Clinical Cases

Revisiting: It’s A Dog’s Life!

Written by Elaine Lewis

Elaine gives the answer to last month’s quiz! Revisiting: It’s A Dog’s Life!

(Yes, it’s another dog case, try and guess the remedy!)

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Mom, it’s time for the quiz

and here I am with the Fall Entertainment Report!

The what?

Announcement-the-first: On October 18th, I’m seeing Styx in Williamsport, PA. YAY!!!  Let’s give a big round of applause for Styx!

*applause!*

 styx again

Boo!  They look like a motorcycle gang!  Did you say Williamsport, Pennsylvania?  Where the heck is that????   I thought you were going to Atlantic City!

Next announcement:

Wait, let me guess.  You’re planning to see the Rolling Stones in Saginaw, Michigan!

No, Mom; on TV!  The Rolling Stones are going to be on TV!  And speaking of which, it’s time for my report on the Fall Season!  I can’t wait for fall because my favorite shows are back:  Season 7 of “The Big Bang Theory”!  I know you say it’s just like “3rd Rock From the Sun” (which our non-American readers may not be familiar with) but it is still hilarious!  The best thing about it is the characters’ constant references to “Harry Potter”!

Oh!  Well now everyone’s gonna want to see it!

Also this month, be on the lookout for season 10 of “Grey’s Anatomy”!  It’s important because it’s Sandra Oh’s last season as Cristina Yang.  Her departure could hit the show hard!

I know!  They should have given her anything she wanted!

Mom, I think you’ll survive since you don’t even watch the show!  But, I’m surprised it survived the write-off of George O’Malley and Izzie Stevens in season 6!

Me too!  Who are George O’Malley and Izzie Stevens?

I can’t wait for “the Vampire Diaries”, Season 5.  Season 25 of the Simpsons is coming on the 29th.

Now you’re talkin’!

the simpsons

It’s hard to believe the Simpsons has been on for nearly 25 years!   Season 17 of “South Park” is this month too.  I don’t even know why I bother watching it. It’s not funny anymore and this season is even 10 episodes shorter than usual, but I’m always curious as to what Matt and Trey are going to do next or how they will ruin the endings this time!  I think it may be on its way to being the longest running show on television after “the Simpsons”.

They’re just hanging on to get in the record books.  It’s not very flattering.  Is this fascinating “report” coming to an end?  I hope so because I’m starting to hear snoring in the back row!

Whose case do we have this month?

I thought you’d never ask!  I’ve become a kind of dog magnet.

We have another dog case?

Yes, but I have to come up with a fictitious name for the dog!

Mom, I don’t think the dog is going to mind being in the Quiz!

Shana, this particular dog has a very high opinion of herself, and I don’t want her to sue me!  But you can see for yourself:

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Hi Elaine,

I am still doing well since my one dose of Phosphorus 6C.

Yay!!!!

I’ll let you know when I need another dose. I wanted to ask you about possibly taking a case for my little female dog. I started seeing blood in her urine over the weekend, and I took her to the vet today to find the cause. Apparently, my dog has bladder crystals, which is common in small, female dogs.

I did not know that!

My vet recommended surgery, I was wondering if you would feel comfortable taking “June’s” case?

Why not? 

The closest holistic vet to me is an hour away and a bazillion dollars.

What are the symptoms?

“June” is bleeding when she urinates, which started Friday night. It looks light red. The blood looks fresh but it’s watered down, it’s not thick. I have had “June” for a year and a half, and I have noticed that she urinates frequently when outside. I did some research on this and came to the conclusion that she was marking her territory. Now I look back and think that these crystals must have been building up for some time.

“June” does not seem to be in pain- no whining when she urinates and no accidents indoors until this past Friday when I noticed blood in her urine. She seems to have a good flow – no straining.

“June” also had spay surgery exactly two weeks ago. I gave her three doses of Arnica and one dose of Aconite. When I dropped her off for her spay surgery, she was shaking. When I picked her up, they told me she had diarrhea from the anesthesia. The diarrhea continued for a day and cleared up. I gave her the Aconite because for two days after her surgery, she would hide under my bed and not want to come out. Her eyes were big and she had trouble breathing. I thought she was having panic attacks. One dose of Aconite and she was back to normal.

“June” is a couch potato, loves to be under things (cars, beds, chairs, couches), she’s hot natured.

You mean her body temperature is hot?

