# honey and sugar to pack a wound?



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

A horse in the barn I used to take lessons injured his leg badly in his box stall - he ripped his hind leg open on a sharp screw nobody had noticed. After desinfecting and stitching the wound, it didn't heal good, so the vet advised to use honey. So pure, natural honey (not the cheap, syrupy stuff) was spread over his wound on a daily basis. It was cold outside, so no insects were attracted. The wound started healing up much faster, no proud flesh was developed (although it was going to before the honey), it was softer and now there isn't even a scar to tell the story.


----------



## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I have always used powdered Alum on wounds below the knees and hocks. This means wounds that are not major. The alum kept the wound dry and proud flesh free. 

This was after washing it in soap and water and disinfecting it with tamed iodine.


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Honey was used for thousands of years to disinfect and poultice wounds on people and animals. There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians used it, and recent experiments with it prove that it still works very well. I imagine it also is probably less likely to cause an allergic reaction, too.
I'm not sure about the sugar.


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Honey is actually very good for helping wounds heal as is sugardine, which is a mixture of sugar and iodine made into a paste.


----------



## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

From what I've heard- a special kind is used-Malucca, I believe.


----------



## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Thanks guys, it's not that bad, BO said it was really really swollen and that it looked very good the next day(when I saw it). It looks like a scrape more so to me but BO said it was more of a puncture when it first happened(or when she first saw it). I opted not to call the vet as she is completely sound on it, just cold hosing it and scrubbing with ivory soap(I'm allergic to iodine) a few times a day, smz's, and hand walking. Keeping a close eye on it and will call the vet if it doesn't continue to improve or gets worse. 
Here is the pic from yesterday(day after it happened) after cleaning it and hosing it.









and here is a pic from today before I cleaned it(she was being a handful so I wanted to get a pic before I really hosed it since she hates it)







Pic kinda blurry because she would not stand still, can't say I blame her she has been in since monday because of hurricane sandy and now all her friends are out but she is on stall rest :-(


----------



## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

I've never heard of honey! That's fantastic to know! 
At our rescue we use hydrogen peroxide. Especially for hoof issues, we had a mare who had atrocious cankers and the medicine from the vets was seriously expensive. We made a bowl out of a plastic bedding bag, had her step into it (after hosing her hoof completely clean) we then put on her hoof boot and filled the plastic bag with hydrogen peroxide. Her canker was gone in a week.
We use it for flesh cuts too and have never had any trouble with it 

I hope your pony feels better soon!


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

It will heal on it's own. Nature looks after horses this way.


----------



## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

I really like honey or sugardine (betadine soaked sugar) for wounds that are having trouble healing or really taking their time. I've never had any issues using cheapo-storebrand honey. Maybe it's not magic like the special ($$$) stuff, but it still works well. The best honey is the stuff that's already gone and crystalized though as it works just as well but is much easier to spread and stays where you put it. Neither are necessary for simple straightforward stuff that will heal on it's own with a good clean-up and keeping the dirt and flies away though.


----------



## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

Punks, wouldn't hydrogen peroxide sting like heck? I've always been too scared to use it because ive been told it stings like nothing else.

Manuka Honey though, I absolutely LOVE the stuff, not only is it good on toast, but its good for both horses and humans on everything from the common cold to injuries


----------



## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Having used it on myself - even on rope burns, it stings less than water. But we mostly use it for hoof issues as it's easily bagged. The problem is that if the hydrogen peroxide sits in oxygen too ling it just turns to water. 
The way it works is (back to highschool chemistry) it's got a free radical, it's looking for something to bond too - in the air it'll bond with oxygen and make water - on a wound it'll bond with the infection and remove it from the body. Thats how the chemist explained it to us at least  but having a ph balance closer to our blood than even water it stings less. Again this is how a smart guy who was at ou. Barn explained it so i could be spinning hoopla. But it's worked for us, the horses don't flinch with it, it didn't sting me and it has removed infections as bad as cankers so i'm pretty impressed.
We read about using it from veterinary practice magazine, they may have an online article about it somewhere.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## DimSum (Mar 28, 2012)

In the hospital, we use honey on certain types of wounds. Granted, it's medically "pure" but the idea is a sound one-again for certain types of wounds. Now if a wound is a puncture or has a deep track to it, honey isn't the way to go as these types of wounds are more difficult to get the stuff up into the wound track and keep it there.


----------



## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Punks be careful using Hydrogen peroxide as it eats at the good tissue along with the bad.


----------



## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

With he wounds pictured and because the horse is sound, I'd turn out the horse and let it move around.


----------



## cmarie (Dec 19, 2011)

Sugar is good to help stop bleeding, pack it in a bleeding wound and it helps, sugardine is great with wound care.


----------



## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

flytobecat said:


> Punks be careful using Hydrogen peroxide as it eats at the good tissue along with the bad.


Agreed. Hydrogen peroxide is not an appropriate wound treatment beyond an initial cleaning, IMO, as it will slow the healing process by eating away new tissue growth.


----------



## DimSum (Mar 28, 2012)

DraftXDressage said:


> Agreed. Hydrogen peroxide is not an appropriate wound treatment beyond an initial cleaning, IMO, as it will slow the healing process by eating away new tissue growth.


We actually still use peroxide to clean out old crusties, etc. from wounds in the hospital BUT it is diluted 50/50 with sterile water. The solution is good for removing excess guck (for lack of a nicer word) from certain types of wounds when we change the bandages without damaging the good tissue.


----------



## rbarlo32 (Aug 9, 2010)

My mum is a nurse and uses sugar in infected wounds when the antibiotics aren't working as it draws out any infection.


----------



## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Here is todays pic(it's a little funky because my phone randomly restarted and then the camera wouldn't focus), took the wrap off yesterday and swelling stayed down  lots of hand walking, she is a HUGE pain for cold hosing it tho :evil: I'm almost thinking I may get that $30 ice wrap boot thing I saw at TCS just to save the frustration. Barn owner doesn't want her out until the wound is closed but she is going to turn her out in the indoor tomorrow so she can stretch her legs some.


----------



## nricutti (May 14, 2012)

Sugar and honey, as stated above, is used to draw out infection by creating a hypertonic environment around the wound. It does not appear as if your horse's cut is in need of this yet, but if you wish you could use pure honey, as it is a natural antiseptic.


----------



## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Thank you everyone - it's very good to know about Hydrogen Peroxide!!
So far we've only used it to wash out wounds or to soak hooves for a few minutes, then rinsed off. We've never left it on any wound for any amount of time. 
Thanks for the info! Really cool to know about honey too, that's neat.


----------



## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

I'd forget the sugar, but cold pressed honey, yes. Especially if it's manuka or t-tree. They've actually started using it again in hospitals, and I've seen sole punctures and P3 sole penetration treated successfully with it too.


----------

