Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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One of my dogs could stand to lose about 5-10 lbs but he's already a light eater and he eats Taste of the Wild grain-free food so I'm pretty happy keeping him on it. I am trying to exercise him more but it's very hot out and he's not thrilled with running around more.

Has anyone had any luck giving MCT oil to their dogs? Have you seen any benefits by doing so? Harm?

I would think that he would eat less because the MCT oil will fill him up and give him lots of energy but I can't seem to find a lot of evidence online to support this.

Edited to add: I found this which seems to encourage supplementing it to dogs (?) The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil for Dogs

edited Jul 30 2011 at 14:18

asked Jul 30 2011 at 13:20

invisible ink
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PrairieProf · Answer 1 · 2011-07-30 14:10:36Z UTC

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I would be very wary of adding any significant amount of oil to a dog's food, lest you trigger pancreatitis which is life-threatening. I think MCT fat may be less likely to promote it than some, but you're playing Russian roulette in my opinion. My greyhound was having some minor problems and turned out to be just under the borderline for acute pancreatitis, and now has to follow a low-fat, moderate protein diet. She used to be on TOTW, and I think adding some salmon oil was the trigger. Seriously, this is nothing to play around with for a very dubious benefit. Overweight, middle-aged, not-too-active dogs are considered prime pancreatitis candidates too.

answered Jul 30 2011 at 14:10

PrairieProf
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Wow, thank you for this. I was not aware that pancreatitis was something that could be triggered by oil. I will definitely need to research more. I'm sorry to hear about your greyhound. I hope she's doing well now. – invisible ink Jul 30 2011 at 14:13

Thanks, she seems fine. Ironically she's on prescription food with grains ... and I have to say her digestion and coat are better than when she was on TOTW. Hard to wrap my mind around. – PrairieProf Jul 30 2011 at 14:14

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I agree and suggest Invisible Ink study her dog's genetic history. Breed specific health issues are great guidelines for what to feed and not feed. Having a Pit/American Bulldog mix (skin issues, grain sensitivity, conformation issues from bad breeding, from the Pit side, and gum overgrowth, heart problems, and predisposition for cancers from the Boxer lines of ABs) has made me very aware of how to feed based on my dog's biochemistry. He is on a No Grain, VLC diet as a Prey Model Raw dog and, at +12 y/o, is in such great health that his vet wants to subtract 6 years off his age. Silly DVM!! – Marie Jul 30 2011 at 16:10

I believe that, Marie. My dog's nine years look NOTHING like other dog's nine years. I didn't notice it a few years ago, but all of the sudden, WOW. Other 9 year old dog's look (and move) elderly. She just has a bit of grey and creaks a bit when jumping after a hard day. It's night and day. – syrahna Feb 26 2012 at 17:48

Olivia · Answer 2 · 2011-07-30 13:51:25Z UTC

He's a dog, you're feeding him, if you want him to lose weight or eat less than just give him a bit less food. Even if he's a light eater, if he has 10 pounds to lose (which, depending on the breed, is a lot for a dog) then he's probably still getting too much to eat. Especially if he isn't very active. We've had to cut down my dog's food considerably as she's gotten older in order to keep the weight off her, and we really thought that we were feeding her a reasonable amount before. But it was still too much food for a small, older dog.

I think the lack of energy is normal if it's hot; it's a response most animals have. My dog does the same thing in the summer and spring. I wouldn't think it's something you need to remedy by giving MCT oil.

To actually answer the question, I would nervous giving a dog straight oil because of the possibility of it causing diarrhea.

edrice · Answer 3 · 2011-07-30 14:27:47Z UTC

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Taste of the Wild has canola oil in it, so you might want to be very careful with that. It will do the same thing to dogs as it will to humans. Our dogs are grain and potato-free and vegetable oil-free. We give them Wysong Epigen (love the name) and Nutrisca.

Wysong (http://wysongepigen.net/) uses organ meats and no starch.

