1. Wounds:
In the same way that UMF® rated Manuka
Honey can assist the healing of wounds, rashes, boils on humans,
the same is true for animal wounds.
For example we have heard of a large
wound on a horse being successfully and quickly treated by
applying to the wound ManukaUSA UMF® 16+ Active Manuka Honey. Conventional
treatment was not proving to be effective and the wound was
like "hamburger steak" before commencement of honey treatment.
2. Mastitis in dairy cows
Veterinary trials are planned for investigating
the possibility of treating mastitis in dairy cows with honey,
especially UMF® rated Manuka Honey.
Laboratory Studies:
Laboratory studies have shown that,
in vitro, seven mastitis-causing bacteria species were inhibited
by honey, with UMF® rated Manuka Honey being the most effective.
These results are recorded in Table
1. Note the Manuka Honey is that which has the UMF® antibacterial
property. The manuka honey has had catalase added to remove
the hydrogen peroxide, so that only the phytochemical UMF®
antibacterial property was being tested.
MIC values would be approximately halved if the catalase was
not added and the hydrogen peroxide was also involved in the
antibacterial activity.
These results are in vitro, in the laboratory.
If the honey was used in vivo, in the body, then the body
fluids and serum would greatly reduce the hydrogen peroxide
and effectiveness of other honeys.
Table 1. The minimum
inhibitory concentration of honey (% v/v in nutrient agar)
for cultures of various mastitis-causing bacteria streaked
on agar plates.
(Source: Honey as an Antimicrobial Agent by PC Molan Honey
Research Unit Website)
| Bacterial Species |
Manuka Honey |
Rewarewa Honey |
| Actinomyces pyogenes |
1 - 5% |
1 - 5% |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae |
5 - 10% |
5 - 10% |
| Nocardia asteroides |
1 - 5% |
5 - 10% |
| Staphylococcus aureus |
1 - 5% |
1 - 5% |
| Streptococcus agalactiae |
1 - 5% |
5 - 10% |
| Streptococcus dysgalactiae |
1 - 5% |
5 - 10% |
| Streptococcus uberis |
1 - 5% |
5 - 10% |
Mastitis in dairy cows and
goats can be an expensive and difficult condition to treat.
The standard treatment is the introduction of antibiotics
into the teat canal of the infected udder, but milk has to
be withheld from use until clear of antibiotic residues.
Honey could possibly be suitable for
the treatment of mastitis if inserted into the infected udder
via the teat canal as it is harmless to tissues and would
leave no undesirable residues in milk. As a first step in
evaluating this possibility, the seven species of bacteria
that most commonly cause mastitis in dairy cattle were tested
for their sensitivity to the antibacterial activity of honey
(Results tabled above).
Veterinary Trials are being planned.
Anecdotal testimonies:
A number of people have used ManukaUSA UMF® 16+ Active Manuka Honey for helping treat mastitis by injecting
about 20mls of honey into the teat canal daily for about five
days. They have found the honey treatment very successful.
The cows were much quieter when they
injected the honey compared with when they injected penicillin,
this was especially so with the heifers. The cows were milked
twice a day to strip them out, but they found they could leave
the cow with the herd - this was especially helpful when there
was only one cow with mastitis. The results could be seen
in a few days.
Sometimes there was an increase in the
somatic cell count in the milk as an immediate response to
the honey. Then the cow came right. They found that generally
the cow remains in much better health.
Scours/Gastroenteritis in Calves,
Pigs, Chickens
Studies are investigating the possible
effectiveness of honey, especially UMF® rated manuka honey
for gastroenteritis in calves, pigs, chickens.
Veterinary trials are planned.
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