Is Engine Oil Toxic For Dogs: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Is engine oil toxic for dogs? It seems weird to ask. Even odd is thinking that a dog will ingest engine oil. Obviously, engine oil smells nauseating. 

Motor oil can be fatal when swallowed by anyone. However, minor skin interaction or one-time drinking causes toxicity, which is not too severe. 

A noticeable fact is that along with drinking, inhaling, and skin contact with engine oil can also prove hazardous. We need to take necessary precautions to keep our four-legged friend away from toxic motor oil.

Let’s dive deeper into engine oil’s toxicity on dogs, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. 

What Makes Engine Oil Toxic to Dogs?

We keep saying that engine oil is toxic to dogs but have you wondered what ingredients make it unhealthy? 

Hydrocarbons! Any compound containing carbon and hydrogen will be poisonous to dogs. Hydrocarbons have low viscosity, which is why lungs absorb them quickly, leading to severe pneumonia. 

These hydrocarbons also destroy airway epithelium, pulmonary capillaries, and surfactants.

In addition, engine oil contains additives including detergents, anti-foam and anti-corrosion ingredients, and dispersant. It also includes other contaminants such as benzene, lead, chromium, and polycyclic aromatics. 

Used motor oil is more toxic than new motor oil. This is because due to the car’s heat, new toxins develop inside it. During the car’s running process, engine oil runs through the car’s parts and picks up metal contaminants. These contaminants make engine oil more hazardous. 

Read our comprehensive guide on is engine oil edible?

What Viscosity’s Engine Oil Dangerous for Dogs?

Motor oil has a high viscosity and is comparatively less dangerous than low viscosity petroleum. Due to its thickness, engine oil is absorbed less by the dog’s skin. The thinner the oil, the better it absorbs in the skin of a dog. 

If thinner substances like petroleum or engine oil mixed with diesel are poured onto a dog’s skin, they will cause more harm than engine oil alone.

How Does Engine Oil Get into Dogs?

Dogs have a higher chance of being exposed to engine oil. A dog doesn’t necessarily need to drink engine oil. Motor oil can contract a dog’s skin due to leakage somewhere, or the dog may inhale it. 

Below are some common possibilities of how engine oil poisons your dog 

• Incorrect storage: storage can leak or simply the container being in the dog’s reach increases risk.
• Outdoor leaks: motor oil spills from a car accident.
• Pipeline break may spill motor oil.

Make sure to monitor your dog while taking it for a walk and keep petroleum products in child-proof cabins. 

Types of Engine Oil Poisoning to Dogs

There are three ways for a dog to be poisoned by motor oil; skin contact, indigestion, and inhalation. 

1. Skin contact: putting motor oil on dogs to cure mange is an old wives tale. It does not treat the dog’s skin but causes redness and irritation. 
2. Inhalation: breathing engine oil can cause lung damage and eventually result in death.
3. Ingestion: it may look weird, but in reality, dogs find many things appealing. In turn, they can drink engine oil too. Drinking engine oil can result in weight loss, weakness and vomiting. 

Read more about engine oil toxicity here. 

Symptoms of Engine Oil Poisoning in Dogs

If engine oil poisons your dog, symptoms may not show until 3-4 days. Here are some common symptoms:

• Vomiting.
• Increased breathing.
• Clamping of jaws.
• Skin redness and irritation.
• Eye irritation.
• Severe coughing or choking.
• Oil in vomit.
• Oil in feces.
• Oily discharge from the nose.
• Weight loss.
• Dehydration.
• Coma.

If you notice any of these symptoms, rush your dog to the nearest veterinarian.

Diagnosis of Engine Oil Poisoning in Dogs

If the dog vomits, mix the vomit in lukewarm water. If it has ingested oil, the oil will rise. You can also smell the dog’s breath and skin. Synthetic engine oil smells like gas. 

If you fear your dog drank engine oil, a complete blood count test, biochemical profile for kidney and lungs, chest X-ray, or ECG are the recommended tests to check it. 

