Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a plant fat sometimes added to dog and cat foods and supplements, often with strong marketing claims, and it is rich in saturated fatty acids, in particular medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. These MCTs are a rapidly available energy source, metabolised differently from long-chain fats, and that single point feeds a large number of claims. A clarification is needed: the health benefits widely attributed to coconut oil in dogs and cats, such as effects on skin, weight or brain function, do not rest on a solid level of evidence (veterinary literature). The distinction between marketing and proof is marked here. Coconut oil is above all a very energy-dense fat, which calls for caution on calorie intake, especially in an animal already prone to [overweight](/glossary/overweight) or [obesity](/glossary/obesity). An excess of fat can also favour digestive upset and, in some cases, contribute to a [pancreatitis](/glossary/pancreatitis) risk in sensitive animals, and notably coconut oil supplies no omega-3. The marker: coconut oil is an energy-dense fat surrounded by poorly supported claims, to be used in moderation and not presented as a demonstrated health ingredient. For genuine omega-3 benefit, marine sources such as [salmon and salmon oil](/glossary/salmon-salmon-oil) are far more reliable, as the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary) notes throughout.

Petipedia · Editorial team

General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.