She is a bit of a slob (tromps through the mud and dirt and rolls around on rocks). She does not like a lot of body contact and does not initiate interactions. She is nice to people but not at all eager to meet them.

Aloof, then?

Aloof is a great word. My Dad calls her a “dumb blond”.  Chances are if you came to my house, “June” would not even come over to meet you. She’s unconcerned about people.  Additionally, she is sensitive. She is allergic to fleas and gets hot spots (itchy, inflamed red skin). She is sensitive to food and eats gluten and dairy free. She is also territorial and will bark and growl at a dog five times her size. She usually hangs out by herself, not seeking out my other dogs but she doesn’t mind them. My pit bull often sleeps with her big head on “June’s” stomach and she doesn’t move. “June” is the bossiest and most high maintenance of my three dogs.  “June” also has chronic green, thick, sticky eye goop.

She does not like body contact

 Did you say “June” was the bossiest and most high-maintenance of your dogs? 

Correct, in the sense that she bosses the other dogs around and barks at me if I don’t feed her in time or if she’s been in the yard too long and wants to come inside. It’s a very bossy bark. She is high-maintenance not in personality, but because of all of her ailments- skin, eyes, digestion, now this bladder thing.

This is very strange. We have an aloof dog who is nonetheless very bossy and scolding!  I’m trying to think what remedy type this could be! And if people she knows come over, she doesn’t get up to greet them which most dogs definitely do….   

Remember the Siamese cats in that Disney movie, what was it? “Lady and the Tramp”?

lewis-quiz-sep13-image005

Is she like, “I’m too royal to talk to you”?

Regarding the Siamese cats, the Pekingese breed, which “June” is, was bred to be the companion of Chinese royalty.  Hence, I usually tell people that “June” was meant to sit on a velvet pillow and be waited on all day. That’s why she’s so aloof and lazy – she’s ancient royalty!

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“June” is indifferent about attention.

She doesn’t really need to be petted or rubbed or held. If you do those things to her, she doesn’t mind them, but she doesn’t seek them out. She is bossy about food. She guards her food bowl and growls at the other dogs. She barks bossily at me if she gets hungry.

In the past, I have introduced “June” to two other new dogs who have joined our pack. She growled and snarled at them for the first week, establishing herself as the higher pack member, then she was fine. Once she established herself, she was then indifferent toward the new dogs.

She’s a little different with me. She likes to be near me, but not in a needy way- and she doesn’t have separation anxiety. If I go upstairs, she follows me and crawls under the bed that I am lounging on. If I take a bath, she’ll lay on the bathroom floor. She does greet me if I have been away for more than an hour. But I’ve worked for this affection! I have been buttering her up with love and kisses since I met her.

As you were talking, I was thinking of _______________________.  I looked it up and I found this:

“KIDNEYS:  Slow but frequent emission of urine. Red urine with a white cloud or else which becomes turbid and deposits a red sediment.

You gotta try it!

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Elaine, I’ve had two full days now to observe “June” after giving her ___________30C and I wanted to share a few things with you.  First of all, recall that I gave her the first dose 2 days before surgery and even then I was seeing some signs of improvement but I went ahead with the surgery anyway, especially since you said we could pick up with the remedy again after the surgery recovery was complete.

I noticed right away that she was more alert and energetic. When I call her now, her little eyes get big and she runs to me — much faster running than before. I first thought this was because she was 25 bladder stones lighter, which I am sure has something to do with it, but then I also noticed:

She hasn’t had any diarrhea, even though she’s been off her digestive enzymes and homemade-food-diet for a week. She isn’t itching, even though she’s been off her allergy supplement and herbal ointment for a week.

Her eyes are not red and filled with green pus, even though she hasn’t had her eye ointment in a week. I am pretty amazed. I wonder…this must be the remedy!

Yay!!! I’m on a roll with the canine set!

Yes, you really are!  She’s doing great!

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So listen everybody, what’s the remedy?  Write to me at [email protected] and let me know.  The answer will be in next month’s ezine.  

Did I mention that “Lady and the Tramp” is my favorite movie?

Are you still here?  No, I did not know that.  Say goodnight, Shana!

Goodnight, Shana!

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Votes:

Lycopodium-3

Kali iodatum

Platina-5

Nat-mur.

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How did we do this time?  A lot of people got the right answer!  Who’s here first?

