Animal Behavior Issues

CHAT BEGAN AT 21:00 EDT

Moderator: Welcome back, Dr. Christina Chambreau. Tonight’s Chat is a continuation of the January 2010 Chat.

DocC: Hello - everyone - remember that there is a lot of information that may not get across tonight that will be in the edited version available later.

Here’s a list of ANIMAL BEHAVIOR QUESTIONS asked ahead of time that we will cover:

1. Change after spay -- Cat who sprays.

2. Yipping type of bark - excited

3. timid cat

4. timid dog

5. multiple cats in house & seizures

6. multiple cats, lots of changes & litter box problems

7. Cat really needs to be single cat in a home - Remedies may not help

8. Cat vomiting

9. Ear infection

10. myriad of physical symptoms

Some of these animals have had some homeopathic treatment already. I know that many of you who submitted questions realize that I cannot give you the "curative" remedy on a chat like this, so I am giving possible rubrics for each case & suggestions for other modalities as well. To learn more, try to look up the symptoms of everyone's animals. To heal your animal, find a veterinarian (see below) or contact me if you are stuck. AND, my current favorite book is “Homeopathy: What to expect? Including 101 Lively Veterinary Case Studies by Edward De Beukelaer (ISBN 1-41204509-6).

Lwersinger: I am involved with Animal rescue, so I am very interested in tonight’s topic.

DocC: Animal rescue should stock bottles of Aconite and Arnica, for sure. Have you studied homeopathy?

Lwersinger: Yes, I have been through a 3 year program.

DocC: Great - use all you learned from the 3 year program to treat animals.

A cat or dog who has been abandoned and left on the streets and is acting in terror needs what remedy?

ANS: Aconite

Most animals coming into a shelter need Arnica and/or Aconite. Let me know what remedies you use in your shelter and how you handle vaccines, please.

Lwersinger: We see a lot of separation anxiety lately. Any suggestions on rubrics?

DocC: T-Touch and HTA and flower essences are the best for separation anxiety. You need more symptoms to pick a remedy to treat separation anxiety.

Use rubrics such as, Lonely, wanting company; Anxiety when alone; Fear of being alone; Desire for company; aversion to being alone; Company, aggravated while alone; Sadness when alone; Forsaken, feeling; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – behaviors that are odd, repetitive, strong. It could be in dogs who are anxious, bored, stressed showing symptoms of digging, biting at their body, barking, destruction. Rubrics such as, Gestures, makes, automatic; Gestures, makes, involuntary motions of the hands; Monomania.

Rosawoodsii: I have heard of three doe goats this year who kidded and immediately went and started eating, just ignoring their kids. What are some remedies besides Sepia that would address this? Somehow it doesn't sound like Sepia to me.

DocC: Did you try Sepia? That actually fits it quite well. If they pushed kids away that would fit more, but just ignoring is a good symptom, too.

Rosawoodsii: Not my goats, but I did suggest Sepia. I also suggested tying the does and letting the kids nurse. Two were first fresheners, the other was not. Sepia didn’t seem to help.

DocC: Did the Sepia help? I would also think of sulphur for not caring so much about others.

Tgilmore: What do you think of teeth cleaning? I have two cats and really don't like the idea of putting them under for this procedure.

DocC: Healthy animals never need to have teeth cleaned and do not need to have their teeth brushed. If needed, anesthesia is fairly safe now, so do not worry if it does need to be done. Many animals who get their simillimum get white teeth. Raw meaty bones, natural diet helps too.

Maydas: My dog likes to make static with the blanket he uses to sleep under, and once he rubs his nose and digs in it he goes toward us and shocks us with an electric shock from the tip of his nose against our bare legs. Help!

DocC: Maybe a different blanket would help. That is not a behavior problem, really, just management. He sounds like a very fun, playful and smart dog.

Maydas: There has been a series of blankets. He runs around the bed, throws the toys down, runs and retrieves it. He is a Chihuahua that looks like a Chinese Crested without the crest and without the hair, only patches. He is extremely intelligent, and constantly looks for reactions, he is aggressive and curious.

DocC: Your Chihuahua sounds very normal and healthy. A great book is the Tao of Small Dog to help you learn to live (and sleep) together. Again, one of the challenges of treating animals with homeopathy is deciding what needs to be treated. Is there an illness in the vital force? Or is there another reason? While this is certainly a problem for you, there would not be a homeopathic remedy that would cure your dog's shocking you with his nose. One excellent homeopathic doctor had a dog who was very mouthy. While she did a lot of obedience work and I tried my best with remedies, the dog just needed to mature - at 6 years!  Another case may help with this.

Case #I. I have a Yorkie Poo puppy who is 6 months old. She is very friendly and wants to play, but will not go up to people--she just runs around them and if they try to pet her, she backs away, sort of skittish. She just constantly barks at them--I know it is because she is excited and wants to play, but it really turns people away. It is constant and high pitched.

DocC: This is an example of a dog where training may be the issue, rather than an imbalance in the vital force needing a simillimum. Yorkie Poos normally have very high pitched voices. They run around a lot. They often act skittish. The Tao of Small Dogs by Deborah Wood is a very useful book with which to begin training. You will need persistence and perseverance and your friends will need to come over and be part of the training. I think you can get her to sit and be quiet when people come over. Possibly you can discover the right game (tossing a ball or a toy) where the people can play with her.

Possibly you can discover the right game (tossing a ball or a toy) where your visitors can play with her. Maybe giving her a Kong filled with cream cheese to keep her busy while people are settling in (but NOT if she was barking). If she cannot seem to learn, there are remedies that can help, but please start with behavior. Too many people treat small dogs like babies and do not train them. She should go to an obedience class, learn to sit, stay, heel - just like the big dogs. Because of her great energy, maybe she would like agility classes, too.

HTA (Healing Touch for Animals) and T-Touch would both be great to help your puppy, for this and general growing up. Go to http://www.crvetcenter.com/bodywrap.htm and put that on before people visit. You can buy sewing elastic that is narrower than an ace bandage. This is good for anxiety, training, itching and more. Buy TTouch videos/books. Take a TTouch class or HTA class. Pam Wanveer - woodside@hers.com - can do TTouch form a distance, so email her for help. Flower essences can be useful as well.

It is possible that remedies could help if there is an insecurity produced by her vital force, but you would need more symptoms to tell which is needed. One rubric for excessive barking when owner is on the phone: Sensitive to voices; Egotism Jealousy Hyperactive/Restless Remedies: Arnica - [Westerhuis] – Strong urge to move around even when in great pain. Argentum nitricum - [Westerhuis] – Like a scared, wild animal – nervous, temperamental, restless, very anxious and timid. Always overactive. Gelsemium - [Westerhuis] – Less hurried and nervous than Arg nit. Can react intensely, be difficult to handle, even losing its head during training. Hyoscyamus - [Westerhuis] – Restless. Fear of being alone, so will pick constantly at things like his basket.

