Replacement for BluKote gentian violet spray

[Scribbler]

Gentian violet was banned a number of years ago in Canada to keep it out of the food chain via pond raised fish farming like tilapia. Between COVID, recent politics and my passport expiring I have not gotten down to the US to smuggle some in, and I doubt I could have it shipped to Canada.

What’s a good replacement that does the same things?

Gentian Violet spray was my basic horse first aid as a kid and I came back to it as a returning rider. I like it because it’s an effective fungicide (not sure of its anti bacterial properties), it provides a protective barrier, it dries out wounds and it doesn’t sting. I’ve used it for my entire horse time, and I’ve never had any issue with infection for either bandaged or unbandaged minor wounds. It’s also great for mild thrush

I live in a damp humid wet climate, so I think keeping wounds dry is important

I realize there is another school of thought which is to keep wounds soft and moist but my feeling is that’s counter productive in our climate especially for unbandageable wounds.

I have a bottle of Absorbine honey and silver spray which is meant to have “antibacterial properties” but I’ve been watching it being used and I think it’s kind of useless, maybe counter productive. Better maybe for a rash or sunburn, not a wound. It’s definitely a moisturizing rather than a drying product

Anyhow, what is out there that’s drying, anti bacterial or anti fungal, has a coating effect and doesn’t sting?

[LCDR]

Can you buy Vetericyn Plus in Canada?

As an aside, could you possibly obtain crystal violet as a laboratory chemical? I assume medicine is still doing Gram stains in Canada. Crystal violet and gentian violet are the same chemical.

Can you still get Red-Kote? It contains Scarlet Red, which we used years ago for dressing human skin wounds.

[poltroon]

The gentian violet was definitely a go-to for many years but I think there’s a lot of evidence that suggests it’s not the best choice.

I’m in a dry climate so keep that in mind. I started using the alu-shield for the sheep, which can’t use a lot of the products; I do think it helps keep the flies out and does a nice job of drying a wound. It is nice because it doesn’t tend to attract dirt or cause more dirt to stick.

If I’m really worried about flies, and especially for something juicy, I like to add the Catron spray.

I also consider using triple antibiotic ointment if it’s in a place where it won’t just collect dirt.

The main reason I put anything on at all is because of flies.

[Scribbler]

Does vetricyn plus form a coating? It looks like it’s hypochlorous acid in water. Are there home recipes to make hypochlorous water with dilute bleach? Edited to add: ah ok Google tells me this isn’t how it’s made. My go-to for initial wound cleaning on myself and horse has long been spray hydrogen peroxide which doesn’t sting. I realize it has some negative effect on healing tissue but it does seem to knock out inflammation or mild infection.

Red kote looks interesting but it doesn’t have the same drying and anti fungal/ anti infection properties

Animal Wound Healers Blu-Kote and Red-Kote: What's the Difference?

[Scribbler]

@poltroon

The gentian violet was definitely a go-to for many years but I think there’s a lot of evidence that suggests it’s not the best choice.

I’m in a dry climate so keep that in mind. I started using the alu-shield for the sheep, which can’t use a lot of the products; I do think it helps keep the flies out and does a nice job of drying a wound. It is nice because it doesn’t tend to attract dirt or cause more dirt to stick.

If I’m really worried about flies, and especially for something juicy, I like to add the Catron spray.

I also consider using triple antibiotic ointment if it’s in a place where it won’t just collect dirt.

The main reason I put anything on at all is because of flies.

The Alushield looks interesting as a liquid bandage, but it doesn’t contain any antibiotic or antifungal properties. You can put it on over another ointment though

Catron appears to be a strong permethrin fly spray?

[Simkie]

I like alushield on stuff that needs protection but not really any moisture or goo.

Vaseline on stuff that needs to be kept moist. Triple antibiotic is mostly not recommended anymore because damned near everything is resistant and allergy to those agents is pretty widespread.

Iodosorb on stuff that has some exudate and needs some infection prevention.

I like hypochlorous a lot for rinsing or flushing and it has good support in the human lit.

