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If your dog ate a chest rub, muscle rub or medicated lip balm rather than plain Vaseline, call your vet or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 now. Many of those contain camphor, which is absorbed through the skin and can cause vomiting and seizures. Also go now if your dog vomited after eating any petroleum product and is coughing or breathing hard. Bring the packaging.
The short answer: yes, plain Vaseline is safe on dogs in small amounts — classic Vaseline is 100% white petrolatum, it is non-toxic, and a lick does nothing. It is useful in exactly three places: dry paw pads, a dry nose and elbow calluses. Everywhere else people reach for it — wounds, hot spots, itchy skin, ticks, fleas, ears — it either does nothing or makes things worse. The table below gives the verdict for each.
Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Last updated 17 October 2026.
Where Vaseline Works on a Dog, and Where It Doesn't
Twelve places owners ask about. Petroleum jelly is a barrier: it holds moisture in and keeps air out. That is why it helps dry, intact skin and hurts anything that is open, infected or needs to breathe.
| Where | Use Vaseline? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, cracked paw pads | Yes | The best use. Thin layer at night, rub in, distract for ten minutes. |
| Dry, crusty nose | Yes | Thin layer. Most gets licked off, which is harmless. |
| Elbow calluses | Yes | Softens thick grey callus on big dogs that lie on hard floors. A bed fixes the cause. |
| Whole-body dry or flaky skin | No | Too much ends up eaten, and it mats the coat. Fix it from the diet and the bath routine. |
| Itchy, red or allergic skin | No | Grease does nothing for itch and can hold allergens and bacteria against the skin. Needs a diagnosis. |
| Hot spots | No | Hot spots need air, clipping and cleaning. An occlusive layer seals in the infection. |
| Open wounds, bites, punctures | No | Holds dirt in. Clean with water or saline and see a vet for anything deep. |
| Scabs | Rarely | Unlikely to help and dogs lick it straight off. Leave a healing scab alone. |
| Surgical incisions | No | Never put anything on stitches your vet did not tell you to. |
| Ticks | No | Smothering is a method doctors advise against. Use tweezers or a tick hook. |
| Fleas, ear mites | No | Does not treat either. Ears especially: it traps wax and debris. |
| Private area redness | No | Usually infection, skin folds or anal glands. Grease hides it. |
Use the plain jar only. "Vaseline" is also a brand of lotions, lip balms and scented products with other ingredients; check the label says petroleum jelly and nothing else.
My Dog Ate Vaseline — How Much Is Too Much?
Petroleum jelly is not digested. It coats the gut and comes out the other end, which is why the effect is a laxative one and why the amount matters more than anything else.
Petroleum jelly is not absorbed and passes straight through. This is the normal outcome of putting it on a paw or nose.
Expect a soft or greasy stool, possibly one bout of diarrhea. Keep water down. Call if it lasts more than a day or the dog is off food.
Vomiting and diarrhea are likely and small dogs can dehydrate. Do not make the dog vomit — breathing petroleum into the lungs is the one serious risk.
The reason not to make a dog vomit: with petroleum products, aspiration pneumonia — breathing the oil into the lungs — is the most serious consequence, not the stomach upset.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Petroleum Product Poisoning in Animals. Thick products like petrolatum are far less likely to be inhaled than thin ones like gasoline, but the advice not to induce vomiting at home stands.
How to Use It on Paws and Noses
- Check it is plain. The label should say petroleum jelly or white petrolatum and nothing else. No scent, no cocoa butter, no "medicated".
- Clean and dry first. Wipe the pads or nose with a damp cloth and pat dry so you are not sealing grit in.
- Use a pea-sized amount. A thin layer rubbed in well. If you can see it shining, there is too much and it will end up on the floor or in the dog.
- Do it before a nap or bedtime, then give a chew or a sock for ten minutes so it soaks in rather than being licked off.
- Stop and call your vet if a pad is split deep enough to bleed, the dog is limping, the nose is losing its colour or bleeding, or nothing has improved in a week.