Iodum - [Westerhuis] – The hectic behavior (much worse than Phos) will keep you on the hop as he is restless and cannot keep still. [Chambreau] – They are so driven to move that even in a seizure I have seen walk, or try to, all over the house. Phosphorus - [Westerhuis] – Nervous traits like chasing tail and snapping at flies who are not there. Pulls at lead because he is inquisitive. Scutellaira - [Allport] Stramonium - [Allport] Tarentula hispanica – [Allport] – odd behaviors like chasing tail, climbing curtains [Westerhuis] – Pulls on leash due to fear. Restless, easily excited, paces up and down indoors, hurried walking outdoors [Blanco] – dog was so weak with distemper that he could barely stand yet twitched and bobbled as he tried to keep moving.

DocC: A little note here on several of the questions you sent in: how do we know if the behavior problem could even respond to homeopathy?

When I watched a behavioral trainer, I saw symptoms I would have tried to treat with homeopathy respond to the owner interacting differently with the animal. Dr. Ulbrich [Homepathic veterinarian in Portland OR] echoes my strong caution – “It is important to determine whether a behavior problem is a result of poor training, a breed disposition or even normal for that breed (Having intense focus on moving objects – is this suspicion or just being a Border Collie?), or a true constitutional imbalance.”

I would add that you need to be sure it is abnormal, and not a misperception of the owner. Frequently people say that all “breed x” are “mean” or “timid” or “loquacious” and you know that is not true. However, because of their bias, they may not volunteer those symptoms at all. How is the behavior different than what you would expect - dogs are social so it is not normal to hate.

In taking the case history, some symptoms resolve with management. Some of these are actually weaknesses in the vital force. You need to make that distinction. Dr. Tapp reminds us to take very detailed cases for emotional problems. (AVH 2000) When an animal is fearful, ask “What does the animal react to? Is it just noise or any sharp stimulation, like a fast move or a puff of air? Before they ran under the bed, what happened first? What was the body posture? What was the look on the face? How fast was he moving? How was it resolved? Is this animal mild, yielding and shy, fearful of the vagaries of life, or is this a tough street urchin type…?” Dr. Pitcairn (AVH 2000) points out that Hahnemann (Organon 210-230) speaks of emotional disease as a one-sided disease, therefore probably psoric [and in my opinion often harder to cure]. It is important to look at prior physical symptoms that indicate the early warning signs of the energy imbalance.

Since the Mind symptoms are at the top, mental disease is a worsening of symptoms according to Hering’s Law. Hahnemann says” finally the disease transfers itself (almost like a local malady) to the invisibly subtle mental and emotional organs.” What we often consider the etiology is the trigger that activates the latent psoric state. Pitcairn goes on to list many behavior problems (urinating outside the litter box, aggressive behavior, eating stool, cat litter, yowling at night when alone…) as instinctual behaviors that have gone awry, probably from inflammation of the cerebral cortex. These behaviors are not voluntary and while they can be temporarily suppressed or overridden by training, the inflammation must be quelled to cure the problem.

Of course, homeopathy can quell the inflammation if the correct remedy can be found. Dr. Dee Blanco’s (a phone consulting homeopathic veterinarian in NM) told me in 2003 her approximate success rates: Feline elimination problems – 25%, Aggressive dogs – 80%, aggressive cats – 50%, fear of thunderstorms – 10% (good success with GV 20 and Tranquility Blend), Fear, hiding and timidity – 80%, ADD – 80%. She finds that even when she has found the correct remedy, it takes a full year to become really different. They take 3 months to be clearly better, and then are 50-70% better at 6 months. My experience is that when the right remedy is given, the resolution can begin very quickly (Cat from Hell* see below), even in days.

Diane: How do you determine an animal’s simillimum?

DocC: The simillimum for animals is found the same way it is found for people. You list all the symptoms now, and ever in the past, then you use a repertory to find the symptoms with the remedies associated with each symptom, then you cross the rubrics to narrow your choices to a few remedies that you read about in the materia medica to pick the one that fits the best.

The way to know that you found the simillimum is that your animal responds curatively.

Sayitwell: What would you use for dogs that are afraid of storms? Fear, panic, and hiding are the responses.

DocC: Rubrics for storms are: Mind, fear, thunderstorms; Mind, sensitivity, storms. Then you add on any unique symptoms of your dog. Many people think Phosphorus is good for fear of storms, but it rarely works in animals.

Lwersinger: I have had good results using Phosphorus for fear of storms on certain dogs, if the rest of the remedy fit well.

How do you select mental rubrics when you may not know if the animal is say bored, or anxious or just mad?

DocC: Good to hear that you have had success with Phosphorus. I would love you to write up those cases and send them to NCH for the journal, and to me to use in my teaching. Good question on how to select mental rubrics - many symptoms are really normal animal behavior so should not even be used. If a dog leaps on you when you hug and kiss someone - are they jealous, or do they just want petting and to be part of the pack?

Rboehme: My 9 yr.old Australian Shepherd-Duke has been acting strange since 11/09. It all started 1 month after he had intercourse with my female, although he's neutered (he's done this before and never had problems). The other significant thing is my new puppy (male) was 4 mo. at the time. Duke started acting jealous and obsessively needy, also a little aggressive towards the puppy.

DocC: Mating does not sound like the cause. Interacting with the new puppy sounds like normal behavior, though you may use the rubrics: Mind jealous; Mind desire for company; without putting a lot of emphasis on them.

Rboehme: Duke started drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating copious amounts of clear diluted urine. He also started acting like he was ravenously hungry. He would lie next to full water bowls outside-and not drink and then come inside and gulp water. Also he urinated in the house a couple of times in front of me and started getting in the trash in front of me just to get attention. His coat is dry, he tends towards hot and has always been sweet and sensitive. I had him tested for a UTI, Kidney disease, diabetes-all normal. I'm taking him to be tested for adrenal problem.

DocC: Poor Duke. Conventional medicine is so limited, even in diagnostics. His symptoms are severe enough that I think you need professional homeopathic care. Rubrics could include: Stomach, Thirst, excessive (and you can be even more specific when you read all the subrubrics - for large quantities, - at infrequent intervals, etc.) You would not repertorize the increased urination since it is a secondary effect of drinking so much. Stomach, appetite, ravenous - or insatiable - or increased - or another subrubric  Need to ask an animal communicator why he only drinks indoor water, not outdoor. The urinating in front of you is, I think you are right, simply expressing his needs. Head, dry - or coarse - or other subrubrics; Generalities, heat, flushes of.

