Is olive oil good for dogs? You already know that it has some amazing benefits for humans, but what about our canine counterparts? Turns out that many of the same reasons why you should add olive oil to your own diet also go for your dog, too! Read on to find out what they are!
Before we talk benefits, though, let’s very quickly go over a few important things to consider.
- While olive oil is a great addition to your dog’s diet, it should never replace proper nutrition.
- Stick to small amounts. You can’t just start dumping EVOO on your dog’s food. As they say, “everything in moderation.” Too much can cause diarrhea.
- Olive oil is not high in Omega fatty acids. It does contain 3,6, and 9, but it wouldn’t really be accurate to say that it’s a good source of them. In other words, if your vet suggests giving your dogs more fatty acids, olive oil alone isn’t enough.
- While olive oil is generally safe for dogs, as Chewy explains, it can be irritating to a dog with a sensitive stomach.
- Nothing in this post is meant to be taken as veterinary advice, nor does it replace your vet’s recommendations.
Benefits of Olive Oil for Dogs
Olive oil has both internal and external benefits for dogs. Let’s take a look at the top five!
1. Good for your dog’s skin and fur
Just like olive oil helps keep your own hair looking shiny and healthy, it can also be amazing for dogs with dry skin and dull-looking fur. Although you can use it topically for really dry patches, it works best when added to your dog’s diet.
Just remember to talk to your vet first if your typically shiny & smooth dog suddenly goes dry and dull, as it may indicate a deeper underlying cause. For those of us with dogs who get dry, itchy skin due to seasonal allergies, though, olive oil can help soothe and restore shine from the inside out.
2. Olive oil is good for your dog’s brain
We already know that the oil may help prevent Alzheimer’s in humans, but did you know that it can also keep your dog’s brain in top shape? It may even stave off dementia in senior dogs!
Basically, the compounds in the oil help prevent certain plaques from forming in your brain. Olive oil is also loaded with antioxidant that help cut down on free radicals. While all breeds can benefit from olive oil as a brain food, it’s especially beneficial to those of us with highly intelligent breeds.
3. Gives your dog’s immune system a bit of a boost
Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E, polyphenols and other nutrients that can help give your dog’s immune system a boost and make them better equipped to ward off certain illnesses. Just remember, giving your dog olive oil isn’t an alternative to getting the vaccinated. Think of it along the lines of how we use vitamin C to boost our immune system during cold season.
4.Olive oil is good for picky dogs!
Freya will not eat her kibble unless we put something on it. She just plain doesn’t like dry kibble. Olive oil adds a little flavor and entices her to eat. Since a little goes a long way, it’s a lot healthier than stirring sour cream or yogurt into her food.
5. It’s good for their overall health & wellness
Along with the more specific reasons above, olive oil is good for your dog’s overall wellness. The monounsaturated fats found in EVOO can help you manage your dog’s weight and support his circulatory and respiratory system (especially for dogs with short snouts, like bulldogs). It may even help prevent diabetes in dogs!
Just remember, moderation is key! Too much olive oil can cause gastrointestinal distress (in other words, puking and the runs). Petguide suggests adding one teaspoon for every 20 pounds, so a 50 lb dog would get about 2.5 teaspoons.
If you’re looking for a simple and delicious way to add more EVOO to Fido’s diet, try OlviPet’s dog treats! OlviPet sent Freya a few bags of their treats to try out and she is absolutely loving them!
OlviPet Olive Oil Dog Treats Review
Adding high-quality EVOO to your dog’s diet is super simple with OlviPet dog treats! Freya tried out all three of their treats and absolutely loved them. She even loved the Crunchy variety, which is somewhat surprising because she’s picky about hard treats.
Before we get into the details, I just want to go over one thing with you real quick. If you look at the back of your OlviPet treats bag, you may notice that they’re produced in Germany or the Netherlands. The company itself is actually based in California and Denver (they’re part of the Worldwise family). Also, if you’re worried about buying dog treats produced outside the US, let me quickly clear things up for you: Europe as a whole has stricter guidelines regarding pet food than the US.
The company itself is committed to only using the best natural ingredients as well. I wouldn’t feed them to my dog let alone recommend them to you if I didn’t trust the source. 😀 Now that we cleared that up, let’s talk about what makes OlviPet so awesome.
