We're Cuckoo for Coconut Oil

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We mentioned a few weeks ago, that we going to changing from our usual fish oil supplement to a coconut oil.

The main reason is that Mama the blow fish was having an allergic crisis that made anything from the sea public enemy #1 at our house. Plus, coconut oil is said to have some pretty great health benefits, so we wanted to give it a try.

The nice folks at Tropical Traditions were kind enough to send us a jar of their Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil for Pets to try it out.

Special Price! 32-oz Organic Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil for Pets

There are a lot of things to like about this product. The first is that the Tropical Traditions Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil for Pets is USDA-Certified Organic. When it comes to coconut oil, organic is important! Many coconut oils on the market are extracted using chemicals that scare that pants off Mama. Choosing a product that is organic means you can avoid putting chemicals into your body which can tax your immune system. This expeller-pressed oil is made using some cool old-school technology where they literally squish the oil out of the coconut meat, then it is steam deodorized to give it a bland flavour & smell. The Tropical Traditions Expeller Pressed Oil for Pets is a little different than their regular Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil in that it is not fully deodourized and it has a bit of a smokey flavour.

The dogs at Casa de Kolchak love eating it!

I’m not going to lie, the Felix and I were hesitant to try it. I mean, it just didn’t smell like our fishy oil did. Once the Mama coaxed us into trying it though? We were hooked! We gather ’round the Mama’s feet, competing to see who will get their coconut oil first. The other day, she was cooking with it and we were right mad that she wasn’t giving us any. Um…Mama? That’s *our* treat. Quit wasting it in human food!

Three Weeks In: What’s Changed?

We wanted to wait until we had been taking the Tropical Traditions Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil for a few weeks before we wrote our review, so that we would be able to see if there were any changes to our skin or coat, as compared to the fish oils. Well, like everything products affect different dogs in different ways. What works for one dog, may not work for another, so we’re breaking our thoughts down into two categories.

the Kolchak Puggle Report:

At the start of the trial, I already had a very nice soft, shiny coat and good skin. We haven’t really noticed any changes to this at all. I’m still soft. I’m still shiny. I still shed a whole bunch. What we have noticed is that my breath is a hole lot better. Not just because I don’t smell fishy right after I take the oil, but because it seems to be generally fresher all day long. I have also been less gassy the last few weeks. I don’t fart often, but when I do, WOOF! Do I make it count. Since we started taking coconut oil, I have only made the Mama gag once. She says that’s a improvement. We have no idea if this is related to the coconut oil or not, but the Mama also says I smell less “doggy”, whatever that means? Isn’t Eau de Wet Dog a best selling ladies perfume? No?

the Felix Conundrum:

Felix really loves taking his coconut oil, but right off, we noticed that he wasn’t doing as well as Kolchak on it. We noticed that his itchy came back a bit. Not as bad as they were, but still, he was scratching at his ears, paws and other sensitive spots. More concerning than the itchies, the Felix would have a coughing fit after every dose. We asked the folks at Tropical Traditions if they had any idea why this might be happening and they were stumped, suggesting that maybe he didn’t like the flavour. Since he practically inhales the spoon trying to get at the oil, I was pretty sure this wasn’t the case. I turned to my friend of infinite wisdom: Google. Turns out, a feeling of “scratchy” throat is a pretty common effect of coconut oil. Many people said that this scratchiness improved when they switch to a higher quality oil. Mama was off to the health food store! This time she chose an organic Virgin Coconut Oil that has been wet milled. The Felix has been taking it for a few days and so far, no coughing.

What’s the difference?

Unlike expeller pressed coconut oils, with wet milled products, the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without drying first. “Coconut milk” is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and mechanical centrifuge. According to a study published in the International Journal of Food Science Nutrition, the wet milling then fermentation method produced the highest level of antioxidants. This oil is also less processed than the expeller-pressed oil and it retains it’s yummy coconutty smell and taste.

Knowing all this and how the Felix reacts, I think next time we would order the Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.

Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label – 1 pint

It’s not that much more expensive and we know that for the Felix, he does better on the Virgin Oil. Plus, since we’re using it as a health supplement, I prefer to offer the healthiest version of the product that I can. That being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the Tropical Traditions Expeller anytime that I don’t want that sweet coconut flavour, like in cooking or as a body lotion or hair oil.

All in all, we really like Tropical Traditions.

We appreciate their commitment to organic products and natural processes. Their website is extremely informative and the have some other really cool products that we wouldn’t hesitate to try. While we will probably order the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil next time, if your dog wasn’t ~~spoiled rotten~~ prone to the coughing or had mild skin issues, this would probably be a good product to use for flaky skin etc. We’re still keeping our jar around to rub on dry noses & paws and to use on cuts & scrapes.

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We’ve got out eye on some organic coconut flour for baking next! Want to help us get some? For any new customer referral, we earn more great coconut stuff! Click on any of the product links to help us out. We’re thanking you in advance ;0)

Disclosure: Tropical Traditions provided us with 1 jar of their Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil for Pets to try, though we were under no obligation to blog about it. We will also earn $25 in products for every new customer referred to their site, when they make their first purchase. All the being said, we here at Kol’s Notes pride ourselves on sharing only our 100% honest opinions. All opinions expressed are our own.

All posts are the property of Kolchak’s Kitchen and Kolchak Puggle/Jodi Chick. Please ask before reposting content. All reposts must link back to our site. Thank you!

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