How "dangerous" is Hibiscrub?

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Lobelia_Overhill

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My horse's hind legs are a bit 'scabby', at the mo they look terrible - something to do with mites in the straw, so I thought I'd get out my hibiscrub and wash his legs off, I read the instructions and decided maybe I won't... The stuff sounds lethal!

Is it that bad?

Cheers
 
It's not dangerous as long as you're careful with it and don't go splashing it all over. It must be well diluted and you shouldn't use it too often either as it can strip the natural oils out of the skin especially if you use it for everything. The vet described as a bit like anti biotics, you don't want to use unless you really have to in case you set up some immunity to it; would be useless if it didn't work when you really need it. Some people add it to liquid parafin for mud fever but again, it must be very well diluted and I personally would prefer something gentler on the skin.
 
Dilute it as it instructs on the label - something like a capful to a bucket of water and it will be fine.

The pony I used to have was bathed once a week in a solution of this by his previous owner over the summer months
 
I've never heard of it being dangerous and medical professionals use it on a daily basis for standard disinfecting procedures. Unless you eat it or are allergic to chlorhexidine (which is rather rare) it shouldn't cause any problems.

I have never heard of any microbes developing a resistence to Hibiscrub, did your vet mention any more details Maesfen?
 
if your horse has mites from the straw hibiscrub won't really fix that - something like frontline spray or seleen or even malaseb works better. Chlorhexidine isn't lethal unless you drink it (prefer wine personally!), but should always be diluted to a very pale salmon pink colour (destructions usually on bottle), it is not my favourite to use on cuts etc (cooled boiled water much better, and closest thing to saline thats easliy available) as its irritant, and definately not near mucous membranes or genitalia.
 
hibi is used in hospitals and vets hospitals everywhere, but must be diluted well or can cause skin problems. I once used neat hibi to kill a tick but forgot about not using it neat on my horse who ended up with a able strip down her side as a result. Cleared up fine but i now always use very dilute, did kill the tick :-)
 
From what I have herd, is it safe to clean any new wounds but will kill off new tissue growth so mustn’t be used after the first initial disinfectant.
 
I scrub up in the neat stuff everyday at work! No problems for me although if you've scrubbed for lots of little cases your hands end up a bit dry.

I use it all the time if a horse ever gets mud fever!
 
abercrombie&titch said:
if your horse has mites from the straw hibiscrub won't really fix that - something like frontline spray or seleen or even malaseb works better.
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Thanks for that :) I was advised that hibiscrub would kill off the mites (or whatever it is)

Chlorhexidine isn't lethal unless you drink it (prefer wine personally!), but should always be diluted to a very pale salmon pink colour (destructions usually on bottle), it is not my favourite to use on cuts etc (cooled boiled water much better, and closest thing to saline thats easliy available) as its irritant, and definately not near mucous membranes or genitalia.
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Ooh but it has all these horrible warnings on it!! LOL

Glad to hear so many of you have survived it! I'll try it, and if it makes no difference I'll investigate further...
 
I was advised by my vet to used it diluted to clean up a would that had become infected, and then rinse with saline solution.

A friend was told it was too harsh to use to clean up her lurchers sore toes with (he gets cuts when he runs around)
 
My vet advises against using it if you can, he said he uses it to scrub up before surgery and he showed me his hands and they were a bit red and scabby. He said it is strong stuff and if you do use it really dilute it. you will find baby oil is brilliant for protecting against things especially mud it will just slide off and also loosens the scabs, and soothes itching. Also try sudocream, well any baby products really. I swaer by them :)

Im not saying dont use hibisrub as i have used it with no problems but have since used more gentle alternatives and find they work well on a sensitive tb :)
 
I washed his legs off with salty water this afternoon, and he obviously got some relief from the itching, and the water showed up how bald his legs are!

Stacey02 said:
...you will find baby oil is brilliant for protecting against things especially mud it will just slide off and also loosens the scabs, and soothes itching. Also try sudocream, well any baby products really. I swear by them :)
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I think I'll wash his legs with baby shampoo, then try some baby oil on them and see how that goes.

