Colloidal silver for gingivitis/stomatitis?

[GoldyCat]

I know I've seen several threads about using colloidal silver to heal various sores, but of course I can't find the one I want.

I have two cats with severe gingivitis/stomatitis. The sores in Hercules' mouth are at least partly related to chronic herpes. My vet isn't sure what's causing Goldy's problems, but hers are much worse than Hercules'. The relief they get from any treatment is only temporary and nothing ever seems to clear it up entirely.

I've been doing a lot of reading about colloidal silver and it seems like about half the people swear it's a wonder drug and the other half say it does absolutely nothing and has some bad side effects. I asked my vet about it and he said it might help or it might do nothing but that there are no side effects.

My poor kitties have been suffering for so long I'm willing to try just about anything that won't cause more harm. I got a bottle of colloidal silver, 500PPM, but I don't know what dose to give. The only instructions on the bottle say "1/2 teaspoon in a glass of water 1 time a day". Obviously that's a human dosage.

For those of you who use colloidal silver, how do you administer it? I was thinking the easiest way to get the stuff into their mouths would be to put it on a cotton swab and run it over their gums, rather than trying to squirt it from the dropper. Should I dilute it first? I tried a drop of it myself just to see if it tastes bad. It basically has no taste, but I did find the tip of my tongue was tingling for quite a while and I thought it might be because of the concentration.

 

[angels mommy]

Hi GoldyCat,  her is a info sheet I had from when I was a buyer at the co-op I worked at. This is for people, but it will give you some idea. (sorry, it's old & very used!)

Yes, probably putting it on something & rubbing it on the gums is the best way to do it for a cat. Maybe use gauze wrapped around your finger instead of cotton that will absorb more of it & be linty in her mouth. 

 
https://statich.thecatsite.com/b/b4/b4d539fc_ColloidalSilver.pdf
Best suggestion is to PM Laurie (LDG). She may have more ideas. "She's the expert!!"

 

[barbb]

My surgeon used colloidal silver on me to help heal my incision after cancer surgery so that I could undergo radiation. Colloidal silver gets a bad reputation when it is sold for ingesting, but many doctors and surgeons use it topically especially for healing incisions in areas that are not exposed to air like the mouth and elsewhere. I think this would be good for your kitty, I don't know how they will react to it in their mouth but maybe you can look online for using it topically in the mouth and maybe combine it with something like butter?

 

[GoldyCat]

Angels mommy, thanks for the information. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to help me much unless I buy a different product. The information sheet says to use a 10PPM solution, and the one I have is 500PPM. Even if I knew how much to dilute it, I can't quite see me convincing Goldy to hold it in her mouth for 2 minutes before swallowing.

I thought about putting it on gauze, but there's no way either Goldy or Hercules will open their mouths wide enough for me to get a finger in. That's why I was thinking the cotton swab might work.

BarbB, how did your surgeon apply it? Was it wiped over the incision, packed in with a wet gauze, poured over the incision?

 

[sugarcatmom]

500 ppm might be a little high for oral use. I personally wouldn't go above 30 ppm, but that's just me.

One thing you could try is mixing a few drops of the colloidal silver with the powder from a capsule of Coenzyme Q10 to make a paste, and apply that to the gumline with a Q-tip or a finger wrapped in micro-fiber cloth (if Goldy will let you).
 

 

[GoldyCat]

I've heard of coenzyme Q10 but never done any research on it. What would be the benefit of using it for stomatitis?

 

[barbb]

Actually they may have swabbed it too. I seem to recall it was a little gritty. I was surprised they used that but my surgeon is in Castle Connelly as top doctor in Chicago in his field so I think it was the correct thing to do. I also think a paste is a good idea and you might be able to put some appealling flavor on it so they don't react very negatively.

 

[angels mommy]

I agree about the nothing over 30ppm's. Any of the health food stores I buy it at only carry 10ppm's because it's the finer breakdown for better absorption. I think you could probably still use it w/ the info on the sheet as far as for yourself.  I have ingested it many times w/ no problem, as have many people I know, sense I worked at a natural food co-op as a buyer in the wellness dpt. for 6 & 1/2 yrs. I have used it for immune health w/ the under the tong & swallow, I have used it in my eyes, I have used it as a toner when broken out. It's good stuff!!  I am completely comfortable using it for what ever!

I think the cases where people have issues w/ it, are where people who try to make it themselves & it's at a much higher ppm & not tested by a company.

I think the making a paste w/ something, so that it can sit on the gums for as long as she will let it is a great idea! Good luck!  I know you said they don't let you get in their mouth, but if you were able to brush their teeth, that would be a great way to do it, just mix a little in w/ their toothpaste.

 

[carolina]

You can even use it at 50 PPM - just make SURE to dilute in distilled water. Put 9 parts of Distilled water and one of your 500 PPM Colloidal SIlver into a Dark GLASS Bottle. Then you can soak your Q-tip into it, and apply to the gums.

 

[txcatmom]

I've heard of coenzyme Q10 but never done any research on it.

One of the many benefits listed for this supplement is periodontal/gum health.  (I can't explain exactly how this works.)  I have one cat with stomatitis and two young cats with horrible gums.  So I give them each 10 mg of CoQ10 per day, sprinkled over their food (so taken internally, not applied to gums.)  I was just researching whether I should switch to ubiquinol, the reduced form....more easily absorbed (if I understand correctly.) 

