Stitch Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) For those who may remember my 13 year old senior citizen has had ongoing IBD and food allergies for many, many years so it has been an ongoing battle to feed her, keep weight on her, minimise itchiness and settle her stomach. This dog has a history of reacting to commercial IBD diets (and I have tried them all on her) and because of an allergy to chicken (which most are based on). She gets extremely itchy even when these diets are hydrolysed. So she is a dog that has a history of bloody diarrhoea, vomiting plus she gets itches from IBD diets that are supposed to help her. A double wammy! Over the years I have tried her on just about every commercially prepared and homemade food available. The last food she was on for quite a while was homemade kangaroo stew. She still got the rumbling gut, didn't want to eat and was so skinny it was heartbreaking...the only thing it helped with was the itching. I had over the years also added many different types of bacteria & emzymes to her diet to help with digestion eg. Protexin, Enzyplex, yoghurt, etc. and tried an array of medications, all with no obvious improvement in her condition. I was at my wits end when I decided to phone Hills and put her back on whatever they recommended and just let nature take its course. Their recommendation was to feed the Z/d Ultra of a morning and the I/d cans of an evening. I had tried these previously and knew they were an imperfect fit but I had to feed something so I went with their recommendations. Now comes the interesting part.....we keep bees and we have many hives from which we extract pure honey. Our honey is not heat treated as is the case with most commercially produced honey so it is what is called "raw" and so still has active bacteria and enzymes in it. Honey is known to be a great source of beneficial bacteria and has been used for hundreds of years to treat a vast range of medical problems including gut and skin conditions....so I decided to add some into my girls diet. It was a long shot but my thinking was that adding honey to her food couldn't hurt and might just help. So... it is now 2 months later and I am cautiously ecstatic to say that she has put on about 2kgs, rarely has a grumbling gut,is pooing pretty much normally and is not itchy. I didn't like to advertise the fact in case she relapsed but I wanted to put it out there for those who do have dogs with the same chronic problem that my girl had. Maybe it can help you too? Edited February 21, 2015 by Stitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That is great, I am a big fan of raw unheated honey and often rave about it . I always keep Jarrah TA 36 + in my doggy medicine cabinet. So glad to hear you have had some really good results Incidentally, and for the doubters, hospitals and burn units are using it topically as the MOST effective treatment and preventative for staph infections. This includes the renowned doctor and burn specialist who treated some of the Bali bombing survivors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Real honey is wonderful stuff! Glad it's helping :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That is fantastic news, Stitch and I hope the rumbles continue to stay away. I have a dog who is really suffering from non specific gastritis and have tried just about everything too. I did introduce all my dogs to Manuka Honey but without success. Where could I buy raw honey and know that it really was the real deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Like many things, honey that is purchased either direct from the beekeeper or from markets, etc. is fresher and tastes better. If in doubt you can always ask the person selling it. Honey should always have the name & address of the beekeeper on it. Sometimes it will also have on it that it is "cold spun" ie. we put the frames of honeycomb in a centrofuge and spin the honey out of the honeycomb. It is not heat treated which will kill all the beneficial bacteria, etc. Some nectars contain as yet unknown substances with antibacterial properties. According to some of our books here, honey enhances the immune system, reduces inflammation, stimulates cell growth and has an anti oxidant effect. It doesn't have to be just Manuka honey to have these benefits. Just as all honeys are not equal in their medicinal value, all Manuka honeys are not equal. They are rated (UHF) according to their antibacterial potency. I used our honey because I knew it was not heat treated and it was very fresh. Our bees usually collect from paperbark and hardwood trees in our area but there will obviously be other nectar sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Thank you for sharing, Stitch, I find your experience very interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That is fantastic news, Stitch and I hope the rumbles continue to stay away. I have a dog who is really suffering from non specific gastritis and have tried just about everything too. I did introduce all my dogs to Manuka Honey but without success. Where could I buy raw honey and know that it really was the real deal? Back in May, Ronin's Daddy,Yonjuro, made a great thread on honey. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/257387-honey-glorious-honey/ I mention one site in it. They are great. Or you could look at this one http://www.jarrahhoneyinfo.com/ Has online sellers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That is fantastic news, Stitch and I hope the rumbles continue to stay away. I have a dog who is really suffering from non specific gastritis and have tried just about everything too. I did introduce all my dogs to Manuka Honey but without success. Where could I buy raw honey and know that it really was the real deal? Back in May, Ronin's Daddy,Yonjuro, made a great thread on honey. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/257387-honey-glorious-honey/ I mention one site in it. They are great. Or you could look at this one http://www.jarrahhoneyinfo.com/ Has online sellers. Thanks VM :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavsRcute Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That is fantastic news, Stitch and I hope the rumbles continue to stay away. I have a dog who is really suffering from non specific gastritis and have tried just about everything too. I did introduce all my dogs to Manuka Honey but without success. Where could I buy raw honey and know that it really was the real deal? A lady at work has her own hives and lives at Kenthurst. I will ask on Monday if she sells it. I know she brought some in and if had the honeycomb in it but don 't know whether that makes it raw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Cavs, all honey is extracted from honeycomb. The honey is extracted by scraping away the capping or the seal on the outside of the honeycomb and then spinning the frame of honeycomb really quickly. The honey flies out of the honeycomb, lands on the side of the spinner (centrifuge) and then runs down the sides and flows out the bottom and is collected in a bucket. We then strain the honey several times through very fine material to remove any particulate matter. There is no heat used in this process so the honey is very natural and is called RAW honey. Sometimes processors put additives into the honey to make it go further or flow easier or they heat it so that it doesn't granulate or crystalize and looks better on the shelf. Raw honey always tastes better than processed honey but it will crystalize quicker. Just because it crystalizes doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the honey. It is in the nature of honey to crystalize but many people think that there is something wrong with it if it does....there isn't. You should never keep honey in the fridge. Keep it in your cupboard. If it does crystalize you can put the container in warm water for a little while which will help dissolve the crystals but continually reheating the honey will cause it to lose flavour and also beneficial bacteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 That's great Stitch - great to hear of your success. I have a Westie with a dicky tummy and strong Manuka in the cupboard. I'll try her on it. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Interestingly honey shouldn't go off. Scientists discovered honey thousands of years old, perfectly preserved. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/?no-ist Regarding the candying of honey or crystallisation. Jarrah honey won't do this due to the low glucose levels and high fructose. Jarrah had a lean season last year due to the lower flowering of the trees. This year is looking more optimistic due to the late rainfall we had here. For me and probably partially because I am a proud West Australian is that I think raw cold extracted and filtered Jarrah is the very best honey in the world for medicinal purposes. :D TA 36+ is around $30 for 300g so while expensive for honey, it is pretty cheap as a medicine :) Raw Manuka is not able to be brought into WA due to the protection of our bee industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Interestingly honey shouldn't go off. Scientists discovered honey thousands of years old, perfectly preserved. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/?no-ist Regarding the candying of honey or crystallisation. Jarrah honey won't do this due to the low glucose levels and high fructose. Jarrah had a lean season last year due to the lower flowering of the trees. This year is looking more optimistic due to the late rainfall we had here. For me and probably partially because I am a proud West Australian is that I think raw cold extracted and filtered Jarrah is the very best honey in the world for medicinal purposes. :D TA 36+ is around $30 for 300g so while expensive for honey, it is pretty cheap as a medicine :) Raw Manuka is not able to be brought into WA due to the protection of our bee industry. WA has strict regulations for what can be taken into the State. Most States do. http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/destination-western-australia.html Edited February 21, 2015 by VizslaMomma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 A lady at work has her own hives and lives at Kenthurst. I will ask on Monday if she sells it. I know she brought some in and if had the honeycomb in it but don 't know whether that makes it raw Oh that would be great,CavsRcute. I did start googling earlier, but got sidetracked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavsRcute Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Cavs, all honey is extracted from honeycomb. The honey is extracted by scraping away the capping or the seal on the outside of the honeycomb and then spinning the frame of honeycomb really quickly. The honey flies out of the honeycomb, lands on the side of the spinner (centrifuge) and then runs down the sides and flows out the bottom and is collected in a bucket. We then strain the honey several times through very fine material to remove any particulate matter. There is no heat used in this process so the honey is very natural and is called RAW honey. Sometimes processors put additives into the honey to make it go further or flow easier or they heat it so that it doesn't granulate or crystalize and looks better on the shelf. Raw honey always tastes better than processed honey but it will crystalize quicker. Just because it crystalizes doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the honey. It is in the nature of honey to crystalize but many people think that there is something wrong with it if it does....there isn't. You should never keep honey in the fridge. Keep it in your cupboard. If it does crystalize you can put the container in warm water for a little while which will help dissolve the crystals but continually reheating the honey will cause it to lose flavour and also beneficial bacteria. Thanks for the info. Maybe this would be of some use to my mother who suffers from IBD. You can always learn something new on DOL :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavsRcute Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 A lady at work has her own hives and lives at Kenthurst. I will ask on Monday if she sells it. I know she brought some in and if had the honeycomb in it but don 't know whether that makes it raw Oh that would be great,CavsRcute. I did start googling earlier, but got sidetracked. Will let u know DDD. I did see some "raw" honey at Thomas Dux Hornsby. Might be worth investigating too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 For those who are interested there is a book available on line titled "Honey The Gourmet Medicine" by Joe Traynor. There are lots of examples and anecdotes on how honey has been successfully used over the years....right back to Egyptian times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 For those who are interested there is a book available on line titled "Honey The Gourmet Medicine" by Joe Traynor. There are lots of examples and anecdotes on how honey has been successfully used over the years....right back to Egyptian times. Book Depository have it, including free shipping :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Will let u know DDD. I did see some "raw" honey at Thomas Dux Hornsby. Might be worth investigating too Thank you for that. I will take my magnifying glass so I can read the small print LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) So I read this thread and remembered I had a jar of honey that I bought on the side of the road from people a bit further up the creek. I started giving Jakje a tablespoon morning and night with all his medicine. Results have been spectacular. He is on only one polaramine a day now and all his open bumps have healed up, he had two persistent spots on his face that had been there for weeks. One is still slightly visible but the hair is nearly grown over both. Previously he had to have his paws rinsed every second day in quit itch and a bath every seven to ten days. I bathed him yesterday for the first time in three weeks just because he was dirty. I had tried pretty much everything with either worse or no effect. This has been amazing. Edited March 12, 2015 by hankdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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