Every pet owner wants only the best for their animals. So it makes sense for them to do their homework to ensure they have the best wound care available to them should their pet get injured. To make things easier for owners looking into these types of products, we'll compare the effectiveness of wound treatments provided by Fauna Care and Vetericyn, respectively.
- Both are efficient in cleaning out wounds, but Fauna Care’s products could technically be categorized as skin protectants. So they do much more than just wash out the wound.
- Vetericyn products have 99.5+% water in them while Fauna Care products have less than 2%. The 98% that comprise the rest of Fauna Care products include skin protectants and moisturizers.
- Both are safe if your pet licks their wounds, but Fauna Care contains an ingredient that makes its products distasteful in order to discourage them from doing so.
The Basics
Before diving into too much detail, let’s get a grip on the basics first
Vetericyn washes out wounds with a very dilute, bleach-type solution. It is also anti-microbial, as any solution of its kind should be. Its website advertises that its products are pH-balanced and therefore safe for use. They do not irritate or sting skin. So, if you only need to wash the affected area, whether it be for a cut or burn, Vetericyn will be efficient. However, if you’re looking for a solution that will help with long-term wound healing, this product does not have the sufficient ingredients to help with it.
Fauna Care wound care products cleanse the skin, then coat it with a substance that protects your pet’s injury from external irritants while also promoting new skin growth. Their formulas are also anti-microbial and contain FDA approved skin protectants. Additives that promote healing such as Vitamins A and D are also included in the formulas.
Ingredients
Be informed about what is mixed into these skin creams.
A lot of skin treatments, for both animals and humans, have confusing names that are difficult to pronounce. The active ingredient in Vetericyn’s products is hypochlorous acid. It is an ingredient that is naturally produced by white blood cells in the body, which are referred to as neutrophils. When they sense an infection, they flow to the site and help kill the invading bacteria. As a result, the cream basically triggers a response in the body that is similar to that of one given by the pet’s own immune system. Since it does not contain steroids, antibiotics, alcohols, iodine or tea tree oil, the skin cream can be used even for animals with the most sensitive immune systems.
Ingredients in Fauna Care’s wound healing line include Zinc Oxide, Dimethicone, Lanolin, and Petrolatum. Additives that promote wound healing, and are often found in baby skin formulas, are also included. Since Fauna Care’s creams are more concentrated, less cream needs to be applied to the site of injury. They are antimicrobial, and are also active the entire time the cream is on the skin. It will even protect your pet’s skin from further injury or infection by placing a second coat over the skin. This layer is highly hydrophobic, which better protects the skin against the environment.
Effectiveness
At the end of the day, it is important to purchase the product that best suits your pet’s needs.
One confusing thing is how, on their website, Vetericyn claims that their products can kill 99.999% of anything in about 30 seconds, even though their products have an active concentration of less than 0.02%. Also questionable is how they effectively measured this, considering there isn’t a method to determine this precise of a kill rate. The products have also been found to have a limited shelf life and can be deactivated by light.
Raising another red flag, is the similarity between their veterinarian “prescribed” version of products and their OTC version. They barely differ in their hypochlorous acid/sodium chloride solution. So, what ingredient in their veterinarian version justifies its higher expense compared to that of its OTC version?
On the other hand, Fauna Care products are made for sustainability and long-term wound healing. One key characteristic that makes our products stand out is the inclusion of vitamins and skin protectants the formulas in order to prevent further irritation to the injury. Vetericyn does not have these features in their creams.
Pricing
Available to consumers are five different products safe for all animals, each $24.99.
Vetericyn’s Plus All Animal Wound and Skin Care 16 oz bottle is $29.99. For $22.99, you can get the 8 oz bottle.
It is important to find a product that suits your pet’s needs, so definitely make sure you take the time to review various products before picking the right one out. Remember that, not only is a safe and gentle formula is important for your pet’s care, but so is long-term protection and sustainability.
