# Burned motor oil for flea control!?



## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

Okay, I have some very particular notions about dogs and their care. I've moved to a place in the country where dogs are a lot more 'disposable' and I have tried until I am blue in the face to get people to understand the benefits of spaying/neutering to no avail. In fact I am beginning to have a habit of picking up older female dogs who have been poorly taken care of and getting them in shape and spaying them-- after getting the previous owner to give them to me of course. My latest addition was a beagle who when I first met her looked like a skeleton that had swallowed a basketball... she has to be about 9 years old too. 

I now have Girly and one of the pups from her litter. Both are de-flead (a constant battle) and wormed and she is gaining weight like crazy. As soon as she's healthy she's going to the clinic to get those tubes tied.

Anyway I was going to do the same with a Rat Terrier but unfortunately the mother had been given away before I got there. I could not leave without a pup though, especially seeing their flea bitten condition. But as I was giving the pup a bath with some flea soap before taking her away the man who owned her said, "They must have rolled in the sand over there and got all that burned motor oil off them." The puppies were living under the barn and he was having trouble spraying well enough under there to get rid of the fleas. Again, fleas are a constant battle, I know, but... burned motor oil?

I just can't see this as a good idea and hopefully I didn't look horrified when he told me.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I've heard of people using it for both fleas and mange, but it's NOT a good idea


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Heck used motor oil can cause cancer. Burning it wouldn't make it better!


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

I've seen it being used to cure mange and yes, it does work. The dog just looks horrible for a while. I didn't use that when I had a foster that had mange though. I used the ivomec that the vet gave me. Much easier and less smelly.


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## Dutchie (Mar 14, 2003)

While the motor oil does work, it also gets absorbed through the skin and can do serious damage to the liver and kidneys.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Welcome to the South CraterCove. I'm a Southerner born and raised and every problem you're battling is one I've seen all my life. Makes me sick too. Even my Daddy was a believer in burned motor oil as a flea and mange treatment (and didn't spay/neuter animals when I was growing up), but he saw the light in his later years. 

I commend you on your efforts! It's quite a battle you're facing. Hubby and I have been doing it for eight years now by picking up dumped dogs/cats and rescueing dogs/cats abandoned at our vet's office (usually dumped in the parking lot). 

Keep trying to educate people and don't forget...you're not alone in your fight!


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

NEVER use burnt/used motor oil on a dog. Its a false, old remedy that doesn't work & can actually harm the animal.


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks for the words of encouragement Ravenlost. In most every way I like the south better than California where I am from. In general people are far more grounded in reality and have common sense and practical know how even when they have little schooling. But the treatment of dogs in particular has taken me aback.

I almost wish I had gone through with the hellatious time it would have taken to get my veterinary degree because I have yet to find a vet out here that I would use for anything. Their take on goats is 'oh well' and 'just shoot it cause you weren't going to pay me for my time anyway'. Which is very unfortunate.

For the large part it's only the dogs I see treated as if they should just fend for themselves. The animals that feed them they take good care of where I live. The dogs are flea bitten and unfixed and having pups up under the barn all the time. As I said the beagle I just acquired is about nine and no one here seems to find issue with breeding her twice a year still. 

To me one litter, if you are improving your bloodlines, a year between the years of 2 and 6 is more than enough puppies to be creating. And heck, I wouldn't be doing it at all without testing the waters and seeing if I had any chance of homing the puppies I would not be keeping. 

I am actually considering trying to get a license and facility to be a shelter or a foster facility attached to the local shelter. I need to get all my goat fences up first though!


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Oh man! I haven't seen or heard of anyone using burnt motor oil on a dog since I was little (40+ years ago).


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## Christopher Starr (Sep 21, 2020)

TedH71 said:


> I've seen it being used to cure mange and yes, it does work. The dog just looks horrible for a while. I didn't use that when I had a foster that had mange though. I used the ivomec that the vet gave me. Much easier and less smelly.





WstTxLady said:


> NEVER use burnt/used motor oil on a dog. Its a false, old remedy that doesn't work & can actually harm the animal.


I would have to disagree .
I tried the dipping and various treatments from vet's..costly and didn't work.
I learned the hard way.
After giving the dog to someone who said they could resolve the issue.
I did.
They brought her back and she was gorgeous.
When I took in a stray who had severe mange with no hair.
I monitored her very carefully and used old motor oil.
It resolved the issue and her coat came back beautifully.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Just a guess, but I'd think mineral oil would work as well as motor oil, used or not, and it wouldn't be dangerous to the animal. It works by suffocating the parasites, so any oil that's thick enough to stay put for a while should work.


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## Christopher Starr (Sep 21, 2020)

There are a lot of good remedies out there.
I was referring to the meth of motor oil not working and not having any issue with dogs having severe mange...


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