# Honey used for emergency healing



## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

I recently just moved to a bigger house and I'm broke at the moment, so i had to put my pigeon's in a shed.. the very next day my neighbors told me that a draft blown my shed open and that my birds flew the coop.

all my birds came back two days later besides one and a Gold arch angel with a huge chunk of flesh missing on it's chest and flax seed stuck to the chest that i didn't feed it.

I washed the debris out with warm salt water solution using a cotton swab, then and i dried it with a cotton swab and applied honey on the wound for the past 5 days. 

Note, i don't have an Avian vet near me and i can't afford one even if there was cause i just quit my job and moved to a new house  but when i was 9 years old my grandmother told me that honey applied to a wound not only stops infections but it prevents scar tissue from forming too.

on the 7th day it completely healed with only a small black bump that i have no idea what it is.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

this is after it fully healed within 7 days. with a black nub in his chest left.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

heres the whole pigeon


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

I know you all will think im crazy or something but there is a real explaination for this.

it turns out that the chemical reaction to air turns honey into slow releasing hydrogen peroxide, and that bacteria would rather eat sugar/glucose instead of muscle and skin tissue. this buys time for the pigeons wound to close up causing less damage to the muscle structure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8XSuGyAGWs

I was skeptical at first but then after my pigeon healed i did alot of research and thought wow my grandmother was right, how cool huh?

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-hydrogen-peroxide-producing-capacity-honey-3225756.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

It's actually better then applying anti biotic because of it's ability to fight off scar tissue.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

It did had watery stool at first cause of the wound but i force fed it a clove of garlic and it's stool went back to normal in matter of hours. 8 hours to be exact.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

I was skeptic regarding the sugar from the honey. But i always use propolis, which is found honey only,. Propolis spray or tincture. When i saw the thread title i thought propolis,never crossed my mind sugar.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

Dima said:


> I was skeptic regarding the sugar from the honey. But i always use propolis, which is found honey only,. Propolis spray or tincture. When i saw the thread title i thought propolis,never crossed my mind sugar.


but the results were amazing, i didnt expect such deep puncture wounds to heal within a week :S i saw videos on youtube and it takes 20 days to a month to form skin over the body.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

In medicine

Historically, honey has been used by humans to treat a variety of ailments, from gastric disturbances to ulcers, wounds and burns, through ingestion or topical application, but only recently have the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of honey been chemically explained. Different honeys have different properties, which was known since ancient times. Much scientific research has been done, with emphasis of late on fighting infections in wounds. [71] The antibacterial mechanisms known to date are H2O2, methylglyoxal(MGO), bee defensin-1, the osmotic effect and the pH. [72]

In Ayurveda, a 4000-year-old medicine originating from India, honey is considered to positively affect all three primitive material imbalances of the body. "Vaatalam guru sheetam cha raktapittakaphapaham| Sandhatru cchedanam ruksham kashayam madhuram madhu|| "It has sweetness with added astringent as end taste. It is heavy, dry and cold. Its effect on doshas (imbalances) is that it aggravates vata (air / moving forces), scrapes kapha (mucus / holding forces) and normalizes pitta (catabolic fire) and rakta (blood). It promotes the healing process." Some wound gels which contain antibacterial raw honey and have regulatory approval are now available to help treat drug-resistant strains of bacteria (MRSA). One New Zealand researcher says a particular type of honey (manuka honey) may be useful in treating MRSA infections.[73])

As an antimicrobial agent honey is useful in treating a variety of ailments. Antibacterial properties of honey are the result of the low water activity causing osmosis, chelation of free Iron, its slow release of hydrogen peroxide,[74] high acidity,[75] and the antibacterial activity of methylglyoxal.[76]

Honey appears to be effective in killing drug-resistant biofilms which are implicated in chronic rhinosinusitis.[77]

[edit] Osmotic effect

Honey has an osmotic effect.[78] Honey is primarily a saturated mixture of two monosaccharides, with a low water activity; most of the water molecules are associated with the sugars and few remain available for microorganisms, so it is a poor environment for their growth. If water is mixed with honey, it loses its low water activity, and therefore no longer possesses this antimicrobial property.

[edit] Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is formed in a slow-release manner by the enzyme glucose oxidase present in honey. It becomes active only when honey is diluted, requires oxygen to be available for the reaction (thus it may not work under wound dressings, in wound cavities or in the gut), is active only when the acidity of honey is neutralized by body fluids, can be destroyed by the protein-digesting enzymes present in wound fluids, and is destroyed when honey is exposed to heat and light.[76] Honey chelates and deactivates free iron, which would otherwise catalyze the formation of oxygen free radicals from hydrogen peroxide, leading to inflammation. Also, the antioxidant constituents in honey help clean up oxygen free radicals present.[79]
C6H12O6 + H2O + O2 → C6H12O7 + H2O2 (glucose oxidase reaction) 
When honey is used topically (as, for example, a wound dressing), hydrogen peroxide is produced by dilution of the honey with body fluids. As a result, hydrogen peroxide is released slowly and acts as an antiseptic.

