Because
of the lauric acid it contains, coconut oil is said to have
a deterrent effect on ticks, which has also been proven in
some studies. Possibly an alternative ??? .... We just had
to test it. So…..
- we bought organic coconut oil (with the highest possible
lauric acid content)
- and before the morning walk: coconut oil warmed in the hands
and spread in the fur of the girls. It was recommended to
massage it daily into the fur for 1 week, then 1-2 times a
week.
At least, .... the girlies smelled like "coconut flakes"!
After the walk,
we found fewer ticks in the fur already on the first day,
of course this also could be a coincidence… .or because
of the weather.
So we kept the morning ritual as recommended.
Our summary:
The ticks actually
became fewer - BUT:
- our girlies' silky hair - especially after swimming - and
the "self-cleaning effect" suffered.
another problem was:
- the girls ingested this fat in a relatively large amount
every day when cleaning their fur, which cannot be digestible
in the long run. Coconut oil itself has very healthy ingredients
and is well digigestable for the dog, but here too - as with
all feed additives- the following applies: "The amount is
important!"
Well, also natural
products don't work without side effects - too bad!
Now
we massage the coconut oil to the fur only in very small amounts
from time to time ... at the most vulnerable points. In dry
weather we do without certain routes....and comb out the fur
with an extra fine comb after the walk.
So our "Clumber
coconut flakes" have gotten through quite well so far and
we could refrain from chemicals this year until now ....and
by the way we use the good properties of coconut oil. It has
an antibacterial effect, fights fungi and viruses, has a preventive
effect against worms and strengthens the immune system. The
fatty acids contained also act against microorganisms that
can promote joint diseases.