Has anyone else ever done this???

Question

i was told a tip from my friend who got it from the SPCA and she said that if your horse has a gash that you can mix betadine and sugar and make a paste and put it on the cut. is this a possibility???? or you can use it on any big wounds or and small cuts too. and it wont leave a bad scar.

Answer 1

I've never heard of it. When one of our horses gets a cut or gash or anything we put Wonder Dust on it.

Answer 2

I've never done it but I've heard it works great. It also is said to work with helping thrush, which I'm going to try. It is often called sugardine or sugardyne, and you can read more about it here:

http://www.horses-and-ponies.com/health/...

http://horsecity.com/stories/071201/hea_...

Hope this helps you, and good luck :)

Answer 3

It's called sugardine, and it works really well.  The betadine helps to clean it, and the sugar draws out the bacteria because of osmotic pressure.  Basically the bacteria comes out to get to the sugar.

It has been around for a long time and works very well.  I don't know if it affects the scarring, but it certainly helps healing.

Answer 4

Refer to paintgirl's answer.  I agree with her assessment, and would add that you may think you are saving money, or coming up with a clever miracle cure. In fact, in the long run, you may spend more as a result of improper treatment.  Most of these treatments have been around for years, and most have long since been proven to be less or no more effective than FDA approved medications at best, and at worst, may actually impair healing or cause tissue injury.

Answer 5

I did this when my horse cut is coronary band and then his hooves got SUPER soft feet (like if i pressed on the hoof near the frog, my finger mark would stay there. This hardened his hooves WONDERFULLY, so it does have some healing capabilities, but I don't know about cuts .. Sorry. I know betadine and iodine dry out things though, so it might not be too good for a cut. You want cuts to be well moisturized so the skin can heal properly. I would recommend furazone and maybe some vitamin E things. They come in little tablets at the drug store and you break the plastic-ey tablet and squeeze out the vitamin E

Answer 6

I wouldnt try it, the sugar would atract the flys and make the wound worse. I would try some iodine and let that dry and a few hours later use tea tree oil. if you want to keep away scars on small gashes I use neosporin

Answer 7

ive never heard that..id be worried about an infection

Answer 8

You can do that. The betadine is like iodine- it cleans it really well and kills bacteria etc. Sugar is used because nothing bad grows in sugar, so it can also help prevent infection. Sounds strange, but it's ok. However, for cuts I prefer to use Cut Heal. It works really well, helps prevent scarring and promote hair growth :) http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?...

Answer 9

Try this its a system to heal.

http://www.allivet.com/Wound-healing-sys...

Answer 10

I've heard of the sugar paste but have never tried it.  Have you heard of Sergeant's wound care?  The stuff is awesome and will heal anything.  The grange has a picture book of the worst proud flesh wounds that have healed using it.  It's awesome stuff and doesn't cost too much.

Answer 11

I wouldn't.. too too risky, See a vet about big gashes and use Wonder Dust, Blue Spray etc, for treating minor ones.

A lot safer in the long run.  

Answer 12

It may work fine...My biggest concern would be the flies being crazy attracted to the sugar - there is your risk of infection.

The SPCA have to cut costs...

The SPCA here in my area uses ointments and sprays on horses that are designed for horses - I volunteer and foster horses from time to time.

A "gash" is different from a "cut" - the gash is usually deep - and there is no chance I'd be sticking sugar in there.

Apple Cider vinegar works as a mild antiseptic - oatmeal has drawing abilities and can help with an abcess - Bleach poured on thrush can cure it.

There are many old farmers' "cures" that can work - just think it thru and check with the vet first.

Answer 13

I think every one of your posters said this was great and helped with healing.  But I wonder where they base their info.

I'm a nurse.  In the human health industry they spend huge amounts of money researching and tracking how wounds heal.  In the past we treated people's wounds with betadine (which is iodine) and even before that sugar was used.  I've heard of alot of other old cures, people used maalox on bedsores to help them toughen up.  Honey has been used on wounds. Heavy duty cleaners have been used on wounds.

And now research has come full circle and discovered that when you treat wounds with strong chemicals, such as betadine, you not only kill the nasty bacteria, but you also kill the good healing skin and tissue.  Studies show that betadine actually slows healing as it slows the new tissue growths healthing.  That is why you'll find that doctors in emergency now cleanse wounds with as basic of things as possible - often using only sterile water or sterile normal saline.  Truely dirty and infected wounds are treated with stronger chemicals on a one time basis, and then after that cleansed with normal saline.

In most cases you want wounds to keep moist but clean to heal.  Dry wounds heal slower.  Probably the best thing you could do is once or twice a day cleanse the wound with a mild saline solution.  Do not spray it hard with force, even spray from a hose coming out too hard can damage the fragile new tissue.  Pat the wound dry.  Apply an antibiotic ointment (even one for human use that you buy at Wal-Mart is okay)  Dress the wound, if possible, using Vetwrap and non-stick 4' X 4".  If you see the scar becoming red, having thick greenish discharge or getting an overgrown of tissue, have a vet examine it.

If you want good health advice, speak directly to your vet.  Please don't go back to the old ways of health care unless you can prove those things worked.  We have come a long ways in the last 25 years of health care.  People used to use turpentine, lard and other really bizarre things in wounds - tobacco leaves were one, and they weren't nearly as effective as what tools we now have.

Good luck with your horse.  This was a good question because it shows that you are looking to find out what's best for your horse.  But please get the advice from your vet, who really knows, and not from people who haven't kept up with all the changes in health care knowledge.

Answer 14

i have never heard of that, i personally wouldnt try it. Unless it is prooven that it works well. Becuase i wouldnt want my horse to get any infections , or be uncomfortable