Rboehme: I've tried Sulphur, Pulsatilla, Phosphorus, Natrum mur., and Mercurius. Comments on the remedy choices?

DocC: Sulphur: craves cool, craves open air, feels very hot, very thirsty, odors, carefree, can have ravenous appetite
Pulsatilla: craves cool, super craves open air and fans, thirstless, clingy, weepy, bland discharges,
Phosphorus: neither hot nor cold, but tends towards seeking heat; thirsty especially for very cold water and ice cubes; fear of noises, storms, very seeking company, loves petting.
Nat m - averse company - withdrawn - holding back emotionally, thirsty,
Merc - wants temperature to be just right - not too hot nor too cold, usually some mouth problems with offensive odor or saliva, other discharges with odor.

I suspect you did not wait long enough to see if any of these remedies worked. A few do seem to fit him, many do not. Look for the most important symptoms and see if he has some modalities for them, such as the thirst. Then study the remedies and pick one (or work with a professional). Give it in the liquid dilutions or the LM and repeat until you see improvement or worsening.

Petsbestfriend: My Maltese is extremely sound-reactive and sight reactive. Would anything homeopathic help that? Do you think that some of the nervous and anxious behavior that little dogs present is due to over vaccination. I've been told that they give the same amount to a 10 # dog as to a 100# dog. Is that true? I recently had her titered for all vaccines and her distemper was low. Vet suggested a booster. Haven't heard about the Rabies yet.

DocC: Over vaccination is a strong cause of behavioral problems in any size dog. Banfield animal hospital showed that little dogs given multiple vaccines have more change of problems. Read more on my site and in prior transcripts. STOP all vaccines except legally required rabies. There is no need to have animals annually titered after the first one shows there is an immune response, according to Dr. Schultz. He says even if the titer is low, there is cell-mediated immunity.

There is a great rubric - Mind - hydrophobia. This can be used any time you think the problem started after a rabies vaccine, and Generalities, Vaccination, after - is good for problems after any vaccine. It is best to NOT give Thuja, or Hypericum, or Ledum, or Silica, or Lyssin after vaccines as that is not individualizing the medicine. Wait for symptoms then find the simillimum.

Vaccinate the least. In my opinion, vaccines have caused more harm to animals than anything else we have done. Do you get measles, mumps and polio every year of your life? Researchers in conventional veterinary medicine agree that we vaccinate too often, in too many combinations, and that this level of vaccination, while preventing epidemics, is harmful to the health of susceptible animals. On-going studies show that antibodies are high 10 and 16 years later for dog and cat distemper and dog Parvo so I recommend just a few baby shots and NO more. While Rabies is also a viral disease, you must follow the law and vaccinate every 3 years. You can help fund research to allow the vaccine to be given less frequently, which will help dogs and cats become healthier. Go to: THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND www.RabiesChallengeFund.org.

**** important*** To help prevent damage from the Rabies vaccine, or any others that are accidentally given, do the following. First, learn Reiki and hold the vaccine syringe in your hand until the "draw" is gone, then Reiki the injection site once you are in car, then Reiki the whole animals daily until they do not "draw". If you have not yet learned Reiki, find someone trained in Reiki and have it done for your animal after the vaccine. For two weeks before and two weeks after, give the totally safe Vaccine Detox, a flower essence from Spirit Essences (get a discount at www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php). Give triple the dose of calcium (or add some calcium) for 3 days before and 5 days after the vaccines. Dr. Peck is finding a drop in calcium at vaccination time. Then use the Early Warning signs, on my web site or the AVH web site, www.theAVH.org, to see if further holistic treatment is needed if any of them appear or worsen.

Finally, The AVMA, veterinary colleges, AAHA, FPA and other leaders say 3 years is the best for all other vaccines, so certainly do not do yearly for anything (unless there is a Leptospirosis outbreak in your area, then email me for guidance). Please do not let the need to put your dog in a kennel force you to poison your dog with extra vaccines unless it is an emergency. The insert in vaccine packages says “Give only to healthy animals”, so if your animal is ill in any way, or undergoing treatment, they should not be vaccinated. Vaccinated animals often develop many chronic conditions including diabetes, Cushings disease, Addisons, allergies and even cancer. A wonderful list serve on vaccines, their harm and alternatives is at yahoo groups.

To register, go to jstsayno2vaccs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  

A great web site is http://vaccines.dogsadversereactions.com/  

If your animal has any type of reaction to vaccines, please report it to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/cvb/html/adverseevent

Linda: Our male domestic short hair is 10.5 year old. My Husband got Oscar as a kitten. We were married a year later when I and my daughter moved in. We are all cat lovers. He is an indoor cat, neutered. in 2005 our son got a Maine coon as a kitten and came to visit at Christmas when his cat, Viper was 8 months old, also neutered and de-clawed front paws only. Oscar's first response was to run and hide from the kitten, however after two days they were running and playing like litter mates. When my son returned to his home after the holidays everything seemed normal. In May of the following year my son and his girlfriend took and extended trip and Viper came to stay with us for about 6 weeks. Again the first encounter was of Oscar running and hiding, however this did not last more than a day, then they were running through the house playing, chasing and napping together. Oscar would even clean Viper. At first when Viper arrived Oscar might not use the box for a bowel movement. While his box was not cleaned every day, it was cleaned regularly so much so when you come into our home you would not know we had cats.  So I started to clean the box daily this seemed to remedy the situation. Viper came again at Christmas 2006 and stayed until March 2007. Same behavior. Occasionally Oscar might have a BM when the box wasn't cleaned daily or the amount of litter in the box was low. (All assumptions on our part).

After each time Viper would Leave Oscar would become inactive and gained a great deal of weight. So after the last visit when we knew that Viper would not be coming back for extended stays we got a 3 month old kitten, which Oscar befriended, again at first the BMs were outside the box, we got a larger one and the box is cleaned daily. Their diet was a dried food from Science Diet. I had to mix the kitten food with his adult food because he would eat it no matter where I put the kitten food.  Occasionally he would have a BM outside the Box (this means somewhere else in the house) In July of last year my daughter moved back home and brought her cat, a 6 year old sweat heart of a cat, a Manx named Patches, de clawed and spayed.  He didn't seemed to like this to much, still hisses at her. She has her own litter box and food. Oscar started to have BMs outside the box more frequently. Several month back I observed his usage of the box and he seems to have been straining to eliminate his stools, we had also found small stools that were hard in the house almost as  if the last  amount was still attached . I once observed that there appeared to be a small piece of his stool attached to his rectum.

