Science Supports Honey to Heal Wounds

Q. I work with animals. Yesterday we had a dog rip out her stitches to a point where closure was not an option. Our veterinarian placed honey on a dressing and bandaged up our little beagle. Today the wound already looks much better!

A. Honey has been used for thousands of years to help heal wounds. A recent article demonstrated that medical grade honey kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Clinical Infectious Diseases, June 1, 2008). When applied to the forearm, this special Dutch honey (Revamil) kept germs from growing on the skin. The manufacturer has also developed a veterinary formulation called Vetramil, which is supposed to discourage licking.