Honey Baths?

[DVirginiana]

That's pretty interesting....Which brings up several questions:
1. "4 - 6 drops of honey" in how much water?....It would seem there isn't a critical concentration 2. Since honey is mostly fructose, does any sugar work? 3. What is the mechanism that makes this work (the frog defecate). 4. And for the Jeopardy question of the year....."Who was the person who figured out putting a constipated frog in an aqueous solution of sugar will cure the problem."......... Thanks Lloyd

Okay
1) The 4-6 drops of honey is in a typical sandwich container. It isn't an exact science. A bit more or less will not hurt anything, and you can play with the concentration depending on how effective it is. Basically, as long as you're measuring it in drops of honey in a container of water you should be safe. You never want to get to a point that you're doing a fifth honey and four fifths water.
2) I guess technically any sugar would work, but the honey seems to work better as it does have enzymes in it that promote healing (an old remedy to keep scratches from swelling and getting infected is to coat them in honey). So the honey has other beneficial qualities. In fact, it prevents swelling to an extent that honey soaks are also recommended for frogs with minor intestinal prolapses.
3) The frog's skin acts like one big semi-permeable membrane. The solute concentration of the honey affects the water content of the frog's body. This affects the bowels.
4) I imagine someone with an understanding of osmotic potential figured it out. It's actually a principal that has been used in human medicine for a long time.

[never quit]

Okay
1) The 4-6 drops of honey is in a typical sandwich container. It isn't an exact science. A bit more or less will not hurt anything, and you can play with the concentration depending on how effective it is. Basically, as long as you're measuring it in drops of honey in a container of water you should be safe. You never want to get to a point that you're doing a fifth honey and four fifths water.
2) I guess technically any sugar would work, but the honey seems to work better as it does have enzymes in it that promote healing (an old remedy to keep scratches from swelling and getting infected is to coat them in honey). So the honey has other beneficial qualities. In fact, it prevents swelling to an extent that honey soaks are also recommended for frogs with minor intestinal prolapses.
3) The frog's skin acts like one big semi-permeable membrane. The solute concentration of the honey affects the water content of the frog's body. This affects the bowels.
4) I imagine someone with an understanding of osmotic potential figured it out. It's actually a principal that has been used in human medicine for a long time.

Thanks, I was thinking something like that along those lines that osmosis played a part, and you know much more about this than I do. I'll soak my frogs tomorrow, but it'll be in a quart size container...And based on what you said, there's a lot of "forgiveness" with the concentration of honey....so I'll add like a teaspoon or so?.....I would think a drop of honey would be pretty big, just because of the surface tension.

Thanks
Lloyd

[GrifTheGreat]

Thanks, I was thinking something like that along those lines that osmosis played a part, and you know much more about this than I do. I'll soak my frogs tomorrow, but it'll be in a quart size container...And based on what you said, there's a lot of "forgiveness" with the concentration of honey....so I'll add like a teaspoon or so?.....I would think a drop of honey would be pretty big, just because of the surface tension.

Thanks
Lloyd

A teaspoon would be several drops just so you know and yes honey somewhat gelatinous or syrupy so a drop of honey would be greater in size than a drop of water.

I say one drop per 4 ounces of water. Now if you are treating a prolapsed intestine you would use 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar to 6 tablespoons of water to dehydrate the prolapse and reduce the swelling so it can be placed back inside the frog if it does not return on it's own.