To be honest, we don’t know the answer to the question in the title because of a lack of scientific reviews. There is a lot of talk but little science on the internet about colloidal silver treatments and nearly all of it relates to humans. There are some useful comments on this page. Please check them out.
I was immediately struck by the opposing viewpoints taken by people on the effectiveness of colloidal silver. There is a bit of a conspiracy theory too. Supporters say that big business want to discredit it as it cannot be patented. If it was hugely effective it would eat into the profit margins of big pharmaceutical companies.
My impression is that supporters come from the ranks of the large supplemental, fringe, medical marketplace and homeopaths. Detractors come from mainstream medical practitioners and scientists.
So, for example in the UK, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) state on their website, in a very truncated page, that there are no relevant reviews, no references to reliable up-to-date reviews etc.. In other words there is no scientific evidence as to its effectiveness. Reviews are needed.
In the USA, NIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) say that the ‘bottom line’ (they use that phrase) is that there are no high quality studies on the health benefits of colloidal silver. The claims of health benefits are not supported by science. The FDA say it is not safe or effective for treating diseases. Taking it by mouth is said to be hazardous to health (possibly). This is all in reference to treating humans, of course.
So, the medical establishment more or less rejects colloidal silver, which incidentally is incredibly small particles of silver suspended in a solution.
It reportedly works by disabling the enzyme that single celled bacteria need for their oxygen metabolism. That is one description. It comes from the altered-states.net website. Colloidal silver acts as an natural antibiotic. It is claimed to treat a very wide range of diseases and conditions. This makes me suspicious.
As there is little or no science, I can’t assess it from that standpoint. We should not, however, be automatically critical of the product just because some doctors and scientist don’t like it. There are many examples of mainstream medical practitioners rejecting novel treatments as a reactionary response. Doctors are generally quite conservative and are part of the establishment.
That said my overriding impression is that colloidal silver as a medical treatment for cats should be a last resort in treating a FIV cat.
I would be reluctant to use it as a first-choice treatment. In fact, I would not do it. I’d stick with the tried and tested until and if matters became desperate. This is just a personal viewpoint.
Do you have personal experience of the effectiveness of this product?
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Silver started being re-investigated as an antimicrobial agent when acknowledgement of antibiotic resistance began cropping up in the 1960s. It has been used for centuries along with honeys as topical wound treatment. Currently, it is a mainstay of burn treatment but it’s efficacy and limitations are under a lot of scrutiny at the moment.
This is a PubMed review article (fully visible) that looks at various burn treatments as well as silver and talks about the benefits, limitations, and current changes in methods of use as of 2010. (Warning: is long and medical-y)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935806/
This is a review on the dangers and cytotoxic effects of nanosilver (there’s quite a few documented) – this is only an abstract:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27815378
Please be aware that most of the research is done in lab settings on either cloned human cell lines or in lab animals. As new studies come out, the largest immediate concerns are around neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity.
Additionally, while finding better ways of packaging silver to harness it’s cytotoxic effects (so that it kills cancer and not normal cells, etc), there is data to support that certain silver compounds can help prevent viral *transmission* – not treat current viral infections.
In summary, silver is being looked into, but in unregulated concentrations or forms as are currently in most alternative medical products, it could be harmful to your pets and has not yet shown any data for treating FIV infections.
Many thanks for a super comment which is very useful, informative and which plugs the gaps in my article. Thanks again.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-779-colloidal%20silver.aspx?activeingredientid=779
There was a horse medication for open wounds that had some type of silver agent in it. The name escapes me. It did work fairly well on a horses lower leg where there is limited circulation. Here it is:
http://equimed.com/drugs-and-medications/reference/silver-sulfadiazine
It was when we had a much more limited choice of medications there are several herbal topical sprays now that are truly wonderful.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/hi-ho-silver/
I’ve had this heated conversation with several people including an ex BF who unloaded several hundred dollars for a home contraption.
It is selling snake oil to desperate family members other humans and distraught pet owners who at some point are willing to try anything. I promise you somewhere on the container is wording that will release the person marketing these products from liability when you kill your pet.
Thanks ME. Your comment was held for moderation because it contained links – just so you know in case you think I did it! I did not. It’s the software.
I knew you would and that’s fine. Hope for owners of FIV cats to me seems more likely found in the drugs used to control AIDS.
More Links sorry.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1363008
ME another visitor has left another informative comment which nicely adds to the page. I am very pleased with the comments on this page.
The answer is NO. So much hype.
Thanks Dee. The short, sharp words of a wise woman.
This is the first I think I’ve heard of it, so based on that alone, and my own predisposition to rely on science, I also wouldn’t use it until last resort if at all. It does require people to try something enough and show that it alone worked for some ailment. I especially reject cure-alls (snake oil). Like a good movie (like Jurassic Park), there has to be some believability to it and not just theory or spiritual. Unfortunately the consumer anecdotal way of “testing” is pretty harsh and unless it’s extremely effective for exactly what it’s claims are for, it’s less likely to be. I even suspect ancient “remedies” or such repurposed for modern use that find their way onto the homeopathic market. At least a vet who’s been through school should give them some scrutiny. I’ve seen business cards in vets offices and wonder too if they are just trying to appear open-minded to clients, which flies in the face of being science-based, so that makes me wonder too. I understand big pharma’s want to make money even at the expense of other supplements also working, and it’s hard to trust the establishment in that regard. It’s a tough call any way I look at it.
I would want verified proof of it’s success. I have seen it used to stop bleeding. It worked part of the time. I understand it can be detrimental to one’s health if used incorrectly. It is not something I would use without further proof.