Friday, January 6, 2012

Ichthammol Salve

Also know as black drawing salve.  This stuff is amazing!   A friend who deals with horses suggested I use that to pack my dog's wound.  She said they use it on horses and it is amazing.  No cleaning, no dressings, just repack 1-3 times a day.   This sounded like an answer to prayer for me.  

Stopped by Tractor Supply and got all they had.  I figured to fill that hole it was going to take a lot.   I packed it in.   A lot of it fell out because of the wound and it's position.  I am sure the fact I cheated and warmed that salve in hot water until it was thick syrup didn't help it stay in place.   Lesson learned.  Amazon does carry it, but it is almost twice the price of other places both on line and local. 

Next morning I didn't pack it in so much.  I packed the deep wound part, but the rest I frosted.   Seriously this stuff is about as thick as cold can cake icing.  It goes on about as well too!   You can cover once, but if you try to go back and touch up all your "pretty" pulls back onto your spoon or spatula.   I should be able to frost cakes quite well when I get through doing this.  

I have been doing it for a week today.  I would say that the wound has shrunk by at least 1/3 if not closer to 1/2.the deep spot is smaller around and not as deep, maybe 2 inches deep and maybe that wide.  Much better than me being able to put my fist in the hole. 

This stuff isn't very expensive.   I would really suggest anyone with animals keep a container on hand.  It really is amazing stuff.  It is oh so nasty to use.  It stinks, and drains off all day.   At the same time it protects the wound.  You don't have to dress it are anything.  I will see rocks and hay and grass and dirt in that stuff on his wound, but by the time it is time to put the stuff on it again it seems to all drain off.  

I am not sure how long I will be icing his hinny,  but I do know not near as long as I expected to be doing wound care and oh so much simpler!    It truly was an answer to prayer!

1 comment:

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Too funny! When we were living in San Angelo Arielle got a really bad sliver and the doc was saying he'd need to lance etc. A friend gave me this stuff, we put it on and put a bandaide over and by the a.m. it was all open and the infection was purging. Great stuff. She gave me a little jar of it - but it wasn't sealed and I couldn't bring it to Japan.