Nutrisca is grain and potato-free but does use chickpeas. At least it's low on the glycemic index. They've just come out with a wild-caught salmon recipe. http://nutrisca.dogswell.com/

answered Jul 30 2011 at 14:27

edrice

Thank you! I did not realize that TOTW contains canola. Ugh. It's so hard to find a very high quality food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I will definitely look into Epigen and Nutrisca. – invisible ink Jul 30 2011 at 14:36

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+1 for the canola oil comment. I once had a clerk at a natural pet food store tell me that canola oil in dog food is good because it's easier for dogs to digest than animal fat. I asked her in what warped, alternate universe that made sense. That said, for OP, I make my dogs' food and when it's not raw, I do occasionally add some coconut oil to the mix. It hasn't caused them any issues and one has a very sensitive digestive system, so anything even slightly 'off' will make her crazy sick. She's done well with it. YMMV. – A at Grain Free Diet Jul 30 2011 at 14:37

I just looked into the Nutrisca which I would absolutely love to switch to but $68 for 28 lbs of food is way out of my budget. I can't do Epigen because they've shown allergies to chicken protein so I would prefer to continue feeding them a less common protein source such as salmon. – invisible ink Jul 30 2011 at 14:54

You might shop the prices. I got our last 28-lb bag of lamb Nutrisca locally in Orange County, CA for $54.99. But eating healthy is not cheap. – edrice Jul 30 2011 at 15:14

Karen · Answer 4 · 2011-07-30 15:02:06Z UTC

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You should probably consult with a vet before feeding the MCT. What's good for humans isn't always good for dogs. A better option might be the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet http://www.ukrmb.co.uk/ It's paleo for dogs.

Edit: changed link to a better location for information and changed the meaning of initials to avoid referring to commercial brand.

edited Jul 30 2011 at 15:02

answered Jul 30 2011 at 13:48

Karen
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Thanks, I have a BARF book but I haven't yet taken the steps to follow through with this. I can't afford to buy the dogs grass-fed meat and I'd prefer not to feed them CAFO meat so that's why they're on Taste of the Wild "Pacific Stream" which has salmon as the protein source. – invisible ink Jul 30 2011 at 14:08

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I used to feed TOTW as I said above, also Pacific Stream ... not to thread-jack, but what I find ironic about most of the foods marketed as high-end, healthy, grain-free etc. is that like 95% use canola oil as their main fat source. Because we know that's healthier than that nasty saturated fat, right? ;) The supposedly nasty prescription food my dog is on has pork fat as its main fat source, and I feel much better about that. Organix is one of the only high-end brands I've researched so far that uses animal fat. Oddly I rarely hear other paleo types commenting on this. – PrairieProf Jul 30 2011 at 14:23

I've changed the link above to a much better one on raw feeding. I was not aware that the name now seems to belong to a commercial brand. – Karen Jul 30 2011 at 14:56

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Invisible ink, IMO CAFO meat is probably better than anything with canola or grains. You might talk to grass fed meat farmers near you to find out about buying scraps also to keep down costs. – Karen Jul 30 2011 at 15:00

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Invisible ink, if you plan to go raw, just go straight to the Prey Model Raw. It is easier and with Green Tripe, organs, occasional yams, and Salmon oil, your dog will have a balanced diet. Veggies and fruits are fun treats, but little is digested unless the cellular cellulose walls are broken by heat. I've been a raw feeder for ~10 years and LOVE what it has done for my dog's (and the rescue visitors) health. It is also CHEAPER than feeding kibble, if you partner with hunters and butchers. – Marie Jul 30 2011 at 15:54

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Marie · Answer 5 · 2011-07-30 14:29:42Z UTC

Smaller portions are the way to go, esp with a good dog food like TOTW. If you feel like you aren't giving him enough food, make frozen treats out of bone broth to fill the bowl. Or buy a smaller bowl, like we did. Our 65lb Bulldog/Pit mix eats two meals a day out of a cat sized bowl.

However, if you do want to supplement, Coconut Oil is a great for dogs and is used by many who show their dogs to bring a little extra shine to their coat. A TBS per day is enough for a 65lb dog, though, so some people mix other supplements into the Coconut oil and freeze them in to treats.

Christo · Answer 6 · 2011-07-30 14:51:59Z UTC

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raw meat...I like Grassland Beef pet food / thread

answered Jul 30 2011 at 14:51

Christo
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Chelsea · Answer 7 · 2013-02-20 17:58:40Z UTC

I know this was posted some time ago, but be wary of TOTW. Factory farmed fish and is made at Diamond (the poster child for pet food recalls). TOTW just had another recall a few months ago. If you are still searching for a good grain free food (which wysong isn't either) then check out nutrisource. They have wonderful safety standards and are able to keep their prices low. It's been a wonderful food for transitioning dogs off TOTW.

Giving MCT oil to a chubby dog?

7 Answers