Thanks everyone! :D
 
Bloody stuff, used too often by the ignorant. It kills everything!!The trouble is that the skin has a population of healthy benevolent bugs. To give an example,mud fever. This is briought about by an invasion by an undesirable bacteria and subsequent inflamatory reaction in the skin. Hibiscrub, its like dropping a hydrogen bomb on Birmingham because someone hasnt paid their council tax!Might just kill the bugs ,but lkeaves the skin open to invasion by god knows what ,all the natural inhabitants have been wiped out!
 
Oh great,the bloody forum has eaten another of my posts , I went to a lot of trouble to explain how there are friendly bugs on the skin and how i=nfections are an imballance of this situation and how hibiscrub kills the good and bad together. Its a bit like dropping a hydrogen bomb on birmingham because someone hasnt paid their council tax , and then expecting a just and forward thinking society to arrise from the rubble!Hibiscrubb is more trouble than it is worth.
 
Mike007 said:
Oh great,the bloody forum has eaten another of my posts , I went to a lot of trouble to explain how there are friendly bugs on the skin and how infections are an imbalance of this situation and how hibiscrub kills the good and bad together. Its a bit like dropping a hydrogen bomb on Birmingham because someone hasn't paid their council tax , and then expecting a just and forward thinking society to arise from the rubble! Hibiscrub is more trouble than it is worth.
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you mean this post?
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Mike007 said:
Bloody stuff, used too often by the ignorant. It kills everything!!The trouble is that the skin has a population of healthy benevolent bugs. To give an example,mud fever. This is brought about by an invasion by an undesirable bacteria and subsequent inflammatory reaction in the skin. Hibiscrub, its like dropping a hydrogen bomb on Birmingham because someone hasn't paid their council tax!Might just kill the bugs ,but leaves the skin open to invasion by god knows what ,all the natural inhabitants have been wiped out!
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I was wondering about that myself...

cheersmedears!
 
Mike007 said:
Bloody stuff, used too often by the ignorant. It kills everything!!The trouble is that the skin has a population of healthy benevolent bugs. To give an example,mud fever. This is briought about by an invasion by an undesirable bacteria and subsequent inflamatory reaction in the skin. Hibiscrub, its like dropping a hydrogen bomb on Birmingham because someone hasnt paid their council tax!Might just kill the bugs ,but lkeaves the skin open to invasion by god knows what ,all the natural inhabitants have been wiped out!
Click to expand...

Glad I'm not the only one to think this Mike; I'd go so far as to say it should be a prescribed medicine, it's far too harsh for common use; there are better and kinder things to use for run of the mill things.
 
ditto it totally strips the skin I end having to moisturise hands if I use it myself or have been scrubbing up legs for joint injections. If you do use it you want 1 part hibi to 20 parts water minimum. Never use it near eyes or gums. It can really irritate and damage eyes.

If you want a shampoo I would use this

http://www.discountedpetproducts.ne...sal_Medicated_Shampoo_16_ounce-UKP133562.html

cheaper than malaseb and non prescription but won't strip the skin. I use it on my sensitive grey to wash off mud etc. and used it to treat a little rain scald. If that doesn't do the job then you want your vet out to prescribe something
 
i bath my horse in hibiscrub as he has sweet-itch as recommended by my vet. he survives OK and considering his allergic reactions to various fly sprays and shampoos id expect him to react.
great to use on a fresh cut (diluted) but must not be used once healing is taking place it strips the new cells back and will make the healing process take forever.
 
Mike007 said:
Bloody stuff, used too often by the ignorant. It kills everything!!The trouble is that the skin has a population of healthy benevolent bugs. To give an example,mud fever. This is briought about by an invasion by an undesirable bacteria and subsequent inflamatory reaction in the skin. Hibiscrub, its like dropping a hydrogen bomb on Birmingham because someone hasnt paid their council tax!Might just kill the bugs ,but lkeaves the skin open to invasion by god knows what ,all the natural inhabitants have been wiped out!
Click to expand...

Clearly I ought to be dead then as I wash my hands in it every day. I don't know how I've survived!
 
if you use hibiscrub on a cut that may have needed a stitch then they won't be able to stitch it, so don't go diving in there, call the vet first, I'm now really careful about open wounds, but i do use it to get rid of mud fever scabs, and minor cuts, and I love the smell of hibiscrub, its so clean smelling!
 
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