Sugar Speeds Wound Healing

As a nursing student in 1961, I worked at a small hospital that routinely used a mixture of milk of magnesia and sugar to cure bed sores. It seemed to be successful in many cases.

I graduated in the late 60's from nursing school and remember the milk of magnesia and sugar treatment as being very successful, as well as lamp therapy (exposing the area to a large watt lamp at approx 3-4 ft. distance from the skin).

Apparently, it seems to work. I was administrator for an Extended Care Facility in Puerto Rico... the head nurse applied a home-made sugar simple syrup with the consistency of honey and applied it to bed sores. To keep the syrup in place she used a plastic diaphragm with a perimeter self-adhesive. (This diaphragm came from pediatrics... used to cover the navel of newborns.) No records kept, but patients loved it, as in a couple of weeks the treated sore stared to heal.

I have used Manuka Honey with great success, in fact hospital doctors have even asked me how on earth I had gotten infected post-op wounds to heal so well! It is also wonderful for healing cuts (I almost cut my thumb tip off: now there is no sign...). It does need to be the special UMF honey though, with a high factor number. Research has been done here in NZ, proving this.

I am an RN with an extensive background in gerontology. I have not had the opportunity to use sugar or honey in the care of pressure ulcers, which many incapacitated elderly do acquire. However, I would be hesitant with the honey due to possible allergic reactions. The sugar, if purified, and used as a syrup, as one of your correspondents suggested, seems to be a feasible treatment. The FDA should look further into this, as well as ways to use the honey for clients who are closely monitored and without allergic reactions. I like old remedies; they have their place due to "tried and true" experience. How else did we get where we are?

I want to thank you for the "sugar cure" column. I had a toe amputated in March of 2006 and here it is November 2007 and it still is not healed. I read this column, took it to my wound treatment appointment, and asked the doctor about it. She said, "Nothing is helping so go for it. It couldn't hurt."

The upshot of this is that after applying the first treatment on a Friday afternoon, by Monday afternoon, the improvement was very noticeable. At my next doctor's appointment, she was very impressed.

In my case, the sugar was mixed in Polysporin and applied. The improvement was so great that she even gave me permission to shower without a bag on my foot, which I had not done in well over two years. Healing has slowed, but still goes on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I have a residual wound from cancer surgery in 2003. The incision crossed an incision for a benign abdominal tumor in 1962 and heavy scarring has built up. Nothing has been able to heal this wound and doctors say I have to have surgery to remove the scar tissue to get it to heal. 2 months ago, my acupuncturist suggested sugar. I am amazed at how effective it has been--it is not yet entirely closed but smaller, cleaner than it's ever been. I have hope it can complete the job, 5 years out!

I stumbled across this site while doing a little research. I am a full time Farrier (Horse Shoer). The use of a paste called sugardine is used very commonly in the treatment of wounds and infections in horses. The paste is made using a Betadine scrub solution or a Providine-Iodine soulution mixed with white sugar. It promotes fast healing and helps lesson any scar tissue. It is used very often to treat abscesses in horse feet. You can do a little digging and you will find that this dates back to the Egyptians. There are reports that they used a honey and tar mixture to treat wounds in people and their livestock. This "sugardine" method does work, though I am not entirely sure why.

I've been told by my mother (who is a doctor) that the reason it works is that sugar creates a hypotonic solution outside the wound, which draws out whatever gunk is in the wound. Also, sugar is an effective anti-bacterial and preservative. (see fruit pies, cakes, other deserts that can be left un-refrigerated). Not sure if it's right, but it's what I've been told.

I think that it might work for this purpose if there are no major problems with blood supply to the bedsore, such as happens in cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

I've used sucrose for years in treating surgical skin wounds in laboratory animals, and in my experience, it's much more effective than most any topical antibiotic or plain bandaging. But it's important to care for the wound at least once per day. There is no substitute for diligent nursing care.

Good Luck

Heard about it from a man who was visiting his mother in the hospital 15 years ago. He was ecstatic about how it was working. Now I am cancer post op 11 months and one of my 4 wounds will not heal. They turned up the radiation in that area because I was too sick on chemo and had to stop half way through the course that was in combination with radiation. They should not turn up the power on radiation because my wound is healing very slowly because of it. 3 deep 6.5 centimeter holes continued for 8 months and now the surface won't close. Also there was an infection in the area a week after surgery. My only comment is that I heard of it years ago, remember it today, came online to check with others, and I will begin trying it today and let you know on another post from myself, Mavro. It is Saturday 29 November 2008. Surgery was 10 January 2008. So we will see.

my son developed bedsores in the hospital which require him to go the wound center after i was directed to do wet to dry on all wounds which didn't seem to be working until a guy at work told me his mother said use betadine and sugar and that what i been using on my son wounds and yes i have seen great improvement.

