Colloidal Silver for Chickens???

[Yanna]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone has tried colloidal silver or any other form of "natural" antibiotic for treating sick chickens. I have a pullet with bumblefoot and am just looking at some alternatives.

 

[Chicken Woman]

This was on another post

I would not give this to my chickens, since it might have the same effect on them that it has on people:

"Colloidal silver is a suspension of submicroscopic metallic silver particles in a colloidal base. Long-term use of silver preparations can lead to argyria, a condition in which silver salts deposit in the skin, eyes, and internal organs, and the skin turns ashen-gray. Many cases of argyria occurred during the pre-antibiotic era when silver was a common ingredient in nosedrops. When the cause became apparent, doctors stopped recommending their use, and reputable manufacturers stopped producing them. The official drug guidebooks (United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary) have not listed colloidal silver products since 1975." Stephen Barrett, M.D.

 

[Yanna]

Thanks, Lori.

I did find that other colloidal thread after I'd posted here (apologies for not using the search feature first).

I am aware of the negatives associated with colloidal use but have used it cautiously and successfully in the treatment of a couple of ailments that I have had. It would never be the first thing I reach for in the medicine cabinet, however.

There are probably other herb-based treatments out there that have fallen out of fashion with the ascent of antibiotics - these are of more interest. For my present purposes, however, colloidal silver is what is readily available and I'm wondering if a minute internal dose or an external application has been used successfully by anyone here in the forum for bumblefoot or any other ailment.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[speckledhen]

I've had some success using Silver Sulfadiazine cream like they use for burn patients. It seems to do as well as any regular antibiotic I've used. I have a connection who gets this for me, so I have no idea where to find it. It's used alot in wildlife rehab for wounds, I understand.

Silver sulfadiazine is an antibiotic that is active against a wide range of bacteria and it is commonly used to treat and prevent infections at the site of burns.

Silver sulfadiazine has also been used in other skin conditions, such as leg ulcers or pressure sores, where infection may prevent healing and for the prevention of infection in skin grafting.​

 

[silkiechicken]

I think the primary reason for the silver in the silver sulfadiazine is to keep the sulfadiazine in a more active form. The sulfadiazine is the antibacterial agent that inhibits the formation of tetrahydrofolic acid or something of the sort, so I'd say the silver part is an inactive ingredient.

 

[FractalFarmer]

I use colloidal silver for myself and my dogs, and would not hesitate to use it for my chickens if they had something for which an antibiotic was called for. Argyria is caused by massive overdoses of silver, namely by taking silver salt or silver nitrate compounds. If the colloidal silver is made electronically instead of chemically and taken over short periods, argyria is extremely unlikely. In any event, the only symptom of this condition is cosmetic skin discoloration, which is possibly not such a huge concern for you or your chicken.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
I wondered about that, Diana. Anyway, it is a good product to have on hand.

 

[silkiechicken]

Probably works better than neosporin and over the counter tropicals since it's harder to get and not as overused/abused at every scrape.

 

[sweetsour]

My vet prescribe it for me for use on all wounds for my chickens. It works well with bumble foot. She prescribe me a dosage of 1 percent.

 

[Bawkbawk137]

I agree with Fractal, I have used it with immediate success I might add. I rescued 4 black sexlinks and one of them started sneezing with congestion right after releasing them from quarentine. As a newbie chicken mom, I was scared she had infected the whole flock. I believe in not using antibiotics as less as possible...so, I grabbed my silver shield, added 2 teaspoons to a gallon of their water plus 2 teaspoons of avc for 5 days and her sneezes and congestion was totally gone and has not returned! None of the rest of my flock ever showed signs of what she might have had either..Since then I use 1/2 teaspoon daily in their water.