Paws that crack every winter are usually salt, ice and dry indoor heat. Rinsing feet after walks and a pair of booties fix the cause; the jelly only treats the result. If your dog is licking the paws rather than just walking on dry ones, that is usually itch, not dryness — see why dogs lick their paws.
What to Use Instead, by Problem
Fix it from the inside: omega-3 fatty acids in the diet (we cover the evidence in our fish oil guide), fewer baths with a gentle oatmeal or moisturizing dog shampoo, and a humidifier in winter.
Itch is allergy, fleas or infection until shown otherwise, and none of them respond to grease. Start with our home remedies for dog itching, and see a vet if it lasts more than two weeks.
Rinse with lukewarm water or saline, pat dry, stop the licking with a cone or a T-shirt. Nothing greasy needed. Anything deep, from a bite, or red and hot the next day is a vet visit.
Two things from the medicine cabinet to keep off dogs entirely: anything with camphor, which the Pet Poison Helpline says should never be applied to dogs or cats because it is readily absorbed through the skin (it is in Vicks VapoRub, Tiger Balm, Carmex and Campho-Phenique), and tea tree oil, which can poison dogs when applied to the skin.
Where Hemp Actually Fits — and Where It Doesn't
For a cracked paw or a dry nose, hemp has no role. That is a barrier problem and petroleum jelly or a plain balm handles it. We do not make a topical, and we are not going to suggest an oil from a dropper fixes a split pad.
Where it can fit is the problem people often reach for Vaseline to cover up: the itch. The best evidence is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 32 dogs with atopic dermatitis (Loewinger et al., Veterinary Dermatology, 2022). Dogs given an oral CBD/CBDA hemp oil alongside their existing treatment had significantly lower owner-scored itch at 14 and 28 days than the placebo group. Two things the same study is honest about: the skin lesions themselves did not improve, and four of the 17 treated dogs had a rise in the liver enzyme ALP. The trial was funded by a hemp company that was not involved in the analysis.
So the fair reading is: one good trial says hemp can take the edge off allergic itch as an add-on, it does not heal the skin, and it belongs in a plan your vet knows about. If your dog is on Apoquel, Cytopoint, steroids or other medication, talk to your vet first — our guide to hemp and your dog's medications goes drug by drug.
If the real problem is itch, this is where owners start
250mg Hemp Seed Oil
Up to about 40 lbs
$49
1,000mg Hemp Seed Oil
40 lbs and up
$99
Large Dog Hemp Treats
5mg each · pre-measured
$32
Grown on our own Colorado farm, third-party tested every batch, and the same full-spectrum extract used in our 90-day university trial. Serving by weight →
The fatty acids in a hemp seed oil carrier are a small bonus for skin, not a treatment. For the published side-effect findings, including the liver-enzyme question, see hemp and CBD side effects in dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put Vaseline on my dog?
Yes, in small amounts and in the right places. Plain petroleum jelly is non-toxic to dogs and works as a barrier on dry, cracked paw pads, a dry nose and elbow calluses. It is the wrong choice for open wounds, hot spots, infected or itchy skin, and tick removal, and anything medicated, scented or labelled "with" another ingredient is a different product that needs checking first.
What happens if my dog eats Vaseline?
A lick or a thin layer does nothing. A larger amount acts like a mild laxative and usually means a soft or greasy stool for a day. A whole jar in a small dog can cause vomiting and diarrhea and is worth a call to your vet. Do not make your dog vomit at home, because the main danger with petroleum products is inhaling them into the lungs.
What can I put on my dog's irritated skin?
For mild dryness, a thin layer of plain petroleum jelly or an unscented pet balm on a spot the dog cannot reach is fine. For red, itchy, oozing or hairless skin, put nothing greasy on it and have a vet look: those are signs of allergy, infection or a hot spot, and an occlusive layer can trap the problem underneath. A cone or a T-shirt to stop the licking helps more than any ointment.
How do I moisturize my dog's skin?