OlviPet olive oil dog treats are made with 100% natural ingredients, including cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil. Why cold-pressed? Well, as you know, when you heat something up you alter or destroy certain beneficial compounds. Cold-pressing the olives helps maintain those compounds.
Right now, you can find three different varieties of OlviPet in the US: Crunchy Dog Treats, DentaBars, and Soft Dog Treats.
Each product is made with high-quality ingredients like Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and extra-virgin olive oil sourced from Greece. While they do contain grains, it’s in the form of whole wheat. Given the recent news about grain-free diets causing heart problems in dogs, I don’t have an issue with a few high-quality grains in Freya’s treats.
The ingredient list itself is a lot shorter (and easier to understand) than similar treats by well-known US brands. I actually counted the ingredients in the other treats that we give Freya and OlviPet has about half as many.
Also, poultry meal is the first ingredient in both the chewy and crunchy treats. A lot of people freak out when they see the word “meal,” but it doesn’t mean what you think it means. Well, unless you think it means, “an ingredient which has been ground or otherwise reduced in particle size.” Meal typically contains only the “edible” parts of the bird. The word you really want to watch out for is “by-product,” and OlviPet doesn’t use that.
As I said, Freya absolutely loved all three treats. We just finished up the Healthy Bites treats and have one DentaBar left, and I’ll definitely be ordering more asap.
The soft and the crunchy treats are “training size,” so I either used them during her training games or gave her a couple of them as a reward for coming in when called. Pharaoh Hounds have virtually no off-leash recall, so I reward her every time she gives up the hunt for her arch-nemesis the chipmunk and actually comes when called.
The DentaBars come in three different sizes, so you can choose the best one for your dog. We had the medium, which was just the right size for Freya (even though she’s more towards the large size).
Visit OlviPet USA to learn more about the treats available in the US, or OlviPet.com to learn about the company in general.
Where to Buy OlviPet Dog Treats
So far, I can only find OlviPet dog treats on Amazon. They’re relatively new to the US, so I expect they’ll be adding more retailers in the future. You can bookmark their “Where to Buy” page and check back.
Check out the product boxes below for a more detailed overview of each product along with where to get them on Amazon. I think they’re pretty reasonably priced compared to other high-quality pet treats!
- OLVIPET Denta Bars are large dental dog treats made with premium extra virgin olive oil and a nutrient-rich chia and pumpkin seed blend.
- DESIGNED to aid in clean teeth and fresh breath with optimal shape and texture.
- PERFECT source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support healthy immunity and helps maintain healthy skin and coat.
- MADE using cold-pressed manufacturing, a unique production method that retains flavor, aroma and all those beneficial naturally occurring nutrients for overall health.
- FORTIFIED with healthy ingredients and contain no artificial colors, no artificial flavors and no meat by-products.
- OLVIPET Healthy Bites Twists Soft Treats are made with premium extra virgin olive oil and a nutrient-rich chia and pumpkin seed blend.
- PERFECT source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support healthy immunity and helps maintain healthy skin and coat.
- MADE using cold-pressed manufacturing, a unique production method that retains flavor, aroma and all those beneficial naturally occurring nutrients for overall health.
- FORTIFIED with healthy ingredients and contain no artificial colors, no artificial flavors and no meat by-products.
- POULTRY flavor keeps your pup coming back again and again for more.
- OLVIPET Healthy Bites Crunchy Dog Treats are made with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, spinach and more!
- PERFECT source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support healthy immunity and helps maintain healthy skin and coat.
- MADE using cold-pressed manufacturing, a unique production method that retains flavor, aroma and all those beneficial naturally occurring nutrients for overall health.
- FORTIFIED with healthy ingredients and contain no artificial colors, no artificial flavors and no meat by-products.
- POULTRY flavor keeps your pup coming back again and again for more.
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is very interesting about the benefits of olive oil for health and wellness.
I had heard olive oil was good for their skin and coats, but I had no idea it helped their brains and immune system. That’s pretty interesting.
My Mom gave our dog, Princess, olive oil daily in her food over 25 years ago and the Vet was always impressed with her hair and skin.
Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know how olive oil works a lot to our health and wellness.