Healing with Honey, Do This for your Dog and Cat's Scrapes and Wounds

 

★ 4 min read 

In this article, natural wound care with raw honey: 

1. How honey works to heal cuts, scrapes and wounds 
2. How to use honey to heal your dog and cat's wounds
   
3. How to select honey for healing wounds 
4. Wounds and conditions that benefit from topical use of honey
5. Cautions 
6. How to achieve optimal healing
   

How Honey Works to Heal Cuts, Scrapes and Wounds

Raw honey has been used to heal wounds for thousands of years. In 2000 B.C., ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to document use of raw honey for wound healing

When your dog or cat experiences a cut, scrape or wound raw honey applied to the affected area helps:

1. Keep wounds clean
   
2. Prevent and treat infection
3. Reduce pain
4. Reduce inflammation and swelling
   
5. Prevent wound dressings from sticking to wounds 
6. Speeds healing
7. Heals stubborn wounds
   

Raw Honey Kills Pathogens

Raw honey has potent antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, and antiseptic properties. Research has proven raw honey to be protective against at least 60 species of bacteria.

For example, to survive and thrive in your dog and cat's wounds, bacteria require: 

1. Low pH environment
2. Nitrogen
3. Water

Raw honey makes cuts, scratches and wounds an inhospitable place for bacteria.

Raw honey has a high acidity level. This deprives bacteria of nitrogen, which in-turn prevents bacteria from reproducing. 

Honey acts as an astringent, leaving bacteria with insufficient water to survive.

 

Natural Hydrogen Peroxide Speeds Healing

Natural hydrogen peroxide kills bad bacteria, and speeds healing of your dog or cat's wounds.

Natural raw honey contains glucose oxidase.

A small amount of natural hydrogen peroxide is formed when an enzyme in honey, glucose oxidase comes into contact with small amounts of body-fluid on the surface of wounds. Natural hydrogen peroxide is slowly released and:

1. Acts as an effective, gentle antiseptic to dry out and tighten-up the skin.
2. Kills bad bacteria. 
3. Does not cause inflammation or irritation of the skin.
   

Bad bacteria cannot survive exposure to natural hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, natural hydrogen peroxide helps speed healing.

Commercially produced hydrogen peroxide (pharmaceutical grade and food grade) available from pharmacies, is not the same as natural hydrogen peroxide. Commercially produced hydrogen peroxide kills bad bacteria, kills healthy cells, and seriously interferes with healing.  In this article, learn more about how commercially produced hydrogen peroxide adversely impacts the body's ability to heal.

 

Raw Honey Kills Resistant Bacterial and Fungal Infections

 

Conventional antibiotic and anti-fungal medication:

1. Have many adverse side effects.
   
2. Cause pathogenic microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungus) to become resistant to conventional treatments. 
   

Raw honey doesn't cause resistance. Raw honey has no adverse side effects unless the individual is allergic to honey.

 

The more times your dog or cat are exposed to conventional antibiotic, anti-fungal treatments (ingested or topical), risk of acquiring resistant infections escalates.

Raw honey can help reduce risk of resistant infections. 

 

 

How Honey Helps Prevent Scaring

 

When exposed to air, honey naturally absorbs moisture from the air.  When raw honey is applied to open cuts and wounds:

1. Skin stays hydrated, supple and free of bacteria.
2. Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in honey support growth of new tissue.
3. Wound dressings don't stick to wounds and skin.

Learn more about natural antioxidant compounds, minerals and vitamins in honey, here.

 

How To Use Honey To Heal your Dog and Cat's Wounds

Step 1: Clean the affected area of skin with warm water.

 

Step 2: Minor cuts, scratches and scrapes:

1. Gently apple a thin layer of raw honey to the clean wound site.

Step 3: Deep wounds

1. Gently apply a generous amount of raw honey to the wound site.
2. Make sure the honey flows into all reassesses of the wound.

Step 4: Cover the wound

1. If possible cover the wound with a breathable dressing.
2. For example, cover the effected are with cotton gauze and self-adhering medical wrap.

Step 5: Reapply honey, change dressing daily

1. Change the dressing at least one time a day. 
2. Apply more honey and cover (if possible), affected area with fresh cotton gauze, or gauze and self-adhering medical wrap.
   