Hi Elaine,

Hey everybody, Vamsi’s in the house!!!!

Yup, another quiz and seems a tough one though…

Actually quizzes which involve animals are a tough try….

Animals and babies, they always give me anxiety!

But i am excited to try it out.

Read through the whole quiz and your most striking statement at the end..

“KIDNEYS: Slow but frequent emission of urine. Red urine with a white cloud or else which becomes turbid and deposits a red sediment.“
Urinary symptoms and red sand….. ..is it “LYCOPODIUM”?

In fact as stated by James Tyler Kent…..

“It is slow to flow, and flows in a feeble stream. The urine is often muddy with brick dust, or red sand deposits, or on stirring it up it looks like the sediment of fermenting cider.

[Taciturnity, desires to be alone.

The taciturnity is because the patient does not want to talk, wants to keep silent, yet, as I have said already, very glad to feel there is somebody else in the house and that she is not alone. She is perfectly willing to remain in a little room by herself, so that she is practically alone, yet not in solitude. If there were two adjacent rooms in the house you would commonly find the Lycopodium patient goes into one and stays there, but very glad to have somebody in the other. ]”

I feel June is so much happier in solitude, and the urinary symptoms also go with Lycopodium…

Elaine, Please let me know. ..Awaiting for your wonderful educative mail as usual.

Ahem! Well, since you ask…….. As you might recall, I had an idea of what the dog’s constitution was, so I looked it up, and under the “kidneys” section of that remedy I found “red urine”.  I thought, “What a great confirmation!”  But I did not look up red urine in the repertory as my starting point!  I went by what the “mother” was telling me about her dog’s behavior.  In fact, the “mom” actually made it sooooo easy for me, I am really embarrassed to take credit for this victory!  She even volunteered that her husband referred to the dog as a “dumb blonde”!  What can I say?  He practically handed the remedy to me on a silver platter!  Then she said this kind of dog was bred to be at the side of royalty!  OMG!  So, we have a dog who thinks she’s better than everyone else!  Lycopodium has low self-esteem, the very opposite of what this dog has!  Lycopodium is deferential to people of a higher status, not this dog! This dog is bossy to everyone!  So, I have to tell you; immediately, this famous actress from the ’50’s and ’60’s came to mind.  Do you know who this Platinum Blonde is?

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None other than Zsa-Zsa Gabor!  Zsa-Zsa is very regal, very materialistic–and note the blonde hair!  This woman is the poster-child for homeopathy’s “I’m-better-than-you-are” remedy:  Platina!  Platina is homeopathic Platinum, which is supposed to be more valuable than gold itself!  If any remedy equates with royalty, this is it!

The idea of a dog not running to greet visitors and not playing with the other dogs in the house and yet not shy either; plus, being so very bossy, is so peculiar that the remedy simply has to cover this aspect!   So, I looked up Platina, saw “red urine” and said, “Wow!”  

 

Elaine,

Yeah, I do agree the dog was bossy, but I felt she had a low self-esteem and was a bit timid,

Heavens no!  The dog is not timid!

for she was not meeting even known people.

Because she didn’t care about them!  “They should come greet ME!” is her attitude!

I felt this was due to her less self confidence in herself.

No, no, she just doesn’t care!  Why greet people when you’re better than they are?

If June was a bossy dog and if she was not interacting with others, due to her over-estimation of herself, then Platina would surely go for this.

Exactly!

I misunderstood her to be less confident. Sometimes people do get bossy due to less self confidence in themselves. Dont you think so ?????

Lycopodium, which lacks self-confidence, is bossy to underlings but deferential to peers and superiors.

But I have a query here, what about the physical symptoms, red sand in urine ???

“June” didn’t have red sand, she had red urine, presumably from blood.

Sometimes, I really get confused. What are the instances where we need to look at mental symptoms?

When they’re striking, peculiar, and clearer, more characteristic, than the local complaint.

And what are instances we need to look at physical symptoms?

When you see a clear remedy picture, like Rhus tox’s stiffness, better heat, better motion; Bryonia’s sharp pain, worse least motion; Apis’ insect bite with round swelling, stinging pain, worse heat, better cold; Phosphorus’ ailments from electricity or electric shock; Sulphur’s itching, worse bathing, worse heat, worse heat of the bed; Pulsatilla’s thirstlessness with fever, worse heat, warm bathing, warm rooms, better fresh air, better sympathy, cold applications and better consolation…. I could go on but hopefully you get the idea?

