on the canine digestive system.

How Much Olive Oil for Dogs Is Optimal?

More doesnt always mean better, and too much olive oil can have some side effects, too.

The olive oil dosage for dogs depends on their size. The recommended daily intake is one teaspoon for every 20 pounds of your pups body weight.

How to Give Olive Oil to Your Dog

Dogs like the flavor of olive oil, so dont hesitate to add a splash to their tasty wet dog food. Also, its a clever way to change the consistency of dog food and cover-up dry or stale meals. You could also use olive oil to make homemade dog biscuits.

Potential Side Effects

Is olive oil safe for dogs? Lets find out the possible side effects and how to avoid them:

Olive oil can reduce your puppys weight only if you give it a moderate amount. Its a highly caloric ingredient. So too much of it can have the opposite result. If you decide to add olive oil to your dogs diet, make sure to reduce calories from other sources.

Some pet owners report that their dogs vomit after consuming olive oil. To avoid irritating your dogs stomach, introduce olive oil in smaller doses and work your way up.

Can dogs have olive oil again after such a reaction? Certainly, but first, allow your dogs stomach to rest. You can reintroduce olive oil with a smaller dose and do it gradually.

Olive Oil vs Coconut Oil for Dogs

Both are healthy for your dog and have similar positive effects:

• They moisturize your dogs skin and make its coat shinier. Also, coconut oil has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. So you can apply it topically to soothe cuts and wounds.
• Both improve cognitive function and prevent dementia.
• You can use them to repel and kill fleas. The lauric acid in coconut oil does the job in 20 seconds.
• These oils contain ingredients that could reverse arthritis symptoms, relieve pain and improve your dogs mobility.
• Using coconut or olive oil for dogs will boost the immune system.

Although they contain the same amount of fat per tablespoon, these oils have different fat profiles. Olive oil is much higher in polyunsaturated fats, which are healthier by far than the saturated fats prevailing in coconut oil.

In terms of antioxidant power, olive oil is also a clear winner. While extra virgin coconut oil has antioxidants, the benefits are outweighed by the high-fat content.

It seems like olive oil is the better choice. But can dogs have olive oil for bad breath? No, thats where coconut oil shows off its versatility. You can use it to clean your dogs teeth, eliminate the harmful bacteria in the mouth, and prevent dental disease.

Conclusion

The benefits of olive oil for your dog are impressive. They range from repelling fleas to preventing severe diseases and serving as a natural substitute for heavy medications.

But why wait for a health issue to emerge? Take preventive measures and give olive oil for dogs a try today.

Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil: Which Is Better?

If youre in search of a healthy everyday cooking oil, you may be comparing coconut oil and olive oil.

Olive oil is a non-tropical oil renowned for its impressive fatty acid profile and research-backed health benefits, and extensive research on it is continuing.

In fact, it is a fundamental component and key source of healthy fat in the Mediterranean diet a pattern of eating associated with lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (1, 2, 3, 4).

On the other hand, coconut oil is a tropical oil. It has been a staple for thousands of years in diets and traditional medicinal practices of people across West Africa, Sri Lanka, and other parts of South Asia (5, 6).

Researchers havent studied coconut oil as extensively as non-tropical oils, like olive oil. However, emerging research is uncovering some health benefits of coconut oil, in particular, its potential to reduce the risk of heart disease (7).

Current research suggests olive oil is the healthier choice, but each of these oils has different benefits and features.

This article highlights the similarities and differences between coconut oil and olive oil, as well as their health benefits and potential downsides. It also explores why olive oil is likely better for your health.

Different types of olive and coconut oils can have different chemical compositions and health effects.

Both coconut oil and olive oil are available in refined or unrefined forms. This refers to how much the oils have been industrially processed and changed from their natural states.

Here are the common types and what they mean.

Cold pressed and virgin oils

Virgin oils are unrefined oils obtained from fresh coconut kernel or olive fruits (8, 9).

The gold standard for unrefined oils is extra virgin oil made by mechanical extraction only, where the meat from the fresh coconut or the whole olive fruit is pressed to extract their oils. This is also called cold pressed (8, 9).

This type of extraction means that the oils were not processed using chemical solvents or exposed to high temperatures techniques frequently used in the making of refined oils.

Virgin and extra virgin oils retain the most flavor, aroma, and chemical and therapeutic properties of the coconut and olive fruits (8, 9).

Refined oils

Refined coconut oil is made from the dried coconut also called copra by crushing and pressing the dried meat of the coconut to extract the oils (5, 10).

Manufacturers purify the copra by heating it to high temperatures and using additives.

Likewise, refined olive oil undergoes additional processing and exposure to high heat that reduces the natural flavors, aromas, and levels of health-promoting compounds in the final olive oil product (11).

As a result of this greater processing, refined oils are more tolerant to high temperatures and may be better choices for deep-frying (12).

Other types

Pure or regular coconut and olive oils are a combination of virgin and refined oils offering some benefits of virgin oils, such as flavor, aroma, and nutrients, along with the temperature-tolerant properties of the refined oils.

Pomace olive oil is another, albeit cheaper, type of olive oil made from the leftover pulp of the olive fruit after the virgin oils have been extracted (13).

