# Organic coconut oil?



## erikablanchettexo

Do any of you use this for your rats? How much do you give?


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## Emilie

I do! I give mine about 1/6th of a teaspoon.


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## erikablanchettexo

Emilie said:


> I do! I give mine about 1/6th of a teaspoon.


Thanks! Do you notice a difference in their health because of the coconut oil? Like their fur etc? I just started giving my girls some yesterday. 
Also, do you give it once a day or more than that?


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## Finnebon

I give to mine too! I break off a chunk that's about a pea size, or lima bean size, anywhere in that range. I give it mostly to my rats that tend to be a little more sickly. Also whenever my hairless girl gets a bath, I'll use a little coconut oil as a moisturizer for her skin afterwards and rub it all over. She licks it off which is good for her, and keeps her skin from getting dry from the rat shampoo. It's also good to put on tails if your rats have dry scaly tails.

There's lots of health benefits to coconut oil! I should really do more reasearch on it so i coudl remember for certain what the benefits are. I just remember that it's good. I think over time, their fur definitely becomes a little softer. I usually give it maybe 2-3 times per week, not everyday. I worry that it may upset their tummies to have too much oil.


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## erikablanchettexo

Finnebon said:


> I give to mine too! I break off a chunk that's about a pea size, or lima bean size, anywhere in that range. I give it mostly to my rats that tend to be a little more sickly. Also whenever my hairless girl gets a bath, I'll use a little coconut oil as a moisturizer for her skin afterwards and rub it all over. She licks it off which is good for her, and keeps her skin from getting dry from the rat shampoo. It's also good to put on tails if your rats have dry scaly tails.
> 
> There's lots of health benefits to coconut oil! I should really do more reasearch on it so i coudl remember for certain what the benefits are. I just remember that it's good. I think over time, their fur definitely becomes a little softer. I usually give it maybe 2-3 times per week, not everyday. I worry that it may upset their tummies to have too much oil.


Cool! I'm glad others can give input on it also. I'm a first time rat mommy so I'm not 100% sure on the right things to do. 

Thanks for your reply!


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## littl3red

I rub it on my hairless girl's skin about once a week or more if she's looking dry (I think it's easier to rub on than olive oil) but I haven't really thought about feeding it to them.


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## spysquid

I've been giving my four rats about 1/8-1/4tsp a day for the last week and I've noticed their hair is softer and healthier-looking. One of my boys had scabs all over his shoulders from little nips (spats with new residents) and they seemed to start healing faster. Helps they lick themselves after eating. It's antiviral, antibacterial, anti fungal, great for them in general! After doing some research the only bad thing (I found) that can happen is they can get diarrhea if you give them too much. My rats have had fine poops, lol.


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## spysquid

Here's a great link on the details of the benefits to coconut oil for your pets. We started giving it to our dog the same time, he was having really itchy skin and red spots from scratching, 5-6 days with coconut oil they're gone! 
We started giving it to our cat recently because he has tummy issues and it can help digestive troubles, too.
Check it oot:
wellnessmama.com/13700/benefits-coconut-oil-pets/


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## erikablanchettexo

spysquid said:


> Here's a great link on the details of the benefits to coconut oil for your pets. We started giving it to our dog the same time, he was having really itchy skin and red spots from scratching, 5-6 days with coconut oil they're gone!
> We started giving it to our cat recently because he has tummy issues and it can help digestive troubles, too.
> Check it oot:
> wellnessmama.com/13700/benefits-coconut-oil-pets/


Thanks! That website is super helpful! 

I'm wondering if it would nip any illnesses in the butt before they show in my rats?


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## spysquid

I think it might  From what little I could find online about rats+coconut oil it is certainly helpful against infection. 
I give my rats a booster called HealX booster and their main ingredient comes from coconuts. I read it can in some cases be more effective than antibiotics.


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## erikablanchettexo

spysquid said:


> I think it might  From what little I could find online about rats+coconut oil it is certainly helpful against infection.
> I give my rats a booster called HealX booster and their main ingredient comes from coconuts. I read it can in some cases be more effective than antibiotics.