A friend of mine had just told me about applying sugar on my incision. I had a major surgery about 6 weeks ago. The doctor took the staples out in 2 days when I was at the hospital. I thought the staples should have been left a little longer like about a week until the incision is almost closed but I couldn't question the doctor. About 10 after the surgery I noticed bad order and discharge coming out of my incision. I was scared, I called the doctor and she told me to wash the wound with hydrogen peroxide and water and then I should put gauze sponges on the wound. I was wondering why she did not tell me this from the day I was discharged from the hospital? Now it is almost 4 weeks I still seeing discharge with bad order coming out of my incision.

Any way After I read the comments of different people who used sugar or honey in their wounds on this website; I have decided that I will apply honey on the wound tonight and and see the results. Thank you for all the comments.

PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: IF YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR HEALING, PLEASE BE MORE ASSERTIVE ABOUT HAVING THE SURGEON SEE YOU.

Have a German Shepherd that has a non healing wound. I may have to get her surgery, over $2000. I will try one more time to heal this wound with the betadine sugar solution I hear people raving about its powers! wish me luck!12-26-08

I've had personal experience with this healing aid and I would recommend it at least on a small scale. While using an old sewing machine with a less than sterile needle (not quite rusty, but not far from it!) in dirty conditions in Buenos Aires, I accidentally sewed straight through my finger.

Some of my Argentine colleagues immediately helped me to clean and dress the puncture, and after cold clean salt water and a good swabbing with alcohol they surprised me by ripping open a couple packets of sugar and insisting that I coat my finger with it for several minutes.

Finally they brushed off the excess sugar granules BUT DID NOT WASH THE SUGAR AWAY, and bandaged me up. Each day they checked the progress and re-bandaged me. I have to say that the wound closed up VERY quickly (amazingly quickly since I was in my late 40's when this happened and am not prone to rapid healing at this point in my life).

And even better, there is NO visible scarring nor any feeling of interior scar tissue as I would have expected. If I didn't know I'd done this, I would never know it by looking at my fingertip.

I'm absolutely on board with the use of sugar. And in my personal experience it didn't need any special sterilization of its own - food grade seemed to work just fine.

I read about sugar dressings in an alternative physician's newsletter (Dr. Whittaker) and although he praises sugar as the best wound dressing he never says how to do it (and I have trouble getting onto his website.) Can any of you out there tell me what to do? Nothing vague, please, I am the type who needs instructions. I have a 1" round cancerous lesion growing through my abdomen, I would like to close this wound up. My husband cleans it with hydrogen peroxide and dresses it with silverdene(?) cream. How long to heal or any opinions on will a cancerous would heal at all? Thank you so much.

A fall downstairs resulted in a wedge shaped chunk being torn out of my big toe, from an exposed nail. I rinsed it off and poured regular table sugar into the hole. I then bandaged it up and stayed off my feet. I didn't disturb it for 24 hrs. I was shocked when I took off the bandage and there was nothing but a faint pink line. It had closed up completly, today I can't even see where it was. No scar!

I have been in veterinary medicine for 15 years. About 6 years ago we had a case of a dog, who'd been attacked by another dog. After initial surgery to repair wounds, the tissue over the largest area became necrotic and sloughed off. Leaving nothing to sew back together. In a recent journal edition, this remedy had been mentioned.

It took daily bandage changes initially and nearly six months of wound care. However, our tough little patient healed so well, once his hair grew back in, you wouldn't know he'd been touched. The osmolality of the sugar would not allow the wound to become infected (as mentioned in another comment with high sugar desserts, cured fruits, etc). This high osmolality also draws out extra moisture, which helps it to heal.

One thing we discovered, during the bandage changes, using a hand held shower head to rinse off the sugar and debride the dead tissue. Revealing healthy granulation tissue. After the rinse, pat dry w/ clean towels, pour sugar onto the wound and sprinkle to the edges of the margins. Apply non-stick pads and wrap appropriately.

Hope this helps!

