Whenever you can, find a different way to treat your dog’s wounds and skin problems. Here are some ideas to help with typical problems. Skin Problems Colloidal silver is touted as a highly effective antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral remedy. And some research shows it can …

Silver protein products contain gelatin to suspend the silver particles. It’s not as effective as true colloidal silver … but beware, because it’s often sold as colloidal silver. Silver Salt van den Brule et al. (2016). Dietary silver nanoparticles can disturb the gut microbiota in mice. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2015;13:38. Storm-Versloot, M. N., Vos, C. G., Ubbink, D. T., and Vermeulen, H. Topical silver for preventing wound infection. Cochrane Database.Syst.Rev 2010;(3):CD006478. View abstract. There are many well-publicized cautions about colloidal silver turning people’s skin blue. It’s a permanent condition called argyria from silver building up in the body. It’s usually happened to people who take it every day for long periods of time. Consumption of colloidal silver is associated with many serious health risks, such as argyria, neurological damage, and liver and kidney harm. It also reduces the absorption and efficacy of certain drugs, such as antibiotics and the thyroid medication thyroxine ( 1, 4, 5).Because of colloidal silver’s antibacterial effects, it’s highly suppressive. That means it may not cure your dog. And it could cause a problem that’s worse than the one you started with.

A smaller number of people go as far as to assert that it helps treat conditions like Lyme disease, tuberculosis, HIV, and even cancer. However, no research supports these claims. Taherinejad F and Hamberg K. Antimicrobial effect of a silver-containing foam dressing on a broad range of common wound pathogens. Poster presentation: Third Congress of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies, Toronto, Canada. 2008; Ask your holistic vet or another expert if you need help choosing. And don’t be fooled by high PPMs … they’re more toxic. A higher PPM isn’t better. A PPM of 10 is fine for most situations. A major issue is the misinterpretation of the results from test-tube and rodent studies. Although a study may suggest that colloidal silver kills certain strains of bacteria in a lab setting, this finding can’t be applied to humans ( 8).A. Petica et al. Colloidal silver solutions with antimicrobial properties. Materials Science and Engineering: B. 2008;152(1–3):22-27. Typically, colloidal silver products are sold as homeopathic remedies. Homeopathy is based on the premise that very low doses of a substance can produce health benefits, though little research supports this ( 7). Mornex, R., Zech, P., Pellet, M., and Tourniaire, J. [Study of digestive absorption of iodine. I. Demonstration of the inhibition of inorganic iodine absorption by the addition of silver protein]. C.R.Seances Soc Biol Fil. 8-31-1963;157:823-825. View abstract. Gong, Z. H., Yao, J., Ji, J. F., Yang, J., and Xiang, T. Effect of ionic silver dressing combined with hydrogel on degree II burn wound healing. Journal of Clinical Rehabilitative tissue Engineering Research 2009;13(42):8373-8376. Hadrup N, Lam HR. Oral toxicity of silver ions, silver nanoparticles and colloidal silver-- a review. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2014;68(1):1-7. View abstract.