 

[ldg]

I'm just reading Dr. Karen Becker's (of Mercola) book, Real Food for Dogs and Cats, and she mentions that ubiquinol is more easily absorbed than the CoQ10, and recommends using that version. She specifically mentions it in relation to fighting gum disease. The recommended dose is 1-5mg per pound daily.

Also, the colloidal silver - internal ingestion is different than topical application. For internal use, you'd want to use 10ppm - 30ppm, and it should NOT be used long term.

For topical use, 500ppm is the most effective - but that's topical - not in the mouth on gums. I'd use Carolina's suggestion, and dilute it down to 50ppm, because they shouldn't be ingesting it in the same way as swallowing it all at once if you're swabbing it on their gums (with the CoQ10).

Barb, I'm not surprised a top Doc would use it. Silver has known antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Almost all medical devices - especially catheters - are coated in silver to prevent infection.

 

[GoldyCat]

I've been doing some more online research and still come up with a lot of conflicting information. Some say that the lower ppm is better because the particle size is smaller, but I can't even find the particle size listed on most of the products. I checked the website for the brand I got and it says the particle size for the 500ppm solution (the one I have) is .002 microns. One source says the optimum particle size is between .001 and .01 microns, and another says it's between .005 and .015 microns.

In any case, it appears the particle size in the solution I have is on the smaller end of the spectrum even though it's a high concentration. So I'm thinking I can go ahead and use this, just dilute it a lot.

I'm still leaning toward using a Q-tip to get it on their gums. I've tried brushing their teeth with the enzymatic toothpaste and generally end up with more on the outside than in their mouths. Then it dries in the fur around their mouths and is almost impossible to get out without pulling the fur out.

 

[langholm]

Hi my siamese cat is having hard time with this terrible disease we tried everything.Last march she had teeth removed apart from thangs. But sadly her mouth red again. Heard about this cure in dallas dr wiggs, anyonr have update information, please please. We live in newyork, see taking her to dallas is out question. I would be so gratefull any help.

 

[txcatmom]

Heard about this cure in dallas dr wiggs

Hi.  My cat Lucy uses the Dallas treatment.  She has never been to Dallas but they work long distance with our vet.  You just have to have a local vet who agrees to work long distance with the Dallas clinic.  They ship the meds.  I'll private message you an e-mail address you can use to contact them. 

 

[langholm]

Thankyou so much, how is it working for you? Is it liquid med,is it expensive. im sure my vet will help me out he is actually from Texas.

 

[langholm]

Hi need feed back please, my siamese has stomatitis. Has anyone ever tried royal canin canned food for allergies or any other allergy food. Just thought!   Thankyou

 

[txcatmom]

Thankyou so much, how is it working for you? Is it liquid med,is it expensive.

My Lucy has only been using it for about 40 days and they say it takes 15-45 days to see results.  However, she needed a steroid shot at day 15.  That will mask any symptoms for a while so it will take another month or so for us to see if it is working.  Another member of this forum, Carolina, has a cat who used it and he did improve on the meds.

It is liquid and it is expensive (by my standards.)  It costs about $40 per month plus shipping ($5.)  And there is some bloodwork required periodically at the beginning which is pretty expensive at my vet's office.

Has anyone ever tried royal canin canned food for allergies or any other allergy food.

I haven't but food can be a factor in stomatitis.  I adopted Lucy knowing she had stomatitis and immediately put her on grain free canned.  I was just testing the waters with my other 3 cats and raw food and decided it would be best for Lucy if we switched to raw.  They all eat raw now.  I'm sure the good nutrition and lack of additives from commercial food must be helping but the diet change did not "cure" her.  However, Carolina's cat's stomatitis did resolve on raw.  Now he doesn't need the Dallas meds.

Feel free to start a thread on the Raw Feeding (if you are interested in learning more about raw) or Nutrition section of the forum.  Your question might be noticed more in a new thread with a title geared toward your question. 

Good luck....I know there is so much info to sort through with this condition. 

 

[carolina]

Thankyou so much, how is it working for you? Is it liquid med,is it expensive. im sure my vet will help me out he is actually from Texas.

I used this treatment for years for my Cat Bugsy - it worked wonders. He is now off meds... His stomatitis improved greatly since he went on a raw diet - I don't know how long this will last, but I will take the time we have off meds.
Bugsy got it on capsules as he is just easier to pill than to give liquid meds.
I did not find it expensive, but that's because it saved me a bunch in vet care as long as he was well :nod:
IMHO all things considered, it is probably the best treatment out there - at least it is something that works without the side effects of steroids. If Bugsy needs to go back on meds, that's definitely what we are going to do.

Keep in mind this is not a cure - there is no cure for stomatitis...... Some get "cured" with a full mouth extraction; a lot don't. Aside from that, there is only controlling the disease.

Good luck

 

[langholm]

Thankyou so much!

 

[langholm]

Glad youre cat doing better with raw food, kylie is very picky but she always has grain free wet food, weruva for awhile. she gets her immune supplement, probitic and q10. I will try her on raw food.