I was in my small-town pharmacy the other day and while I was waiting for my order I noticed a large display for “Emu Oil.” Of course I thought that must be a name brand of some sort, but it turns out to be actual emu oil. The health benefits are apparently limitless; it’s an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, stimulates skin, hair and nail growth, has a natural SPF, is a natural emollient and moisturizer, hypo-allergenic, prevents and diminishes scarring/stretch marks, and is great for skin disorders and allergies. Uhhh-huhhhh.
That said, here’s my question. Just how do they collect emu oil? And what do they do with the rest of the emu? I can only imagine that the emu is not happy with the process. I’ve looked all over the web, and while site after site touts the benefit of this miracle product, none would say WHERE they get it from. Methinks there may be a conspiracy here. Maybe they don’t actually get it from emus. Maybe there’s a black market for emu oil production. Maybe the process is too unspeakable to talk about… sort of like how they get gelatin. Should we mount a hidden-camera expose on emu oil? Anyone have the insider’s skinny on this?
Eh, Cheepdogg, you’re new so I’ll confine myself to pointing out that here at the Straight Dope, it’s considered maximum tacky to quote an entire website, verbatim, without any kind of attribution or even a link to show where you got the info. This is especially true when the website you’re quoting verbatim is a website devoted to selling a product, not an “informational” website like WebMD or the Encyclopedia Britannica or Merriam-Webster. We’re here to Fight Ignorance, not disseminate information about one particular manufacturer’s product. The OP was asking for serious scientific information on emu oil, but what you gave him, without telling him that that’s what it was, was basically an advertisement. This is why you always include the link. That way other people can go look at it for themselves and decide whether the information is any good.
It’s also a violation of the website’s copyright to copy and paste the entire thing. Do a Search in the SDMB thread archives for the “fair use” policy. Set it on All Forums Any Date.
Besides, you wouldn’t want to be accused of pretending to be smarter than you actually are, now would you?
I figured it was a website, though it’s more than I was able to find (darn sub-par search engine). All I needed to see was the word ‘rendered’ and I pretty much let my imagination go from there. Poor little emus. Better than cornering them and squeezing them like oranges, though. Hey dublos- do they taste like chicken?
Having taken a look at that website, now I just need to figure out exactly what “proud flesh” is, and why we need to decrease the production of it. Letting my imagination once again get the better of me, I only know of one kind of ‘proud flesh’ and honestly, I’d like more of it, not less.
Incidentally, I’m a female. But I can see the source of your confusion. Think little baby bobcat (you know, the kind that seem harmless but if you get too close it’ll tear your face off with its nasty sharp pointy teeth).
I put Emu Oil on a Google search and the screen
exploded with page after page of testimonials curing
hair loss, arthritis, wrinkles, lowering cholesterol
and aiding pet care (it gives their coats a healthy shine!).
It’s non-comedogenic, too.
There is one ranch out there that also sells the meat. That site says it’s healthier than fish.
Bobkitty, it looks like you discovered the latest
miracle cure that will make people rich.
My uncle raises these big ugly birds and he has told me that these birds are not only raised for their oil but that almost 100% of their bodies are used for something. Feathers for pillows and such, skin for leather, meat for eating (extremely low in fat and tastes like beef, so I’m told) and even the beaks and toenails are ground into a powder and shipped to Japan as an aphrodisiac. As for the oil, a few of my friends use the stuff and swear by it. But they are health nuts and probably shouldn’t be trusted.
Ah, “proud flesh”. Horse-crazy former little girl speaking here.
Somebody in Black Beauty had proud flesh. I think it was Blackie himself. Fell and “proud flesh” came up in the knees and he was scarred. Or maybe it was Ginger. Anyway.
The emu oil website says that emu oil is anti-inflammatory. These people have patented a component of emu oil that they say is an anti-inflammatory substance. It’s worthwhile to note that you can patent anything if you pay the fee and fill out the proper forms.
FWIW, the vet’s testimonial sounds like the sort of thing you’d expect from an enthusiast who uses it on everything. Some people are like that about ketchup.
If I had a horse with proud flesh, I’d go the safe route and stick with steroids.
If I had any critter with a wound, I’d give it large doses of vitamin A daily, until the wound was healed. I learned about that about 20 years ago.
I useta breed Great Danes, and I acquired a Saluki from a breeder friend. Salukis are bee-you-tee-ful, but more goofy than smart. As an adult, this one exhibited her (lack of) brains by challenging my oldest Dane bitch. Missy was gentle; instead of killing her, she left a quarter-sized gap in the side of Meera’s neck, where one of her teeth got caught in the skin.
What to do? This is a show-quality animal, and the breeder is still the co-owner. So I called him, and he said to give her 25,0000 IU of vit. A every day until it’s healed. I freaked. Ya know, we get told on a regular basis that A is poisonous, 'cause it’s oil-soluble, not water-soluble. This dog weighed about 25 pounds, which made that a humongous dosage (I thought). Fritz said, “Never mind, just do it.” So I did. The dumb dog ripped out the stitches, but the wound healed without a visible scar (ya had to separate the fur and look.
After that experience, I began using A anytime one of my dogs had a skin injury. Works great. It also heals skin wounds on other kinds of animals, including people, beautifully, though I do recommend it be used with considerably more caution on people. Animals can handle much larger doses because of their fur.
Between steroids and vitamin A, I’d take the A, anytime.
Hmm, isn’t it rather curious that in Oz, where the emu is native, unprotected and sometimes in plague proportions, most “big bird” farming is of ostriches. And much the same claims are brought about ostrich products. I understand the most widely used by-product of ostrich farming is a tax dodge.
If you want a good remedial oil, I’d recommend goanna oil. It’s wizz bang on rheumatism/arthritis etc … the only side affects are the occaision beady look in the eyes and a tendency to flick the tongue out.
