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Sugar Paste Helps Dog Heal

A topical application of sugar mixed with vegetable oil can help chronic wounds heal.

Q. My German shepherd has been suffering from a chronic ulcerated wound that did not respond well to anything the vet prescribed. The surgery for such a wound is invasive and risky for an older dog.

I found a mention of Sugardyne on your site yesterday and tried it. There was an immediate change.

Today the wound was visibly improved and I hope it will help it heal permanently. What more can you tell me?

A. Sugardyne is the name Richard Knutson, MD, gave to an ointment composed of powdered sugar and vegetable oil (three parts sugar to one part oil). Originally, he included povidone iodine as well but found it was not necessary for success.

As an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Knutson used this simple, inexpensive but effective treatment on thousands of patients during his lifetime. You can read the report he wrote for this website.

Bleeding must be completely controlled before the mixture is applied. The dressing should be changed daily until the wound heals.

 

The Latest Version

Japanese researchers have come up with a refinement of Dr. Knutson’s formulation. They added tretinoin (a vitamin A compound) and tocoferil (a vitamin E compound) to the povidone iodine-sugar base and used it for pressure ulcers (Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, vol. 61, no. 7, 2013).

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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