Daisy - 18 w.o. female tabby kitten - Chronic Diarrhoea

First seen 28^th July 2003 - constant diarrhoea (bloody) since May! (worse for protein food but OK on baby food).

Vet letter stated that Daisy's problem was very refractory to all sorts of therapy – histology: jejunum immunologically reactive - negative for parasites, negative for campylobacter – neutropaenia, lymphopaenia, monocytosis.

Blood tests FIV/FeLV/FIP all returned negative.

Full vaccination, incl. Leukaemia, just before she came to current home ex. Rescue (Blue Cross) & again soon after.

Diarrhoea started first, then salivation one week later. This appeared to be a possible case of vaccine-induced immune malfunction.

Case notes: prefers warm - athletic – loves high places – skinny – spiky coat – no real fears.

Prescribed: homeopathic Merc. sol. & Gaertner, Protexin & Lactosym.

Report 5^th August 2003 – regurgitates small amount of food an hour after eating (once or twice daily) then swallows & licks up – belches 1 hr after eating – actually vomited food twice this week - has gained weight (now 1.85 kg & had been 1.6 kg for a few weeks).

Prescription: added homeopathic Phosphorus.

Report 18^th August 2003 – eating bigger portions – swallows 1 hr after eating – regurgitated a little liquid only twice this week – sloshing-around sound stopped for a few days, now returned - eating more – less regurgitation (worse at first meal of day) – weight increasing.

Report 22^nd August 2003 – yesterday started licking lips then vomited all breakfast 1½ hrs after eating – lost bit of her spark last two days – motions like bullets – some mucus – only change is from Lactosym to Protexin 5 days ago. Advise change back to Lactosym – if fails to help, consider homeopathic Nux vom.

Report 26^th August 2003 – improved but didn’t eat all that day – had been on Protexin from before coming to this home – clear watery discharge from nose – glands up.

Advised stop current remedies - new remedy homeopathic Natrum mur.

Report 9^th September 2003 – slightly runny nose, glands up, bad gingivitis, problems eating – some swallowing/regurgitation 1 hour after eating (first meal of day) – slight constipation.

Advised change to homeopathic Phosphorus 200 & Nit. ac. 6c.

Report 15^th September 2003 – had Phosphorus 200 for 4 days only - lots better – nose stopped running – gums much improved – eating bigger meals – still tends to be sick first thing but not bad – very pleased.

Advised Phosphorus 200 reduce to twice weekly and continue Nit. ac.

Report 3^rd October 2003 – improving – only eating baby food chicken – some days regurgitates/swallows 1 hour after eating first meal of day.

Report 31^st October 2003 – No problems! Having some cooked chicken now incl. skin, giblets, mashed potato - sick or diarrhoea if alters feeding.

Report 17^th December (Christmas Card) – now able to add cooked lamb, turkey or white fish – passed a thick red elastic band in November – incredibly it didn’t upset her!

Report 27^th January 2004 – now able to tolerate all kinds of food.

Reported 17^th July 2004 – She’s been spayed, recovered well and now able to go out – caught first mouse – all took a long time, had expected to need special diet forever but now absolutely normal – all started to come right after Phosphorus 200. No different in health to our other cats – in fact, she’s the liveliest of them all. 

Reported 20^th August 2004 – exhaustingly fit & well.

Annual Christmas Card since then (i.e. 2003 (see above), 2004, 2005, 2006) to say fine in every way: 

Christmas Card 2005:
“It’s hard to remember Daisy as the very poorly kitten I brought to see you in 2003 – I wish you could see her now – fitter and livelier than all our other cats put together!”

Christmas Card 2006:
“Daisy, whom you treated in 2003, continues to be our fittest and liveliest cat and a tremendous character!”

At the AVMC we have to treat many cases of feline chronic diarrhoea. Some cases can be very difficult to sort but we have been encouraged by the overall results.

Jo-Jo - 10 y.o. male Birman - Kidney problems

First seen 12^th April 2001 - Diagnosed CRF (Chronic Renal Failure) by Vets

Vets recommend Fortekor & anabolic steroids

Given homeopathic Nat. mur. 1M & Mega B 50

November 2001 – given homeopathic Kali chlor.

November 2002 given homeopathic Carbamide

March 2003 given homeopathic DCV (Digitalis compound remedy) & Merc. sol.

Reported 21^st December 2005 (Christmas Card) thanks for the improvement shown by the b/s – seems unbelievable – vet putting it down to Fortekor tablets – owner convinced he wouldn’t have kept going all these years without homeopathy – maybe giving Merc. sol. has made a difference – seemed to go off food on it after a while - eating well without it now – will restart if has a 'dip' – seems perky enough but coat isn’t good – it was lovely on Merc. sol. – better to eat than have a fluffy coat – will continue and report changes – Happy Christmas.

