Healing with Honey

A few years ago Eva, our shepherd was in an accident. She had a wound on her paw that wouldn't heal. For over a year we tried several remedies. She wore boots like the dog's in the Iditarod, took antibiotics, went through miles of bandaging, nothing worked until she started healing with honey.

One veterinarian suggested re-breaking her leg to readjust the rod and plate. The theory that if Eva could walk straighter it would take pressure off the wounded paw. That seemed like a traumatic solution.

Then a family friend, who's also a veterinarian, suggested sugaring or honeying the wound. I decided to use crystallized honey. Every day we cleaned Eva's paw, spread honey on the wound and bandaged it. She started healing within a few days. By month's end the healing was nearly complete.

Bacteria can't grow in a high sugar environment, and honey is antimicrobial, too.

The healing properties of honey are well documented. Organic honey is perfect for cuts, burns, skin ulcers and surgical wounds.

The Results of Healing with Honey

More Sweet, Healthy Benefits of Honey:

Consuming honey instead of sugar reduces weight gain, improves memory and reduces anxiety
Diabetic ulcers and infected wounds that stagnate under traditional care heal rapidly with honey
Burn victims and amputees, including civilian casualties during the Iraq war, respond well to honey bandages, making painful skin grafts unnecessary
A spoonful of honey helps alleviate side effects of head or neck radiation in cancer patients
Honey proves more effective and safer than children's cough medicines
Functioning as both a prebiotic and probiotic, honey stimulates intestinal health
Cataracts respond well to honey from sting-less bees from South America

This list is from the book, Two Million Blossoms; Discovering the Medicinal Benefits of Honey, by Kristen S. Traynor, M.S.

We have a foster puppy, Eva. She's a twelve week old German Shepherd. If her hip x-rays, physical exam, temperament, and size are exemplary when she's two years old she'll will go into a breeding program. Last week when Keith was backing up the truck and trailer Eva ran underneath. She broke her leg, tore muscles, damaged one eye, was cut and bruised. Have you seen the poster about Lucky, the lost dog? Other than the line about being neutered- that's Eva. Three legged (temporarily), one eyed (temporarily), and cut up.

Eva is lucky. She has one good eye, the other is stitched shut. Her front leg has a pin and plate holding it together. The other front leg has stitches and torn muscles. She's cut up and bruised, but healing. The vet expects a full recovery. In the meantime she requires lots of attention, love, and time. We need ear muffs. She's in pain and whines when she's left alone. She also whines when we're in the room with her. She whines when she's hungry, thirsty, bored, has to go out, wants attention, is falling asleep, or when the radio isn't playing her favorite song. Basically, she whines all the time, but that's alright with me. Given the alternative I'll listen to her all day long because she's lucky, and we are too.