I switched their food to a more natural diet and started to give him some natural soft food to loosen his stools after the recommendation of our Vet at his annual check up, weight was where it needed to be. All this being said and done he does not use the box for his BMs at all. The box has natural material with no fragrances and is emptied and scrubbed monthly, and cleaned daily. I know that cats with urinary tract infections often make associations with the box as the reason for their discomfort and urinate outside the box, which I am glad he does not- so I am about to pull my hair out. I have just put out a third box to see if that will help.

DocC: The third box is essential. You need one more litter box than number of cats. However, this is not purely a behavioral problem. This is a rather ill cat who needs professional care. Many cats with constipation (which can worsen into megacolon) will have stools out of the box. You are a great observer of symptoms so I think your cat can be greatly helped. No cat should ever be fed dry food, especially one with dry stools, so it is good that you are adding soft. Eliminate all dry as soon as you can. Read the many books on this topic, including Frazier's mentioned above. Remind your husband that this is an ill cat who needs holistic medical care. He is not doing it from spite. For those on the call or reading this with training - possible rubrics: Stool, hard. Rectum, pain, tenesmus (during and after, once determined).

Suzanne: When my dog was 7 or 8 months old, we went to friends for the 4th of July. I thought it would be better to take her with than leave her at home, since we had had her for a month & she was a shelter dog. I wanted her to feel more secure by being with us if she was frightened. There were extensive & extreme fireworks in the evening. She was going crazy with fear! I decided to take her into the basement thinking it wouldn't be as loud. It was a disaster. She wouldn't be calmed & continually ran from corner to corner. Her pupils were completely dilated, her nose was running & she was drooling. She has never been the same. She is always timid. Runs if a person raises their voice. Won't come out of her crate if there is a storm. Won't get out of the car to go for a walk if we go to a place that she is familiar with & knows there is some kind of loud noise such as a train.  If we go someplace new & she's walking & there is a backfire or a train whistle she will not listen & runs back to the car. She has clawed the paint on the door trying to get in, or she will run around the area hysterical until we can catch her. We can go for a walk in the neighborhood & she will be fine. All of a sudden for no reason that we can hear she gets crazy & wants to go back home.
We got a kitten & she is afraid of it because the kitten play attacks her. She has some digestion problems now & then. Papaya tablets help most of the time. When she gets nervous she won't eat. If we put her food down & the cat or someone other than myself come in the same room she will run away & not eat.She is a 45 lb. Lab, Cheseapeake Bay Retriever mix. She was 2 in January. I have given her many various homeopathics & flower essences to no avail.
   She is overly needy especially with my husband & will not follow any commands if she is at all fearful. She can become fearful just by someone giving a command too harshly when she is being too needy & won't listen to "stop, sit down". 
   She is a runner & always watching. Wants to be out in the yard constantly on vigil, hot or freezing, rain or shine. She does get cold easily & overheated easily. She's a redhead, red nose & hazel eyes. Very fine silky hair, not coarse like Labs would be & no wave or curl like a Chesie.
   She is a very sweet loving dog. It breaks my heart that she is always on the verge of a panic attack & so fear ridden. Can you please help ?

DocC: For everyone - Aconite is a great remedy for terror and fear. Rescue Remedy flower essence is as well. The TTouch wrap mentioned above is also excellent as is HTA. Also, this is an example of fear rather than sensitivity to noise. There are 2 different rubrics, so it is important to make the distinction. “Never been the same” is a great homeopathic etiology. Aconite is the first remedy to think of anytime a person or animal has been ill physically or mentally since a severe shock, fear, terror, anxiety. I would give a 1M once and see what changes. The rest of the rubrics I give are less important than the etiology as they are fairly common. “Runs if a person raises their voice” – use Mind: Fear- noises (the one for voices is rather small, so I would use the bigger noise rubric).

Wants to stay in her crate? This is a sign that the TTouch wrap will help since she wants the comfort of her crate. I could not find a rubric for this comfort – but it would be worth looking for. MIND fear noises; MIND Sensitive noises; Mind - timidity. Again TTouch, HTA, Reiki, etc.

Helping the digestion problem with papaya is fine, but it is a bandaid. You will know she is cured when she no longer has the digestive problem. Everyone - do not just accept that your dog can't eat chicken, needs "joint support pills" or your cat needs Cat Lax. Look for rubrics for the specifics of the digestion problems. Vomiting 30 mins after eating beef, for instance.

Clearly she is ill, and the correct remedy or other holistic treatment will cure her. You must be very careful to do one treatment at a time so you can evaluate its effect before moving on to another treatment. Read and re-read chapters 2 & 3 of Don Hamilton's “Homeopathic Care of Cats and Dogs” to understand this more. With her, you need to decide if open air really makes her better or if she feels the need to be vigilant. What happens in the house with open windows? Does she want to be near the windows? For temperature symptoms, use GENERALITIES; heat, lack of vital, and Heated, becoming.

My best suggestion is to purchase my Healthy Dog Journal to track the progress (or keep your own journal, tracking each symptom and treatment and using pretty colored pens to record the positive and sweet and wonderful things she does (what you focus on is what you get), work with an intuitive and give each very good homeopathic practitioner at least 6 months (with some improvement after 3 months). If there’s no change in 6 months - move on, letting them know why.

Petsbestfriend: Oh I can highly recommend your journal, it has been a life saver (my dog's) as I keep track of many things that are going on for her. The information in the front is very helpful too.

DocC: Thank you so much for the journal kudos. Do write me about that at HealthyAnimals@aol.com  - also about the shelter work.

Sayitwell: Are there specific recommendations for a small dog with Cushings? Owner does not want to go with traditional route of killing off the adrenals. Is there homeopathic treatment that could apply to an animal with this condition? Or is that too vague of a question?

DocC: Cushings, as with every existing disease, can be successfully treated with homeopathy. It does need a trained professional. Go to www.theAVH.org  - Dr. Tarkleson does very well with them.

Sayitwell: Thank you so much for the info on Cushings! I will pass it along to my friend.

DocC: A cat I treated was called the Cat from Hell - would jump on people and hiss. Other pets in the house slunk away from him. He attacked the owner when making his food and opened the fridge door. Nux 1M did not help. One month later - nothing. Stramonium, then Hyoscyamus, then Sulphur. NO response each month. Finally, ready to quit, I went back to Nux at 10M and the cat, per my 5 year old daughter visiting the client, said "This is the nicest cat I have ever seen.”

Lwersinger: It sounds like most of us are not allowing enough time for the remedies to work. Which is always the hardest part with homeopathy (waiting).