17^th March 2006 – breath quite smelly – not so good in self – homeopathic Arsenicum.

Not so good April/May 2006 – picky with food - added homeopathic Lycopodium – helped a bit - changed to homeopathic Phosphorus – await report.

25^th May 2006 – better last few days – appetite gradually returned – no sickness since Monday – now eating quite well.

12^th June 2006 – eating quite well – little incontinent, when sleeping – homeopathic Clematis and Equisetum.

23^rd June 2006 – since started latest remedies, no more wet patches found.

13^th July 2006 – only one patch since – seems well in self – eating well.

31^st July 2006 – off food in hot weather – lost some weight – suggest new blood test.

4^th August 2006 – Urea risen to 31 and Creatinine to 328 – nonetheless eating quite well again – quite chirpy – four days on drip.

8^th August 2006 – back home and eaten well – very thirsty (but was he given his medicines at the hospital?) – stop Carbamide and revert to Merc. sol.

11^th August 2006 – gradually downhill – taking to vets again – was quite perky when got to vets – steroid injection.

14^th August 2006 – eating better but some diarrhoea and vomited white froth.

17^th August 2006 – going on OK – no more sickness.

24^th August 2006 – not eating brilliantly – still bright – no diarrhoea.

5^th October 2006 – still ticking along.

30^th October 2006 – slipping back a bit – coat not as good - appetite variable – more vomiting – suggest stop Arsenicum, for now.

6^th November 2006 – some improvement – more enthusiasm – better appetite – less thirst.

20^th November 2006 – had a ‘blip’ with appetite – one dose Arsenicum seemed to sort it – OK at moment.

1^st December 2006 – quite bright and sociable – bit ‘sicky’ though.

4^th December 2006 – off food and sick – hunched up by water bowl – advised increase frequency of Merc. sol.

7^th December 2006 – seems OK again – will reduce Merc. sol. again and keep in touch.

16^th January 2007 – ticking along OK.

16^th February 2007 – still quite well.

15^th March 2007 – been quite well until last few days – increasing Merc. sol. always helps – will do so more consistently.

19^th March 2007 – definitely helped.

30^th March 2007 – latest blood test improved (Urea 32.6, Creatinine 213).

3^rd April 2007 – seems back on course.

26^th April 2007 – keeps pretty well on Merc. sol. every other day – eating reasonably well and bright in himself.

16^th May 2007 – Not bad at all, at the moment – eats reasonably well most days and weight is not bad.

26th June 2007 - Ticking along OK

27th July 2007 - Doing quite well at the moment - seems pretty stable - hardly dares to say anything - the fact that he's still here and coping is wonderful (now over 16 years-old).

4th September 2007 - Still ticking along quite well. Stable and eating pretty well, most of the time.

15th October 2007 - Still OK - only needing occasional doses of Merc. sol. if appetite wanes.

25th October 2007 - Still good.

Although there is no possibility of a real ‘cure’ of kidney failure, constantly repeated homeopathy can ‘hold’ the patient. Jo-Jo has been holding on pretty well, for just over 6 years since diagnosis, despite high readings for Urea and Creatinine and despite now being 16 years old.

Milo - 14 y.o. male semi-feral DSH cat - Diabetes

First seen on 27^th October 2005, with diabetes mellitus (& renal insufficiency).

After much oscillation of insulin requirement, over the ensuing 6 months, his levels stabilised at a much reduced level. Remedies were stopped.

In July 2006, his own vet diagnosed a renal (kidney) problem. He was given homeopathic Mercurius solubilis.

Reports:

Good reports followed and, by 29^th January 2007, he was missing some insulin injections, without penalty.

26^th June 2007 – reported been off insulin altogether for four months.

18th October 2007 - reported moved to Australia - relapsed since the journey and necessary medication.

N.B.: It is important to note that some diabetic cats can go into spontaneous remission. This case took much longer than would be expected, for a spontaneous remission but one cannot rule out that possibility. We take the following quote from Intervet’s website: “The time to remission is variable and likely depends on how long the hyperglycaemia, and glucose toxicity, has been present and if there are remaining functional beta cells in the pancreatic islets. In diabetic cats it may be shortly after the start of treatment (e.g. around 2 weeks) in cats that have not been diabetic for long or take up to 3-4 months or longer after starting treatment in cats that have been diabetic for longer.”

Ruckus and Rumpus - two litter sisters - 9½ y.o. female Burmese - Fits/Seizures

These two cats were first seen at AVMC on 23^rd August 2004.

History:

Rumpus exhibits fitting at least daily – started Autumn 2002

Ruckus less often, only recently started.

Both had ‘flu’ as kittens.

