Hello-
I must first thank you, Mr. Rawles, for your advice. I truly believe it will one day save my life. Also, the amount of knowledge I have gained from all of the contributors to SurvivalBlog is astounding!
My profession is in the animal industry, so I am familiar with antibiotics and other meds. At work, it is many times frustrating to pull out dosage instructions from a bottle of medicine, only to find that they’re all written for humans. Especially the antibiotics! I order only from veterinary pharmacies, but these drugs are manufactured and labeled for human consumption. Now I laugh when I go to the local Rite-Aid. I recognize many of the bottles on their shelf.
In addition to fish antibiotics, I strongly suggest making use of livestock supply companies. I love my local Tractor Supply, but I could never afford to purchase meds from them. I would like to share links to two reputable companies that offer prices much lower than those at the local agricultural supply store:
1.) Jeffer’s Livestock Supply is #1 on the list. They have great customer service, super low prices, and fast shipping. This is a great resource for antibiotics- Sulfas, Penicillin, Oxytetracycline, etc. They also carry medical supplies like suture packs, sterile gauze, Telfa wound pads, elastic bandages, needles, and syringes. If you’re really worried about sterility, read the descriptions- they won’t state that it’s sterile unless it is… Also, I use these things on a daily basis, and have cross-referenced the companies. The syringes, for example, are produced, packaged, and sold for use on humans. There aren’t many companies that make medical supplies for animal use only, so when you purchase them, they are typically large quantities of human products.
2.) KV Vet Supply carries the same products also at great prices.
Depending on what part of the country you’re in, you may find shipping to be significantly faster or cheaper with one of these companies.
I will also include here a list of medical supplies that I have used extensively and feel that I wouldn’t want to be without, especially in a world without local doctors and nurses.
– Chlorhexidine solution- bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal. I hardly ever use iodine for wounds. I reach for this product almost every time. Chlorhexidine is even found in human mouthwash, so you may be using it already without knowing it!
– Tissuemend is an absorbable glue for closing skin lacerations. It works better than super glue on skin. It is pricey, but trust me, a little goes a long way.
– SSD – I saw on the blog today that someone else recommended it, and I couldn’t agree more… It is hydrophilic, breathable, gentle, and very effective. * order it from the livestock supply- a one pound tub could last you for a very long time, and it’s around $32.
– Vetrap – a person could go broke buying bandages, but not with Vetrap. You don’t need scissors to tear it, it stays put, and works great to wrap sprains as well as to hold a nonstick pad in place on a wound.
– Cast padding – this is cheap, soft, and makes a good first layer in your bandage. It helps to stretch the more expensive adhesive bandaging materials. If you pull too tightly on it, it will simply pull apart, which helps to keep from wrapping too tightly. The cushion factor keeps other wraps (like Vetrap) from forming a wrinkle that could rub your skin raw.
– Probios Powder – I am so thankful that people are accessing antibiotics, but please don’t forget the probiotics! Some antibiotics can really do a number on your gut! They kill all the good bacteria right along with the bad, so you need to build back your numbers during and after treatment. Who wants to take the midnight patrol with a bloated, crampy gut and diarrhea? The great thing about Probios is that the bacteria is “colonizing”, unlike the probiotics in yogurt, which get passed through the digestive system. It is available in a powder as well as gel. Get the powder! The gel must be refrigerated.
– Diamond V Yeast Culture – It goes hand in hand with Probios. The yeast acts as a “prebiotic”, and nourishes the beneficial bacteria in your gut, helping the colonies form faster. It is sold as “Epicor” to humans, but us farmy-types buy it in 50# bags at the feed store. Please take a few minutes to read up on this product- it really does live up to the hype for people as well as animals. I have taken it for almost two years, and have been shocked at the reduction in bronchitis and sore throats I’ve had.
– Ichthammol – I don’t want to ever be without good old drawing salve. Skin abscesses are usually best left alone. Opening them allows bacteria to enter and compound your problems. Ichthammol, applied topically and covered with a Band-Aid will do wonders in a few short days. It also works great for insect bites, swelling, and splinters that won’t come out.
– AluShield Spray – This is a powder-based spray that acts as a bandage. If you want to save your gauze and Vetrap for more serious injuries, AluSpray can cover a wound and seal out dirt while letting your wound breathe. A can is around $10 and will give over two hundred treatments. I love this stuff! Thank you again, – S.S.
Mr. Rawles,
The AllDayChemist.com site was mentioned on a recent post on SurvivalBlog. I wanted to express to you and your readers that this site is, in my opinion, one of the best places to order medications from. They do have a minimum $25 shipping charge though. My wife has very bad asthma. Through our insurance at our pharmacy, one albuterol inhaler costs us over $30 each! I heard about all day chemist about 6 months ago. I bought 8 (yes, eight) equivalent inhalers from them for $3.50 each (just a bit more that 10% of what we pay with insurance at our pharmacy). Even with the shipping it was under $50 delivered to our door (for all 8 inhalers) from India. This site is an excellent one for stockpiling much needed life-saving medications. I should note that I have no allegiance to them other than being a very satisfied customer
Thank you for a great blog, – L.R. in Wisconsin
JWR.
A State of Oregon public health web site may help your readers regarding the types and amounts of antibiotics necessary for some common medical conditions. They are easily printable (pdf form) and provide a treatment algorithm/decision making tree that is quite helpful. – Regards, – J.P.