Is it true that if you bath a dog in burnt motor oil that it will cure the mange?

Question

We took our dog to the vet and everybody keeps telling me that I should have just bathed her in burnt motor oil.

Answer 1

yeah, this was the old way they use to do it some 30 years ago, but it hurts the dog's skin and coat. I groomed one like it once...bad burns scabs all over and filled with pus from infection. And if the dog licked it off, the hydrocarbons were absorbed into the lungs causing vomiting, and into the skin causing a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Kidney and liver damage also caused from motor oil dripping. Read about it on the page I posted a link to below...

Answer 2

The burnt motor oil thing is a very old (30 plus years ago) home remedy that will just as likely kill your dog as cure it. The stuff is toxic, don't even think about doing that.
Here is a link about the different kinds of mange and how to manage it.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html

THANK YOU for ignoring those people. Tell them times have changed and you'd much rather just get a pill or shampoo from the vet rather than have an oily and very sick dog. Believe me, the vet bill from that experiment will cost a lot more than the ivermectin!

Answer 3

OMG... DO NOT USE MOTOR OIL ON THE DOG... this has ingredients in it that is TOXIC to the dog! And can be considered animal cruelty. CONTACT THE VET AND FIND OUT if they have a salve or ointment that you can put on the dog or get the very shampoo they are using for the mange. Something that will accelerate the healing.

Answer 4

Absolutely not! The best you would get is a dog with a bad infection!

You need to take the dog to the vet and have the proper medications administered. Mange takes quite awhile to treat, and you must do exactly what the vet tells you. The dog is very uncomfortable, and should be treated for this condition as soon as possible.

Answer 5

Burnt motor oil? Sure, why not, how many animals are killed in each oil slick after a tanker crash/oil spill? I think you'll find that Dawn dishsoap is an inexpensive way to kill any parasite living on your pet's skin/in your pet's fur. You did the absolute right thing going to the vet...if you had a rash, would you go to the doctor and use medication, or take a bath in gasoline? Come on now, son, think!

Answer 6

I really don't know if it's true,it sure isn't the way to go,it isn't healthy for your dog.You did the right thing going to the vet,please stop listening to ignorant people,next time they say something like that just tell them:OK the next time you have a problem i will try this first before getting you to a doctor....
Jeez,some people just open their mouth without thinking first.
You did the right thing,the vet is the only authorized person to give medical advise.Keep taking your dog to the vet and keep ignoring those idiots that think they know everything...

Answer 7

I have heard this many many times. Personally I do not see how it could be healthy, and sounds like a backwoods attempt at a remedy/cure to me.

Dogs clean themselves by licking. Ingesting burnt oil can't be good for them.

Answer 8

It's an old wives tale and it's not recommended. I saw an episode of Animal Planet's animal cops and they took a dog away from a family that had that treatment for mange.

Answer 9

Whoever told you that is an idiot. Motor oil is not only messy, but dangerous to animals! You did the right thing by going to the vet.

Answer 10

Sounds ridiculous.
Oil stops skin from breathing, I would imagine your dog would be in quite a nasty state after that. (So would you and everything else after the dog shook, maybe people thought it would look quite funny seeing you clean that mess..)
I am glad you used some common sense and took him to the vet.