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Originally Posted by Potter  Be careful with using coconut oil or any kinds of oil...I know some people still use it with dogs even with certain conditions like pancreatitis but from my personal experience..my dog had a bout of pancreatitis and while I am no sure what causes it...vet said it might have been coconut oil. Watch your dog after having it to make sure he/she is okay with it. |
I'm sorry but your vet is wrong:
DogAware.com Articles: Pancreatitis in Dogs Medium-chain triglycerides
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are a form of fat that does not require pancreatic enzymes for digestion, so it is well tolerated by dogs with chronic pancreatitis, EPI, and other forms of fat malabsorption. MCTs can be used to increase calories, and to help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins for dogs who cannot tolerate other forms of fat in their diets. MCTs may help to reduce triglyceride levels in the blood and prevent pancreatitis that is caused by hyperlipidemia, though it does not lower cholesterol levels. MCTs are found in coconut oil, and small amounts are found in dairy fat. Purina Veterinary Diets EN Canine Formula, one of the prescription diets recommended for dogs recovering from pancreatitis, uses coconut oil to supply 22 to 34 percent of its fat. MCT oil is also available, but MCT oil is not very palatable, so you may find coconut oil easier to use.
Coconut oil is 63 percent medium-chain fatty acids (8 percent caprylic, 7 percent capric, and 48 percent lauric), and 36 percent longer-chain fatty acids (16 percent myristic, 9 percent palmitic, 2 percent stearic, 7 percent oleic, 2 percent linoleic), while MCT oil is made up solely of the shortest of the medium-chain fatty acids, caprylic and capric acids. If your dog has problems with coconut oil, MCT oil may still be an option.
When feeding coconut oil, it’s best to use virgin (unrefined) oil sold in glass jars. You can give as much as 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight daily, but start with much less and increase only gradually as you see your dog can tolerate it. (See “
Crazy About Coconut Oil,” October 2005, for more information.)