Is coconut oil ok for dogs teeth? If you are a dog owner who is concerned about your pup’s oral health, it is only natural that you would want to know if you could also use coconut oil for their teeth or not. Be sure to read on to know if brushing the teeth of your dog with oil from coconut is advisable.
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Why should you brush the teeth of your dog
Unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who overlook the dental health of their dogs. This is the reason why around 80% of canine’s today are suffering from a certain degree or form of a periodontal disease at two years old.
These gum and teeth issues can lead to infections that may cause more severe conditions and diseases. Failure to brush the teeth of your pup may result to any of the following:
- Blood infection or sepsis
- Heart disease
- Liver abscesses and infections
- Bone infections and osteomyelitis
- Poor eating habits
- Reduced appetite
Periodontal disease has been discovered to be very common in many smaller dog breeds including Chihuahuas, Schnauzers, Dachshunds, and Yorkies.
The moment periodontal disease worsens, the bacteria might end up entering swollen gums before passing through the bloodstream. It can then affect the kidney, heart, and the rest of the internal organs.
While periodontal disease can be very painful, the sad news is that it is not easy to know if your pet is in pain in the first place. The best way to prevent it from happening is to fight off this kind of dental problem in the first place.
Regular teeth brushing play an essential role to avoid such problems. You should start early on since periodontal disease may also occur in dogs early on.
It might also be difficult to train your adult dog and make him accept the idea of brushing his teeth. It is ideal that brushing is done once daily. But, you can try brushing the teeth of your fur baby at least once weekly to ward off dental diseases.
It is also important to ensure that regular brushing is combined with a professional form of dental cleaning once annually.
This process can be done with your pup under anesthesia to allow the vet to gain access to every part of your dog’s mouth. During this procedure, your dog will be put under sedation to ensure that he is not conscious and won’t feel afraid.
What is coconut oil
Coconut oil is a type of fatty oil. Now, you might be alarmed because it is important to stay away from fatty substances. However, it is important to know that there are two primary types of fats that enter the body and these are unsaturated and saturated fats.
Saturated fats are fats that offer the body with some beneficial properties and may also help your fur baby. In particular, coconut oil contains what is called MCTs or medium chain triglycerides that make it a truly amazing substance.
Medium chain triglycerides or MCTs are made up of palmitic, caprylic acid, myristic acid, lauric acid, and capric acid. There are two other ingredients present in coconut oil and these are 6% oleic acid or monounsaturated fatty acids and 2% linoleic acid or polyunsaturated fatty acids.
These acids are all associated with antifungal and antibacterial benefits that can help keep the teeth and mouth of your pup clean, fresh, and healthy.
Can you use coconut oil to brush the teeth of your dog
The good news is yes, you can use coconut oil for brushing the teeth of your dog. Coconut oil offers a lot of perks for their gums, teeth, and other body parts if swallowed when brushing is done.
Sadly, there is insufficient information on what makes it worse or better compared to toothpaste products made especially for puppy oral hygiene.
The coconut oil offers a long list of health benefits not only for humans but also for dogs. It is a superfood that is made almost of a good kind of fat, which is pure saturated fat.
The MCT or medium chain triglycerides found in the coconut oil helps the immune system, digestion, and other metabolic functions that promote coat and skin health, thyroid health, and weight loss.
There is also lauric acid content in MCT that has antiviral and antibacterial properties that makes it great for dog’s teeth. It contains caprylic and capric acid that have several properties. These two can both kill off the dangerous bacteria that can cause gum disease, bad breath, as well as tooth decay in dogs.
MCT contains palmitic and myristic acid as well. All of the components of coconut oil can be safely swallowed by dogs.
The truth is that these are actually healthy for them. Just make sure your pup doesn’t swallow over n one spoonful to ensure that he doesn’t suffer from diarrhea.
By using coconut oil for brushing the teeth of your dog, you are basically giving them the supplements that will aid in their coat and skin health, immune response, as well as digestion.
This is also a good alternative if your pet doesn’t really like how regular toothpaste for dogs tastes like or if you are not sure of those complex chemical ingredients included in toothpaste products for pets.
Aside from this, products with coconut oil are also accessible and affordable. This inexpensive remedy has many other uses aside from using to brush the teeth of your dog.
However, it is still recommended to use coconut oil and pet toothpaste alternately for brushing the teeth of your pet. This way, you can be sure that you will get all the advantages of these two for your pet’s oral health.
How do you use coconut oil to brush the teeth of your dog
It is easy to use coconut oil for brushing your pup’s teeth. You can just use this in solid form. You can also melt it then dip the toothbrush of your dog in it.
Use peppermint oil and coconut oil for fresh dog breath
There is one simple recipe you can try if you wish to keep the breath of your dog smelling fresh.
You can mix one tablespoon coconut oil, one tablespoon baking soda, pinch of salt, one tablespoon of water, mint leaves, and parsley sprigs until you form wet paste.
Make sure you don’t go more than these measurements because excessive baking soda is harmful for dogs. The same thing applies for parsley and peppermint.
Prepare toothpaste made from coconut oil if your dog hates brushing
Simply combine the following to prepare better tasting toothpaste for your pup:
- One tablespoon liquid
- One half cup melted form of coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 ½ tablespoon baking soda
Choose the broth flavor your dog likes so that brushing will be easier for your dog and for you as well.
Mix baking soda and coconut oil
You can prepare a paste as well by combining baking soda and coconut oil. See to it that you only add one tablespoon or even less amount of the baking soda because of the risk of toxicity of baking soda in canines. You can use this mixture to whiten the teeth of your pooch and get rid of stains with the help of its abrasive texture like that of grain.