Pomace olive oil has the lowest concentration of organic compounds of all olive oil products but continues to be investigated in scientific research for its potential health benefits (11, 13).

Various light, hydrogenated, fractionated, or organic edible coconut and olive oils are available for purchase and are often a blend of refined and virgin oils in various ratios.

Summary

Both coconut oil and olive oil are available in refined and unrefined forms or as a mix. Unrefined or virgin oils retain flavor, aroma, and beneficial nutrients, whereas refined oils undergo more processing and are more heat tolerant.

Here are the main health benefits of olive oil and coconut oil.

Olive oil

Olive oil is the main fat in the Mediterranean diet. Following this diet is associated with lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and some types of cancers (3, 4, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17).

Many of these benefits have been attributed to olive oil (1, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17).

Olive oil is predominantly made up of monounsaturated fatty acids. In fact, they make up 9899% of the oil. The remaining 12% is made up of compounds including vitamin E and health-promoting polyphenols (3, 14).

Research suggests that polyphenols may help slow the development of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering effects (14, 17, 18).

Oleic acid is the main monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil and is thought to be the main component that gives olive oil most of its health benefits (1, 14, 17).

Olive oil is effective at lowering levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. High LDL levels are a risk factor for heart disease (7).

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is generally classified as a saturated fat the type of fat known to increase the risk of heart disease but emerging research continues to redefine its role in the diet and highlight its varying health benefits (5, 6, 7, 10).

Over half of the fatty acids found in coconut oil are medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) a type of fat that is absorbed more efficiently in the body and reduces the metabolic load on the liver compared with other fats (6, 10, 19).

Lauric acid is the main MCT found in coconut oil. Studies have shown it has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and may have the potential to improve immune health and insulin resistance (6, 19, 20, 21, 22).

Research has demonstrated that consuming coconut oil effectively improves levels of HDL (good) cholesterol even more effectively than olive oil and it may also reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol (7, 23, 24, 25).

More studies in humans are needed to investigate the long-term health benefits of coconut oil.

Summary

Olive oil is an important part of the Mediterranean diet and is associated with a reduced risk of several diseases. Coconut oil offers emerging benefits, including the potential to improve immunity and insulin resistance.

Here are a few potential downsides of olive oil and coconut oil.

Olive oil

Many of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are believed to be the result of including olive oil.

However, many people in the scientific community warn against attributing health to any single food or nutrient, saying that the individual overall dietary pattern matters most (5, 7, 17).

Furthermore, the Mediterranean diet includes many foods rich in antioxidants and other nutrients, which may also contribute to good health (16).

Coconut oil

The research on the effects of coconut oil on peoples cholesterol levels is mixed.

Despite coconut oils potential to increase your HDL (good) cholesterol, research has also shown that coconut oil increases levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in some cases (23, 24, 25, 26).

Coconut oil also contains long-chain saturated fats, a type of fat that may contribute to an increase in LDL cholesterol (24).

On the other hand, other studies have shown coconut oil may have the ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, though these have mainly compared coconut oil with butter. Thus, there is conflicting evidence to date and more research is needed (7).

Research also suggests that the body may break down the MCTs in coconut oil in the same way as the saturated fats, simply because it is not a pure MCT oil, which is free of saturated fats (10, 24).

Until we know more about coconut oils health effects, its best to treat it like saturated fat and stick to the U.S. Department of Agricultures recommendation to limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your daily calories (27).

That is equivalent to 200 calories or less in a 2,000 calorie diet.

Summary

Its important to remember that olive oil is not the only ingredient in the Mediterranean diet that can support your health. Coconut oil may increase the LDL (bad) cholesterol, though study results are mixed, and more research is needed.

Another aspect to consider is how well each of these oils stands up to heat when you use it in cooking.

Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to break down and undergo chemical changes. As a general rule, oils with a higher smoke point of 392F (200C) or higher are better suited for deep-frying (5).

Olive oil has a high smoke point of 410F (210C). This means that it tolerates high-heat cooking well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated its safe for deep-frying, as well (28).

Coconut oils lower smoke point of 350F (177C) makes it more appropriate for lower-heat cooking, such as sauting and pan-frying (5).

In short, olive oil is better for the following reasons:

• Its highly researched with lots of supporting scientific evidence.
• It lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.
• As part of a balanced diet, like the Mediterranean diet, it also reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
• It has a higher smoke point than coconut oil, so you can use it for frying or even deep-frying.

While coconut oil does appear to offer some health benefits, more research is needed to determine its long-term health effects in people, particularly on the risk of heart disease.

Summary

Olive oil is a better choice for your health than coconut oil. Its health benefits are supported by more scientific evidence. It may lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, and it is better suited for deep-frying.

Olive oil and coconut oil both have potential health benefits, but olive oil is the clear winner if youre looking for cooking oil with research-backed health benefits.

Including olive oil in your diet may help you improve your blood cholesterol levels and heart health, and reduce your risk of several chronic diseases. Olive oil is also better suited to frying and deep-frying compared with coconut oil.

Choose extra virgin olive oil for the most health benefits.

On the other hand, coconut oil may still be worth including in your diet in moderation. It has emerging health benefits, including antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits, and it may have the potential to improve immune health and insulin resistance.

Future research on coconut oil will tell us more about its long-term health effects.