Step 6: If you can't cover the wound

1. If you're not able to cover your dog or cat's wound with a dressing:
2. You'll need to prevent your companion animal from licking the wound for a minimum of 20 minutes.
3. Apply the honey to the wound two to three times per day.

For wounds that are resistant to healing you'll need to be patient, persistent and consistent:

• The healing process can take weeks, to many months. 
• Continue to follow the steps above until the area of concern is healed.

How to Select Honey for Treating Wounds

 

You can use any good quality 100% pure, raw, unpasteurized:

 

Organic or wild-harvested:

• Organic honey, or;
• Wild honey harvested from pristine environments. 
• The darker the honey the greater its health benefits.

Most prized for wound healing:

• Medicinal grade Manuka honey, or;
  
• Kanuka honey.

Learn more about how to select good quality raw, unpasteurized honey in this article.

Wounds and Conditions That Benefit From Topical Use of Honey

If your dog or cat has one of the conditions below, topical use of honey can help treat the issue:

Eye Issues and Conditions

• Cataracts
• Cysts
• Conjunctivitis
  
• Eye Infections
  
• Styes 
• Go to this article

 

Foot and Leg Ulcers

 

Oral Issues and Injuries

• Abscesses
• Inflamed, infected gums
• Infected teeth
• Oral ulcers
• Mucositits  
• Go to this article
  

 

Skin Issues and Conditions

• Abscesses
• Burns
• Bacterial infections
• Cuts
• Hotspots
• Infected wounds
  
• Insect bites and stings
• Irritated, inflamed skin
• Fungal infections
• Ringworm
• Scrapes
• Skin grafts
  
• Sunburn
• Surgical incisions and wounds 
• Tick bites
  
• Trauma wounds
• Warts

 

 

Cautions

 

Crystallized Honey

• Don't apply crystallized honey to cuts, scrapes and wounds. 
• The microscopic crystals are sharp and can irritate the skin

Diabetic Cats and Dogs

• Ingesting (licking) honey can interfere with blood sugar levels.
  

 

Hypersensitive Individuals

• If your dog or cat is hypersensitive to honey, don't use honey as a topical treatment.

Puppies and Kittens

• Raw honey can contain a small number of botulism spores.  
• The spores are not an issue for adult dogs and cats.   
• However for puppies and kittens less than 6 months of age, the immune system may be vulnerable to infection.  Make sure your puppy or kitten does not ingest the honey.  
• To avoid this issue, consider using Medihoney instead.  Medihoney can be purchased from a pharmacy. 
• Once your companion animal reaches 6 months of age, you can use the raw honey. 

How to Achieve The Best Healing Outcomes

Raw unpasteurized, pure honey is an amazing, natural healing substance. But it's important to make sure your dog and cat's overall healing process is properly supported.

To ensure the best healing outcome a natural healing plan should be comprised of comprehensive dietary, supplemental and topical support.

 

Diet Matters

 

Support your dog and cat's healing and long-term health with a species appropriate  raw or gently cooked and fresh food diet. There are many examples of healing, health supporting recipes on my blog site. For example:

 

Raw or Gently Cooked and Fresh Food Recipe

• Example of a raw or gently cooked and fresh food diet recipe:
• Go to this article.

Bone Broth Recipe

• Bone broth recipe:
• Go to this article.

For more articles and recipes, search my blog site using the 'labels' located at the right-hand column of each page.

Personal Care Choices Matter

 

If your dog and cat's body is burdened with toxins, its more difficult for their body to heal. Choose natural personal care products. 

 

For example: 

 

Natural wormers 

• Go to this article.

Foods that help naturally repel insects and parasites

• Go to this article.

Recipes for flea, tick, mosquito sprays, dips and rinses

• Go to this article.

Oral health care aids, toothpaste, and more

• Go to this article. 

 

Shampoos and rinses

• Go to this article.

 

Holistic Wellness and Behaviorist Services

Do you need holistic advice to support your companion animal's health and well being? Become a client. Book your consultation. My professional holistic nutrition, wellness and behavioral services are available to you:
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Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld