Treating my cat that has been biten with Active Manuka Honey

Mary E

Does anyone have experience of using Active Manuka Honey for a cat bite (on a cat)?
My cat is about to finish a second lot of antibiotics for this problem. On his first visit to the vet he got an antibiotic injection and an anti inflammatory injection followed by a course of oral antibiotics. The wound seemed like it was almost better and then became worse again. The vet then prescribed a different type of antibiotics and a topical steroid cream. The wound isn't too bad now but it's not fully healed either.
It's really difficult to get him to take the antibiotics - he goes on hunger strike and on two occasions I've ended up throwing out the food with the antibiotic in it as it's been there so long that I knew he wouldn't eat it and twelve hours had elapsed and it was time for a new antibiotic. He's OK with me bathing the area with salty water as instructed but he freaks out when I gently rub in the steroid cream and then licks it off - I was told to do this before he gets food which I do but he usually doesn't go for the food until he's licked off the cream.
My Mum is a big fan of Manuka Honey and suggested this - she recommended it to someone for an MRSA-infected leg ulcer for whom conventional was working with great results. I found the following on the Internet for the treatment of animals:
"For External Applications, simply apply Active Manuka Honey to a sterile gauze and apply the gauze with the honey to any type of wound, burns, sores, scar etc."
My question is this:has anyone used Active Manuka Honey for a cat wound such as this and if so how did you manage to keep the guaze on?

Some addtional info: When this problem first occured the cat was lame and off his food, but after the first visit to the vet he was no longer lame. He's not off his food now; he asks for it but if it contains antibiotic he'll often take longer to eat it and may only eat some or none of it.
ps I'm not trying to save money by not bringing him to the vet; I just to make his wound better ASAP. I think the Active Manuka Honey costs probably as much as a trip to the vet, oh and the cat's not a big fan of going in the car etc.

Thanks in advance.

hadook

My local vet nurse is a big fan of Manuka honey and she suggested it for a cut on my Dane's foot to be used alongside the antibiotics the vet prescribed for the infection. We rubbed it in a couple of times a day and made the Moo sit still for about 20 mins afterwards. I dunno how effective the honey was as we were also treating with antibiotics and dog spit (applied by the dog, not us ) but it didn't hinder healing in anyway...

We didn't use gauze to keep it on - we used it to apply it and, after 20 mins of strictly enforced quiet time, left the dog alone to lick it off if she wanted. It's not a nice taste though so she tended to leave it mostly alone.

comongethappy

Hi OP,

I have posted before on similar topics... I had gotten a kitten who had a cat bite on her neck that turned into a nasty infection.

Like you I was prescribed first the steroid cream, but she kept licking it off.

Her bite was on her neck, and had spread all the way up her chin to her mouth. I brought ProWrap self adhesive bandage (vets will normally stock it for horses, or any equestrian store will have it), and I wrapped it loosely around her neck, but as it was her neck, it would roll down and she'd start licking again!

I took her back to the vets, who said I could try antibotics, but he said he didn't know which ones would be effective. He said it would be very hard on her system as she was so young, and that it could be the first of many to try. So, I took the antibotics, but asked for a elizabethan collar to try first.

I brought animalintex... it's a vet dressing (non sterile) generally used on horses. I use the hot water method, so you cut a square of the dressing off big enough to cover the wound and place it on a plate. Pour just enough boiling water over it so it sucks it all up. Leave to cool so it's hot, but not burning, and squeez the excess water out. Place over the animals wound and wrap with the Prowrap or other self adhesive bandage. Leave for a few hours to overnight. Once you remove it you'll see alot of the puss dragged out. Cover then with the honey or an antibotic cream and wrap over again with the self adhesive bandage. You'll have to repeat this for a few days, and keep a self adhseive bandage over the wound until it's healed over, as otherwise they'll just lick it and open it up again.

If your cat get the self adhesive bandage off. I'm afraid you'll have to get an E-Collar or another grooming-blocking alternative. I cut my cat's E-collar so she could still access food and water, just not groom. Be prepared though for the cat walking backwards to try to get away from it, and excessively grooming the inside of the collar. I had to leave my kitten's on for 3 weeks, but she's the picture of health now.

Best of luck OP

ISDW

My vet has advised me to use Manuka honey on some of the rescue dogs that come in, if they have any cuts or abrasions. One of our puppies had his ear bitten off, and after cleaning it, thats what I was putting on it, it healed over very nicely.

Rory123

Our very old dog Mackie was run over by a van last year, he was torn open from near his anus right down the back of one of his legs. He was stitched up and medicated as normal and had a lampshade collar for a few months. We applied Manuka honey to the wound every day for a couple of months... You can't even see a scar now.
I could not recommend the use of this stuff enough! (when used alongside conventional methods administered by a qualified vet of course!;))

Lauragoesmad

Rory123 wrote: »

Our very old dog Mackie was run over by a van last year, he was torn open from near his anus right down the back of one of his legs. He was stitched up and medicated as normal and had a lampshade collar for a few months. We applied Manuka honey to the wound every day for a couple of months... You can't even see a scar now.
I could not recommend the use of this stuff enough! (when used alongside conventional methods administered by a qualified vet of course!;))

Rory, your dog is so cool! He looks so wise!

Mary E

Thanks for this Hadook, I guess I should have put animals in the title.

Mary E

Thank you so much for your very detailed answer. The vet did mention about using a collar last week as a last resort but, although my cat spends a lot of time indoors when he wants to go out he wants to go out and the vet said he'd have to stay inside if he had a collar.
What is animalintex? Is it just guaze or is it impregnated with something?
I'm actually leaning towards just using the manuka honey on its own for today as I feel that dressing would get dirty when the cat goes out. His leg's actually a lot better and the last few times I put on the steroid cream My husband held him and it all went fine.

Mary E

That's good to hear - thank you very much.

Mary E

That's great. Thanks very much.

comongethappy

Hi OP,

Animaltex is a gauze that has a bit of boric acid impregnated in it... I've used it on myself as well when I got a cat bite on my thumb. I found it was brilliant for opening the wound slightly to drain the infection, so when you put the honey (or anitbotic cream in my case) on it can penetrate the infection properly.

If it's infected badly and if you can keep him in overnight or a few hours to use the animalintex that would be great, and then just put the honey on and the self adhesive bandage around his leg before he goes out, that way no dirt will get into the wound.

Mary E

Thank you very much.
Haven't looked at this site since Fri after you posted this.
Took the cat to the vet Fri pm and she said that the infection was gone.
Have used some Manuka honey also just to be on the safe side.
Will bear your information in mind in case the need arises again.
Thanks again

hardly work'n

There was an article in the National Geographic about a year ago on using manuka honey for burn patients.

With our three dogs, we put a teaspoon in with their dinner every evening. I know that might not be practiacal for a lot of people. But it really seems to help the older wolfhound cross(He's 12!). He's been on it for about a year now, and he is moving better & is happy on himself. We started them on it becouse the older dog had a bit of a temp & was a bit blue. The vet wanted to give him antibiotics, but that just gave him the runs quite bad. So we took him off the antibiotics & started him on a high dose of manuka. Did the trick & no runs. So we started them all on it. A teaspoon in there dinner every night. Plus, on any cuts or scraps they might get.

Rory123

hardly work'n wrote: »

There was an article in the National Geographic about a year ago on using manuka honey for burn patients.

Any idea what month that was HW? I don't remember seeing it but I'd like to go back and read up on it. Cheers.

Themadhouse

Honey is a great healer. We have used it before and it worked a treat. Also if your cat was bitten by a strange cat, ie not one of your own, make sure your vet tests the blood for diseases.

Mary E

Themadhouse wrote: »

Honey is a great healer. We have used it before and it worked a treat. Also if your cat was bitten by a strange cat, ie not one of your own, make sure your vet tests the blood for diseases.

Hi,

What should the vet test him for?

The cat's up-to-date with his vaccines but the vet did say to bring him back when his leg's fully better to have a vaccine for leukaemia.

Kind regards

Themadhouse

It's best to test for FIV and FELV, i am surprised your vet didn't suggest it as it is the most common way cats ge these diseases.
It is unlikely they have caught anyting but if it was me i would getit done for piece of mind.
all our cats from unknown background were tested as soon as we brought them home, just in case they had been bitten at some point.