DocC: Waiting is definitely a key with treatment. Even if you are using LM or plussing, which I do now recommend, you need to give the same remedy long enough to be sure there is no improvement. In the cat from hell, it was the potency, not the time, though. Homeopathy can powerfully cure all these behavior problems when they are because of vital force imbalance, not because of the people, or training or environment.

Petsbestfriend: How do you know when it's training and when it is a vital force imbalance? Most people won't own up to no training.

DocC: Ahh that’s the challenge. Takes years of trying to cure training issues to no avail and I now learn to ask my behavior friends or read a book. Careful questioning and maybe working with the dog yourself can help untangle the root cause.

Lwersinger: We see sudden changes in behavior and I usually attribute these to imbalance in the Vital Force. We often see things where a dog has been fine all of its life and suddenly it is aggressive or just whacked out. Life-long stuff is harder to tell.

DocC: I think the main challenge is thinking that a homeopathic remedy can be prescribed for a problem, when it should be prescribed for an individual!  Even sudden changes can be from family problems, vaccines, toxins, diet, or management issues and will not respond to a remedy. Vaccines often cause these sudden behavior changes.

New case:

My dog, a Great Dane, was recently spayed and has more than returned to a puppy like state. While before she was well behaved and docile, she has started chewing everything and runs around in the house. As you can imagine, a Great Dane causes quite a bit of havoc.

DocC: This is a good example of a problem with a cause (#3), so step one is to look at remedies that have changes after surgery. Generalities - Operation - ailments from - It is a medium rubric in newer repertories, not Kent. Destructiveness; Fear of being alone; Indignation; Bad effects following; Destructiveness, Tears things; Break things, desire to --- I would think of Staphysagria for mental changes after surgery. I would think of Belladonna or Stramonium (neither in the Generalities rubric) for the behavior. Nux vomica is in both the Generalities rubric and many of the destructive ones, so that would possible. In a relatively acute problem like this one with a clear etiology (if vaccines were not also given at surgery), in a young animal, I would give a single dose of 200c or 1M and wait 7 days for some indication of a change.

To summarize some of the case taking issues we are speaking of here:

1. Is there any training I can do to resolve or help this problem?

2. Could this be normal considering the breed or the circumstances?

3. Has it been ever since a particular event?

4. Take the case, give a remedy and re-evaluate

5. Try different modalities - animal communicator, TTouch, Flower Essences, HTA, Traditional Chinese Medicine.

DocC: Someone asked “What is plussing?”  Plussing is when you put a few pellets in a jar with water (I like to label with remedy name, potency, date and "Thank you water for healing ____ (animal’s name)". If you think you will give this for months, put in a 1/2 tsp of alcohol.

Every time you give a dose - shake the jar a certain number of times, then put a few drops in another amount of water and offer it to your animal or give a few drops. (Water plants with the remainder.)

This changes the potency slightly so the vital force is getting a new strength each time. 5th edition of Hahnemann’s Organon which you can read on line with lots of search help - http://www.homeopathyhome.com/reference/organon/organon.html

Tgilmore: One of my cats 1 1/2 years old sucks on my neck when I am lying in bed. He also vomits his food up occasionally and is fearful of strangers. He also eats a small amount and walks away. Then after several minutes he comes back. He will do this ten times before he finishes. If he has always done this, it may be normal. Is it because he is afraid of something? Is it because his stomach is feeling full (stomach easy satiety)?

DocC: You need a few more symptoms to get a great match, but you could start with Stomach - vomiting - food (then look for best subrubric), Mind: fear, strangers - though this may be normal in that cat, so you need to talk with someone. Sucking on your neck could be normal (like dogs who love to lick people) or could represent an underlying insecurity (Mind, anxious; Mind, timid; Mind desires consolation - but only use these if she shows evidence in other areas, not just the sucking. The unusual appetite definitely needs to be addressed, or at least evaluated by a professional if it does not resolve as it could lead to more gastrointestinal problems.

Lwersinger: Any recommendations as to good materia medicas geared to animals?

DocC: The most comprehensive are the human materia medicas, especially the ones closest to the provings - Hering, Allen, Clarke). Think BEING, not human, dog, or cat. I use Morrison's Desktop a lot for an overall sense of the remedy. Boericke, Murphy and many others are useful. I always say there are two requirements to be a homeopath - knowledge of the alphabet (for all the errors in the repertory) and lots of strong shelves. For hints on how remedies appear in animals: Hamilton, De Beukelaer (Homeopathy: what to expect), Christopher Day, Saxton.

 

Here are some basics about animal health (much of this falls in the category of “obstacles to cure”)

7 KEYS TO HEALTHY ANIMALS

1. Know the current level of health. Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance.  As we cure animals of "disease", we find that other things we thought were normal go away, so we can use these clues to know that animals are not healthy yet.  Your goal is for your animal to have great energy, no doggy odor, no hairball vomiting, little shedding, a glowing coat and many more. Below is a complete list of these signs (Early Warning Signs of Illness). In young animals, these apparently "normal" problems may be the only indications to start exploring new options for lifestyle or treatment.  Buy the Healthy Animal's Journal (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com) so you can see how these early warning symptoms and obvious ill symptoms change over time.  It will be available by April in an e-book version and by mid 2010 in a version for horses.

2. Feed the best. What are the best diets for people or animals -- the most processed or the freshest, most organic?  The best ingredients should be the most consciously raised - local, organic vegetables, free ranging protein sources. Dogs and cats have ripping and tearing teeth, bone crunching teeth, no digestive juices in the mouth, jaws that do not chew, a stomach full of acid where the food sits for 4-12 hours and a very short transit time in the intestines. Dogs and cats do not pull out a knife to de-bone their prey and do not pull out matches to light a fire to cook their meat and vegetables. Therefore the best diet for dogs and cats is raw meat including raw bones, pureed raw and cooked vegetables and a few supplements (Calcium if no bones are eaten is critical). Grains are not good for most animals, but if there are none of the early warning signs (see below) and no illnesses, you can feed some grains, preferably the higher protein ones. Start as young kittens and puppies or at whatever age you read this (Brighthaven.org, a cat sanctuary switches 16 years old and older cats to raw meat diet and some have lived to 27 and 30, and now one to 35). Second best is same quality, but cooked.  Even grocery store quality meat and vegetables are much better than most processed foods. Processed foods are an effort for the food industry to use up its waste products except for a few companies with great motives (and even they sometimes get bad or inferior ingredients). Processed foods are also a problem for the environment - they are not sustainable. Every animal needs and wants a different combination at different times in their lives, just as we do. With any food, observe each of your animals for the effect that food has on them. NEVER feed DRY food to cats - even as treats. You can now buy many commercial raw  meat diets. You must research them as well. Ask where the ingredients are raised? Are chemicals used? Are the chickens, beef, pork, etc raised in humane ways, out in the sun to get the Vitamin D in the meat, etc?