Mostly from the inside and by doing less. Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, bathing less often with a gentle oatmeal or moisturizing dog shampoo, a humidifier in dry winter months and fresh water at all times do more for whole-body dry skin than anything rubbed on. Petroleum jelly is for small patches like pads and noses, not the coat.
What ointment is safe for dogs?
The safest one is whatever your vet dispensed for that problem. Of the things in a human medicine cabinet, plain petroleum jelly is low-risk in small amounts. Avoid anything containing camphor, which is absorbed through the skin and can cause vomiting and seizures in dogs; that includes products such as Vicks VapoRub, Tiger Balm, Carmex and Campho-Phenique. Avoid tea tree oil and anything with a numbing agent unless your vet says otherwise.
What can you put on a dog's wound?
For a small scrape: rinse with clean lukewarm water or saline, pat dry and stop the licking. You do not need to put anything greasy on it, and petroleum jelly can hold dirt against the wound. Bite wounds, punctures, deep cuts, anything that keeps bleeding, and anything red, hot or swollen the next day need a vet, not an ointment.
Can I put Vaseline on my dog's paws?
Yes. Dry, cracked paw pads are the best use of it. Apply a thin layer at night, rub it in, and keep your dog busy or in socks for ten minutes so it soaks in rather than being licked off. If a pad is split deeply, bleeding or the dog is limping, that is a vet visit.
Can I put Vaseline on my dog's nose?
A thin layer on a dry, crusty nose is fine and most of it will be licked off, which is harmless. A nose that is cracked and bleeding, losing its colour, or crusting alongside eye or nasal discharge is not a moisturising problem and needs a vet.
Can I put Vaseline on my dog's private area?
Not as a fix. Redness, licking or swelling around the vulva, penis or anus usually means a urinary infection, skin-fold dermatitis, anal gland trouble or a heat cycle, and grease will hide it rather than help. Keep the area clean and dry and have your vet look.
Does Vaseline kill fleas or help with ear mites?
No. It does not reliably kill fleas, and putting it in the ear canal traps wax and debris where infection starts. Fleas and ear mites both need a proper treatment from your vet; there is no petroleum-jelly shortcut.
Can I use Vaseline to remove a tick?
No. Smothering a tick with petroleum jelly is on the list of methods physicians and vets advise against, because it does not make the tick let go quickly and may make it regurgitate into the bite. Use fine tweezers or a tick hook, grip close to the skin and pull straight out with steady pressure.
The Short Version
Plain Vaseline is non-toxic and fine in small amounts on three things: dry paw pads, a dry nose and elbow calluses. It is the wrong tool for wounds, hot spots, itchy skin, ticks, fleas and ears. If your dog ate some, the amount decides everything — a lick is nothing, a jar is a phone call, and you never make the dog vomit.
If what you are really trying to fix is itch, that is a diagnosis to get from your vet, and the one place hemp has controlled-trial evidence as an add-on.
All Hemp Oil for Dogs See Our Clinical Trial
Home Remedies for Itching · Paw Licking · Allergies in Dogs · Benadryl for Dogs · Serving by Weight
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its certified-organic Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Chronic joint pain is her life's work. Read the published paper (PDF).
This article is general information for dog owners, not veterinary advice. It is reviewed and updated as new peer-reviewed evidence is published, and where the evidence is thin or negative we say so.
Sources
- Mostrom MS. Petroleum Product Poisoning in Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual. Link. Aspiration as the most serious consequence; viscosity and risk.
- Pet Poison Helpline. Camphor. Link. Products containing camphor, skin absorption, clinical signs.
- Gammons M, Salam G. Tick Removal. American Family Physician. 2002;66(4):643–646. Link. Petroleum jelly listed among methods not recommended.
- Loewinger M, Wakshlag JJ, Bowden D, Peters-Kennedy J, Rosenberg A. The effect of a mixed cannabidiol and cannabidiolic acid based oil on client-owned dogs with atopic dermatitis. Vet Dermatol. 2022;33(4):329–e77. PubMed.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your dog is unwell, contact your veterinarian.
