What to do with this foot?

[Kris5902]

If you heat antibiotics they lose effectiveness.

That’s why I heat the oils and add the antibiotic ointment once the mixture is cooling. On re-reading I see I wasn’t perfectly clear on that, it reads like I just heat and add. Sorry.

It’s a slow process with a double boiler and constant stirring (45minutes to 1.5 hours of stirring). I go maximum 2 degrees Celsius above the point where the Vaseline starts to liquify, which although above room temperature isn’t really “hot”. Mineral oil is liquid at room temperature and this seems to be the point the two oils will remain in smooth combination at. I stir constantly, as it begins to trace I put the ointment into it, so it’s already cooled enough that it’s slightly warm to my touch (but I have very cold hands) the end product is much softer than Vaseline at room temperature.

If it’s too hot when you mix the antibiotic in the mix turns grainy and you know you’ve ruined it. I did several test batches before I got the quantities and temperatures for mixing right. I use the 375g Vaseline tub, about 3 1/2 -4 shot glasses of mineral oil, and the antibiotic tube. It makes it easier to work with in the fall when if I’m using straight Vaseline it is really solid and hard to apply and spread.

 

[Kris5902]

Emulsion... that’s the word I think I was looking for... (or suspension?) For getting the oils to combine smoothly together, but without chemically altering them. Of course I remember it after my post!

I would hope they aren’t completely ineffective if raised above 86 Fahrenheit, because normal body temperature is well above that at around 97 degrees? I had an old tube, it seemed to combine just fine once I got the hang of when to mix it in. I don’t have all my soapmaking supplies, temp gun, and such at hand because... adverse living conditions while I build my house, so I’m just making do...

If it helps, great; if it doesn’t... it doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone, so great! It’s what I’m doing, it seems to be working, so I’m happy with it.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

That’s why I heat the oils and add the antibiotic ointment once the mixture is cooling. On re-reading I see I wasn’t perfectly clear on that, it reads like I just heat and add. Sorry.

It’s a slow process with a double boiler and constant stirring (45minutes to 1.5 hours of stirring). I go maximum 2 degrees Celsius above the point where the Vaseline starts to liquify, which although above room temperature isn’t really “hot”. Mineral oil is liquid at room temperature and this seems to be the point the two oils will remain in smooth combination at. I stir constantly, as it begins to trace I put the ointment into it, so it’s already cooled enough that it’s slightly warm to my touch (but I have very cold hands) the end product is much softer than Vaseline at room temperature.

If it’s too hot when you mix the antibiotic in the mix turns grainy and you know you’ve ruined it. I did several test batches before I got the quantities and temperatures for mixing right. I use the 375g Vaseline tub, about 3 1/2 -4 shot glasses of mineral oil, and the antibiotic tube. It makes it easier to work with in the fall when if I’m using straight Vaseline it is really solid and hard to apply and spread.

Fantastic! Sounds like a great mixture.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Emulsion... that’s the word I think I was looking for... (or suspension?) For getting the oils to combine smoothly together, but without chemically altering them. Of course I remember it after my post!

I would hope they aren’t completely ineffective if raised above 86 Fahrenheit, because normal body temperature is well above that at around 97 degrees? I had an old tube, it seemed to combine just fine once I got the hang of when to mix it in. I don’t have all my soapmaking supplies, temp gun, and such at hand because... adverse living conditions while I build my house, so I’m just making do...

If it helps, great; if it doesn’t... it doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone, so great! It’s what I’m doing, it seems to be working, so I’m happy with it.

I would guess they're fine quite a bit above 86, which is why I was trying to find a definitive answer. Instructions and warnings tend to err on the side of caution.

 

[aart]

I would guess they're fine quite a bit above 86, which is why I was trying to find a definitive answer. Instructions and warnings tend to err on the side of caution.

Yet you made declaration that...

If you heat antibiotics they lose effectiveness.

Maybe pose it as a question if you're not sure

 

[Kris5902]

I did a little bit of research, specifically on polmyxin b, the primary antibiotic in the ointment, and it seems like it is fairly heat stable in solution at ph 6.0 up to 115 degrees Celsius according to a paper from a Scottish university, Robert Gordon University. (They we’re testing eyedrops, it was the closest thing I found to my application)

http://hdl.handle.net/10059/606

I’m not sure about the other ingredient Bactiricin, but I’m pretty sure I don't heat it enough to damage it. Most of the info I found was on injectable forms and safe storage of that, and on the persistence and residuals in meat supply from that.

With topical applications I’m willing to wing it a bit, but (assuming we can get our hands on any again) with things like the antibiotics we give the sheep by injection (mastitis treatments and such) I’m not. We keep those stored at proper temperatures, especially the vaccines which absolutely need to be stored refrigerated.

It made for some fun reading last night, anyway... there’s always interesting things to learn, and I’m pretty new to this world of having to diagnose, medicate, and otherwise treat our own animals... I can take my cats to the vet, but for some reason they just won’t buy my “emotional support cows” line, even if I do apply online for it and pay the $25 processing fee for all 28 of them! My cats vet is constantly stressing the “I don’t do farm work anymore” for some reason everytime I go in?

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Yet you made declaration that...
Maybe pose it as a question if you're not sure

I did know that they degrade in high temperatures, I just did not know how high. And I never mentioned a number in the first post. Didn't mean to cause controversy. My first post was rushed so possibly came off wrong to people? I'll go now

 

[Kris5902]

My first post was rushed so possibly came off wrong to people? I'll go now

No need to go... I like thought provoking questions! You’re welcome to ask them, anytime... it led me to researching more and I learned a bunch I wouldn’t have thought to look into that deeply otherwise. Plus... I haven’t finished fixing Tippies feet yet!

We took today off, so it’s looking like every other day for the pedicures... I’ve got a lot else going on right now.

Today we moved the two bundles of trusses for our roof up to our build site. Six hours and three miles of mud with a borrowed, semi-broken trailer about 15 feet too short for the 40 foot long trusses (which dragged a little). Especially through our “draw” a ravine about 50 feet deep with pond on both sides of the just wide enough for the tractor road... Fun times! I got video, too.

Plus regular farm chores, cause everyone has to eat... planning for a foot update tomorrow.

 

[Kris5902]

Ok going to be a picture heavy post, we had some great progress and a bit of a set back today.
Here is where we started:

During treatment:

After treatment:

And our setback:

More details to follow, but I’m uploading this while I have internet connection

 

[WVduckchick]