3. Vaccinate the least. In my opinion, vaccines have caused more harm to animals than anything else we have done. Do you get measles, mumps and polio every year of your life? Researchers in conventional veterinary medicine agree that we vaccinate too often, in too many combinations, and that this level of vaccination, while preventing epidemics, is harmful to the health of susceptible animals.  On-going studies show that antibodies are high 10 and 16 years later for dog and cat distemper and dog Parvo so I recommend just a few baby shots and NO more. While Rabies is also a viral disease, you must follow the law and vaccinate every 3 years. You can help fund research to allow the vaccine to be given less frequently, which will help dogs and cats become healthier. Go to: THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND www.RabiesChallengeFund.org.

To help prevent damage from the Rabies vaccine, or any others that are accidentally given, do the following. First, learn Reiki (see Below) and hold the vaccine syringe in your hand until the "draw" is gone, then Reiki the injection site once you are in car, then Reiki the whole animals daily until they do not "draw". If you have not yet learned Reiki, use the contacts below to have it done for your animal after the vaccine. For two weeks before and two weeks after, give the totally safe Vaccine Detox, a flower essence from Spirit Essences (get a discount at www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php). Give triple the dose of calcium (or add some calcium) for 3 days before and 5 days after the vaccines. Dr. Peck is finding a drop in calcium at vaccination time. Then use the Early Warning signs, below, to see if further holistic treatment is needed if any of them appear or worsen.

The AVMA, veterinary colleges, AAHA, FPA and other leaders say 3 years is the best for all other vaccines, so certainly do not do yearly for anything (unless there is a Leptospirosis outbreak in your area, then email me for guidance). Please do not let the need to put your dog in a kennel force you to poison your dog with extra vaccines unless it is an emergency. The insert in vaccine packages says “Give only to healthy animals”, so if your animal is ill in any way, or undergoing treatment, they should not be vaccinated. Vaccinated animals often develop many chronic conditions including diabetes, cushings disease, addisons, allergies and even cancer. A wonderful list serve on vaccines, their harm and alternatives is at yahoo groups. To register, go to jstsayno2vaccs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com A great web site is http://vaccines.dogsadversereactions.com/

If your animal has any type of reaction to vaccines, please report it to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/cvb/html/adverseeventreport.html.

4. Use the fewest chemicals, remembering that there are chemicals in vaccines. Each animal is an individual and will respond differently to heartworm, flea and tick preventatives. Some are very sensitive to chemicals used in the yard or the house and in vaccines - they will become profoundly ill. Others will be triggered by these chemicals to just not have full health.  Chemicals in foods can cause allergic type reactions, so again feeding a fresh diet from local ingredients will be best. Healthy yards have lots of weeds. House cleaners can be made from foods and microfibril cloths clean like a charm. Healthy animals never get fleas and ticks

5. Understand how animals become ill and how they heal. First there is an energetic imbalance (they are just not right), then functional (the dog is itchy), then inflamed (skin is red, infected, swollen and hot) and finally tissue changes (thick, black skin). Results of any treatment can be no change, amelioration (current symptoms disappear with no other improvements, then return), suppression (current symptoms disappear and they become more ill) or a cure (everything about the animal to begins to improve, especially the overall energy level.) 

Keeping a journal is critical to determine what treatments are helping problems to become less frequent and less severe. You can stand firm with what you feel is working even if your professional disagrees and change approaches when needed.

Www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com is a great one to use and e-version will soon be available. 

6. Learn different healing approaches. There are so many different ways to stimulate your healing that you never need to give up trying. Flower essences, essential oils, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, Reiki and chiropractic are a few. Classes are found through your health food store, by phone or on-line. I teach many classes around the country and my web site lists classes taught by others as well.

7. Select the best healers for each animal's health team. Most people want a veterinarian (preferably integrative) and an energy healer. You decide what needs to be tried next for your animal. When you realize the animal is not improving – seek different care. Use conventional veterinarians for diagnosis and emergency treatment, or if other methods are not working. Again, integrative veterinarians (see below) will be able to do both, and have the philosophical understanding of the vibrational causes of illness.

 

Second: Whatever I tell you here, or whatever treatment you chose, how do you know if it is really working? Did you choose the best remedy? Did you choose the best potency? Did you choose the best administration method?

Whatever treatment mode you choose for any problem - conventional, homeopathic, herbal, flower essence, behavioral, etc - follow these steps:

Carefully take the case (Hahnemann says: “The individual examination of a disease case, demands nothing of the medical-art practitioner except freedom from bias and healthy senses, attention while observing and fidelity in recording the image of the disease.” (Organon 83, http://www.homeopathyhome.com/reference/organon/organon.html). [this is a great web site to get free and searchable Organon text.]. In my classes I teach how to really do this well with animals. Make a list of current symptoms and their modalities (what makes the symptoms better or worse), causes, past symptoms and the early warning signs (www.ChristinaChambreau.com - sign up for the newsletter, and then go to the page for the signs). 

Give a treatment, preferably one at a time.

Recheck every symptom on your list, emphasizing the energy level and emotional state. Decide if you are moving towards a cure, just palliating, or maybe suppressing.

Third, how do we know if the behavior problem could even respond to homeopathy?

When I studied a behavioral trainer, I saw symptoms I would have tried to treat with homeopathy respond to the owner's interacting differently with the animal.

Dr. Ulbrich [Homepathic veterinarian in Portland OR] echoes my strong caution – “It is important to determine whether a behavior problem is a result of poor training, a breed disposition or even normal for that breed (Having intense focus on moving objects – suspicion or just being a border collie?), or a true constitutional imbalance.” I would add that you need to be sure it is abnormal, and not a misperception of the owner. Frequently people say that all “breed x” are “mean” or “timid” or “loquacious” and you know that is not true. However, because of their bias, they may not volunteer those symptoms at all.How is the behavior different than what you would expect - dogs are social so it is not normal to hate.In taking the history, some symptoms resolve with management.  Some of these are actually weaknesses in the vital force. You need to make that distinction. Dr. Tapp reminds us to take very detailed cases for emotional problems. (AVH 2000) When an animal is fearful, ask “What does the animal react to?  Is it just noise or any sharp stimulation, like a fast move or a puff of air? Before they ran under the bed, what happened first? What was the body posture? What was the look on the face? How fast was he moving?  How was it resolved? Is this animal mild, yielding and shy, fearful of the vagaries of life, or is this a tough street urchin type…?”