The biochemical profile shows kidney and lung damage, chest X-rays show lung damage, and ECG checks the abnormal heart rhythm.

Treatment of Engine Oil Poisoning in Dogs

If your dog has ingested engine oil, take it to the nearest animal hospital as soon as possible.

• Veterinarians use activated charcoal to absorb toxic chemicals, 
• Use of supplemental oxygen for breathing difficulty.
• Intravenous fluids for dehydration.
• Electrolytes for dehydration.
• Antibiotics for bacterial infections.
• They treat affected skin with mild soap and lukewarm water. In addition, veterinarians can also suggest creams to treat redness and irritation of the skin.

In severe cases, doctors empty stomachs. They put a tube in the mouth and flood a fluid into the stomach. The abdomen is emptied of engine oil solution—this reduced vomiting.  

FAQs –⁠ Is Engine Oil Toxic For Dogs

Are you still confused? Here are some frequently asked questions regarding engine oil’s toxicity for dogs. 

Will Engine Oil Kill Dogs?

Yes. Engine oil has the potential to kill dogs when they consume it in excess. Even if the dog is affected by engine oil through the skin, it can still kill it—the more the quantity, the worse the condition.

Mange is an inflammatory disease found in dogs. Caused by mites, this disease results in hair loss, severe itchiness, and sores. It is a traditional belief that pouring engine oil on dogs will treat mange. 

Note it. You should NEVER pour engine oil on dogs. Dog skin absorbs engine oil and makes them sick. Excess quantity can kill your dogs. 

If you manage to take your dog to the hospital on time or in case of low consumption, minor inhalation, or little engine oil pour, it is possible that your dog won’t suffer any serious health issues. 

How Do You Get Motor Oil Off a Dog?

Here is how you can clean your dog’s fur. This is the baking soda method. Mix baking soda with water in a 2:1 ratio in a bowl. Form a thick paste and spread it over the oil-affected area on the dog’s fur. 

Let the paste dry to become a powder. Once dried, remove the powder as much as you can. You can use a brush to remove the baking soda layer. 

Now apply a mild dish soap solution to de-grease the dog’s fur. Dish soaps are suitable degreasers. Rinse wash with lukewarm water and repeat this process until dog hair is and oil-free. Pat dry with a clean and dry towel.

Now, coming towards cleaning dog paws. Start with dipping your dog’s paws into cornstarch and let it sit. Fill a bowl with warm water and rinse away cornstarch. Apply 1-2 drops of degreasing dish detergent on dog paws.

Start gently massaging paws with fingers or a soft cloth. Rinse again with warm water. Repeat this process until you get oil entirely off the dog’s paws. Once clean, dry feet with a soft cloth.

We have combined these methods as they are practical and cost-effective. 

Which Oils Except for Engine Oils are Toxic to Dogs?

Other than engine oil, petroleum, petroleum condensate, diesel, gasoline, crude oil, paint thinners, wood stains, kerosene, and other hydrocarbons are toxic to dogs. Low-viscosity hydrocarbons are more hazardous and increase death risks than high-viscosity hydrocarbons.

Besides, many essential oils are toxic to dogs too. This is because essential oils react with a dog’s body. Below is the list of harmful essential oils to dogs:

• Thyme oil
• Garlic oil 
• Cinnamon oil
• Pine oil 
• Tea-tree oil
• Clove oil
• Pennyroyal oil
• Eucalyptus oil 
• Oil of wintergreen
• Citrus oil
• Ylang ylang

Make sure you keep all these essential oils, hydrocarbons, and petroleum products out of reach of dogs. 

Final Words

Yes, engine oil is toxic for dogs. Engine oil contains contaminants and toxins. If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned in your dog, rush the dog to the nearest veterinarian. 

Engine oil has enough potential to kill a dog. The best you can do is keep engine oil, hydrocarbons, and other petroleum products out of dogs’ reach. Also, monitor them when taking them for a walk to avoid them contacting engine oil spills.

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