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BEE POLLEN, HONEY AND VINEGAR

Barbara J. Andrews, Master Breeder, TheDogPlace.org Publisher

Honey for burns, bee pollen for allergies, apple cider vinegar for cystitis and itching, raspberry tea leaves for whelping, goats milk for diarrhea, bleach for burns, and a whole lot more…

Honey is antibacterial and when combined with apple cider vinegar has a high cure rate for bladder problems vs. costly, dangerous prescriptions.

Most dog owners and breeders become aware of effective “remedies” because of our dogs.  One simple statement stands unchallenged "there is no placebo effect in animals.  It either works or it doesn't."  If a natural remedy helps your dog as effectively as a prescription and with no adverse effects, it will probably work for you!  There is no power of suggestion, your pet doesn't know one treatment from another.

Apple cider vinegar – an ounce of Apple Cider vinegar to a pint of water will clear puppy or estrus related cystitis.  Use a stronger solution for human bladder infections and if necessary to get it down, add a tablespoon of honey.  Try it 3 times a day instead of prescription acidifiers or antibiotics. One day, maybe two days and the problem is gone.

Apple cider vinegar is excellent for bark control.  One or two squirts of 25% apple vinegar in a spray bottle with 75% water will stop barking.  No harm done, apple cider vinegar is good for people and pets but dogs don't like it squirted in their face.

Ditch the itch with Apple Cider Vinegar. ACV restores the pH balance of the epidermis, soothes irritations and relieves the itching. ACV also has anti-bacterial properties that kills the bacteria that cause dry, flaky dandruff in both people and pets. In fact, apple cider vinegar probably cures more ailments than any other folk remedy. ACV is decidedly unfriendly to the pests we call fleas, plus it repels flies and adds a high sheen to a dog's coat (horses too!) when sprayed in 25% dilute solution.

A word on distilled White Vinegar - A straight 5 percent solution of white vinegar kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of viruses in laboratory tests.  However... vinegar cannot be labeled as a disinfectant because it isn't registered as a pesticide with the EPA.

Since I became adult enough to appreciate childhood lessons, I have kept three spray bottles under the kitchen sink; diluted apple cider vinegar, white vinegar for cleaning veggies, appliances, and windows; and a spray bottle of 25% Clorox® solution for disinfecting and brightening countertops.  In addition, I always have a small bottle of pure full-strength Clorox for stopping the "burn" of burns and immediate stimulation of tissue healing.  My father, a layman chemist, proved that a burn could be miraculously healed by immediately soothing it with cold water (stops flesh damage) and then saturating it with Clorox® which is essentially, liquid oxygen. Give the Clorox one to two minutes to work, then run cold water over the burned area again, dry it and then apply raw honey loosely covered with a light gauze bandage.

Did I mention that my father was half Comanche?  He “knew” things. Like warm bee's wax eases an earache, cures infection - and seasons a cast iron frying pan. He would be amazed that people today use "teflon" coated fry pans even though it is a suspected carcinogenic.

Father was a bee keeper because they provided what he called bee blessings.  In addition to honey, bee pollen generates energy.  Bee pollen is used by many athletes and by some very smart handlers!  Many years ago, the #1 dog All Breeds (a Doberman handled by Carlos Rojas) always received bee pollen just before Group or Best In Show because it provides a natural (and legal) burst of energy.  You didn't know that is why bee pollen is used in race horses and performance such as Cutting Horse events?  Now you do.

Raw Honey For Burns. Remember the horrific 2003 nightclub fire in Bali?  Over 400 people were burned and many died from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant organism that infected their open wounds.  Most were taken to the modern hospital which overflowed, so other victims were taken to the old hospital where their burns were treated with honey.

The "old" hospital's burn patients recovered faster, with less pain, less tissue damage and measurably less scar tissue than those at the new, modern hospital!  That tragedy forced doctors to acknowledge that an incredible 91% of burn patients treated with raw honey were free of infection within seven days as compared to only 7% treated with standard therapy.

A separate but well documented study proved that unheated, raw honey was effective against the pathogenic organisms common in severe burns, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  In fact, none of the pathogens common to burned tissue survived a 30% concentration of honey!  Not one.  In another medical study, the therapeutic effects of raw honey were compared to antibiotics on 28 different strains of multi-drug resistant bacteria found in burns.  Whereas only three of the strains were slowed down by antibiotics, every bacterial strain was inhibited by a 25% concentration of honey.

Pure honey (check labels) is a powerful topical antibiotic.  It forms a barrier that prevents bacteria from penetrating and colonizing the wound while at the same it stimulates re-growth of damaged tissue and collagen fibers.  Honey is actually a super-saturated sugar that sucks the water from microbial cells, thus destroying them.  It is also slightly acidic so like apple cider vinegar, it is very unkind to bacteria.

Interestingly, honey also has the ability to produce hydrogen peroxide, something we've all used because it can kill pathogens on contact!  When honey is applied to the skin, the pH rises and the salts cause the sugar molecule in the honey to break down, producing hydrogen peroxide.

Okay, you're thinking honey would be messy on a coated dog but then all ointments are.  The amazing difference is that unlike conventional burn protocol, honey can be covered and secured with gauze tape or ace bandage.  Change once a day unless it oozes a lot, in which case, gently cleanse and change the dressing more often.

Most Herbalists, NDs, DCs, and DOs know that local bee pollen is especially effective against seasonal allergies.  Somewhat like homeopathic remedies, locally harvested bee pollen desensitizes against the plant pollens in your area.  Try it before you consider allergy shots.  Bee Pollen cheaper and is far safer.

Here's another tip which we will expand on later. A dog doesn't understand that a little pinch of red raspberry tea leaves on top of her food (adjust according to size of dog) will insure an easy whelping, copious milk supply, and rapid clean out.  In the wild, the pregnant bitch instinctively seeks out herbs, grasses, or roots to accomplish the same thing.

Did you know that buttermilk or yogurt will repopulate the good bacteria that antibiotics kill and diarrhea flushes from the intestinal tract?  Ditto for goat's milk.  Fresh is best but canned goat's milk will even stop idiopathic “rapid transit” diarrhea in kittens and puppies.

I have no medical training.  I only provide anecdotal advice.  Take it for what it's worth but note that most prescription drugs are chemicalized (patentable versions) of something growing in your backyard or a mountain meadow.  Naturalists call such plants "herbs" whereas drug companies call them “discoveries.”

If you open your mind to the newness of ancient healing remedies, you and your dogs can benefit greatly.  And before you leave, see below to learn about another Bee Blessing, especially if you or your dog needs surgery!

Excerpts from Andrews Column, ShowSight Magazine, June 2004

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