Animals are prone to minor injuries like cuts, scrapes, and burns. In many cases, their thick skin and fur protect them from these things but accidents do happen. When they do, you want to clean and treat the wound as quickly as possible to prevent infection. Most people use Neosporin to protect their own wounds from infection, but is it safe to use for your dog, your cat or even your horse?
Neosporin is the brand name for a topical antibiotic typically used to prevent infections for minor skin wounds such as cuts, scrapes, and burns. The generic names for Neosporin include bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin. The main purpose of Neosporin is to hinder the growth of infection-causing bacteria when applied to minor wounds, but some forms also offer analgesic properties. When used properly, not only can Neosporin prevent infection, but it may also help to speed the healing process.
When your pet sustains a minor injury your first instinct might be to reach for an antibacterial cream such as Neosporin, but you should think twice before you do. First of all, you need to consider whether an antibacterial cream works the same way on a pet’s skin as it works on human skin. There is something else you need to think about is that pets tend to heal very quickly from superficial wounds – faster than humans do. You also need to be sure to cover the wound with a bandage to prevent your pet from licking it and ingesting the Neosporin. When ingested in large amounts, Neosporin and similar antibiotics can cause dangerous side effects including gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, skin lesions, and seizures.
If you want to avoid the risk for poisoning altogether, go with a pet-friendly alternative like SilverQuine. SILVERQUINE Animal Wound Dressing is a water-based hydrogel wound dressing for use in moist wound care management. The gel contains silver that may help inhibit the growth of microorganisms within the dressing. SILVERQUINE Animal Wound Dressing Gel has been evaluated in standard tests that show it can reduce the level of common microorganisms.
Indications for Use:
Topical management of:
- Minor Cuts
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
- 1st and 2nd Degree Burns
- Skin Irritations
It has been known for over a century that certain preparations of silver have germicidal properties. As a result, prior to the invention of modern-day antibiotics, silver was used to help treat wounds and other types of infections in animals. With the development of natural antibiotics, silver preparations were phased out in favor of synthetic antibiotics. Unfortunately, over the course of the past 25 years, multiple bacteria have developed resistance to common antibiotics on the market today. In some circumstances, prolonged courses of expensive antibiotics have to be used to get a minimal response and expose your pet to potential side effects. Worse yet, some antibiotics are totally ineffective in some cases. As a result, the pet industry is in urgent need of new technology that has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity to reduce wound healing times and reduce the risk of side effects from current treatments.
Is silverquine toxic if my cat licks it?