[edit] Use for diabetic ulcers

Topical honey has been used successfully in a comprehensive treatment of diabetic ulcers when the patient cannot use topical antibiotics.[80]

[edit] Acidity

The pH of honey is commonly between 3.2 and 4.5.[75] This relatively acidic pH level prevents the growth of many bacteria.

[edit] Methylglyoxal

The nonperoxide antibiotic activity is due to methylglyoxal (MGO) and bee defensin-1[81]. Most honeys contain very low levels of MGO, but manuka honey contains very high levels. The presence of the synergist in manuka honey more than doubles MGO antibacterial activity.[76]

[edit] Nutraceutical effects

Antioxidants in honey have even been associated with reducing the damage done to the colon in colitis in a study involving administering honey enemas to rats.[82] Such claims are consistent with its use in many traditions of folk medicine.[83]

[edit] Use for sore throats and coughs

Honey has also been used for centuries as a treatment for sore throats and coughs and, according to recent research, may be an effective soothing agent for coughs.[84]

[edit] Other medical applications

Some studies suggest the topical use of honey may reduce odors, swelling, and scarring when used to treat wounds; it may also prevent the dressing from sticking to the healing wound.[75]

Honey has been shown to be an effective treatment for conjunctivitis in rats.[85]

Unfiltered, pasteurized honey is widely believed to alleviate allergies, though neither commercially filtered nor raw honey was shown to be more effective than placebo in a controlled study of 36 participants with ocular allergies.[86] Nearly 1 in 3 of the volunteers dropped out of the study because they couldn’t tolerate eating one tablespoon of honey every day due to the overly sweet taste.[87] The official conclusion: "This study does not confirm the widely held belief that honey relieves the symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis." A more recent study has shown pollen collected by bees to exert an antiallergenic effect, mediated by an inhibition of IgE immunoglobulin binding to mast cells. This inhibited mast cell degranulation and thus reduced allergic reaction.[88] The risk of experiencing anaphylaxis as an immune system reaction may outweigh any potential allergy relief.[87]

A review in the Cochrane Library suggests honey could reduce the time it takes for a mild burn to heal — up to four days sooner in some cases. The review included 19 studies with 2,554 participants. Although the honey treatment healed mild burns faster than traditional dressings did, the author recommends viewing the findings with caution, since a single research centre performed all of the burn studies


From wikipedia


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

Also the best part is, the pigeons White blood cells also feed on the sugar in the honey, giving the white blood cell more energy to fight off bacteria. There was so much benefit to honey, i was surprised.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

So how was the procedure? You applied it daily without wiping it? Boy, i am glad your bird survived. Do u have any idea what attacked him?


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

Yes i applied it daily, until the 5th day or so because a scab already formed so nothing was going to get obsorbed anyways.

well the procedure was to cut away all the feathers near the wound and clean the wound with salt water solution first, then everyday i apply honey without wiping it because adding water to the area weakens the affect of the honey.

No idea what got my bird but it was probably my neighbors cats, he has 5 cats, and told me to becareful, in his exact words he said his cats would rip my birds head off. Which is kind creepy cause i live in a rich neighbor hood so i'd expect him to have more etiquette


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

So i assume it's no need of any antibiotic- cat saliva can be deadly- since honey prevents infection to grow into the wound.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

the only affect the wound had on her was watery stool which one clove of garlic changed it back to normal, i cut the clove of raw garlic in half and force fed it for it to be stronger then normal. the stool went back to being solid and light green in 8 hours.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Dima said:


> So i assume it's no need of any antibiotic- cat saliva can be deadly- since honey prevents infection to grow into the wound.


There would still be a requiremet for antibiotics. While the honey may help heal and prevent infection of the wound itself, it will do nothing for any bacteria which has already got into the blodstream due to the bite.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

Quazar said:


> There would still be a requiremet for antibiotics. While the honey may help heal and prevent infection of the wound itself, it will do nothing for any bacteria which has already got into the blodstream due to the bite.


unless he means topical anti biotic for wounds, alot of doctors are now using honey to treat wounds because alot of flesh eating dieases are resistent to anti biotics since people like to abuse them.