My 10 yr. old cat Andy has had 3 surgeries in last year for exuberant granulation tissue on a wound that won't heal (it's the same as Proud Flesh on horses)--rear left leg below the hock joint, so there is no skin to suture anymore and a walnut sized cauliflower growth. It is now 6 weeks since 3rd surgery which removed the growth leaving an open hole to the tendon to heal.

The wound granulated in fine, but by the 10th day the overgrowth, or exuberant granulation, began again. Vet has no clue what to do anymore. I had great initial results switching from Vet's nitrofurazone to health food store Calendula (marigold) ointment which is safe to use on open wounds (second intention healing it's called, meaning left open without sutures).

But now nothing works and Vet wants to already do a 4th surgery, again leaving it open w/o sutures!! So...today I have tried raw sugar, after washing and scrubbing the wound, and cat responded in temperament very favorably and calmly to it so that was encouraging because he yeowls and claws at other treatments. I will continue with it, and maybe try the iodine solution with it as well. Will report back!

I had abdominal surgery several times between 2003 - 2007. I had a huge hernia as a result of the surgeries. My doctor repaired it with a Kugal mesh In Jan. of 2006. I spent 68 days in the hospital that year very ill. The wound would not heal, they tried the wound vac, silvadene, just about everything known to man. Finally in Dec, the doctor decided to remove the mesh. I started to feel human, but the wound would not heal.

One day I was at my OD for a treatment. He looked at my wound and said, "When I was a veterinarian we used powdered sugar on the animals to heal their wounds."
In three days there was a big difference in the wound. I stayed with it until it was healed. Then I gave my surgeon a salt shaker filled with powder sugar for his medical bag.

BTW 2 years later I got a certified letter from the hospital advising me that the Kugal mesh had been recalled and I needed to contact my surgeon. As sick as I was, I am sure I would not be here had doc not decided to remove it because he didn't know what else to do.

I just wanted to say that I volunteer at a raptor rehab center. The people here know what they are doing, and work very closely with veterinarians. In the case that a bird comes in with injuries to the skin, a sugar wrap is often used. They will make sure the wound is clean, pour sugar on it until it's covering the wound as mentioned above, and then bandage it. It does seem to help quite a bit.

It works! I developed an inch deep hole in my ankle last summer while at a music festival in rural Oregon where I had little access to hot water to keep the wound clean. It was the worst infection I've ever had, and it was starting to go into the bone of my ankle. The volunteer medical worker at the fest made a poultice of white sugar and betadine and packed it into the wound once a day. After three days of this treatment, I returned to Eugene and went straight to the clinic to have the wound checked up on. The doctors there couldn't believe that it had been an inch deep wound only 3 days prior! It was almost completely healed, and the infection was gone.

My 52 years old father got an accident, in that leg bottom skin has got burned and he has a high sugar too. In this case what type of treatment he has to take? Please let me know as soon as possible...

I served as a medic in the Army from 1966 to 1987. sugar was used commonly to treat pressure sores and it worked very well.

I graduated from nursing school in 1986. My first job was in long term care. Unfortunately we had a few patients with very large decubitus ulcers on buttocks and hips. And yes... we mixed betadine gel and sugar and packed the wound with this and covered with a sterile gauze dressing. And I did see amazing results. I had also heard of packing wounds with cottage cheese and sugar, but had not tried this. I believe some old time remedies do work well. When all else fails; what have we got to lose?

I have a healed stage 4 decubitus. It has been healed using a wound vac but periodically reopens. I have heard that the application of milk of magnesia can be effective. Has anyone had success with this method? The milk of magnesia has been successful but the sugar remedy that many have listed seems to be more successful. I am impressed by the success many of you have had using a mixture of sugar and Betadine which I think I will try. It seems to work quickly and faster than the milk of magnesia which is also quite successful. I am quadriplegic and diabetic. If there are any other suggestions I would certainly welcome them. Thanks.

I lost my wife to MS about 11 years ago, but before she died she developed a severe bedsore on her hip which was treated by wound specialists for several months. The wound became so serious that the hip bone actually became visible and I was told her wound would never heal during her lifetime. I read about using sugar on wounds and I began using it. To the amazement of everyone her wound was completely healed inside of a month. Unfortunately there was so much flesh lost in the process of finding the proper treatment that her hip was terribly disfigured and because she did have MS it was the best we could hope for. But the wound had been completely healed. Recently, due to a bit of carelessness with a table saw I lost the tip of one of my bowling fingers, and I have begun using sugar to heal it. The healing is progressing very nicely, thank you.