Hopefully . My new baby girl has sneezes. I'm giving her a few drops of oregano oil every morning and getting a spoonful of coconut oil and letting my girls lick it off a spoon each night


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## Finnebon

I hope you can find a good quality one too. I first got coconut oil I got was organic (but not raw) cold pressed. It came in a glass jar about the same size as a pasta sauce jar, and it was from one of those fancy sort of food stores like Whole Foods or Nuggets I think. I think standard grocery stores carry it too but I don't know how much it is there. It smells like nothing at all, has no flavor and you can't tell it's made from coconuts which is great. The rats liked it and acted like it was a treat. I ran out of that, (it's great for cooking your own food in too!) and bought a new one online of a new brand that had good reviews and i'm super disappointed.. It's smells incredibly coconutty, and tastes coconutty. I can't even use it to cook my food without my food tasting like coconut, and the rats don't even like it. *sigh* I guess I can still use it for my hair?? Tried it on my skin, but it didn't absorb in at all and left me feeling really itchy. It was a waste of money. The other brand was SO much better. If you find a good coconut oil it shouldn't have any smell or flavor! Just thought I should mention that.


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## erikablanchettexo

Finnebon said:


> I hope you can find a good quality one too. I first got coconut oil I got was organic (but not raw) cold pressed. It came in a glass jar about the same size as a pasta sauce jar, and it was from one of those fancy sort of food stores like Whole Foods or Nuggets I think. I think standard grocery stores carry it too but I don't know how much it is there. It smells like nothing at all, has no flavor and you can't tell it's made from coconuts which is great. The rats liked it and acted like it was a treat. I ran out of that, (it's great for cooking your own food in too!) and bought a new one online of a new brand that had good reviews and i'm super disappointed.. It's smells incredibly coconutty, and tastes coconutty. I can't even use it to cook my food without my food tasting like coconut, and the rats don't even like it. *sigh* I guess I can still use it for my hair?? Tried it on my skin, but it didn't absorb in at all and left me feeling really itchy. It was a waste of money. The other brand was SO much better. If you find a good coconut oil it shouldn't have any smell or flavor! Just thought I should mention that.


Thanks for your reply! I actually work at costco and they have this huge plastic container of it for 20$. They seem to like it! I let it melt in my fingers a bit and they go nuts over licking it off haha.


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## spysquid

If it doesn't smell or taste like coconuts it's refined. That means you won't get all the benefits because it's probably been bleached and deodorized. 
Use refined coconut oil for cooking (I use it for baking a lot and high-temp frying). Use unrefined, (pure/virgin) cold-pressed for skin & full health benefits. The refined is still good for you, but you're not getting *as much* out of it, you also have to make sure they refine it in a good way, some brands are better than others.

I use it in lotions I make and as a health supplement so I want as much of the nutrients as possible & I just find it easier to trust the kind that hasn't been messed with, just raw/pure/virgin coconut oil ^_^ I buy it at the grocery store. Here's a link I found about refined coconut oil:
thelovevitamin.com/6912/refined-coconut-oil/


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## spysquid

@Finnebon -I hope I didn't seem rude or like "oh no not that kind". I re-read what I wrote and it sounds a little snotty  Didn't mean to sound like I disagreed with what you said though! I just have used virgin for a long time and am kinda suspicious of refined oils because I don't really trust the food industry, lol.
It sounds like you got the really good type of refined though since it was cold pressed (plus from a natural/health food store). Anyway just wanted to add that so you didn't think I was a snotty hippie or something lol. I don't like the taste of coconut oil either


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## Finnebon

spysquid said:


> @Finnebon -I hope I didn't seem rude or like "oh no not that kind". I re-read what I wrote and it sounds a little snotty  Didn't mean to sound like I disagreed with what you said though! I just have used virgin for a long time and am kinda suspicious of refined oils because I don't really trust the food industry, lol.
> It sounds like you got the really good type of refined though since it was cold pressed (plus from a natural/health food store). Anyway just wanted to add that so you didn't think I was a snotty hippie or something lol. I don't like the taste of coconut oil either


Oh don't worry!  I'm glad to know that I'm wrong so I won't tell other people wrong info! I love the smell of the new oil I have, and i love coconut flavor, but when I'm frying something, I usually don't care for the coconutty aftertaste unless I'm making a Thai dish where coconut tastes really great with it.

Hm, so you think the new oil I have is actually better then?


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## spysquid

Well not the one you said you put on and made your skin itch or didn't absorb right- that sounds odd.. also if your rats didn't like it I would be suspicious, lol. My rats (and dog) freak out about and love the taste and smell of the unrefined, and if yours liked the first one I would trust that 

I was just agreeing that you should defiantly be weary of certain brands and how they handle and process their oils. Organic cold-pressed is good to look out for, I would stick with the first brand you found if you prefer to have the tasteless on hand for general cooking. From what I could find, Tropical Traditions is a great one, it mentions it in that article I posted, but I found it in this one too that reviews a bunch of different kinds: 
www.evolvingwellness.com/essay/how-to-choose-a-coconut-oil-comparing-best-and-worst-brands


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