Each month Dr. Deva Khalsa V.M.D. will answer selected questions on veterinary issues. Dr. Khalsa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, a Fellow and Professor of the British Institute of Homeopathy and has lectured both nationally and internationally. She is the co-author of Healing Your Horse: Alternative Therapies and Dr. Khalsa’s Natural Dog. Send your questions to [email protected]
This advice is not a substitute for hands on veterinary care. https://hpathy.com/hpathy-com-disclaimer/
Dear Dr. Khalsa,
My kitten is just under 1 year old. The vet said that the trochlear groove is too shallow, which will allow her patella to dislocate. Is there anything that could be done homeopathically to build up that bone?
Gwen
Dr. Khalsa:
Hi Gwen,
Ruta grav is a homeopathic remedy that is specific to the knee and you
can try this. We could have used cell salts at a younger age (you could
try them now) when things were in the formative stage but I do not know
if it would work well at this stage.
Dear Dr.
I have a 9 year old cat who is frightened of both wind and thunderstorms. She runs and hides at the first sigh of a storm. She’s overweight, doesn’t play anymore and is introverted. Have you any idea what remedy my help her?
Loretta
Dr. Khalsa:
Well Loretta, in this case we have to ask some questions. When did she stop playing? How long has she been frightened? Did she have a Rabies vaccine? If she
had a Rabies vaccine and the fear of thunder began after that, Lachesis
would be the remedy.
Dear Doctor,
My dog has hypothyroidism and is on allopathic treatment. Can homeopathy be of any help in this condition?
Sheri
Dr. Khalsa:
Not really. Usually dogs are only diagnosed as hypothyroid when it is pretty severe and by that time the remedies do not help much. Plus you have to test and retest all the time to see if the remedy and supplements are working and that can get very expensive. Lastly, it is pretty easy to treat conventionally and you are just supplementing thyroid anyway and it gives your dog a better quality of life.
Dear Dr Khalsa,
A cat got vaccinated and two days later, the owner noticed swelling around the anus that turned out to be an anal gland infection that caused an abscess. The vet cleaned the wound out and there was little discharge. The cat is young and was healthy and usually playful and affectionate. Now he is: lethargic, listless, gets up only for food, water, or litter box (does not use the box if anyone is watching- always been shy with company in the toilet) aversion to movement , aversion to being touched or held, stools small, dark, hard (may be constipated, or unwilling to pass stool due to pain) little appetite or thirst the wound is inflamed, but no discharge, anus is open with a raised triangle of skin around it (photo below – hopefully it comes through) As the symptoms came on following the vaccination, should the cat be given Thuja or Silica? Or Hepar Sulph? Another remedy?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Sumera
Dr. Khalsa:
Hi Sumera,
The first question I would need to ask is which vaccine or vaccines were given at the time? The Rabies vaccine contains the Fibrosarcoma cancer virus and a significant number of cats get Fibrosarcoma at the site of the vaccine. Veterinary students are taught to vaccinate in the leg and now the tail so they can simply amputate if the cat gets fibrosarcoma from the Rabies vaccination. Feline booster shots also have feline kidney tissue in them as one of the mediums that is used to nurture the virus components and keep them alive. This often causes a chronic inflammatory response in the cat’s kidneys which shows up in many cats as kidney problems at about 10 years of age. (Remember, it is easy to live with one kidney, which is in effect 50% kidney function.)
I would give Belladona 6c or 6x 4-6 times a day for 2 or 3 days at first and see how he does. If he improves and feels better you can go to Thuja for good measure. Thuja 6x twice a day for three weeks Lachesis 30c one dose if it was a Rabies vaccine.
Hi Dr. Khalsa,
We have a half lab/half blue heeler that is 7yrs old. I took her to the vet yesterday for a large lump on her front leg. She’s got two non-malignant tumors on the right leg, knee area. They are aggressive in growth. We ended up having this large tumor removed from our dog’s leg as it was impeding her walking and causing her pain. The vet was expecting a 30 minute surgery and it was 2 1/2hrs. The tumor was large and aggressive and had wrapped itself around the leg nerves and tendons. She was unable to get the entire tumor but got as much as she could. We chose not to biopsy due to cost but it appeared to be benign. She said it would return and the next course of action would be to remove her leg as it would continue to return with each removal. Well, it’s been 3 months since surgery and the tumor is growing again at a fairly fast pace.