FER

I had a wound on my ankle following a serious car accident. I saw a wound specialist for months, but nothing was working. A friend suggested a Betadine and sugar mixture. Within 24 hours there was a difference and within 2 weeks the wound was closed and healing quickly. I don't understand why this method isn't used more often.

Most definitely! In the 70's as a nurse in a VA, we use to have the physician debride the bed sore and then apply alcohol and sugar....worked like a charm.

I have a 14.5 year old dog who has a fatty tumor that hangs underneath her chest. It was tested for malignancy when it first appeared and I was told it "was nothing"... and that is true, but it's now grown to the size of a cantaloupe and she is too old to have it removed. ((In hindsight I wish I would have removed it ... even 2 years ago when it started to get so large))

The problem is that it hangs underneath and it rubs every time she lays down. She developed a large wound - much like a bedsore. I've tried everything, the vet didn't have much to say other than to keep it bandaged and that it probably doesn't hurt as much as we think. I've used bandages, I've used a bandage that's supposed to act with the body fluids to form a scab...etc, etc. I'm scared to do it, but I think I will start using sugar tomorrow. Or the product mentioned for horses... if I can find it. If anyone has any other thought, pass

I seen where you treated your dog's wound with sugar, and I would like to know if it worked, my dog has a sore that won't heal. He is old and I'm scared to put him under for surgery, if it worked did you used powder sugar or regular sugar? I hope you can help me, I love this dog so much and I want to get him well, we've been to the vet been through shots and meds and did no good, they think it could be cancer, thank you very much.

Hi. Oh do I know how you are feeling!!! Yes, I believe it was working. Unfortunately we had to put our dog to sleep last Monday. She had a stroke and was unable to sit or walk. HEARTBREAKING!!

I used a mixture of regular sugar and betadyne. I purchased betadyne at Walgreens. I made it into a paste, about the consistency of toothpaste. I packed the wound and covered it with a thick gauze pad and used the gentle paper tape.

Good luck. Please let me know how it goes.

Thank you for this valuable information. We have a horse with an open leg wound caused by fencing. We will try with sugar or honey to help get this wound healed and will comment in due course.

Kind regards - Roy

My dog had major surgery, and my veterinarian is applying granulated sugar on the incision. I'm VERY impressed with the results. [Do NOT use confectioners (powdered) sugar, only granulated sugar or honey.]

My English bulldog has a boil on his rear end, it was very red and sore, and I tried everything, and nothing would work, the vet wanted to do surgery, my dog is 10 and I was scared he wouldn't wake up so I asked the vet what he thought about me trying this he said his dad used this on horses years ago, and to go ahead and try it, thank you very much, the boil is almost gone and I thank god every night for this help,the vet thought it might be cancer, but something inside me kept telling me not to have him cut on, it looks so much better and I've been doing this every night for a week and a half, thank you very much for your help.

thank you so much, and I'm so sorry to hear about your dog, I'm so scared of when it comes my time to lose him, I love him so much, he was born the morn after I lost my mom and he was the only one in the litter, he got me through a very hard time in my life, I tried this and I've been doing it for a week and a half now and it looks so much better, I clean it about every 3 days with epsom salt water and redress it, with the bet and powder sugar, it's looking great, knock on wood. I thank god for everyday for making him better, and thank you so much, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I know from the date on here it had been awhile since you wrote about this, I'd like to know if it worked for your dog? My English bulldog has a bad boil on his rear end, the vet wanted to do surgery on it , but he is 10 now and I'm so scared he wont wake up, I found this and asked the vet about it he said his dad used this years ago on horses and it worked so it was worth a try, so far it s been almost 2 weeks and it looks so much better, I'm so happy, I just hope it keeps getting better and never comes back, I'd like to know what your out come was with it, thank you very much.

I asked my vet what the thought about me using this to see if it would work on my 10 year old English bulldog, he had a mean red boil on his rear that would not heal, they wanted to do surgery, and thought it to be cancer, we tried lots of meds and no good, the vet said his dad used this years ago and it was worth a try, but to be sure to use powder sugar with the betadine and make a paste out of it, my fat bully is doing great and it isn't red or sore looking now, its been almost 2 weeks.

I really think we may have it under control, I'm so happy I found this page, I put it on him once a day and it is working, my vet said it is always better to use powdered sugar since reg sugar would be like putting sand on it, this seems to draw all kinds of yuck out of it, he had to have his tail removed years ago and I still wonder if there might have been a hair left in there or something that is trying to work it's way out, thank you to everyone for writing on this page, without this I would have had him going through a surgery he might not have needed.