[Scribbler]

@Simkie

I like alushield on stuff that needs protection but not really any moisture or goo.

Vaseline on stuff that needs to be kept moist. Triple antibiotic is mostly not recommended anymore because damned near everything is resistant and allergy to those agents is pretty widespread.

Iodosorb on stuff that has some exudate and needs some infection prevention.

I like hypochlorous a lot for rinsing or flushing and it has good support in the human lit.

I looked up idosorb. New product to me but looks interesting! When I lived in Hong Kong about 30 years ago I found a “wound powder” that knocked out an incipient ulcer on my ankle. I’ve been looking for similar since. It wasn’t idosorb but same idea. Does idosorb sting at all?

From all these replies it looks like I need hypochlorous acid, alushield and idosorb. Interestingly Greenhawk has an aluspray product that’s a dupe for alushield but it says don’t use on open wounds. Whereas Alushield is made for smaller open wounds

[cayuse]

I’ve used idosorb on myself and it doesn’t sting, it did get pretty aggressive on the funky wound edges I had which was great but the good tissue was looking a little too debrided or something from it towards the end. The prescribing doc said to be aware of that. But no sting and chronic foot wound healed up super when nothing else worked.

[Marla_000]

Alushield doesn’t do much for healing or drying. But the Vetericyn product is great- Heals and dries. You have to apply a couple
Times a day to keep flies and gnats off an open wound.
You can watch the raw wound size shrink each day Works fast to heal this in hot, humid, buggy Florida.

[Simkie]

@Scribbler

Does idosorb sting at all?

Mine have never indicated it’s uncomfortable. I especially like it on those full thickness lacerations that are really just not worth suturing. It packs into those “holes” nicely, and a little exudate won’t wash it away.

@Marla_000

Alushield doesn’t do much for healing or drying.

Man, I disagree. I’m using it today, actually, on some weeping abrasions. Wet before alushield but dry after, and a nice barrier to bugs. No it’s not going to take care of something that’s super wet, but it does a nice job on stuff that needs something but not a lot.

[Marla_000]

I used Alushield for years but not much since I discovered the Vetericyn stuff. There’s just no comparison, IMO.

[Simkie]

I agree that they’re two totally different products with entirely different use cases.

[Peggy]

@Scribbler

It looks like it’s hypochlorous acid in water. Are there home recipes to make hypochlorous water with dilute bleach?

Bleach is sodium hypochlorite, NaClO, and sodium hydroxide, NaOH, in water. Both of those are bases. In theory you can generate hypochlorous acid, HClO, by adding a source of hydrogen ions (an acid) but you need enough to neutralize both the NaOH and the NaClO and, like someone said above, I think it’s more complicated than that. Among other things, the reaction can also produce chlorine gas and HClO is not particularly stable. We used to generate as part of a lab experiment but we weren’t trying to save or store it and we were working in fume hoods.

Vetricyn is more than just HClO. From the SDS (source):

[Leather]

@Scribbler

It looks like it’s hypochlorous acid in water. Are there home recipes to make hypochlorous water with dilute bleach? Edited to add: ah ok Google tells me this isn’t how it’s made.

You were probably thinking of Dakin’s Solution: DIY Dakin’s Solution: Is it still relevant today?

Any time somebody posts about using Blu-Kote in the Horse Vet Advice FB page the vets say to stop using it and typically recommend Alushield, Vetericyn, honey, vaseline, etc., depending on the location/issue.

[Scribbler]

@Leather

@Scribbler

It looks like it’s hypochlorous acid in water. Are there home recipes to make hypochlorous water with dilute bleach? Edited to add: ah ok Google tells me this isn’t how it’s made.

You were probably thinking of Dakin’s Solution: DIY Dakin’s Solution: Is it still relevant today?

Any time somebody posts about using Blu-Kote in the Horse Vet Advice FB page the vets say to stop using it and typically recommend Alushield, Vetericyn, honey, vaseline, etc., depending on the location/issue.