Dr. Pitcairn (AVH 2000) points out that Hahnemann (Organon 210-230) speaks of emotional disease as a one-sided disease, therefore probably psoric [and in my opinion often harder to cure]. It is important to look at prior physical symptoms that indicate the early warning signs of the energy imbalance. (Since the mind is at the top, mental disease is a worsening of symptoms according to Hering’s Law. Hahnemann says” finally the disease transfers itself (almost like a local malady) to the invisibly subtle mental and emotional organs.” What we often consider the etiology is the trigger that activates the latent psoric state."

Pitcairn goes on to list many behavior problems (urinating outside the litter box, aggressive behavior, eating stool, cat litter, yowling at night when alone…) as instinctual behaviors that have gone awry, probably from inflammation of the cerebral cortex. These behaviors are not voluntary and while they can be temporarily suppressed or overridden by training, the inflammation must be quelled to cure the problem.

Of course, homeopathy can quell the inflammation if the correct remedy can be found.

Dr. Dee Blanco’s [a phone consulting homeopathic veterinarian in NM] told me in 2003 that her approximate success rates: Feline elimination problems – 25%, Aggressive dogs – 80%, aggressive cats – 50%, fear of thunderstorms – 10% (good success with GV 20 and tranquility blend), Fear, hiding and timidity – 80%, ADD – 80%.

She finds that even when she has found the correct remedy, it takes a full year to become really different. They take 3 months to be clearly better, and then are 50-70% better at 6 months.  My experience is that when the right remedy is given the resolution can begin very quickly (Cat from Hell), even in days.

To summarize:

Is there any training I can do to resolve or help this problem?

Could this be normal considering the breed or the circumstances?

Has it been ever since a particular event?

Take the case, give a remedy and re-evaluate

Try different modalities - animal communicator, TTouch, Flower Essences, HTA, Traditional Chinese Medicine.          

Deb: What homeopathic remedies can be used for a cat that is very timid, to change her behavior to help her gain confidence?  I have a cat who may be feral – she was a rescue.  She is very skittish and most of the time you cannot even look at her.  She does not allow us to pet her and there is definitely no picking her up or she is extremely threatened.  When my other cats go by her and she is too close to a corner or feels threatened, she puts her ears back, cowers down, and hisses.  And, because of this, they pick on her.  We have had her for 3 years.  She has rubbed up against my leg when I am watching TV once in a while, and just recently started doing that with my husband, after 3 years.   

She has been to the vet and been checked out there are no health issues.  I have done flower essences with her but did not see any changes.     

What does homeopathy have to offer for this type of situation to have her gain confidence and feel more comfortable? Thanks for your help.

DocC: First, there is a distinction between feral cats and strays. Ferals really are wild and it takes special handling to tame them, especially when over 8 weeks of age. Buy Anitra Frazier's NEWEST edition of the Natural Cat - 2008. She has an entire chapter on taming a feral cat and maintaining feral colonies for those interested in that topic. Yes, you can give remedies in cat food to ferals!! Right remedy and it will work.

Now, to try to treat her homeopathically, the rubrics of possible use would be:
MIND:     timidity
                delusions - watched
                looked at, to be
                                       - evading the look of other persons.

Notice that it takes a lot of stretching, which we do not recommend in homeopathy, to select these from the statement "most of the time you cannot even look at her." From her feral point of view, the mother taught them that humans are predators and predators stare at them.  Therefore there is not an imbalance of the vital force causing her to not like being looked at, only normal self preservation.

Buy Anitra's book, contact Tom Spencer, the ace at taming feral cats at (301) 686-0987 for some coaching and put a drop of rescue remedy in every meal, even though you have used some FE already.  Thank you for all the love you are giving her.

Case 3:  We have an indoor male cat who sprays.  I think it is provoked by a stray outdoor female. Can't get rid of her. Is there anything that might curtail his urge to spray?

Dr. C: Even though there is a 'cause" for the problem, there are lots of indoor cats with outdoor cats near by who never spray, so this is an illness that needs treating, for sure. This one symptom would not be enough to individualize the case, find enough rubrics to find the similimum, so if you were working with a homeopathic practitioner and they could find no other symptoms, now or in the past, I would suggest starting with flower essences or an animal intuitive.

Spirit Essences (www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php to order with a discount) has several FE that are great for spraying cats - read the descriptions to see which fits the best. With FE you do not have to be as specific. You do need to give them 3-4 times a day to be effective.

Also at my site, Green Hope Farms has a spraying flower essence in their animal collection. Try one for a month, then try another.

If there is one area that he sprays, put up plastic and aluminum foil. Make sure you have one more litter box than cats, even though you think the spraying is from the outdoor visitors. Spray "cat away" products outside your home to deter the stray female. Catch the female, spay, neuter and release her to help the cat world and maybe your boy, too.

Case 4.  I have a cat, neutered male (8 years old) that sprays on and off in the house (he is the overall "alpha" cat in my household that on occasion chases a few of the other cats). Then I have two young female cats (4 years old and 2 years old) that do not get along.  The older ("alpha female"?) runs after the newer addition, but the younger one starts it sometimes by hissing at her.  Overall it appears to be a "territorial /alpha" issue for the two more aggressive cats.  The young one gets along extremely well with others.

DocC: I would suggest reading the Tao of Meow, pages 113 on. She has a great approach about creating balance in their lives. Also the Flower Essences covered above for spraying AND choose among the ones for all the cats - Safe Space, etc. Not enough symptoms to find the simillimum or even to tell if there is an imbalance in the vital force.

If time available, I am also treating two elderly cats, one taking phenobarbital to control seizures and the other takes methimazole for thyroid.  How do I supplement with pellets (dose/how often) to support their livers, etc.  

DocC: You can use homeopathic remedies to completely cure and maybe even get off the drug. They can be used along with the drugs, but they are not supplementing. You need to think of the remedies as deeply healing and diseases this severe need a professional homeopath. You can supplement with a lot of great herbs - Animal Essential's Greg Tilford has great ones, as does World Herbs for Pets (www.Darcynat.com). What you can do is to work with a professional homeopath to possibly cure both the epilepsy and the hyperthyroid. Different veterinarians have different success rates depending on the characteristic symptoms of your animals.

If you can't tell by my questions, I am new to attempting homeopathy at home (although a member for a few years).  