My boyfriend has a nail puncture in his shim from last summer. It healed, and them flared up again several times since then. We have already had him at the doctor, he has been on antibiotics and had a tetanus booster. The skin around the wound is red and irritated, it itches sometimes, when he keeps it covered and medicated it blisters, when it is kept uncovered the skin cracks and flakes. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated... not sure if the sugar idea would help at this point.

I am a cna, and many nurses from the old school swear by this remedy. Although, I have not seen it in use. I believe the reason it is not approved by the fda is because they are run by drug companies and would like to sell silver based remedies at top dollar, rather than affordable sugar.

Update! Wound all healed after only a week and a half!!! After one day, little islands of skin started growing in the wound. Mind you, we had been trying to heal this wound for months!

My husband is quadriplegic. I am right now using a product called Derma Wound (which I bought online) which is basically sugar and povidone-iodine on two wounds of my husband's. The wound on his leg which had not healed and had a big black eschar on it that a wound doctor removed with a scalpel, and wanted to remove the yellow slough, too, saying it was necessary for it to ever heal, but the sugar/iodine product dissolved all of that necrotic tissue that was left and the leg healed up nicely in a couple of months.

The other wound is a stage IV pressure sore on his coccyx with the complication of a sinus tract or tunnel to the bone. After three wound care centers told him he'd have to have flap reconstruction surgery, he opted out, fired the home health nurses, and I've been applying this stuff twice a day, irrigating the wound with homemade saline solution, putting the Derma Wound into the hole with a small oral syringe, and covering it with a big adhesive patch and then a piece of ABD pad taped over that to make sure we catch all of the drainage that the sugar encourages. It could be another 3 or 4 months before it's healed, but I do believe this combination of sugar and povidone-iodine will ultimately heal it.

It's already pulled out any infection and stopped progress to the bone. We're also making sure he eats lots of protein, drinks Juven (glutamine/arginine product), and stays off his rear. I just feel a bit like a dope for buying the product when if I'd read these entries, I might've mixed it up myself. However, the small company has a hotline and is there for advice and support and that's worth a lot.

Does it matter white or brown sugar???

When I injured the top of my foot with a book sled dropping into an elevator, the bone in my foot was injured, developed an infection and would not heal, the doctor had been in Britain and heard of a remedy used somewhere else and tried it, my foot started to heal and finally got better.

The remedy was Betadine and sugar mixed and packed into the wound and washed and replaced every day, I don't know the proportions of each but tried it again on a surgical scar that got infected and it helped it start to get better, if you have heard of this, maybe you could let us know the correct ratio of betadine to sugar.

It's hypertonic not hypotonic.

I am an amputee of 48 years an have been treating a pressure sore on my stump with sugar and betadine dressing twice a day. My wound had staph bateria which was almost to the bone. I tried all of the modern day medical treatments and my doctor recommended treating the wound with sugar. However, he never mentioned a mixture of sugar and betadine.

I happen to find a doctors patent on sugar and betadine posted on the WEB and started using the mixture seven days ago and the wound has practically silled up with no proud flesh or drainage. I would say that this is a great ancient Egyptian remedy. I thank God for letting me find it after two and half years with an open wound. The stuff just works but, it will not work on poison ivy.

I am a retired nurse who has used sugar dressings on wounds in the hospital where I worked. Our pharmacy mixed the sugar with a white salve-like compound and it was the best healer of pressure sores.

The wound needs to heal from the inside out and I believe the sugar draws moisture from the inside and stimulates circulation to the wound, and helps to keeps the wound clean, so it can heal.

It is important that you are careful to keep everything free of contamination and the use of betadine sounds like a good way to go, if the patient isn't sensitive to it. We used betadine scrub in OR so why not here? JC

I am a semi retired nurse who worked in long term care in the 80's. The standard treatment for pressure ulcers was "Betapaste" which was a mixture of betadine ointment and sugar that came from our servicing pharmacy. We had great success in healing of wounds in all stages.

I now sit with a stroke patient who has a pressure sore on her buttock and was telling her about this remedy. I will check online for Derma Wound.

Thanks so much guys, I have lost three finger tips from the first knuckle, ripped off by a rope a week ago. I live in bulgaria and though the hospital were fantastic when I first did it, they do no have low adhering dressings, the two dressing changes have been excruciating so I'm heading for a chemist for betadine, and if not I'll give just plain sugar ago!!

