The Amazing Uses for Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is so versatile and easy to use. This amazing oil is great as an add-on to dog/cat food but also as a topical treatment.

I like to add one tablespoon to my dogs food and a teaspoon to my cats food. They love the taste. Generally the serving is one tablespoon for every 30 lbs. It is best to buy virgin, unrefined coconut oil. It is sold where all the cooking oils are sold in the grocery store.

Here are some of the many benefits of coconut oil:

* Excellent source of Lauric acid and fatty acids (MCFA's)

* Improves digestion

* Can be used to disinfect cuts, rashes, scrapes, and wounds

* Helps to destroy bad bacteria and fungi which can lead to yeast and fungal infections,   including giardia

* Helps to keep thyroid function normal and well as keep your metabolism rate balanced

* Great for skin and coat, deodorizes coat, and helps with bad breath.

* Excellent source of highly digestible nutrients.

Give it a try. Start out slow. Let your pet get used to it.

How To Make Your Pet Food Healthier

It is very simple to make your pet food even healthier with just a few items you may already have in your pantry or fridge. Several items that I like to add to my dogs food are:

* Flaxseed oil

* Plain whole fat yogurt 

* Coconut oil

* Pumpkin

* Green beans ( not canned, frozen is best)

* Chia , hemp, or flaxseeds (ground is best)

* Egg shells (ground up)

If you can, try to use organic ingredients. You don't need to add a lot, just a tablespoon. You can mix and match from the above ingredients as well. You simply mix in with either your dry or wet food. 

Cats do well with flaxseed oil and coconut oil. I don't recommend yogurt for cats. They also like pumpkin. 

Always make sure your pet has access to clean, fresh water, and plenty of it. Water is great for pets. I use filtered water from my filter pitcher. 

Happy New Year Animal Lovers

Do you have questions about dog and cat nutrition or health concerns? I may be able to help. I have worked as a vet tech, owned a pet supplies store, studied pet nutrition for many years, and I rescue cats and dogs. Last but not least I  own a pet care business, which I started 14 years ago. I am the proud mommy of 11 fur babies, 7 cats and 4 dogs. Their health and well being is always on my mind. 

Good pet nutrition is mostly common sense and label reading. Commercial dog and cat food is highly processed. The idea is to find a food that has the most natural, healthy, and least processed ingredients. You want to find something you can afford, your pet likes, and thrives on. Sounds easy, right? It can be. It can also very frustrating. There are many myths about pet food and lots of misinformation. 

Here's where the common sense comes in. You want to feed the most natural diet you can. Why would anyone want to feed their pet chemicals, by-products, and artificial ingredients? There are several reasons: the cost is low, convenience, dog/cat loves it, afraid of change. The cost is low because the ingredients are low grade. They love it because there is added salt and sugars. Change is good. You would not want to eat the same cereal as your only food source everyday. That is what dry dog food is, animal cereal. The nutrition comes from additives, mostly unnatural.

In this blog I will share with you tips on picking the right food, insights into the ingredient panel, recipes for home cooking, good brands versus bad brands, and much more. 

Lets make 2015 the year for our animal companions health.

Woof Woof and Meow, 

Hilly Ann