Colloidal Silver: Use In Dogs?
Elements such as silver and gold have been used since ancient times not only for their economic value, but also for their potential healing properties. There are numerous uses of silver and colloidal silver is one of them.
With the advancement of science, however, many of these therapies have been abandoned. This is due to their long-term effects.
What is Colloidal Silver?
As the name suggests, colloidal silver is made up of a colloid. This means that they are tiny particles of silver that are in a dispersion medium such as distilled water.
Colloidal silver is made through a process of electrolysis. The silver particles are charged and repel each other, which is why they remain suspended in the dispersion medium.
Colloidal silver: properties
Aside from the physico-chemical properties that we have already mentioned, colloidal silver has a number of effects when it reacts with living organisms:
- Bactericidal. It has been used in medicine as an antiseptic since the middle of the last century, but its use has been replaced by modern antibiotics.
- Germ inhibiting. Prevents bacteria from multiplying.
- Antiviral. The silver nanoparticles can deactivate certain viruses, such as the canine distemper virus or the one that causes hepatitis B.
- Antifungal. The components of silver have a growth-inhibiting effect on fungi and yeast.
- Neutralization of toxins. Silver is an element that binds to toxins, causing them to be excreted with the silver.
Which diseases were treated with colloidal silver?
There are controversial opinions these days about the uses of colloidal silver. There are documented cases of using colloidal silver to treat diseases. However, it can also have very serious side effects.
Colloidal silver used to treat infections
Because of its antibacterial properties, colloidal silver has been used to heal infections caused by bacteria, such as skin infections.
Treatment of viral diseases
A few decades ago, colloidal silver was also used to treat viral diseases. It has been used to treat conditions such as distemper or hepatitis B in dogs and other animals such as monkeys and cattle. Due to the effect against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, good results have been achieved in some cases.
For this reason, this active ingredient enjoyed great popularity. However, nowadays we know that colloidal silver can also have toxic side effects. Therefore, classical medicine no longer regards it as a safe and effective method of treatment and colloidal silver is now considered an alternative medicine.
The best protection against these serious diseases in dogs is to get the puppies vaccinated against them. It is very important to have all vaccinations carried out and not to neglect the follow-up vaccinations.
If, despite all precautionary measures, your dog develops a serious illness such as distemper, parvovirus or hepatitis, you should immediately consult a veterinarian at the first symptoms.
The veterinarian decides which is the safest and most effective treatment for the disease. And if you are still not sure, you can get a second, professional opinion instead of treating your animal yourself with alternative methods or home remedies.
Colloidal silver: toxic effects
- Argyria. The accumulation of silver can change the color of the skin and other organs. They can turn gray.
- Accumulation of metals. Even if dogs excrete a lot of substances through urine and bile, some still remain in the liver and other parts of the organism.
- In clinical experiments in which rodents, birds and dogs were given colloids and nanoparticles made of silver, the researchers observed changes in the digestive and reproductive systems as well as in the neurohormonal and cardiovascular systems of the animals.