Here I was looking mainly at the physical symptom and her introverted nature.

But you can’t get a case from the physical symptoms!  There’s nothing peculiar or identifying there.  But, I’ve never seen a clearer constitutional picture in my life; or maybe the mom deserves all the credit for giving the right information.  And the dog’s not introverted, she’s aloof.  Go to Murphy’s Repertory and look up “Mind: aloof”.  There are only 7 remedies and Platina and Sepia are the main ones!

 

Elaine,

Oh!! yes…you are right. I read the case again and I see I misunderstood June.

I need to admit this ….you are a “Walking Homeo Encyclopedia” ….

Well, that accounts for all the extra weight I’m carrying!

Loved your explanation to the core.

Thanks!

Thanks a ton,

Vamsi.

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Hi Elaine!
Hope you are fine,

Maryam, where have you been?

The answer is Lycopodium, and I am sure I am right!  Her attitude is totally Lycopodium like she is “miss bossy”.

Yes, but here’s the thing, Maryam, Lycopodiums are very bossy–but never to their superiors!  You see, they are cowards; so, to underlings they are bossy; but a Lycopodium would never “bark” at the Lady of the House, maybe at the other dogs; but, to “bark” to her “owner”:  “Where’s my dinner?!  I want my dinner now!”  That would not be Lycopodium.  I see Lycopodium as acting extra-sweet to the owner, to curry favor, convincing her that Miss Lycopodium is a real sweetheart, while all the other animals in the house are terrified of her!  Kind of like that awful cat Lucifer in “Cinderella”!

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And the remaining symptoms also call for it, especially the main complaint ie., red sand in urine as you diagnosed.

Well, I did say the urine was red; but, not necessarily from red sand. It was presumed that there was blood in the urine due to bladder stones.

She marks her territory, barks at new dogs, it means she doesn’t want any dog to lead her. And the interesting one is, she wants her master near to her but don’t show any affection as Lycopodium wants someone in the next room. Right?

Because they’re scared of being alone!  But Lycopodium doesn’t want to actually talk with that person because they’re so self-conscious!  Lycopodium’s unspoken fear is, “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t like me. I’m a big Nobody!  I put on a good act, but someone’s bound to see through it one of these days!”  They work very hard to achieve status and position so that their awards and degrees speak for them so they don’t have to!  They have a terrible fear of public speaking!  So, the idea is, you have to be nice to them and respect them because they are so “important”!  They never let anyone too close or keep relationships going too long because they’re afraid they’ll be found out for being “Nobody”.

OK, thanks!

Maryam from Pakistan.

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Is the caller there?

Hi Elaine,

I know this remedy well!
I was given it once as an experiment and proved it for 10 days.

(that was ONE DROP of the LM19)

Yikes!

It was very funny, watching myself feeling all haughty, jokes that I would have usually enjoyed a lot, made me just think how ‘vulgar’ the jokers were.

I know just how that little dog feels: Real BIG!

That’s why she can bark at all the other dogs.

Heck, she’s even bigger than her owner…

Yes, she certainly is, to have her tell it!

And yes, I checked, the urinary symptoms are there too.

She’s just a little Platina queen, that one.

You are correct, madam! (You’re not still proving Platina, are you?  Because maybe I shouldn’t get too close!)

I appreciate you calling me ‘madam’, but just plain “Your Highness” will do…

Okaaaaay!

Cheers,

Eva

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Dr. B, do we have a prize for Her Royal Highness Eva and our other winners: Veronique, Maria, Anurag and Dr. Javier Chiriboga?

Yes, Elaine, I’ve arranged for a private audience with the Queen!

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No way!!  This really is a high-class show! 

See you back here again next time for another resplendent Hpathy.com Quiz !

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Elaine Lewis, D.Hom., C.Hom.

Elaine takes online cases!  Write to her at [email protected], visit her website:

elaineLewis.hpathy.com

About the author

Elaine Lewis

Elaine Lewis, D.Hom., C.Hom.
Elaine is a passionate homeopath, helping people offline as well as online. Contact her at [email protected]
Elaine is a graduate of Robin Murphy's Hahnemann Academy of North America and author of many articles on homeopathy including her monthly feature in the Hpathy ezine, "The Quiz". Visit her website at:
https://elainelewis.hpathy.com/ and TheSilhouettes.org

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