Can Dogs Have Coconut? Is It Good Or Bad?

When it comes to giving your canine a coconut, the idea that directly comes to mind for most pet owners is their dogs playing around with the coconut itself as if it were some toy of theirs.

But, when it comes to actually eating the coconut meat, this is where the question of whether dogs can eat coconuts or not comes into play.

So Is Coconut Good For Dogs?

The short answer to this is YES, your animals can eat coconuts safely without being subject to any kind of harm.

Coconuts per se are not toxic to your dog, but it must be said that coconut flakes contain medium chain triglycerides that can lead to your dog having digestion problems, stomach ache and bloating, so it’s really a matter of giving them to your pet in moderation and observing how they react to them.

Benefits Of Coconut For Dogs

– Fight viruses.

– Keep harmful bacteria away.

– Protect from infections.

– Boost immune systems.

– Form red blood cells in the body.

– Improve coat and skin conditions.

– Keep coat smooth and glossy.

– Fight off annoying issues such as flea allergies and itchy skin.

– Improve odor.

– Reduce bad breath.

– Regulate and balance insulin and thyroid levels.

– Aid in healing arthritis or ligament problems.

– Aid in healing cuts, wounds, bites from insects and stings when applied to them.

How Much Coconut Should I Give My Dog?

How much coconut is bad for dogs? You don’t want to over-do it here, especially due to the fact that coconuts are rich in fat, and you don’t want to negatively affect your dog’s health markers or lead them to obesity.

Always note that, as with any other food you newly introduce to your canine’s diet, you should always monitor how your dog reacts to it. So, to ensure no serious negative side effects occur (such as diarrhea), introduce coconuts to their diets at a very gradual pace at first.

Now, how exactly do you incorporate coconuts into your dog’s overall diet? Coconut for your pet is available in many different forms, including fresh solid, dried solid, water, oil, milk, and flour. You can add any of fresh, dried, and liquid coconut forms directly into their food, that’s the preferred method for most animal owners out there who feed their dogs coconut.

Can Dogs Drink Coconut Water?

Coconut water is known for its various nutritious and health benefiting characteristics, containing loads of vitamins, minerals (calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc), electrolytes and enzymes. So obviously, YES, your dog can drink coconut water, and it’s a very good thing if they do.

One thing you can do with coconut water is use it as a treat/reward when you’re training your pet. Apart from being super tasty and refreshing, it’s known for boosting your dog’s energy, which is perfect if your pup is starting to slack off after some time training. During a hot summery day, coconut water can be one of the best treats/rewards for your dog, ever!

Check out this video to learn more about the health benefits of coconut water for both you and your pup!

A Note About Coconut Shells

Never give your furry friend a coconut with its shell on to eat, because this will almost certainly always lead to obstruction in their digestive system.

You will come across some articles saying that giving your dogs coconut shells to chew on will improve some of their chewing habits, but that’s just a risky game. How can you make sure your pet stops at just chewing the shell and doesn’t actually swallow any of it? Also, how can you be sure the coconut shell (being as hard as it is) won’t damage your dog’s teeth? So, better safe than sorry, keep your canine away from coconut shells.

Playing with coconut shells is fine, as long as it’s done under your (or someone else’s) supervision and your dog doesn’t chew the coconut shell.