From what I’ve Googled, Alushield and Vetricyn look like in combination would do the antibacterial plus drying effect I want for surface wounds in our humid climate. I realize there are times when you want moist wound care, but it doesn’t work that well for unbandageable areas where the horse is continually getting dust and dirt into the wound.

As I said in my OP, I have observed the use of Absorbine Honey Silver and honey in zinc oxide products The honey products got the ok from the vet, and the wound healing was a disaster that ended in a pricey stay at a clinic. Not my horse. I don’t want to rehash the whole situation as it’s not my story, but I realized I need a better first aid kit. I actually did buy some Absorbine honey silver when I ran out of BluKote, but it’s not doing the same job and I’m not going to replace it.

I know BluKote is old school, but I used it on every significant skin cut in my horse life and everything healed clean. So I’m looking for products that have the drying and antibacterial effects.

Edited to add: thanks for the link to Dakins solution! That’s clearly where my confusion came from. I feel like there was a thread here years ago talking about Dakins.

[Simkie]

@Scribbler

From what I’ve Googled, Alushield and Vetricyn look like in combination would do the antibacterial plus drying effect I want for surface wounds in our humid climate.

Yep, I think you’ll be happy with this combo used like this for superficial stuff.

Here are some papers on hypochlorous acid use in human medicine.

Hypochlorous Acid: an ideal wound care agent with powerful microbicidal,...

Topical stabilized hypochlorous acid: The future gold standard for wound care...

Effect of hypochlorous acid in open wound healing - PubMed

Etc etc. There’s a lot out there that’s very positive.

[Scribbler]

@Simkie

I like alushield on stuff that needs protection but not really any moisture or goo.

Vaseline on stuff that needs to be kept moist. Triple antibiotic is mostly not recommended anymore because damned near everything is resistant and allergy to those agents is pretty widespread.

Iodosorb on stuff that has some exudate and needs some infection prevention.

I like hypochlorous a lot for rinsing or flushing and it has good support in the human lit.

Ok, I was able to get aluspray, vetricyn brand hypochlorous acid and chlorhexidine ( last from human pharmacy).

I’m not finding iodosorb locally in pharmacies, medical supply or feed stores, and when I look at it on line it’s crazy expensive. So might hold off until I actually need it. It looks like a fantastic product for some situations, the instructional video I saw online was for human foot ulcer, probably diabetic issues.

I also did a big purge of all my very out of date topicals!

[Simkie]

@Scribbler

I’m not finding iodosorb locally in pharmacies, medical supply or feed stores, and when I look at it on line it’s crazy expensive.

I used to get it on Amazon, but it wasn’t available last time I went to purchase. Picked it up on eBay instead. Maybe they’re rebranding or there’s a production issue? It’s really great stuff, though. I hope it’s not going away.

Other topical things I reach for with frequency that you might also like are straight up Vaseline (anything that needs to be kept moist) and gall salve, which is just fab on scabby leg stuff. Bickmores is fine, but I actually prefer the Gateway stuff…which I guess they don’t make anymore. Bah. That sucks. I guess bickmores it is.

People hypochlorous is often less $$ than the horse stuff, too. Amazon carries a few options, I always price check.

ABD pads are also awesome for wrapping wounds. Non stick & absorbent.

[Polydor]

Just doing a quick reply more so to remind myself to reply tomorrow since I should be going to bed.

Silver Honey spray/ointment
Equine Essential Tea Pro wound spray
Alu spray - there is also a knock off which I haven’t physically seen but in theory used the same

I can’t message you but I do have blu kote if you want one. I know I’m close-ish to you. My work might have brought some over the border…

P.

[TheJenners]

I know I havent been able to find good ole Thrush Buster in stores in a few years… Wonder if this is why.

It works awesome on thrush. I’ve been using denatured water, brain farting on the name and can’t look at the bottle because the nozzle broke so it’s in a blank one. But despite misgivings and some eyerolling, I was shocked that it actually did the job better than some of the “replacement” thrush treatments on the shelf now.