Oatmeal is filled with nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals which help support a well-balanced diet. Humans tend to love this classic breakfast food, but is oatmeal good for dogs too? The answer is yes! The powerful qualities of oats have shown to increase production of red blood cells, regulate digestion, and lower cholesterol levels.

In fact, many dog food manufacturers use oatmeal as a key ingredient in their products in addition to its high protein count, vitamins, and fiber.

Oatmeal is also an extremely popular choice for many dog parents as a shampoo, conditioner, and a leave-in product. This is because the oats will allow the skin to improve by moisturizing and calming irritations.

Key Points

• Oats prove to be a favorable food. It is low in fats and its natural healthy qualities benefit us and our furry friends!
• Being high in nutrients, its vitamins and minerals increase healing powers which help clear skin conditions.
• It has shown to soothe itching and irritations, even reducing skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis.
• The anti-inflammatory properties of oatmeal help to control hot spots.
• Biotin is a vitamin B in oatmeal that helps to support healthy skin and hair for dogs.

Now, let’s really dive deep into this topic. Is oatmeal good for dogs?

Diet: Oats are a hearty cereal grain containing tons of vitamin A, vitamin B-6, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Additionally, they are full of linoleic acid which is a type of omega-6 fatty acid that helps keep skin strong and healthy. Oatmeal helps to reduce blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, boost immunity, and provide antioxidants. It is also known to regulate gastrointestinal problems because they are a good source of soluble fiber. This gives the ability to lower cholesterol levels and help regulate blood glucose levels.

Skin and Hair: Oatmeal is a perfect solution to fixing dry and itchy skin as well as your scalp. It can improve acne, remove dead skin cells, and unclog pores while serving as an anti-inflammatory agent. Because of the starchiness in oats, they create a barrier that allows the skin to hold its moisture. This encourages hair growth through a healthy base. Because oatmeal is full of vitamin B, it brings strength and shine to hair. Oatmeal helps to make hair length more elastic, which prevents damage from snapping. The polysaccharides within it also allows hair to become soft and tangle-free.

The healing essences of oats allows your dogs' skin to heal better. Being high in nutrients, its vitamins and minerals increase healing powers which help clear skin conditions. Oatmeal has the natural ability to balance the skin's pH. It has shown to soothe itching and irritations, including reducing eczema and psoriasis. It's anti-inflammatory properties also help to control hot spots that dogs just can't take their mind off of. The skin is the largest organ for a dog, so it needs to be kept strong and retain its elasticity.

Oatmeal is a go to for many pet owners when using as a shampoo, conditioner or a leave-in product. It has shown to give improved results in a dog's coat by becoming more nourished and shiny. Biotin is a vitamin B in oatmeal that helps to support healthy skin and hair for dogs. The positive benefits that the vitamins in oats have will effectively moisturize your dog's fur making it soft and silky.

You can even make a homemade remedy for applying oatmeal as a leave-on paste or during a bath for your dog. This also makes for a bonus since they are safe to lick it off themselves! In fact, oatmeal baths have been recommended by veterinarians as Pet Coach discusses.“They are very gentle on the skin and help repair the natural skin barrier” as stated by Dr. Sara Ochoa. Otherwise, you can get a dog product that prioritizes oatmeal with added herbal ingredients, aiding skin healing for dogs.

Oats are beneficial for many dogs to include into their daily diet! They are even safe for dogs who are sensitive or allergic to many grains as well as gluten. It is a great alternative carbohydrate to wheat, corn, and soy products. As with all new ingredients, you can talk to your vet about incorporating oats into your dogs diet if they have allergies or a sensitive stomach.

Although oatmeal cannot replace your dogs meals since it does not have all the necessary nutrients, it is a great snack or meal topper. When cooking the oats, you'll want to use water instead of milk since dogs cannot break down lactose easily. Plain oatmeal is the best choice for them since dogs cannot have flavors and additives such as butter, salt, and raisins.

Flavoring will commonly have more sugar and artificial sweeteners that your dog could be allergic to. Make sure to check ingredients for any added sugars or flavorings. Instant or processed choices should be avoided when giving to dogs as well. This is because they can risk upsetting the dogs stomach while offering much less nutritional benefits for them.

It is best to start introducing oatmeal into your dog's diet gradually. This way, they will not get an upset stomach and diarrhea. Eventually feeding it to them daily in moderation is a great way to give additional water into their diet too! You can also make feeding it to them more fun and wholesome by adding in other ingredients. Some like to add peanut butter, fruits, pumpkin, coconut oil, and plain yogurt which all contribute to improving health in different ways.

There are many natural shampoo choices for your dogs bath time that prioritizes oats in the ingredients. However, you will want to be sure that where you're purchasing from is a trustworthy company. Sleepy Cotton has only all natural and sustainable products that have your dog's best interest in mind for high-quality comfort and care.

With our Ultra Gentle Soothing Oatmeal Shampoo and Face Wash, your dog will be soothed from dry skin, itches, redness, while deterring flakiness and skin allergies. Oatmeal gives major skin relief with its high count of vitamins and minerals, proving to soothe dog’s sensitive skin irritations. Formulated as active colloidal oatmeal in our shampoo, this trusted household ingredient will give your pup powerful lasting comfort.

So, is oatmeal good for dogs? Of course!

Oatmeal is a superfood filled with tons of beneficial vitamins and minerals including magnesium, calcium, zinc, and linoleic acid. They have proven to strengthen hair and soothe skin conditions while improving overall body health.

Who knew that this classic everyday household food brought so many benefits to both humans and furry friends? Introduce it to your furry friend today as a healthy and fun snack + as a nourishing bath!

How will you incorporate this superfood into you and your dog's daily routine?