DocC: Yeay for starting to learn homeopathy. The conditions you present are not ones to begin with. Start with a runny eye, chin acne, leg stiffness, etc. Learn how to take cases (collect the symptoms) by reading books mentioned here and taking classes. Read and study all the principles and philosophy. Ignore most of the books that tell you what remedy to give for what until you have read more of the basics. You can then take the case (even in an injury) and list the symptoms, look up remedies for the main condition in the quick books, then read more about each of them in a bigger materia medica to find the best match. Pay attention to things like prefers heat or better from cold or wants to drink cold water. Good learning. NCH is making DVDs from this year’s conference.

Deborah: I have a beautiful black cat named Isabel. She is very verbal. I think her mother was Siamese. She usually sounds like she is very upset. She is 9 years old. When I first got her she was very sweet and loving. She now lives only in the garage. I invite her in but she won't come. You can see she wants to come in to see me but she is afraid of the other pets. We inherited a cat, Nadar, from my mother-in-law when she passed away.  Nadar has kind of beat Isabel up a couple of times because Isabel acts so nasty to him.  She cannot make friends with any of the dogs or other cats in our household. She acts nasty but really she is afraid. She used to come to my sliding glass door at night to see me. She only loves me. She doesn't come anymore because she knows we have new kitties in the house. When I pet her she is so happy she drools.  I feel so sorry for her because I know she is so lonely. She doesn't leave the garage often. She stays in her bed much of the time. She has gotten quite overweight. Sometimes she will visit me when I pull up in the driveway.  She comes to my car. She is so affectionate and loving and desires attention.

When she is up high in her bed in the garage and I reach up to pet her, she is very happy, but when I pull my hand away she strikes out at me with her claws. I can't imagine how I would ever give her a remedy.

We have 3 dogs, 2 yellow labs and a JRT. They don't pay much attention to cats.  We also have Nadar a big neutered Siamese boy and 2 young spayed female cats.  Both of the kitties are very willing to make friends. Nadar acted mean towards the kitties at first but now he's fine.  Not Isabel, she won't make friends with anybody, even if it means being all alone in the garage. Poor baby!

DocC: here is the challenge we spoke of on the chat - is there an illness in the vital force? I do not think so. I really think for the happiness and health of this cat, she needs a home with a single person who is around a lot (artist, elderly, etc) and no other animals. She clearly loves you, so the other option is for you to figure a way to work in the garage where she lives and play a lot with her to decrease weight. Make her work for her food by dragging pieces of meat around. Be sure she is on the good food mentioned above. To really help her, you may need to spend 2 hours a day in the garage, or even sleep there.

Carolyn: Would you consider a cat vomiting a behavior problem? or a physical health issue? I know cats vomit after eating grass...and apparently for various reasons; it's not uncommon according to human friends I have who live with cats.

DocC: Vomiting is a medical problem, not behavioral. It is one of the indications that a cat is not completely healthy. No healthy cat needs to be on Laxatone or any "hairball meds".

CS: One of my cats is 20 years old.  

DocC: Congratulations - that is a good age. Brighthaven.org had a cat die last year at age 35.

CS: She started vomiting at 2 years of age, when we moved to North Carolina.  Sometimes it seemed a frequent event, and the other cat who lived with us starting vomiting as well.  I felt like he learned this behavior from her.  I would occasionally put Nux Vomica in their drinking water...didn't seem to make any difference.  

DocC: this is a good example of using a remedy for a symptom without matching the totality of symptoms. It is fine to try once, or twice. If the condition continues, you need to collect more symptoms and find the more appropriate remedy.

 CS: The other cat, Sweet Bubba, died at 17. Now I have a new kitten. The older one continues to vomit, but not frequently.  She's aging; I don't want her to suffer. Should I try to treat her for the vomiting? and if so, with what?

DocC: yes, the vomiting needs to be treated. At her age I would do a consult at least once with a trained homeopath for animals.

CS: Luna never goes outside anymore; she's a bit arthritic...but she's a very healthy cat - never had any disease. I guess my question is really a 2 part one: - should I treat the vomiting...and with what? - how can I ease her last years homeopathically?

DocC: Hospice care is becoming very popular when cats are near the end (Luna is not). Homeopathy is wonderful because when you list all the current and past symptoms, even the early warning ones, then find the simillimum for the current condition, they become healthier and healthier until they die.

Karen: What would you suggest for a lab with hot sensitive ears?

DocC: Change the diet to a raw meaty bone, pureed vegetable diet. Rubrics: Ears, inflamed, hot, then any other symptoms - discharges, itching, etc? You cannot find a remedy for one symptom, so that is the best homeopathy I can suggest. There are many topical treatments, but ears can be a challenge until the simillimum is found and that means asking a lot more questions and looking up a lot more symptoms.

Paula: I have two Bichons, about 12 years old. They have been great dogs. One female, one male. I took them to our holistic vet for routine blood work. Had the blood work done, and each dog was taken to a different room individually and then they were brought back to us to finish the exam. Beginning that night, and for the last month, when we put the dogs to bed in their place which is our foyer bathroom, the male dog has cried and whined continuously. We have never had this problem before. I've used homeopathy for about 30 years and I have used homeopathy with our dogs before. The first two nights I gave him two doses of Chamomilla and it did nothing. The third night, I used Aconite - 2 doses, spread apart about an hour or two (30 c) and per the vets recommendation, used rescue remedy on his forehead. Settled him for a little, but not much. For a number of nights, I've used rescue remedy but the whining and crying has continued, many times throughout the night. For the past 10 days, I've used Arsenicum Album 30 c (one to two doses). That has helped some, and it works for about 2 to 3 hours. Do I go to a 200 Arsenicum? Another point to mention is that as soon as he is with people he is fine. But as soon as he is left alone or behind closed doors, he starts to cry.

DocC: Poor Bichon! First, I would encourage you to find a veterinarian who is wiling for you to be present when they do everything except take an X-ray. I always drew blood in front of the guardians. I can't imagine why your dog is crying. I would suggest asking an animal communicator, for sure.

Arsenicum does make sense, though I think there is a different remedy needed but would want the feedback from the intuitive to point me to which one. For now, you have had some response to the carefully given Ars. Alb, so I would go to a 200c, 2 pellets in 1/2C water in a jar labeled with "Thank you Water for healing ___ (name)". That comes from Dr. Emoto's work with water that was popular a few years ago. Then I would succuss the bottle 4 times, then remove about 4 drops and put them into ¼ C water in a bowl and first offer to the dog. If he does not put his tongue in it at all in a few seconds - give him a dose. Repeat as needed. If some improvement and no worsening of symptoms, go up to 1M or even 10M.

 

DocC: We are out of time. Be sure to read the transcripts which will also have the questions asked in advance and my answers. Hope it was useful. Email me at healthyanimals@aol.com if you want a teleseminar on animal homeopathy.

Moderator:  Thank you, Dr. Chambreau! This has been an excellent Chat.