Patti
Dr. Khalsa
Patti in this case a biopsy would be very important. Lipomas are, in effect, the only benign tumors that appear this way and they would be treated in a completely different manner than – let us say- a nerve sheath tumor. You actually cannot say that these masses were benign without a biopsy as we have no idea of what kind of tumor it is. The type of cancer is very important in choosing an effective holistic therapy.
Hello Dr. Khalsa,
I am looking for a good remedy for two situations. One my dog has arthritis in her back hip, she is 11 and I am wondering what I could give her to help as time moves on. Also my brothers dog started losing her teeth and they found out she has cancer in her mouth. I am wondering if there might be a good remedy for that as well. She is 7 years of age.
Emily
Dr. Deva Khalsa
Hello Emily,
There is often no one remedy for cancer. It sounds like malignant melanoma. There are other holistic things one can do but it would require a detailed consult with a veterinarian such as myself. As far as arthritis, one has to ask what the symptoms are. You can use Rhus tox if she is better after moving around. You can use Bryonia alb if she is better after resting. Sometimes chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture helps with this. Also, a product called Myristin for Dogs is an herbal combination with a special component that is also often very effective and helpful.
Using her 30 years experience treating animals holistically, Dr. Khalsa designed nutrients just for dogs and cats. VITAL VITIES contain specially selected vitamins, minerals and super-food granules in a delicious base. Your pets deserve the same good nutrition you get!
Learn more about nutrition for your pet:
https://hpathy.com/veterinary-homeopathy/deserving-pets-gives-scoop-supplements/
Visit Dr. Khalsa at her website and for consults:http://doctordeva.com/
All information provided on this site, particularly any information relating to specific medical conditions, health care, preventive care, homeopathy, homeopathic medicine, and healthy lifestyles, is presented for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered complete or exhaustive and does not cover all disorders or conditions or their treatment, nor all health-related issues. https://hpathy.com/hpathy-com-disclaimer/
My cat has a problem which repeats periodically. She gets constipated severely. conventional medicine has not helped her much; But bryonia has. But I have not been able to stop it from recurring. What else can be given? Please advice.
why canned pumpkin? will cooked pumpkin do?
Hi Dr. Khalsa,
My dog that is 13 1/2 years old. He has hoarse bark, gags a lot like something is stuck down his throat. He pants a lot. He cannot tolerate longer walks, there is a sound when he pants. I need an advice of what to do for him naturally. Is there any natural remedy for this?
Thank you.
Roda
Thank you Dr. Khalsa and Hpathy for this excellent column. Dr. Khalsa’s expertise is obvious and her answers are clear and to the point.
I am writing about our 16 year old white, long haired, male cat named Winston who is suffering with basel cell carcinoma on the ears and face. this began about four years ago. We live in sunny Mexico and he has spent his life free to wander and be in the sun.
All veterinary consultations in our area have resulted in suggestions of amputations (ears and chemo therapies which we have declined. With the help of our local homeopath, he has been given Ars. and Phos along with a nosode he told how to make from scabs left off by the tumors.
I wouldn’t say all has been to no avail, but the cancer, though it has been held back for about three years is gradually taking over with small tumors, scabbing and bleeding around both eyes, nose tip and both ear tips) and a large area of tumor virtually eating into the edge of one ear. He has a large hard, swollen gland under each ear.
Though he doesn’t seem to be in pain generally, his eat ears are terribly tender to touch and he is constantly twitching them. His right eye has become completely opaque and yellow, he is very thinned out, and has begun drinking quantities of water in the few last weeks. His appetite is good. He is mostly ill humored and when approached will cry out, as if to complain of life , but responds lovingly to being held and petted yet at times but goes off and stays by himself generally. He often
has sudden bursts of energy, climbing the tree, jumping up on the wall running, scurrying about, considering his age.
The homeopath who, surprised to see that he is still alive said we could put him down. We are not capable of that. However, I do not know where to turn and it is awfully difficult seeing his face being eaten away as it is.
Perhaps you have suggestion for us.
Gratefully,
Diana Michael
We just had to put our wonderful little dog down due to what they believe was an autoimmune disease that affected her blood. She was in ICU for four days due to trembling and lack of energy and appetite. At first steroids seemed to help, but when we brought this little 8 lb poodle mix home she went backwards again. No appetite, then her legs became weak, it was horrific to watch. This all seemed to happen in 2 weeks. We knew she became anemic, but they said her white blood count improved and her blood sugar stabilized.
What do you think happened? She tested negative for tick and infectious diseases.