Top 7 Oils for Dogs and Their Benefits 

Last Updated on November 6, 2021 by Dogs Vets

Top 7 Oils for Dogs and Their Benefits 

Welcome to the exciting world of therapeutic oils. With their ability to help with everything from anxiety to improving the skin & coat to treating rare forms of seizures where everything else fails, oils can seemingly offer every dog owner something beneficial. 

1. Chamomile Oil

To start our list, let’s kick it off with one of the most well-known therapeutic oils throughout the ages.

Making its way as the main ingredient in teas, soaps, and cosmetics, chamomile is noted for its anti-inflammatory properties that heal and protect the skin, along with its ability to soothe cramps and muscle aches.

Chamomile even sometimes makes its way into beer to give it a bitter flavor. 

Now, there is one caveat with chamomile; not all the benefits come collectively from one plant. There is German chamomile with its anti-inflammatory benefits, then there is Roman chamomile that can help calm the mind and relax the muscles. 

2. CBD Oil

Derived from hemp plants that lack the main chemical that gives its cousin marijuana the ability to cause a high, CBD oil has taken the health world by storm. 

With its ability to work with a crucial regulatory system that’s too often forgotten, the rich concoction of molecules in hemp CBD show major evidence they can lower pain, anxiety, inflammation, and seizure rates. As well, CBD is more often being used in cancer treatments to help mitigate the side effects from both the cancer and the conventional cancer treatments used. 

In the United States, hemp CBD is legal on a federal level, allowing for any of the states and colonies to legalize it themselves, which the great majority have.  

3. Hemp Seed Oil 

Sometimes confused with CBD oil, though sometimes done as a marketing trick to raise the price, hemp seed oil is a therapeutic oil in its own right.

Taken from the seeds, where CBD is taken from the resin that forms on the leaves and flowers, hemp seeds are loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 

While hemp seed oil doesn’t have the therapeutic potency of CBD, you don’t want to discount it. Especially because both oils can often be found together.

CBD oil is often blended with a carrier oil that is high in fat because it greatly improves absorption in the body.

The fats in hemp seed oil can do just that, and some prefer a hemp seed carrier oil over a coconut oil one. This is because hemp seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fats vs. saturated fats. Unsaturated fats have significantly more research backing their safe consumption vs. saturated fats, especially, when frequently consumed. 

4. Castor Oil

Before we start, while castor oil has notable benefits, you should only apply it externally and never let your dog consume it. When applied topically, castor oil may help improve your dog’s skin and coat. 

Castor oil is rarely appropriate to consume because it’s an incredibly powerful laxative, with some people purposely using the oil for constipation.

However, involuntary taking castor oil to promote its laxative effects appears more popular. With everyone from parents punishing their kids to fascist Italy soldiers under Mussolini using it to humiliate and even kill their opponents (dehydration through diarrhea). 

If you’re interested in learning more about castor oil, we have a great Petblogish article!

5. Coconut Oil

Some research indicates coconut oil can help support the immune system and even help protect cognition. 

Then coconut oil may help with weight loss. However, its fatty nature is a double-edged sword. While fat can majorly help satiate appetite, coconut oil is loaded with calories that can easily put you over your daily energy expenditure.

One tip for avoiding those extra calories is using coconut oil topically where it can help moisturize and protect the skin. 

6. Aloe Vera Oil

Similar to coconut oil, aloe vera has skin and hair (coat) benefits, but it’s able to take it one step further. With a jelly-like texture that’s cool to the touch, aloe vera is one of the rare holistic aids that transcend into the conventional medicine world. Able to help heal wounds, burns, rashes, dry skin, psoriasis, and more, aloe vera is an essential oil to have in your dog’s first aid kit.

If your dog is having trouble with their paws cracking or drying out, rubbing aloe vera on their pads might just be the thing they need. 

7. Fish Oil

If there is one supplement that has essentially everyone in agreement that it’s beneficial for most people and dogs to supplement, it’s fish oil. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

These are precursors of certain eicosanoids that are proven to reduce inflammation in the body.