Keeping in refrigerator - remedy preservation

[CLBernat]

The organism growing in the bottle is Pseudomonas. This opportunistic bacteria has such low "feeding" requirements it can grow in distilled water. It entered the bottle when the bottle was opened and exposed to the air or was present in the water when the remedy was prepared.

To prepare a remedy I use pure grain alcohol or vodka. I rinse the bottle and dropper in the grain alcohol and then add grain alcohol to the bottle in the amount of about 1/4 the capacity of the bottle. I then add distilled water to fill the bottle to just about 3/4 the bottle capacity. I then add the remedy and cap and label the bottle with the remedy name, potency, date, and mark it with a "P" to indicate it has been preserved with grain alcohol.

With some animals I do not use liquid remedies made with alcohol so I use the alcohol preserved liquid remedy as a "split dose" using one drop of the preserved remedy in 4 ounces of distilled water and dose the animal from the second bottle. The split dose remedy will remain free of Pseudomonas for a few days or even a week or so. If I notice the grayish fluffy organism beginning to grow I discard the remedy. I clean the bottle and dropper with grain alcohol, turning the bottle upside down to drain completely. I then prepare the same remedy at the same potency in the same bottle.

I do not use plastic bottles, only glass, preferably brown Boston Round bottles with droppers. I do not refrigerate remedies either because of the electric field of the appliance. Remedies should be stored in a dark place at least 5-10 feet away from any electric field.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Carol Stuart