Veterinary Homeopathy

Ask The Holistic Vet – August 2022

Written by Deva Khalsa

Holistic/ Homeopathic veterinarian Dr. Deva Khalsa answers readers’ questions each month. This month she discusses mange, heart murmur, injured tendons and much more. Send questions by the 7th of the month to: [email protected]

Hi Dr. Khalsa,

My cat had constipation for a couple years and what finally worked is Ascorbic Acid and Choline.  I give 75mg of each twice a day.  The mix is bitter so I have to disguise it in junk food or whipped cream.  I’d like to try buffered C (Calcium and Magnesium ascorbate) which wouldn’t be bitter, but would those mineral forms of vitamin C be a problem?  Also, are teaspoon quantities of whipped cream bad for cats?
Thank you
Gerry

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Hi Gerry,
Buffered vitamin C and Magnesium absorbate are fine to give and whipped cream is also fine.  I commend you on how innovative you have been.  I have to try whipped crème for some of my feline patients!


Hello Dr. Khalsa,

My dog has mange and I don’t want to let the vet use harmful chemicals. Is there a safer way to treat this? He’s a 6-year-old otherwise healthy mutt.
Thank you
Frank

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Hi Frank,
There are different types of mange. Demodex, which looks like a cigar is common in young puppies during the time in which their immune systems are depressed in a certain stage of development- usually before they are a year of age.  Demodex in an older dog means that they have sub-functioning immune systems.

Scabies, also called Sarcoptic Mange, is spread dog to dog or foxes can leave it on grasses and it is epidemic in certain areas- causing intense itching.  I use ivermectin in these cases as it is a safe, effective and.. actually.. a healthy drug to use orally at once a week for 4-5 weeks. If they itch more after the first dose it is because the mites, which live deep in the skin, are freaking out and running around under the skin!

Here is an article I wrote on scabies: http://www.doctordeva.com/wp-content/uploads/scabies-the-allergy-impersonator.pdf


Hello Dr. Khalsa,

My dog Zoe is a mixed breed, small like a chihuahua and weighs around 20 pounds. Last year she was diagnosed with a heart murmur and polycythemia. She is on enalapril 5 mg and furosemide 20mg and takes a 1/2 of a pill 2x’s a day of each of them. They gave her hydroxyurea 1 500mg capsule 1x a day. When we went in for a checkup, the meds were not working so they changed the dosage to: day 1 take 2 capsules, day 2 take 1 capsule, day 3 take 2 capsules.

She is doing OK but she has to rest a lot to catch her breath and she pants all the time. There are some days that her tongue is very purple, which I know is because of the lack of oxygen going through the blood. My question is, is there something that she can take holistically that can help her?
Thank you
Bobbi Kohley     [email protected]

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Hi Bobbi,
I use Stem Cell Activating Products to give new life to heart tissue. These are made by a specific company and need a script from a doctor and then they are drop shipped to the patient.  They work like a total miracle and typically create a healthier, more stable heart that lasts for much longer than anyone would expect. The fact that she is on a diuretic means that fluid is pooling in her lungs and this is defined as Congestive Heart Failure.

Let me explain how heart failure works, particularly in smaller dogs with bad teeth. The bad teeth deposit bacteria in the bloodstream which is then cleared up by the immune system. The valves in the heart are like, if you would imagine, wet toilet paper. So, when the bacteria land on the valves and they are cleaned up by the immune system – the cells that live in the bloodstream – the valves scar a bit and contract as happens with scarring – and then they don’t close correctly.

Because they don’t close correctly there is a backflush of blood. All of the blood doesn’t go forward as it should… some of it goes backwards. This actually lowers the blood blood pressure of the blood going through the body and the kidneys have pressure receptors which note that this is going on.

The Kidneys respond by retaining fluid and this fluid increases the volume of the blood, creating the apparency of normalized pressure by stretching out  the heart further so there’s an extra rebound and it appears that the blood pressure normalizes.

As the heart failure goes on, the kidneys retain more and more water to increase the volume of the blood and the heart stretches more and more and with this, of course, the valves get further separated….. which was the original problem.

The kidneys don’t know about any of this and they keep retaining water and eventually it starts to pool somewhere in the body. With left sided heart failure it pools in the lungs.  The trick is to make the heart muscle so strong that it stops stretching and the muscles stay strong and the heart stops enlarging


Dear Dr. Khalsa,

One of our cats broke a lateral tendon of her back left leg. She had surgery on July, 11, and that tendon was replaced with something artificial. Everything went well, we used some remedies to help her recover, along with the treatment our vet recommended. Now we are concerned about her long-term recovery. The vet said she has thin tendons compared with her bones. She is not big though, only 3.5 kilos, at 1 year and two months of age. For now, the vet said she needs 3 months rest, but we are worried about after that.