I am a Registered Nurse and used sugar in my 12 year old German shepherd's wound that wouldn't heal for weeks. The sugar drew out all the bacteria from the wound and in 5 days a large deep wound was all about healed. I just packed the wound with table sugar, wrapped it and changed it 2x daily. I am definitely a believer in this therapy.

I am amazed just two days of iodine paste and sugar and my fingers are pink and the tissue is growing back, my fingers are beginning to look like fingers again !! plus almost no pain, which after a week of hell and torture at the local hospital that would have been enough initially. I am over the moon looks like I might have fingers for Christmas after all ! keep you posted :O)))

Hi everyone, here again for an update, so pleased with my progress thought I'd just drop a note to say how things have gone. Day 9 and almost all the tissue has grown back, the edge of the torn skin has tightened and new skin is growing. I would also like to point out that because of how the sugar crystallizes it prevents any kind of dressing from sticking. The odd time they have stuck it has been to the sugar not the new tissue so a nice soak in warm salt water (boiled and cooled) dissolves the sugar and the dressings fall away, it is also quite soothing for my fingers to have a break from bandages. Will post again when treatment is complete.

Orig injury left ankle outside on bone, Dec 2010, small pencil tip wound. Continued painless unless touched for next 11 months. 8 Physc. neither recognized nor suggested treatment. Sept - acute panreatitis - and ankle wound increased to large pencil erasure size and painful to walk.

Currently, local hospital wound treatment center, after reducing swelling, treatment will be Medi-honey and light dressing. Also found out these, dressings and honey, available as home delivery, through medicare. Beside, the lack of knowledge of open wound treatment, the lack of information of medicare help available for this treatment. Who do thunk? Honey and dressing and medicare. OH well here we go hope it works!

On Sunday past I listened to your programme on NPR regrading sugar healing. The MD that you interviewed stated that he used oil ... cooking oil, olive oil etc. in combination with sugar. However ratios were not mentioned (or I missed it).

Also, hardly any reference was made to oils in the comments section regarding this healing method. Betadine and sugar seemed to be the combination most cited.

With betadine is a pharmacist required to mix the paste or can this be mixed at home ?

Ontario Canada

People's Pharmacy response: The ratio is 4 parts confectioners' sugar to one part cooking oil. You can learn more in the extended interview with Dr. Knutson:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/12/17/839-health-news-update/

Hi D.M.S, as I am an English woman living in Bulgaria it was a little difficult for me to explain what I wanted. I got a small bottle of iodine and a large tube of iodine paste from the pharmacy and mixed the sugar to a usable consistency at home, as I didn't have a ratio to go by. I don't think ratio matters as you can't do any harm with either ingredient.

By the way three of my four fingers have grown back and are covered in very thin, new, pink, layer of skin. My fourth has just a very small amount on the very tip, so I got 3 out of four for Christmas ;o)))

I came across this site after worry and frustration over my 14 year labs condition. She was extremely healthy and all the sudden had a growth near her shoulder area. It become red, warm and then opened up, the sight was horrific, and began to smell. I had heard about making sugardine from a vet tech but had never used it. I called the vet and they suggested this may be her time... I decided to research myself on home treatment. I'm glad I was warned the discharge the first few days would be very heavy and it was, I was changing dressings every few hours.

The foul smell was gone in 36 hrs and although it took over a month of wound care the progress is amazing. She didn't have enough good skin to suture the area back closed, but the skin around the edges has started healing and is closing from the outside in... I got a lot of experience in bandaging with sterile 4 x 4's sugardine, wrap with ace bandage, second wrap with coban and cloth tape. (She licked it constantly and irritated the area). She now lays down and trusts me, we have become closer during this and to tell you the truth, I thought I was going to lose my dog.

I'm not a vet and can't suggest you try sugardine, but I felt obligated to reply so it can help someone else. I'm amazed by the progress and I'm keeping up with her woundcare treatment, her appetite has fully regained, (she stopped eating for 4 days) My lab, my old girl is 14 years old, and is a fighter!!!!

A LONG time ago my boys and I were roller skating in Manhattan on an early Sunday AM on 79th and Madison. My four year old fell into one of the gratings and got one of those super bleed-head gashes. No one was around to help and this was pre-cellphone! Our "Nanny" from the Dominican Republic, who by luck was with us, asked if the Schraffts right up from the corner would have sugar? Of course! She told me to get a handful! I got a bunch of little packets and poured it into Zach's head wound. Stopped right away...