Ask the Holistic Vet – Dr. Deva Khalsa  –  April 2024

Hello Dr.  Khalsa,

I have a collie bitch (Brandy) who has been scratching for several months and nothing really appears to help her.  I rescued her nearly six years ago and she is very timid because of past experiences but once she has decided that a person is friendly she is extremely submissive and rolls over for her tummy to be scratched.

I retired from farming at the end of May last year and Brandy found it very difficult to leave the farm and live like a ‘normal’ dog.  She probably started scratching her tummy around September but by November had also chewed her fur off her legs and her skin was turning grey and leathery, eventually extending to her tummy as well.

There is a spot on her front leg that looks rather like a bite or a boil (approx two cms diameter), but does not emit blood or pus – the scab-like surface is red. It obviously causes discomfort when squeezed, but it doesn’t burst. This bump has been there for some time and I am wondering now, whether it is a bite and the poison has spread around her bloodstream as everywhere she scratches (except for her tummy) has small, scab-like bumps (approx 1cm) not close together, but the scab seems to be well attached to her skin.

The vet assured me that it isn’t mange or fleas.  I have been using hypericum and calendula cream to try to stop her itching but it is not very successful although I think it helps a bit.

I tried Bacillinum when I thought it was a fungal infection, but that didn’t help – I had also tried Sulphur and Psorinum when I thought it might be mange. A homoeopathic vet recommended Rhus Tox, which she thought had helped but I didn’t and then prescribed calc carb and pulsatilla because she really does tie in with the ‘pulsatilla’ type. The peculiar aspect of this, is that her legs are now growing hair but she is now chewing the top of her back legs, around to the flanks, so her tail and surrounding has lost hair – she still scratches her tummy an awful lot, but it looks as though the hair may be growing back elsewhere now. She is also bald and grey around her eyes. She has also been given Apis and Ledum.

I wonder if you have any idea what this could be and any remedy that could help my poor little dog?

Yours hopefully,

Kay Hamza

Dr. Deva Khalsa,

I immediately thought of her as a Pulsatilla constitution and she also appears to have responded to Pulsatilla. I would recommend Lycopodium 200c three times in one day. Then wait 4 days and treat her with Pulsatilla 200c once a day for 4 days then every other day for 20 days.

Dear Dr. Khalsa

I ended up with a foster dog unexpectedly on Wednesday evening. They called me and told me they were going to euthanize her that day and I couldn’t let that happen. The problem is, she has refused water almost entirely. I offered her Gatorade and she isn’t really into that either. She’s eating just fine and has plenty of energy, but no interest in water. Can anyone give me any recommendations on how to get her to drink?

Thank you

Shirley

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

You can add water to her food and make it as watery as possible. Also, goat kefir is very healthy if she likes it and you can try bone broth.

Hello Dr. Khalsa,

I’m looking for some counsel on how to remedy my golden retriever’s dirt eating behavior. It started about 2 weeks ago where she will literally eat chunks of dirt and get very defensive if we try to extract these from her mouth. She is currently on the Stella and Chewy’s raw dry food diet.

Thank you

Christoper

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Worm her with Fenbendazole (Panacur, Safe Guard) over the counter at 1-800 pet meds for 3 days in food. Then, 2 weeks later, worm her [only if she has had fleas in the past 3 years or more] with Droncit for the tapeworm that is spread by fleas.

Lastly, give her Cina Maritima 6x- three times a day for 10 days.

Greetings Dr. Khalsa,

One of my cats has started to urinate on my bed. He seems healthy, eating and drinking well, and sleeps with me typically laying on my belly. He’s friendly and affectionate and has been neutered. He’s a rescue who could be approximately 6 years old. Strictly indoors. Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Patricia

 Dr. Deva Khalsa:

Take him in to the vet and have him checked for a urinary tract infection and also checked for any crystals in his urine. Sometimes, as we humans can be clueless, our cats need to be very persuasive in telling us that something is wrong.  I have known some to stand in the bathtub and pee, staring at their owners as they sit on the toilet.

Dear Dr. Khalsa,

Our dog is an 11-year-old Doodle. He has round soft tumors on his side. The vet said it’s not a problem unless they didn’t move and were painful. Is there something we can do to get rid of them, instead of waiting for them to turn into something more serious?

Thank you

Cynthia

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

They sound like lipomas and they are made from fat. Lipomas are fat. Humans get them too. They do not turn into something more serious.

Hi Dr. Khalsa,

We have an 11-year-old Shih Tzu mix adopted from a rescue in 2016. Over the last year she’s had itchy skin on her belly, around her privates, her “armpits” front and rear and between her pads. These areas become coated with a yellowish film that smells yeasty. We’ve used several different shampoos, 2 oral tablets and 2 different injections, all vet prescribed and I’ve taken her off foods containing chicken. Nothing has helped our poor girl. Her vet is out of ideas and we’re at a loss. Any suggestions would be welcome!

Thank you

Doris

Dr. Deva Khalsa:

She has Malassezia yeast and likely has underlying allergies.

Please see this article about the yeast:  https://www.doctordeva.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Intense-Itch-Of-Malassezia-Deva.pdf

All these shampoos have ruined the microbiome on her skin. We all have a microbiome in our gut and additionally one on her skin.

The underlying problem is allergies, sensitivities and intolerances which cause itching and inflammation and allow the yeast to overgrow. Both have to be treated concurrently. Check out this site: www.allergyelimination4pets.com

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Kindest regards,

Dr. Deva Khalsa

215-944 3036

[email protected]

Visit Dr. Khalsa at her website for information and consults (including phone 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

also…. 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!