Rubbing Alcohol?

[Chickengal505]

On one of my current post "HELP hole in her head 4mth old hen" im treating a head injury and want to know if i can clean it with rubbing alcohol in stead of proxide hearing extenseve use of proxide can stunt healing.

 

[FireTigeris]

Rubbing A AND H2O2 (peroxide) are both external only, get some silverdine solution if t=you can or triple antibiotic cream

 

[mypicklebird]

rubbing alcohol is a decent cleaner for uninjured tissue- but it STINGS on injured tissue. Use dilute betadine or dilute chlorhexidine if you want a mild disinfectant. Or saline eye wash for a gentle cleanser. Also with a head wound, this is close to the eyes and nose- and you don't want alcohol in there either. Dilute betadine or saline will not hurt the eyes if you get it in there by accident.

 

[dreamgirl]

I agree not to use alcohol--if you don't have betadine or other wound wash (or saline), mild soap and water for now, well flushed, will do. Try to keep it out of the eyes.

 

[MotherJean]

I think you have been misled about the dangers of hydrogen peroxide. It is an excellent wound wash and antiseptic. It is especially good for deep wounds that have dirt or debris in them because of it's bubbling action when it comes in contact with blood and serum. The only caution is that you should not use it repeatedly because it will soften the scabbing (Mother Nature's band-aid) and in that way CAN delay healing. Alcohol is not recommended for puncture wounds (not in animals or humans). Use the peroxide to get the wound clean a couple of times if necessary. Then apply a topical antibiotic ointment - I prefer Triple Antibiotic because it fights a broader spectrum of bacteria than just Neosporin alone. Do not bandage the wound. Exposure to UV rays (sunshine) is antibacterial as well. If you cannot separate this chicken while it heals, you may wish to use Blu-Kote spray to keep the others from pecking at the wound.

 

[Backyard Farm]

yes, ditto to don't use alcohol.

I have a good luck with various wounds over many years with liquid chlorophyll. You can get it from any "health food" store and others. My mother used it as
"natural antibacterial wash" for years. I became a believe years ago when it healed a deep puncture wound in one of my dogs that my vet was having trouble with.
I just dilute it and swab it on. I believe it creates an environment that is hostile to bacteria growth.
Most recently I used in on a hen that was attacked by a coyote and torn badly. I didn't really think she would survive. I stitched her up and just kept "bathing" the area in diluted cholorphyll... healed quickly... and she was just as fiesty as ever.

dilute betadine or dilute chlorhexidine - good also.

Hope all goes well!

 

[TanithT]

Quote:
Absolutely not; it is even more cytotoxic than peroxide. Gentle wound cleaning with over the counter agents is best accomplished with a dilute solution of povidone iodine (Betadine) diluted with water to the color of medium weak iced tea. If irrigation is necessary, you can use a small spray bottle or syringe (sans needle) to squirt the solution.

 

[TanithT]

Quote:
If you mean Silvadene (silver sulfadiazene) this has some excellent gram-negative activity and is consequently a good choice for reptiles, avians and human burn victims. Because it is a thick cream that keeps the wound site wet, it can discourage granulation if used too extensively or for too prolonged a time.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
If you mean Silvadene (silver sulfadiazene) this has some excellent gram-negative activity and is consequently a good choice for reptiles, avians and human burn victims. Because it is a thick cream that keeps the wound site wet, it can discourage granulation if used too extensively or for too prolonged a time.

Yes thanks. cant spell worth a darn ,and I completely forgot about chlorodex- its at feed stores, it need s to be heavky duluted for small mammels and birds.


In microbiology we watched how H2O2 works the cells that are dividing or are damaged get lysed. So if used every other day it should be ok, as it would only kill the cells dividing that moment. (For my rats I uses it in abscesses all the time)

 

[TanithT]

I use chlorhexadine by default for wound washing (dilute to the color of old, faded blue jeans), but I wasn't aware that it was easy to access for the general public. Povidone iodine is, so it's usually my recommendation for folks who don't have easy access to lab or clinic supplies. If you can get chlorhexadine, I'd recommend it unless you think you're looking at a fungal problem, in which case povidone iodine is a slightly more optimal choice.