# Gentian Violet, Good or Bad?



## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

A new dog supply store opened up by my work. When I went to check it out, I saw an ear cleaner with Colloidal Silver and Gentian Violet. I love the silver, I know from experience it's a great natural antibiotic, but Gentian Violet, I don't know. A lot of people use it on their breast feeding babies to treat thrush. Other people say it's carcinogenic, but would pediatricians really be recommending its use on infants if it were a known cancer causing agent? Maybe it's just carcinogenic in quantities Kabota wouldn't be exposed to in his entire life?

Any opinions? If it is safe, will it dye Kabota's fur purple?


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

I've heard multiple poodle people highly recommending homemade ear washes with Gentian Violet as the main ingredient, but I'm afraid I have no experience personally. Never heard anything about the carcinogenic claims, either. Sorry I'm not more helpful!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

I have never used it on my dogs. I did use it on my children. I have no idea about cancer causing claims but I can say it is REALLY good at getting rid of fungal infections and that you will stain your dog purple forever with it.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

the gentian purple home brew recipe for ear solutions has been around for a long time and has been well liked for it's effectiveness.

gentian purple will stain. Purple Kabota could be fun. Purple spots from him shaking it out everywhere might be less fun.

IIRC the thing about gentian purple being carcinogenic is more at higher quantities and more when it's ingested. The FDA has regulations on I think animal feed with it. For external use, in the tiny quantities in a ear cleaning solution, it should be fine. I'm not sure if I would buy a ear solution with gentian purple when I can just make one though.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

I've used it for gram staining. Personally I wouldn't use it on a dog or a person. There are effective products that are a lot less messy and aren't carcinogenic.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

I have used it on chickens, horses, and barn cats. No animal died of cancer from my use of the product. It does stain a pretty purple color and I was always getting some on myself when I sprayed the animals with it.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I didn't even think of the ear shaking issue. Maybe if I did it on the balcony . . .


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

parus said:


> I've used it for gram staining. Personally I wouldn't use it on a dog or a person. There are effective products that are a lot less messy and aren't carcinogenic.


Back in the day when we didn't have as many dog health products available, we would use a lot of home-brew stuff out of necessity. We had an ear-wash "recipe" that used gentian violet, and that recipe is probably still around. That's probably the basis for the product you saw, although I would consider it outdated. You had to be careful with gentian violet because it would stain *everything*.

These days, there are some very good ear-wash products available that are very effective, non-staining, and probably better for the dog as well. So I would consider using one of those products rather than one with gentian violet. Perhaps your vet could tell you what they us in their practice. Most of these don't need a prescription so you can buy them yourself. at a store or on the web.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Poly said:


> Back in the day when we didn't have as many dog health products available, we would use a lot of home-brew stuff out of necessity. We had an ear-wash "recipe" that used gentian violet, and that recipe is probably still around. That's probably the basis for the product you saw, although I would consider it outdated. You had to be careful with gentian violet because it would stain *everything*.
> 
> These days, there are some very good ear-wash products available that are very effective, non-staining, and probably better for the dog as well. So I would consider using one of those products rather than one with gentian violet. Perhaps your vet could tell you what they us in their practice. Most of these don't need a prescription so you can buy them yourself. at a store or on the web.


I've used most of them. Their effectiveness could be described as "fair". Kabota's already deaf in one ear from repeated infections due to the neglect of his lovely former owners. I wouldn't be looking for alternatives if the vet recommended cleaners were working well. I've got him on zyrtec for allergies, grain and chicken free food (which helped a lot at first), regular cleanings, etc.


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

Amaryllis said:


> I wouldn't be looking for alternatives if the vet recommended cleaners were working well. .


Hello.

I'm not sure what you mean by "working well". I thought we were talking about ear-washes here, which are just cleaning aids for your dog's regular routine ear cleaning. Sort of like using soap when you wash your hands.. 

Some breeds and individual dogs are just prone to very dirty ears, and that can lead to an infection. It's a fact of life for those dogs. 

Ear cleaning isn't really a treatment to cure an actual ear infection It's just routine ear cleaning. I would never expect to be able to stop that regular ear cleaning any more than I would stop regularly washing my hands.

Regular cleaning is somewhat preventative for ear infections, just like regular hand washing is somewhat preventive for human infections. But you can't expect 100% effectiveness from either one. Your dog can still get sick, and so can you.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Did you know that the fake butter flavouring (diacetyl) they put on popcorn is carcinogenic? It's been linked to increased rates of lung cancer in pop-corn factory workers. Turns out, while it's totally safe to eat, if you inhale it on a regular basis it basically destroys your lung cells.

Things that are carcinogenic in some situations are not carcinogenic in others.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

gingerkid said:


> Did you know that the fake butter flavouring (diacetyl) they put on popcorn is carcinogenic? It's been linked to increased rates of lung cancer in pop-corn factory workers. Turns out, while it's totally safe to eat, if you inhale it on a regular basis it basically destroys your lung cells.
> 
> Things that are carcinogenic in some situations are not carcinogenic in others.


That's true. Can you tell us in which situations crystal violet is carcinogenic or not carcinogenic?


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

parus said:


> That's true. Can you tell us in which situations crystal violet is carcinogenic or not carcinogenic?


I don't know... it's not something that I've looked in to.

On the other hand, I don't recall being warned about crystal violet being carcinogenic when using it in the lab. Not to say that it isn't/wasn't, but we were definitely warned about other chemicals, like EDTA, that are very carcinogenic/tetratogenic at any dose. My point was simply that crystal violet may be carcinogenic when ingested, but not necessarily by skin exposure. It may also not be carcinogenic at all, since the FDA's issue seems to be a lack of evidence for safety, not that there is a lot of evidence of harm. (It would depend on the studies done; a lot of cancer studies are done in mice and use lines specifically bred to develop tumors, which means the rest of the study has to be extremely carefully designed or the results will be useless).


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

I've used it for hot spots and for ears. Works well to clean it up, dry it out, and get rid of whatever the issue was. 

Used it on horses a lot too and works great....just usually wipe it in so there isn't enough to spread over everything or do it outside until dry


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## dianetavegia (Jan 27, 2014)

I had a chronic paronychia on my little finger, about an inch below my cuticle that nothing would cure. I remembered my mother using Gentian Violet for ringworms, etc. so I tried it. I put it on, let it dry and then rinsed in a stainless steel sink so it didn't stain porcelain. Within a week it was healed and never came back.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

I had seen Gentian violet stain everything. Takes forever to get out of dog fur as well! Have you tired vet solutions ear cleansing solution, or vetericyn ear rinse? Both are WONDERFUL products. We sold both a my vet clinic never had any complaints. I use Vet Solutions on Jasper once a week since he use to get really yeasty smelling ears.


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## Jfk3 (6 mo ago)

I have a nearly white yellow lab and the basset hound rescue recipe has served us well. Or doesn't stain white fur although I try and use outside because it does stain my white linoleum. I have to say that after having tried nearly everything for chronic ear infections that the "purple Jesus" is absolutely the only thing that works every time and nearly permanently. Never going to the vet for an ear infection again, and never using anything else.


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

This is an eight year old thread, so I'm closing it to further replies. Feel free to start your own threads, or join any of our currently active discussions!


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