Medications Is mineral oil the same as paraffin oil?

kirt15 · May 5, 2014

Hey guys,

With regards to cleaning my boars anal sac I was looking for mineral oil but couldn't find any except baby oil which I know I shouldn't use and then I was reading that in the UK it is called paraffin oil. I am in Australia and was wondering if anyone knows if it is called the same thing here? I bought some paraffin oil but now I am unsure if it is the right thing or not, the packaging reads Faulding Remedies, Paraffin Liquid BP. Is this the right stuff?

Side note: It is so frustrating that they name things differently in different countries, I was looking for Romaine lettuce for ages before I realised that it is called Cos lettuce here and had seen it everywhere. I then sat down with the food chart and googled all the names to see what they were called here. It was great I had always wondered what they where and thought they were some magical food that we just didn't get here. LOL!!!

Any help would be great.

Rywen · May 6, 2014

Liquid medicinal grade paraffin should be okay, not sure about any other form of paraffin (which is usually wax)? You're right, don't use baby oil.

kirt15 · May 6, 2014

The bottle says that it is oral liquid for use as a laxative for people so I don't know if it would be wax. Any ideas?

Rywen · May 6, 2014

No idea, I suggest asking a pharmacist.

CavySpirit · May 6, 2014

Use coconut oil. Not mineral oil.

kirt15 · May 11, 2014

Is there any specific coconut oil that you use? Where do you normally find it? Why coconut oil and not mineral oil? Thanks for the help!

Soecara · May 11, 2014

You can get extra virgin cold pressed organic coconut oil in the Asian section in Woolworths, I am sure other supermarkets would stock it but they might not keep it in the same section. It is better because it is safe if they ingest some while grooming themselves, it is also good for their skin. On a side note coconut oil goes hard when stored in the fridge (which I do, but isn't necessary), but will met back into a liquid state at body temperature so you just need to hold it between your fingers for a few seconds and it will melt (but I need to use a spoon or knife to get it out of the jar).

Here is the brand I use

CavySpirit · May 11, 2014

Just FYI, we've also started carrying a great brand of coconut oil on our store, along with a new book about Coconut Oil for Pets and few other coconut oil related items.

https://www.guineapigmarket.com/coconutoilforpets

Helena29 · May 11, 2014

Hey,

Thanks CavySpirit, I'm going to check out your store asap. Would coconut oil help a constipated/bloated piggie? I've heard olive oil is good. Is coconut oil better?
- Helena

CavySpirit · May 11, 2014

Helena29 said:
Hey,

Thanks CavySpirit, I'm going to check out your store asap. Would coconut oil help a constipated/bloated piggie? I've heard olive oil is good. Is coconut oil better?
- Helena

How do you know your guinea pig is constipated? Do you mean impacted? And bloat at the same time? Is this a male impaction problem or something else?

Using Olive Oil is news to me (someone's home remedy). Olive Oil and Coconut Oil digest a bit differently. I don't know the answer.

Helena29 · May 11, 2014

Sorry!! I was asking because of two different issues, two different guinea pigs.

Issue (broken link removed) : I had an older boar who was impacted. I never used oil at all. His poop came out pretty easily. Water was sufficient. But I believe the guinea lynx medical reference recommends using oil to clean the anal sac.

Issue (broken link removed) : Guinea pigs don't really get "constipated" so I should not have used that word. I currently have a guinea pig who is having G.I. problems. He had mushy poop, then didn't poop. He was on medication. I think I read on e-how, that romaine lettuce and some olive oil could help my piggie poop. However, e-how definitely is not the best source. I guess it is a home remedy of sorts. My guinea pig was likely bloated. He is still very gassy. If coconut oil is safe for piggies, I might try it in the future.

- Helena

PiggieWigglies · May 11, 2014

Since we are on the subject of coconut oil,
I have to clean my boars' grease glands and the only coconut oil we have in the house is "Tree of Life Organic Expeller Pressed Refined Coconut Oil" Is that safe to use?

CavySpirit · May 11, 2014

Helena, thanks for the clarification. So, for impaction, the use of oil is external, not internal. You should use oil when doing that, no matter what. Lubricate the anal area gently and thoroughly before you do anything there. And for that, again, do not use Mineral Oil. It clogs the pours and tissues and is a form of PETROLEUM. Definitely use Coconut Oil. It is quite safe for even the most delicate of skins (trust me) with great healing properties.

Mushy poop is not a sign of constipation, per se. There are usually other issues going on. If it were me, I would try a small amount of coconut oil, but it's not tested and I'm not advising you on it.

PiggieWigglies · May 11, 2014

CavySpirit said:
Helena, thanks for the clarification. So, for impaction, the use of oil is external, not internal. You should use oil when doing that, no matter what. Lubricate the anal area gently and thoroughly before you do anything there. And for that, again, do not use Mineral Oil. It clogs the pours and tissues and is a form of PETROLEUM. Definitely use Coconut Oil. It is quite safe for even the most delicate of skins (trust me) with great healing properties.

Mushy poop is not a sign of constipation, per se. There are usually other issues going on. If it were me, I would try a small amount of coconut oil, but it's not tested and I'm not advising you on it.

So does that mean I should start using coconut oil for anal sac cleanings? I video I watched on here by Canadian Comforts suggested mineral oil.

CavySpirit · May 11, 2014

PiggieWigglies said:
So does that mean I should start using coconut oil for anal sac cleanings? I video I watched on here by Canadian Comforts suggested mineral oil.

Yes, use Coconut Oil.

PiggieWigglies · May 11, 2014

CavySpirit said:
Yes, use Coconut Oil.

Would this one work? Its the one we have in our home at the moment.

CavySpirit · May 11, 2014

PiggieWigglies said:
Would this one work? Its the one we have in our home at the moment.

Yes, it's fine for lubrication for anal impaction. BUT, this is not the healthy kind of coconut oil to use if you care about using it for better health for yourself or your pets. The right kind of coconut oil to buy is "VCO" -- Virgin, Organic, COLD-PRESSED. Not refined and not expeller-pressed.

PiggieWigglies · May 11, 2014

CavySpirit said:
Yes, it's fine for lubrication for anal impaction. BUT, this is not the healthy kind of coconut oil to use if you care about using it for better health for yourself or your pets. The right kind of coconut oil to buy is "VCO" -- Virgin, Organic, COLD-PRESSED. Not refined and not expeller-pressed.

If I can use this coconut oil I have for anal sac cleanings could I use it for grease gland cleanings too?

CavySpirit · May 11, 2014

PiggieWigglies said:
If I can use this coconut oil I have for anal sac cleanings could I use it for grease gland cleanings too?

Of course!

PiggieWigglies · May 11, 2014

Thank you so much! You are a big help

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