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Therapeutic Manuka Honey: No Longer So Alternative

Introduction: Medicinal honey research is undergoing a substantial renaissance. From folk lore remedy largely dismissed by mainstream medicine as “alternative”, we now see increased interest by scientists, clinical practitioners and the general public in the therapeutic uses of honey. There are a number of drivers of this interest: first, the rise in antibiotic resistance by many bacterial pathogens has prompted interest in developing and using novel antibacterials; secon...

Optimal Equine Wound Healing with Mānuka Honey

The objective of wound healing is to re-establish an epithelial cover and repair the integrity, strength and function of the damaged area. Bischofberger et al. (2015) showed that Mānuka honey, when used even in contaminated wounds, was able to decrease inflammation, increase angiogenesis, increase fibrosis and collagen organisation and increase epithelial hyperplasia. These effects resulted in a more organised bed of granulation tissue in the early stage of wound healing leading to reduced over...

Helpful hint - Four ways you can stop your dog licking their wounds

Often one of the most frustrating things when treating a wound on your dog is that they always want to lick the wound, which often makes it hard to apply any gel or crème and makes the healing period longer.To try and help those of you who have found this frustrating we have pulled together a list of a few different ways that you can stop your dog from licking their wounds and as well as the pros and cons associated with each. 1. Elizabeth Collar“Elizabeth Collars” can make your dog lo...

Fun fact - What does the bee smoker do?

If you have ever watched a beekeeper harvest honey, you've probably seen them use a smoker as they approached the hive. Perhaps you've wondered what this was for?At a high level the smoke helps the beekeeper to create an atmosphere of harmony with the bees in their hive.Naturally when a bee detects smoke near the hive (the bees home), it senses the danger that fire might be near by. So they head inside the hive and start preparing to leave home just incase the fire moves closer.  In prepari...

How to treat this with Mānuka Vet™ - Open wound on the cannon bone

This month Dr Leigh de Clifford takes us through the best way to treat an open wound on the hind cannon bone.This is quite a common injury which if treated correctly the prognosis is very good.Our Skin & Wound Gel is ideal for this sort of wound as it can help to reduce the scar tissue and scaring, which often results in the leg looking no different once the wound has healed as it did prior to the injury.We hope you find this video useful. ...

Did you know? The high sugar content in honey helps kill bacteria…

The high sugar content in honey causes an ‘osmotic gradient’ (higher pressure on one side compared to the other). This in turn causes a suction like effect pulling fluid into the wound and shrinking any bacteria present. Gluconic Acid is also present in all honey and is converted into hydrogen peroxide which further helps to kill bacteria. The level of this activity varies considerably in honey depending on numerous factors such as plant species, the weather, the bees themselves, a...

Fun fact - What plants do bees like?

Did you know that bees prefer plants that produce a flower with a single row of petals, like sunflowers? This is because it makes landing and retrieving nectar much easier. To read more about what plants bees like the most check out the Trees for Bees website.http://www.treesforbeesnz.org/......

Tip of the trade - The basics of bandaging a wound on your dog

Just like you can bandage a horse's wound you can also bandage your dog’s wounds. Although the shape of the part of the body you are bandaging (e.g your dogs leg) will be different to that of a horse, many of the bandaging principles are the same.Before you apply the bandage you want to ensure that the wound site is clean by disinfecting it and if necessary clipping the surrounding hair/fur.Next you should look to apply an appropriate treatment to help improve the healing process and...

Mānuka Vet™- Doing our part to support the bee population in NZ

As it's Bee Aware Month we thought that it was timely to share with you one of the practices that we are undertaking to ensure that our bees have a healthy diet all year round.At present many hives have to be moved off the block which they reside during the winter months to ensure they have enough food.Our partners have recognised that this isn't ideal and the bees are likely to be much happier and healthier if they could reside in the one place all year round.As a result, they have teamed up wi...

How to treat this with Mānuka Vet™ - An open wound on the heel/hoof

Sharing our knowledge and wound management best practice is part of our philosophy here at Mānuka Vet™. We believe that learning is a practice that never ends and we want to ensure our followers get the best results with their horses wounds.Therefore, we have put a number of videos together to share with you.Check out the one below which steps you through how to treat an open wound on a horses heel/hoof. We hope you find the video helpful and learn a few useful tips and tricks along ...

Did you know? New Zealand has 28 native bee species...

Yes that's right, there are a number of different kinds of bees. In fact in New Zealand there is thought to be around 28 native bee species and 13 introduced species.Our native bees tend to be smaller and although they are thought to be the gold medalists of the pollinating world, the introduced species are thought to produce better quality honey....

Do you have a small animal who is an adventurer?

If you do, you should have some of our Mānuka Vet™ Skin & Wound Gel on hand!  It's ideal to put on any open wounds, burns, skin irritations cuts, grazes or sore paws. It conveniently comes in a 20ml tube, which is ideal for our smaller companions!You can buy the gel online or at a number of stockists.Explore our website to find out where to secure the gel which is a must have for all first aid vet kits!...