One benefit to applying honey was that the smell goes away in just a day or two, when i first took the bird in, it smelled like rotting flesh and the Gimple only got lost for two days.

when the bacteria eats away at the honey it makes the house smell like fresh flowers.

I had to keep her in the garage since it was a heavy wound, anyone who walked into the garage gagged cause the smell was just that bad, but the honey changed it over real quick.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Wow pretty amazing! The only thing I'm not sure about with bird wounds is they heal pretty quickly anyway, so it would be hard to determine if the topical agent you used really helped or not. Bob might remember this- I took in a pigeon with crop wound a few months back and it had healed over within 7 days. It was on amoxicillin (and good food). My first racing pigeon was also badly wounded under the wings when I first found him, and those wounds healed up in about ten days. I only used internal antibiotics.

Anyway I'm happy for the information about honey and I will keep an open mind for sure..thank you!

Last question, is there an advantage to using royal Jelly over regular honey? I heard that it was much better?


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

Bella_F said:


> Wow pretty amazing! The only thing I'm not sure about with bird wounds is they heal pretty quickly anyway, so it would be hard to determine if the topical agent you used really helped or not. Bob might remember this- I took in a pigeon with crop wound a few months back and it had healed over within 7 days. It was on amoxicillin (and good food). My first racing pigeon was also badly wounded under the wings when I first found him, and those wounds healed up in about ten days. I only used internal antibiotics.
> 
> Anyway I'm happy for the information about honey and I will keep an open mind for sure..thank you!
> 
> Last question, is there an advantage to using royal Jelly over regular honey? I heard that it was much better?



No idea, i was using Pure Canadian honey, we have a famous honey farm where i live.

The picture didn't do justice to what the wound look like, i took a picture of it with my Iphone 

The Biggest hole healed fine and looks normal, but the second biggest hole was deformed muscle to begin with so now there is a giant nub of black flesh i have no idea what it is.

I almost puked cleaning the holes inside the wound itself, i took a cotton swab and digged into a half an inch hole, my girlfriend told me that i was prodding it too hard but that was the only way to get out all the random stuff that was stuck in there.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I have not read through all this thread..but just wanted to say I have seen the vet where I work use honey for certain wounds.. ones that need to to stay plyable and on quite large wounds at that..it works...it sheilds the wound from bacteria and keeps the skin from drying too much so it can heal well. it is amazing.. I have heard that manuka honey is good too as this honey is from the tea tree.. which I guess is a natural antibiotic.. the animal may need internal antibiotic with the honey used as a dressing.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Just goes to show that *bee's are truely amazing little creatures* . I might have to try the honey in the future .


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

spirit wings said:


> I have not read through all this thread..but just wanted to say I have seen the vet where I work use honey for certain wounds.. ones that need to to stay plyable and on quite large wounds at that..it works...it sheilds the wound from bacteria and keeps the skin from drying too much so it can heal well. it is amazing.. I have heard that manuka honey is good too as this honey is from the tea tree.. which I guess is a natural antibiotic.. the animal may need internal antibiotic with the honey used as a dressing.


Yes a lot of vets or doctors use honey instead of anti biotic depending on the type of infection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=xc4FJwkEaB4

Here is info of Manuka honey, where i live we have a lot of different types of honey from blue berry to apple, taste soooo good 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=ekuHq96yz8g&NR=1


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Pigeonfriends said:


> Yes a lot of vets or doctors use honey instead of anti biotic depending on the type of infection.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=xc4FJwkEaB4
> 
> Here is info of Manuka honey, where i live we have a lot of different types of honey from blue berry to apple, taste soooo good


I don't think she used it instead of antibiotic...she used it as a wound dressing..esp for large areas that are hard to bandange..like deep abrasions from hit by car on a dog for example. I think regurdless of what info is out there to not give an oral antibiotic if needed would be wrong. the honey really does work for wound healing for humans and animals, I only say this because I have seen it first hand.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

spirit wings said:


> I don't think she used it instead of antibiotic...she used it as a wound dressing..esp for large areas that are hard to bandange..like deep abrasions from hit by car on a dog for example. I think regurdless of what info is out there to not give an oral antibiotic if needed would be wrong. the honey really does work for wound healing though humans and animals, I only say this because I have seen it first hand.



i would give an oral anti biotic, but pet shops around my part of town don't do well so they specialize in dogs and cats. Also I'm new to pigeons so i'm not sure which brand to buy.

the pictures shown is actually fairly old, since i moved to my new house i haven't had internet for 15 days or so. My pigeon wasn't given any Orals at all and is alive and healthy, she already mated with my prize winner since i have a shed so i can't stop them.