Rumpus's eyes still run, nose runs, can crust and scab, almost blocking nose.

Rumpus's skin 'flaky'.

One of them at least frequently vomits, 4 days per week (suspects it’s Ruckus).

Vaccination annually in September, despite health issues.

Rumpus on phenobarbitone – helps frequency and severity but doesn’t stop the fits.

No liver function tests performed to date.

Remarked how calm cats were, in consulting room (not normally, at vets).

Fits manifest as “erratic behaviour, hunkers down on paws, bursts into action, obviously distressed, stops suddenly, sits down, starts sticking tongue in and out and shaking head, as if something in mouth and ears, then blood from mouth and lies onto back, against wall, chewing at mouth” - takes 20 – 30 minutes to pass.

Rumpus has a tiny lump on her neck. This, along with the disease pattern, suggested vaccination involvement.

Prescribed:

Ruckus – homeopathic Causticum

Rumpus – homeopathic Cicuta and a dose of homeopathic Belladonna when has a fit.

Reports:

8^th September 2004: Stopped phenobarbitone, changed diet, administered medicines – results almost immediate – both cats returned to ‘healthy’ and ‘normal’ behaviour – not seen for years. Rumpus: skin improved – no longer flaky, nose and eyes improved, nostrils free and open, sneezes freely – only one minor fit since seen. Booster due now – wonders how to handle the politics of that – real test will come in October, when the normal worsening occurs (not discovered at consultation but confirms fear that vaccination probably involved).

Subsequent reports all fine - no more fits.

Post script:

Same family as Rema, a GSD bitch who came to AVMC on 15th March 2007.

Report at Rema’s visit:

Rumpus has lost weight recently – asked ref. thirst – yes, increased lately – all very recent – suspect kidney problem and advise blood sample.

26^th March – reported blood sample confirmed kidney problem.

29^th March – see again Rumpus – Causticum, Plumbum and Merc. sol. Asked for report in ten days.

Jet - 5 y.o. female - Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)

First seen at AVMC on 4^th April 1996 - positive FeLV

Jet had been given 3 months to live.

She actually survived very well for 6 years! Then succumbed to mouth cancer 2002.

Her treatment history:

4th April (first appointment) prescribed homeopathic Arsenicum 30 and a Nosode (& for the in-contacts in the household)

8^th April 1998 – lots of little scabs on back – prescribed a mixed glandular Sarcode.

10^th March 2000 - reported very well.

 4^th April 2001 - brilliant.

11^th July 2001 - doing well.

22^nd November 2001 - doing well.

22^nd January 2002 – report that Jet had died from mouth cancer.

Bianca - 11 y.o. female DSH cat - general immune problem

First seen at AVMC on 12^th March 2007, with greasy coat, ‘lip smacking’, splutters, wheezes and ‘throat clearing’.

History:

Not seen vet.

Examination:

Signs and symptoms discernible: as above.

Some throat sensitivity to pressure.

Prescribed: homeopathic Natrum mur. and Merc. sol.

Reports:

26.04.07 - improving – greasiness in fur 50% improved – spluttering in throat completely stopped – very pleased with progress.

09.05.07 - still improving – almost 100% back to normal – coat not as white/fluffy as used to be but getting there – very well & bright in self.

29.05.07 - started wheezing again but very well in self – like a healthy person with a bit of a snuffle – stop remedies.

01.06.07 - definite improvement after stopping remedies – stopped wheezing/sneezing & no greasiness in coat – coat almost 100% now.

06.06.07 - stretching neck & coughing again – coat going greasy again – will repeat remedies.

25.06.07 - continuing to do well – coat much better again – no spluttering at all now – very pleased with progress.

It is not uncommon to find symptoms that had improved becoming worse as a result of continuing a homeopathic medicine for too long. This case illustrates that point and shows how it can then be necessary to restart later. The case also illustrates the concept that apparently unrelated signs and symptoms can often have a common origin.

Big Boy - male neuter - severe skin problem

Photographs show the condition before treatment (5th October 2007), during treatment (17th October 2007) and after treatment (16th November 2007). The treatment was homeopathic Carbo animalis and Hirudo. The positive change in demeanour is clear from the photographs.

Although no histology or blood test was performed to ascertain this, the appearance of the skin resembles eosinophilic dermatitis.

Sambo - 14 y.o. Burmese male neuter - feline asthma

First seen 20th March 2006 - been troubled with asthma for nine years - had steroids but now been taken off - as older, things can become difficult for him - coughs - has episodes when breathing very bad and very distressed by it. He was given homeopathic Aconitum and Natrum muriaticum.
 

5th April 2006 - reported: going on very well - transformed - hardly coughing at all, even in damp/wet weather.

On the strength of the outcome of this case, we were asked to visit Z----, a head shaking horse.