Peroxide and Cats?

cybercat wrote:

According to my doctor, peroxide has come under suspicion lately
as a carcinogen. That is why we are hearing more and more that
we should use other things to clean wounds. That said, it is
excellent for cleaning wounds that may be infected primarily
*because* it destroys tissue. So if a wound is infected it
essentially eats up the infected tissue. However, beyond a
single application, you don't want to destroy tissue every
time you disinfect a cut.

My dentist told me never to use it as a mouthwash, for
precisely that reason. He said, "I can tell when patients'
are using it, even dilute, because I can see their gum
tissue sloughing off." So, it works as a disinfectant
but a little too well in that it kills healthy tissue. I therefore
never use it as a mouthwash but almost always if I think
a cut looks infective: once or twice. Then it's alcohol or
neosporin.


I've never used it as a mouthwash, but wow, people are losing their
gums? Mental note: never use it as a mouthwash!

The way you use it is about what I do. Or if the cut is very dirty, I'll
use it too, and on anything that happened to me from a cat.

I haven't heard about the cancer part. Now that's not a comfy thought.
I'm afraid pretty soon that broccoli is going to be carcinogenic...

Rhonda

cybercat wrote:
"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
wrote:

That's what the docs at the wound care clinic say. Never use peroxide
on a wound, especially if it's trying to heal. It destroys new cell
growth. Weirdly enough, they use honey on certain infected wounds.
Honey has low-level hydrogen peroxide properties and other
healing/antibacterial qualities. It's not regular honey out of a jar, I
think it is specially filtered or something for pharmaceutical use, but
it's still honey made by bees.


I'm surprised they said to never use peroxide on a wound. I do when the
wound is new and/or dirty. I especially us it on cat bites or scratches.
It is an excellent cleaner. It does destroy any scabbing that's trying
to happen, so I just use it the first time. After that, I use an
antibiotic cream or alcohol.


According to my doctor, peroxide has come under suspicion lately
as a carcinogen. That is why we are hearing more and more that
we should use other things to clean wounds. That said, it is
excellent for cleaning wounds that may be infected primarily
*because* it destroys tissue. So if a wound is infected it
essentially eats up the infected tissue. However, beyond a
single application, you don't want to destroy tissue every
time you disinfect a cut.

I don't think there's a controversy about using the stuff to initially
clean the wound. Wound care clinics see a lot of diabetics who
sometimes end up losing limbs over a minor wound. What the doc was
telling me was that a number of patients will say "I've been putting
peroxide on it for two weeks and it won't heal." What they're basically
doing is destroying the new, healthy cell growth every day with
peroxide. Of course it can't heal.
All this is probably a moot discussion. I think it mostly applies to
serious wounds, not scratches.

Sherry

I used peroxide heavily one time, on sevearl wounds that we're quite
deep; on various parts of my body.

Betadine may be better, but I never got one infection. I was cut up
pretty bad too.

I used at least one bottle per dressing each day..lots of foam.
It also seemed to work like an astringent.
it's just O2, I think it would be safe.

On 2005-11-01, cybercat wrote:

neosporin.

Some people are allergic to neomycin and Neosporin will make them break out.
I'm one of them. Imagine a mild case of poison ivy. This definitely
interferes with the healing process.

Anything you put on a cat will get licked off unless firmly bandaged or the
cat is collared. Washing with soap and water probably is all it needs.
A cut on a paw pad is going to be walked on and licked.

--
The night is just the shadow of the Earth.

Rhonda wrote:
I actually was speaking more about cat bites and scratches on humans,
but don't think I was very clear. Sherry was talking about not using it
on any wounds in general.

I always use it on myself for cat scratches and bites, it's one of the
best ways to cleansers to get those nasty cat germs out of there! I
have been using antibiotic cream after that, but sounds like the cream
is not a great idea.

On cats, we sometimes use peroxide depending on where it is, then we
usually use betadine. Luckily, we haven't many cat boo boos.

Rhonda

I cleaned all cat scratches and my one bad bite with peroxide and then
with the bite, soaked it in hot salt water 3-4 times a day. Cleared it
up really quickly, removed all pain (cat bites hurt like hell) and
drew out the infection. Nasty, but it works wonders.

-L.

"William Hamblen" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-01, cybercat wrote:

neosporin.

Some people are allergic to neomycin and Neosporin will make them break
out.
I'm one of them. Imagine a mild case of poison ivy. This definitely
interferes with the healing process.


Good information, thanks, William.