,ul>ZINC OXIDE DIAPER RASH CREAMS ARE SHOWING GOOD RESULTS
By: Carol Kufner, breeder, one of the list moderators and owner of a GSD with Perianal Fistulas.
Other comments are from list members who are also seeing good to excellent results.
The information contained here is for information purposes/education purposes. None of us are veterinarians AND none of us are affiliated with, nor stand to gain any profit from the manufacturers of the Diaper Rash Products listed below. As always, speak to your veterinarian before making any changes to your dog's current treatment. As with most medications, Zinc Oxide can be toxic if consumed in sufficient quantities. Any concerns regarding the use of Zinc Oxide based creams should be addressed to your veterinarian.
In April of 2005 my husband was using Protopic as prescribed by his MD for the treatment of eczema. He found the Protopic was not helping significantly and decided to try Zincofax diaper rash cream (15% Zinc Oxide) content. In slightly over one day the eczema was gone completely and has not returned. I have been dealing with a PF dog for four years and had been using the Protopic, which is "off label" use by the way for dogs. There was minimal improvement and at times a total relapse.
Since Protopic was recommend (in humans) for eczema and severe skin rashes/disorders, I decided to try the Zincofax 15%, unscented, diaper
rash cream/preventative on my PF dog Morgan. This had not been tried before on a PF dog. I stopped the Protopic as it would skew any results I might see. Within one week, the fistulas had calmed right down and the redness was gone. A gash type wound approximately 1 and 1/4" wide which had been with him for 2 yrs. was totally closed and remains closed to date which is October 14/05. There was a drastic reduction in redness and inflammation, plus the oozing that often accompanies Perianal Fistulas was minimal to none. The entire area had calmed down and within two weeks was showing a return to the normal looking healthy tissue.
The average tube of zinc oxide based diaper rash cream costs about $6.00 to $7.00. A far cry from the Protopic at about $87.00++++ depending on where you live, and from the reports below, showing way more positive results than its expensive counter part. The lower price of this discovery also makes it more affordable for those on lower or fixed incomes to be able to help their PF pets. AND, perhaps those animals with PFs in rescues and shelters may have a better chance of adoption if a treatment is more affordable.
I felt this information should be shared with my PF list members to see if any of them would be willing to try something different, and if so, how would this treatment work for their dogs. I am very happy to give you their impressions of how it worked and is working for their dogs. Zincofax is not found in some countries so members tried other diaper rash creams with the Zinc Oxide base. The results were terrific, so if would appear that the Zinc Oxide, which is the constant in all the creams mentioned blow, is what is working.
Please read on. These are the e-mails from list members, in their own words, describing the results they are having.
1) Hi Carol and all, well good news so far Ouzo red raw patch did not
progress into an open hole, it just a pink raw patch and looking good. When we were using the Protopic we would have been into the second cycle of blister, raw patch, hole by now, but 8 days of Zinc oxide seem to be having an effect.
2) The large blister he had yesterday, was no where near as bad as I
expected this morning, it had burst but is just a small 'o' raw patch
of skin. Considering the size of the blister I was really suprised,
but I have been appling Sudacrem (15% zinc oxide) daily for 5 days now and I think its really helped. Last time we used the protopic and the zinc oxide, the protopic irritated then applying the sudacrem would calm it all down again. This time I will stick to the Sudacrem, if a hole appears I will apply topical cyclo. If the pattern of tract
development follows as last time, a hole should be visible tomorrow as
we were cycling over 3 days blister, raw patch,then hole. If no hole
is there tomorrow then it can only be due to the Zinc oxide as so far
we havent used anything else.
3) Name: Diane Stevens
Dog: Dodge N/M 8yrs old
used Walmart brand Equate, diaper rash creme w/40% zinc oxide
Used for two small fistula like 'slashes', that reoccured after initial closing w/cyclo treatment
Used once daily (am) for one week w/topical cyclo (pm)
Used twice daily am & pm, for another week, "slashes" closed
Use now as maintenance, 2-3 times a week,,no reoccurance
Been using this for about 2 months.
4) When Zedd has been on cyclo/keto for a couple of months he gets real bad diarrhoea and has to come off for a break and it then clears up fairly quickly.
He has been off meds now for 3 weeks and just on Zinc Oxide and fingers crossed he is great. Usually after 2/3 weeks off meds. the PF's are back, but things are still looking good back there.
Anne and Zedd
5) I have been using Zincofax on Arriba for almost 3
months - when I adopted her. I use the 15% zinc on
her twice a day, but just started the second
application about two weeks ago. Someone posted about
using it on the elbows and I just started doing that
too because she had a very sore, worn looking spot on
her one elbow.
6) Arriba is 6 and was diagnosed with PF shortly before I
got her. She has been on pred and clavimox for almost
the whole time I have had her. I stopped all drugs on
Saturday. Nothing seemed to be working anyway and I
wanted to give her a rest from the drugs. But I am
continuing with the zincofax. This week her personality is totally different (much more loving and she is a calmer baby) and her bum is better now than it has been for almost 2 1/2 months.
Nina and Arriba.
7)Hi Carol.
Jack started on zinc oxide a week or two after you told us about it. So, as you say, about four months ago?! I use Sudocrem which is the brand name for Diaper cream with 15% zinc oxide in the UK. It soothed and started to heal his open gashes and fistulas straight away. Jack still has an open hole but now it is completely dry and doesn't irritate him at all. I reduced Cyclo down to 50mg a day about 4 weeks ago and everything (touchwood) seems fine.
The gashes closed after a few days of using Sudocrem and haven't reopened.
Now I only use it on his bottom when I clean it which is only once or twice a week at most. I also use the Sudocrem on his pressure sores on his elbows and on his hip bones. As you know, he can't move his hind legs at all now and he gets awful open sores, like bed sores from lying continually. The Sudocrem seems to take the itch away for him and start to dry up the weeping wound. It doesn't completely cure it because he is creating more friction all the time so it's a vicious circle.
Chris and Jack
8) Hi Carol, I have been using the zinc cream 40% since the begging on Puck, it has kept the fistulas under control and I have used it on a sore on his side that refused to heal for 2 years, and in 2 weeks it was gone. I think you and your husband really found something worthwhile. Thanks , Jeff & Puck
9) Hi Carol, sorry I didn't jump in sooner. Have my pup in a 3 day
herding trial this weekend and I have been busy.
10) I KNOW that the Zinc oxide healed Roscoe's PF hole. I too,
started and stopped the Protopic after your post about the zinc. We use Aveeno brand with 13% Zinc and 5% Dimethicone, unscented. It is
also blended with natural oatmeal to help sooth. Thought that
would come in handy after he had bouts with diahrea. But it has been
healed all summer! Haven't had one of those blood blister things
that we would get while on Protopic. And on the Protopic it never
really healed up. It just "maintained". We use the Aveeno brand of Zinc Oxide once a day.
I took Roscoe in just for a check and to tell the vet about the zinc. She was amazed by his butt, buy the way!
Janet and Roscoe
10)PF Madison has been fistula free for about 2 months, but her auto immune system is a mess and the hair on her feet was gone most of the summer, (pred) and is just starting to grow back. She still gets the desitin (a terrific find) applied every other day.
Ellen