Helpful hint - Cling film can help you treat mud fever

Most of us will have cling film (glad wrap) in our household. However, it's usually in the kitchen and used for covering leftovers so we can enjoy the night before's meal the following day.However, cling film can also be used to help treat mud fever. It keeps warmth and moisture in, which softens and loosens mud fever scabs, so they are easier to remove. By removing the scabs you can ensure the Skin & Wound Gel can be as effective as possible and work its magic by being directly exposed to ...

Fun fact - How you can help sustain the bee population...

Have you ever wondered how you can do your little bit to ensure that the worlds bee population remains?If so check out the list of ways you can help below:1. Be bee conscious by ensuring that you try to protect the bees that populate the piece of land you own and/or work on.  A good way to do this is by making sure the plants you buy are not pre-treated with pesticides!2. Buy local, raw honey from a local beekeepers. Buying honey from your local farmers market is a great idea as you can mee...

How to treat this with Mānuka Vet™ - Pastern Dermatitis (Mud Fever)

For those of you who have beautiful horses with white markings, including white socks" or "stockings", winter can be a frustrating time!When you combine the wet weather of winter with white "socks" or "stockings" you often see evidence of pastern dermatitis or mud fever. Despite your best efforts you may find it hard to get rid of, so give up trying.If this sounds like you, be sure to watch the video below. It will show you just how to fix mud fever with our Skin & Wound Gel and kick mud fe...

Fun fact - Why do beekeepers wear white?

Have you ever wondered why beekeepers wear white? Is it to see when a bee lands on them, to stay cool when its hot or is it a fashion trend that has stuck?The answer is simple and evolutionary. In order to be able to evolve bees have had to protect themselves against predators who want to harm them. This usually comes in the form of animals who wish to eat their sweet honey and to do so they attack a bee's hive.It just so happens that most of these predators/animals are dark in colour.As a resul...

Tip of the trade - How to bandage your horses wound like a vet

Many of you have been asking questions about bandaging and what best practice is.So we thought we would show you a small excerpt from one of the videos we have coming up. Check the video below out to see just how to bandage your horses wound and how you can stop your horse from getting pressure sores....

Client stories - Grace Mail

We love getting feedback, especially when our Skin & Wound Gel has helped to achieve such great results.Check out the before and after photos that one of our competition winners sent through and what she had to say about our Skin & Wound Gel!"Your skin and wound gel is seriously liquid gold!! I was lucky enough to win a tube at the time my horse managed to slice open his leg, seriously believe that it has helped with the healing of his leg. Seriously can't rate this product enough!! "  - Gr...

Helpful hint - Ensure you have petroleum jelly in your vet kit

Most of you will have a pot of Vaseline hanging around, but did you know that petroleum jelly can be very handy when managing wounds?If your are managing an open wound that is weeping with discharge, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) is great to use underneath the wound. It acts as a barrier to ensure the discharge doesn't burn the hair and skin directly below it and ensures that it is easier to keep the area surrounding the wound clean.So if you want to leave an open wound uncovered, try using a liber...

Did you know? Not all honey is created equal...

Many people query what the difference between Mānuka Honey and normal mixed plant honey is, when it comes to wound healing. The short answer is despite all honey having some antibacterial activity only authentic New Zealand Mānuka Honey (Leptospermum scoparium) has ‘Non-Peroxide’ activity as well.So what does this mean?Well in summary this means that Mānuka Honey has been found to possess additional enzymes that help to heal wounds faster and with less inflammation and scaring.These ...

Client stories - Glenn Old

We caught up with thoroughbred racehorse trainer Glenn Old at his property in Matamata, to find out what horses we should be following out of his stable and why he chooses to use our Skin & Wound Gel.Check out the video to find out what Glenn had to say....

Client stories - Josh Barker

We have been receiving some great feedback from our customers about the Skin & Wound Gel, which we really appreciate and we wanted to share some of this feedback with you. So we hit the road and went and asked a few people, who have used the product, what they think of it.Check out the video below of Josh Barker to hear what he thinks of the Mānuka Vet Skin & Wound Gel and what he has planned this coming season for his showjumping team....

Client stories - Chad Ormbsy

We have been sharing with you a lot of information about how Mānuka honey heals and why our Skin & Wound Gel is a must have for any animal lovers vet kit.However, we thought it was time for you to hear directly from some of those who are using our products.The first client we caught up with was Chad Ormsby. Chad has been a successful jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer but now focuses his time breaking in both racehorses and sporthorses.Check out what Chad has to say about our Skin & Wound Ge...

Why use a soft, thin cotton wool bandage?

Sometimes when you watch a vet treat a wound you will notice that they often use a soft, thin cotton wool bandage underneath the Gamgee. Have you ever wondered why they do this and when you should use this type of bandage? Well we asked Dr Leigh de Clifford just this. Check out what he had to say. "I tend to use a soft, thin cotton wool bandage when the wound I am treating is in a difficult position, is directly over a joint or if the bandage needs to stay on for a couple of days. I find the e...

How do you revive a tired bee?

The temperatures are certainly getting colder and many of us are getting a dose of the cold or flu, but it's not just us that suffer the bees often do also. In fact, in the cooler months you are likely to spot more bees who are grounded and unable to fly as they are either old, sick or too cold. If you spot a bee in need the best thing you can do is make them a homemade "energy drink". To make the "energy drink" all you need to do is simply mix two tablespoons of white granulated sugar with o...