Is mineral oil safe for dog constipation, especially if she drinks it?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Because of the risk of getting the mineral oil in Ebony's lungs ( this is called aspiration pneumonia ), we generally do not recommend mineral oil be given by mouth. What I recommend is to slather some white bread with the petroleum jelly ( you can add a little peanut butter to make it a little tastier ) & feed this to Ebony a small piece at a time. This should do a good job stimulating her bowels. If she continues to have problems, please see your veterinarian. Take care.

Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet. I strongly advise taking your dog to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

A baby enema is not a good idea, it will most likely do nothing. Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet. I strongly advise taking your dog to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

I would not suggest using Vaseline or mineral oil for your cat. These products can contain substances that are harmful when ingested. Your vet should have a product similar to the one you've been buying and if not ask them to order Laxatone. I would only recommend giving your cat VET approved medications and supplements. Human doctors and pharmacists may be well intentioned, but they are not familiar with feline anatomy and what could possibly hurt them. ALWAYS talk to your vet first.

Use 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight daily. I would give him 1.5 teaspoons daily. So you can mix Wink's food with a 3/4 a teaspoon at each meal if he gets fed twice a day. You can also try canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) on his food to give him more fiber. Give him 1 teaspoon at each meal. I would give Wink either the canned pumpkin purée or the olive oil. If those don't work, and he's still constipated in 24-48 hours, he will need to see a vet, as he may need a laxative or an enema.

Mineral oil is unlikely to cause aspiration pneumonia if it is swallowed normally by the pet. If it's vomited and inhaled then, yes, it certainly can cause serious illness, including potentially aspiration pneumonia, however at this point there isn't much that could be done by a veterinary professional unless she has vomited and is showing signs of pneumonia (coughing, breathing difficulties, lethargy, etc) which won't develop for at least 24 hours after vomiting and inhaling. Making her eliminate the mineral oil by inducing vomiting is not indicated, since this will (obviously) increase the chances of aspiration. To answer your question, "How will I know if she's OK?", you'll know she's OK if you don't see the symptoms described by Dr. Anstaett below. If you don't see any of these issues, you'll know everything is fine. And in the future, the recommended product (Laxatone) is a much safer way to encourage hairballs to pass.

You can use any of those oils, and I would recommend adding a teaspoon of one of them to Einstein's food. If that doesn't work, then I would have him seen by a vet as he may need a laxative to help him poop.