Is there anything that could help her both with the recovery from this surgery and to prevent breaking another tendon?
Thank you!
Monica  Vladoiu  [email protected]

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Hi Monica,
Standard Process has a product called Ligaplex II and you can crush and mix one tablet in her food twice a day


Dear Dr. Khalsa,

Siri, my 2.5 year-old female indoor cat has some wounds on her left ear and right leg (the fur is missing there) for 2-3 months. After Calcarea Phosphorica 200 CH (her constitutional remedy I think) the ear wounds increased for a time, then returned to the initial form (attached photos). I also used neem oil, colloidal silver and other remedies with no effect.

Her blood results revealed Staphylococcus sciuri; Efex (Marbofloxacyn) 10 mg 1 per day and probiotic have been prescribed for ten days. Yesterday the treatment ended, but without improvement in the lesions (photo below).

Thank you,
Elena   [email protected]

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

I am not sure that this is not squamous cell carcinoma. There may have been bacteria in the culture but bacteria is common in the skin. You can start with Argentyn 23 Colloidal Silver gel 4x a day for 5 days and if it does not improve try Calendula Ointment (only ointment) several times a day and if this does not improve it purchase Cansemma Salve for dogs and cats at www.alphaomegalabs.com  (they give you free advice by email). Put a tiny bit on ONE spot and see if it reacts with the tissue. The product only reacts with cancerous tissue so if it destroys the cells, they are likely squamous cell carcinoma on the ear of a white cat.


Hi Dr. Khalsa,

My 10-year-old cat has been losing her teeth. She lost 2 incisors this past week. Also, she had her top Canines yesterday and now today she doesn’t. I took her to the vet and he said her mouth was completely perfect and at her age he wasn’t surprised she was losing teeth. Besides this she acts the same way she always has. But I can’t wrap my head around the fact that this is “normal”. Any thoughts?
Thank you
Grace

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Wow.. this is a puzzle.  The canines have a HUGE root that is three times the size of the tooth you visualize. To just loose one of these is very strange. In fact, usually it requires a deep infection for this to happen which has gone on for a long time and the cat will not eat and is in pain.  I apologize, but I have no good answer for this.


Dear Dr. Khalsa,

My sister just got blood work back for her 16-year-old cat and is being told that he has diabetes. Is there anything she can do before having to resort to insulin injections for the rest of his life? Can it be managed in any other way? Thanks!
Thank you
Anne Marie

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Dr. Ramaeker’s Professional Veterinary Immune, in my experience, takes about 3 months of adding it to the food to eliminate diabetes in cats. You can get it at Katies Pet Products and tell her I sent you.


Hi Dr. Khalsa,

I just found out that my puppy has round worms.  Should I give her fresh ground pumpkin seeds or grapefruit seed extract or…?
Thank you
Tracy

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Hi Tracy,
Give her Fenbendazole (healthy stuff- browse web to see how it is curing cancer in people) as Safe Guard, over the counter at 1 800 pet meds. Powder in food for three days according to weight. Buy it in packets.  The site will explain.


Dear Dr. Khalsa,

Dog dander! My 12-week cockapoo puppy is eating freeze dried raw for the last couple weeks but was previously on a kibble from the previous owner. Boy does she have dander and it is causing a little allergy flare up with my daughter. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Helena

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

She likely has Cheyletiellosis which is an uncommon but highly contagious skin parasite of dogs, cats, humans, and rabbits caused by Cheyletiella spp. mites. It is also referred to as ‘walking dandruff’ due to the appearance of the large, whitish mites as they crawl across skin and fur, and the excessive scaling that accompanies the infection. The most important clinical sign of Cheyletiellosis is scaling or dandruff.  It is treated by 3-4 medicated baths given once a week with Lime-Sulfur rinses which are commonly used in cats, kittens, puppies and rabbits.

Visit Dr. Khalsa at her website for information and consults:
http://www.doctordeva.com/

Editor’s note: Dr. Khalsa’s new book was just released:

The Allergic Pet –Holistic Solutions to End the Allergy Epidemic in Our Dogs and Cats

Dr. Khalsa shows how to strengthen the immune systems of dogs and cats without invasive techniques or pharmaceutical drugs.

https://www.amazon.com/Allergic-Pet-Holistic-Solutions-Epidemic/dp/1621871827

The second edition of Dr. Khalsa’s Natural Dog is now available. It’s an exceptional book with information not offered in any similar work. I recommend it highly!

About the author

Deva Khalsa

Dr. Deva Khalsa V.M.D. 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‘. Her practice includes homeopathy acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, nutrition, N.A.E.T, J.M.T. and other modalities. Her philosophy is to use whatever it takes to restore health. Dr. Khalsa’s practice is in New Zealand but she consults by internet and phone with pet owners from the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and the UK. http://www.doctordeva.com

1 Comment

  • Dear Doctor,
    My pet is 8 months old.He has developed a cherry eye since few days.He is vomiting in the morning.Otherwise He is active.

    Please guide me for his treatment

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