Exact castor oil (MDCO)

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Castor oil has been in barn medicine chests for as long as there have been barns, for two quite different reasons. Taken internally it is a well-known laxative. Applied to skin it is a very heavy, slow-drying oil that softens and soothes, which is why it turns up in dressings, in udder and teat preparations, and on dry cracked skin. Its physical character is what distinguishes it from other oils: it is noticeably thicker and stickier than mineral or vegetable oil, it does not run off, and it stays put on a surface for a long time. That is an advantage where you want something to stay where you put it and a nuisance everywhere else. For any internal use, follow the label and talk to your veterinarian first. Dose, species and whether a laxative is appropriate at all are decisions that depend on the animal and the reason you are reaching for it — and a laxative given to an animal with an obstruction, a twist, or an undiagnosed abdominal problem can do real harm. An animal that is off feed, straining, or showing colic signs needs a diagnosis, not an oil. Never administer any oil by drench or tube unless you know how to do it correctly. Oil that goes into the lungs instead of the stomach causes aspiration pneumonia and kills animals, and it is one of the most common ways a well-intentioned treatment goes wrong. For topical use, apply to clean skin. Keep the bottle capped, out of the sun, and above freezing — castor oil thickens considerably in the cold.