I'm expecting an egg from her in 3 days or so, she's gotten a lot heavier then before so i know its coming 

but i did force feed her raw garlic religiously every day so maybe that's why she didn't die from infection, who knows.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Pigeonfriends said:


> i would give an oral anti biotic, but pet shops around my part of town don't do well so they specialize in dogs and cats. Also I'm new to pigeons so i'm not sure which brand to buy.
> 
> the pictures shown is actually fairly old, since i moved to my new house i haven't had internet for 15 days or so. My pigeon wasn't given any Orals at all and is alive and healthy, she already mated with my prize winner since i have a shed so i can't stop them.
> 
> ...


she probably has a strong immune system at work, so she did well..it happens, which is good. for pigeon supplies you would just have to order meds online. google pigeon supply and take you're pick.. and keep the honey around too!


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

spirit wings said:


> she probably has a strong immune system at work, so she did well..it happens, which is good. for pigeon supplies you would just have to order meds online. google pigeon supply and take you're pick.. and keep the honey around too!



actually speaking of which i got scammed online while buying a dewormer recently, i didn't read the small letters and paid 36 bucks for 25 tablets of mediworm.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Pigeonfriends said:


> actually speaking of which i got scammed online while buying a dewormer recently, i didn't read the small letters and paid 36 bucks for 25 tablets of mediworm.


The sites that most order from are:

foy's pigeon supply

jedds

global pigeon

new england pigeon supply.. (my fav )


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Pigeonfriends said:


> Yes a lot of vets or doctors use honey instead of anti biotic depending on the type of infection.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=xc4FJwkEaB4
> 
> ...


The vet I work for uses honey dressings on chickens and other fowl that have punctures and lacerations from animal attacks. *It has to be RAW HONEY*. He makes a paste using half honey and half sugar. The sugar causes the honey to harden a bit and adhere to the skin better.
When using it as a dressing for lacerations, you have to pluck out any feathers left directly inside and around the laceration. You don't want the skin healing over feathers.


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## Pigeonfriends (Jan 19, 2012)

Msfreebird said:


> The vet I work for uses honey dressings on chickens and other fowl that have punctures and lacerations from animal attacks. *It has to be RAW HONEY*. He makes a paste using half honey and half sugar. The sugar causes the honey to harden a bit and adhere to the skin better.
> When using it as a dressing for lacerations, you have to pluck out any feathers left directly inside and around the laceration. You don't want the skin healing over feathers.


Pure Canadian honey is raw because it's not heated, unprocessed, but it doesn't have to be raw. Being raw makes it more beneficial because it's unheated, honey that has been heated destroys a lot of it's properties. my grandmother was a farm worker and she suffered a lot of deep cuts when she was young, and even normal honey worked fine for her  but ya it is preferable for it to be raw.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Pigeonfriends said:


> i would give an oral anti biotic, but pet shops around my part of town don't do well so they specialize in dogs and cats. Also I'm new to pigeons so i'm not sure which brand to buy.


You can usually find a good antibiotic for birds in the fish section of any pet store. Most pets stores stock tetracycline and sulfa antibiotics for fish. My first choice would be a sulfa antibiotic (going under many different names like Triple sulfa, sulfa-3, triple-C etc). The ingredients will be something starting with `sulfa' such as `sulfamethoxazole' . The tetracycline is better for respiratory /airsac infections.

I agree with Spiritwings- honey sounds like a great wound dressing. But there's many times you need oral antibiotics to save a pigeon.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A combination of honey and maalox has been used for a long time to heal wounds. 
The honey helps the healing process as does the maalox by breaking down the biofilm which can be very resistant to antibiotics and disinfecting.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

Pigeonfriends said:


> Pure Canadian honey is raw because it's not heated, unprocessed, but it doesn't have to be raw. Being raw makes it more beneficial because it's unheated, honey that has been heated destroys a lot of it's properties. my grandmother was a farm worker and she suffered a lot of deep cuts when she was young, and even normal honey worked fine for her  but ya it is preferable for it to be raw.


*Hi Pigeonfrienrs,I am currently studying enzymes and I find that there are enzymes that will eat the protein shell that covers virus. This lets the white blood corpuscle get at the inner part of the virus,which they then destroy. Heat will destroy enzymes so the raw honey is the best way to go. Your post on honey is very very intresting,I also find that raw apple cider vinigar and raw honey as a drink, are good for our birds, and us humans *GEORGE


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I was just wondering , what do you mean by `raw' honey? I read somewhere last year that most honey is heated up so it can be easily poured into jars for retail sale. Is raw honey the kind with honey comb that doesn't get heated up?


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