Abscess won't heal...

[Jessmvee]

I've decided to try the honey now when I get home. My nurse friend has bees and she gave me some raw honey. I also took some of her sodium chloride irrigation fluid. Do you think this would be OK to mix and use? Should I heat the honey before mixing?

Also, should I use a syringe and really wash the wound out inside there? I just need a play by play because I'm so scattered right now in a mild panic.

Thank you guys for all your support.

 

[AHBD]

You don't need to heat the honey, just add a bit of warmed water so the honey is malleable and easier to use. I honestly don't know how to advise you about mixing it with the sodium chloride irrigation fluid. Is this saline + safe if it gets in the eye ? I'm thinking that's what it is. I personally would use just the honey to put in the wound...it's sterile and it makes it's own hydrogen peroxide [ different than man made which kills good tissue as well as the bacteria ] so honey is a complete antimicrobial on it's own. I know your'e very stressed, I can feel your desperation and I wish that you had an expert reptile specialist who would identify what exactly you are dealing with.

 

[Jessmvee]

The nurse who gave me the honey said water could introduce more bacteria so I'm worried about water.

I'm so afraid of messing this up.

 

[AHBD]

Honey kills all the bacteria....bacteria can't survive in the honey. If you'd feel safer mixing it with a tiny amount of the the sodium chloride that would probably be fine. Otherwise water is fine, or distilled water if you want.

 

[Jessmvee]

The honey is in. Crossing my fingers. My biggest worry is the pink tissue mass that formed in his eye over the past week or so. I tried to get a pic but it didn't turn out too well. It fills his whole eye.

 

[AHBD]

I hope it helps. Is the drainage tube still in ? It seems that after he had the cutting, the tubing and the squeezing it got worse. It might be best to get the tube out and see if it goes back down to the original size without squeezing it too much.

 

[kingofnobbys]

This stuff was recommended by home nursing clinician (a registered nurse who specialises in wound care of ulcers, abscesses, surgical wounds) http://www.advancis.co.uk/products/activon-manuka-honey/activon-tube, this is fine to use on human wounds and so will be OK on/in your dragon's infected eye.

I'm sure your local chemist can get this stuff for you, if it's not already on his shelves ready to sell.

If you are worried about bacteria in the tap water, sterile surgical / medical saline is fine, or simply boil the jug , rince out a small bottle with the scalding hot just boiled water, then fill it and let it cool, the boiling will kill off all but the most resistant bacteria. You can then keep the water in sealed bottle in the medicine chest or pantry and use as needed.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I hope it helps. Is the drainage tube still in ? It seems that after he had the cutting, the tubing and the squeezing it got worse. It might be best to get the tube out and see if it goes back down to the original size without squeezing it too much.

Only issue with removing the drainage tube is that if the abscess forms an impenetrable barrier at the skin surface, puss will likely accumulate in the void created by the abscess and the vet when he "cleaned out the infected tissues" originally, and you might wind up with a beardie with a serious case of blood poisoning as a result. When my leg abscesses were operated on , the surgeon told me it's important to prevent this from happening , so my surgical wounds were packed and drained daily until and kept open to promote healing from the bottom up of the wounds first , and the to prevent the skin from healing until tissue had filled the cavities.

 

[AHBD]

I don't think the alternative is any safer and with honey I highly doubt septicemia will occur. We really don't know for sure what's happening but it got much worse after the tube was put in. I remember reading about some of your wounds and they sounded horrific. In your case I think honey may have helped those to have healed faster as well....not positive in your case....but it is being used on hard to heal wounds where other antibiotic dressings failed. Like at the children's cancer center in Bonne Germany. Link here :
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiA1YOZydrKAhUBQBoKHcSLDiYQFggfMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fapitherapy.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fhoney-used-to-treat-wound-infections-in.html&usg=AFQjCNHSSqyA2iKNq3GIyNL7MN7CfSxWvA&sig2=z9GQjmPCo7eWbH6JxuKkpA&bvm=bv.113034660,d.dmo

 

[AHBD]

Jess,I read in this article [ the link I put in my last post ] that it is good to irrigate with sodium chloride in some cases before honey is applied. So your friend's advice was helpful.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh your poor dragon, that is too bad. It definitely cannot feel good for him.
The honey will definitely help out but keeping it clean it extremely important, too. Did they put him on any oral antibiotics for it?

Tracie

 

[Jessmvee]

My vet sort of laughs at my honey suggestion, but I contacting some reptile experts in Texas (I'm in GA) and they said to give the honey a go.

My honey is from a friend and is just regular honey straight from the hive. Will this be ok or should I look for Manuka honey instead?

I've been mixing honey and sodium chloride in a clean syringe and flushing the wound. Then I lightly pack it with straight honey. I read some studies that said of the wound is producing a lot of fluid (like stumpy's), it could dilute the honey too much. So I'm trying straight honey.

I've asked my vet for oral antibiotics, but he says the shots he's giving him once every few weeks should work. Friday is our next appointment and I will beg for antibiotics to take home.

 

[AHBD]

That sounds like a good routine. And yes, regular raw honey is fine, the darker the better. If you yourself feel better about trying Manuka, then go with that. I've read that it's the best, but then who can say that it's been tested against every kind of raw honey out there ? The honey I used on my dragon's eyes was from a friend who also keeps bees and it cleared up the infections within days. There were 2 different dragons a couple years apart. One was cut + bleeding, the other was scratched as it hatched with it's clutchmates [ babies hatching in vermiculite] and the eye swelled about 3X normal size. I was shocked at how quickly it worked, I thought he would die. But that's my experience with honey, and after I Googled all the clinics + vets using it I would recommend it for any wound, no matter how severe.

 

[Jessmvee]

Also, I'm "iffy" about the tubes as well. It did grow a lot bigger when the tubes were added. BUT the top tube has almost completely slipped out, and it's such a pain breaking through the hard, greenish scab that forms on top.

My vet wants to close it Friday and "leave it be" to see how big it gets. And if it gets too big, he said we might need to think about putting him down. NOT gonna happen over this. He eats and plays and I'm so sad my vet is giving up. He's my only nearby vet. I drive 45 minutes for him twice a week.

 

[AHBD]

Yeah, no need to put down an animal that is not in severe distress. I'm glad you mentioned how she's doing, I was going to ask about the sweet little scaly patient. I'm glad she's doing well thus far !