Gentian Violet Banned as Carcinogen

[Scribbler]

Huh, well. Back to iodine for preventing thrush, I guess.

https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2019/70179a-eng.php

I think the concern is residues in food animals.

But actually I did a bit of Googling a few years ago, and at that point GV was being investigated for use on multiply resistant staph infection, and was being widely used to treat thrush in the mouths of nursing babies. No mention of being problematic.

I’ve always liked it as a drying spray for smaller cuts and scrapes on horses. Now I see it isn’t even approved for use in the US anymore. Really? No BluKote?

[Peggy]

Tricky to get iodine since it’s used in one pathway to make methamphetamine.

[walkinthewalk]

Wellllll — Good for Health Canada ----- I’m glad I’m in the U.S. I hope the U.S. Doesn’t get a bug up their butt over gentian Violet.

I will continue to use it on my my foundered horse’s hooves, as needed, as it’s the only thing that helps:):)

If “it” works (whatever it is). somehow, some study will find a way to make “it” dangerous to use and try to throw a panic into everyone. Then when something really is a major cause for concern, people shrug it off. “Cry Wolf” is the old term for that------

^^^^^ That means I don’t buy the story, as long as the product is used in moderation. — all things in moderation ----- the article was carefully constructed to repeatedly use the words “MAY cause”, after all -----

[Bluey]

Gentian violet was used in Europe for pinworms when I was a kid.

Later in the US, I saw it sold for the same over the counter in the US.
I would assume it is still being sold for that today.

Here is more on that:

http://europepmc.org/articles/pmc4396813

I think they need a better lab mouse.

[Palm_Beach]

I just spilled my entire bottle all over the floor in my barn. I’m imagining some kind of mutant Jack-And-The-Beanstalk thing waiting for me one morning.

[JB]

I always find it amusing that causing cancer in mice fed large amounts of something, is cause to ban a substance entirely :lol: :rolleyes:
http://gentian.rutgers.edu/GentianViolet.htm

Gentian violet is not completely harmless and is considered carcinogenic after tests with feeding mice with large doses of this chemical.

[amymoyer]

Anything fed to mice in large doses will cause cancer. If a human drank gallons of anything every day for weeks on end, this would be true too. I think this is way too much of an over generalization.

[JB]

Agree. I bet mice would die if they drank enough acetone. Us too. And gasoline? Sheesh. No doubt lye will kill ya if you drink it. Yet…

Poor pretty purple stuff gets all the blame :lol:

[MissAriel]

It is pretty easy to get overly wound up over toxicity findings. As others have said, these animals were FED large amounts over an extended period of time as opposed to limited topical application. Add to that that the strains of mice used are more likely to develop cancer anyway and you are likely to see some level of carcinogenicity with pretty much everything studied.

Toxicity should not be a binary Yes or No, but “At what dose” and probably “through which route of administration”.

[JB]

@MissAriel

Toxicity should not be a binary Yes or No, but “At what dose” and probably “through which route of administration”.

:yes: I mean, oxygen will kill us if used inappropriately. Water too.

(sarcasm font) Besides, how on earth can gentian violet be carcinogenic - it is all-natural and has been used in alternative medicine for centuries! (sarcasm font)

:lol: :lol: :yes:

[Scribbler]

Gentian Violet is a synthetic dye invented in the late 19th century that turned out to have anti fungal properties. It sounds natural but isn’t! It was in use as an antiseptic until the invention of modern antibiotics after World War 2.

So its one of those old skool horse remedies that use outmoded human remedies (bentonite for stomach ulcers is another).

The Health Canada brief sounds like they are going to ban BluKote in Canada.

I also saw somewhere Googling that GV was already not approved?? as a vet medicine in the US? But how can that be? Surely y’all still have BluKote on hand?

[MissAriel]

@Scribbler

Gentian Violet is a synthetic dye invented in the late 19th century that turned out to have anti fungal properties. It sounds natural but isn’t! It was in use as an antiseptic until the invention of modern antibiotics after World War 2.

So its one of those old skool horse remedies that use outmoded human remedies (bentonite for stomach ulcers is another).

The Health Canada brief sounds like they are going to ban BluKote in Canada.

I also saw somewhere Googling that GV was already not approved?? as a vet medicine in the US? But how can that be? Surely y’all still have BluKote on hand?

I stand corrected. Thank you for that information! I will edit my post.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

I use Farnam’s Wound-Kote (which I believe is the same thing - though the ingredients list it as “Methyl Violet”). It says “Blue Lotion” under the Wound-Kote heading. Been using it for years. Hope they don’t do away with it here in the US!

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr…-dressing-5-oz

[Ghazzu]

Many chemicals have multiple actions.

“Recent investigational use of GV has shown that it is efficacious as both an anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor agent.”

–Exp Dermatol. 2013 Dec; 22(12): 775–780.

[Polydor]

Canada already has. They recalled BlueKote and we had to send all of our stock back.

P.

[Maythehorsebewithme]

@MissAriel

It is pretty easy to get overly wound up over toxicity findings. As others have said, these animals were FED large amounts over an extended period of time as opposed to limited topical application. Add to that that the strains of mice used are more likely to develop cancer anyway and you are likely to see some level of carcinogenicity with pretty much everything studied.

Toxicity should not be a binary Yes or No, but “At what dose” and probably “through which route of administration”.

Actually, mice cause cancer.

[Scribbler]

From what I also read online it sounds like the primary concern was residues in food animals. Like tilapia (already a questionable fresh water farmed fish IMHO). Maybe GV was being used as a general fungicide in the water, considered harmless?

Also all the new moms putting it in their babies mouths.

I don’t see it being very dangerous as a hoof spray on horses that will never be eaten.

Sorry to hear its already off the shelves in Canada. Will need to stock up cross border some time!

[Simkie]

@Scribbler

Sorry to hear its already off the shelves in Canada. Will need to stock up cross border some time!

It’s used as a pathology stain…I bet you can buy in bulk for that use, even with this animal products ban
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