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Honey has been used as a healing ointment on wounds since the days of ancient Egyptian cultures.

According to studies at the University of Waikato, manuka honey produced in New Zealand has a level of non-peroxide antibacterial components that are comparable in strength to phenol or carbolic acid. With its low pH of 3.2 to 4.5, manuka honey produces the wrong environment for the proliferation of bacteria which thrive in pH levels of 6.0 to 7.8. The sugar content exerts osmotic pressure on damaged tissue, promoting debridement of dead skin and connective fibers.

A report presented at the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) conference supported the effectiveness of honey in lower-leg wounds in horses. Wounds were created below the knees of eight Standardbred horses and were packed with feces to simulate contamination that could occur before an owner noticed that a horse had injured itself. After 24 hours, the wound sites were rinsed and honey was applied to wounds on one foreleg of each horse, while the other foreleg served as a control. After 12 days of treatment, the wounds were allowed to heal on their own. Wounds treated with honey healed in an average of 47 days, while control wounds were healed in an average of 64 days.

Medical-grade honey is available in tubes and in honey-impregnated wound care dressings. Because honey may not be the best or only treatment for injuries in horses, owners are advised to check with a veterinarian to devise a care plan for cuts, scrapes, and other wounds.

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