Each month Dr. Deva Khalsa V.M.D. answers questions on veterinary issues. Dr. Khalsa is a Fellow and Professor of the British Institute of Homeopathy. Send your questions to [email protected] by the 6th of the month to be included in that issue.
Dear Dr. Khalsa
Our 8 year old young terrier mix has a tear in her knee ligament. She and her brother were also born with luxating patella; her knees always appeared ‘wobbly’ even before her exercise-induced injury. She’s very ‘feisty’, courageous, curious, happy, independent, smart (understands every word we say), and emotionally balanced. Both dogs get a homemade supplemented diet, meaty bones, and clean water.What remedy might help with healing a torn ligament? What remedy might support knees with luxating patella?
Thank you,
Heidi Junger
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
I would start with Rutagrav 6x three times a day for two months and also give her Myristin for Dogs that you can get from www.deservingpets.com Myristin contains a product that helps regrow some of the tissues in the joint. Prolotherapy will also strengthen the ligaments and make them much stronger. Most ligament injuries result in 20% left of tensile strength and prolotherapy makes the ligaments good as new. You can check out the site www.getprolo.com and also the AHVMA site will have veterinarians who are certified in prolotherapy listed.
Dear Dr. Khalsa
Can you recommend some books to help those of us who do not have access to a holistic vet please? Our dog is a 4 year old neutered Patterdale x border terrier and presenting with low arousal threshold, overly vocal, especially concerning territory, nervous of loud noises, allergies and digestive issues (particularly over acidity). What would you recommend.
Thanks in advance
Best wishes
Alison Bunn
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
My two books Dr. Khalsa’s Natural Dog and The Allergic Pet sound just like what you need to get information about all holistic modalities (Dr. Khalsa’s Natural Dog) and allergies and digestive issues (The Allergic Pet). Causticum is a good remedy for territorial issues and barking and Arsenicum album is also a remedy to consider following the Causticum. I do not have enough data to definitively decide but the book by George Macleod on Homeopathy for Dogs would be a great help to you in this matter.
Hi Dr. Deva,
Our rescue dog who is just about 9 months old and about 60 pounds (German Shepherd/Lab they think) has been limping on his right front leg for 6 weeks. We aren’t aware of any injuries to the leg. He just started limping out of the blue one day. We have done x-rays in which they found nothing of concern. I have been giving him Ruta 200c and Rhus Tox 200c for many weeks and have also tried Arnica with no change or improvement whatsoever. I’ve just started giving him Causticum 30c as well but haven’t noticed any improvement with that either.Any ideas on what this could be, what our next steps should be, and a remedy protocol that you could recommend would be so greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
Jennifer Wuebben
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
Ruling out a congenital deformity, his young age indicated this might be PANO- panosteitis. Panosteitis refers to a short-lived (self-limiting) and painful condition characterized by limping and lameness. It is a condition that affects the long bones in the legs of young dogs, usually between the ages of 5 to 18 months. It can occur with any breed, but it is more common in medium- to large-sized dog breeds.The remedy Silicea in high potency – either 200c given three times a day for two weeks or1M given once a day for 5 days oftentimes handles the problem.
Hi Dr. Khalsa,
My wire-haired pointer gets itchy ears and shakes his head. I’ve tried all sorts of things. Thornit powder worked for a couple of years. Ear wash doesn’t work and I keep him out of the water now, which helps a bit but not enough. There is no discharge from the ears. They are dirty, but the vet was not concerned. The Thornit powder still has a small effect but no longer makes him totally ok. He still shakes his head on and off and scratches his ears some days which and has caused a tiny bit of a lump at the base of one ear, like a mild cauliflower ear! Like rugby players get!? I don’t think there are any ear mites but wondered if you could make a recommendation. recommend?
Thank you
Arran Fleur Middleton
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
The ears are not dirty as that is not dirt but a yeast called Malassezia that likes to grow where it is moist and dark. Henry Schein has a TRIS EDTA Ketaconizole ear flush that you can google and purchase and Zymox has an enzymatic ear medication that is all enzymes and all natural with the enzymes working to kill the yeast. As a dog’s ear canal is much longer than ours you have to persist with medicating for months to get the problem handled. I recommend using the Zymox ear product for one week of every month for 6 months even if the ears superficially look good, as the yeast lay deep in the ear canal and if ignored will grow and fill the ear with itself- and that is the black stuff you think is dirt.
Hello Dr. Khalsa,
I have a 6 year old neutered male Maine Coon, who for the past 2.5 weeks has repeatedly scratched himself very badly. Up until one month ago he was a healthy 20 lb fella. Then, he lost weight, down to 16 lbs, was losing fur, had that unhealthy fur look, and was ravenous.
He was admitted to Coral Spings FL Animal Hospital ICU overnight, for fluids, antibiotics and testing. His labs showed elevated pancreatic levels. He came home with two Rx antibiotics and an appetite stimulant. I home cooked chicken, and he recovered. After 2 weeks, he was put on Rx Creon with each meal as his Dr felt he needed digestive enzyme assistance. He’s only eating prescription veterinarian hypoallergenic food.
About 1.5 weeks after that I thought he had an allergic reaction to the Rx, as he scratched his face up very badly, like an allergic reaction. It was very puffy, so back to the hospital, where they advised stopping the Rx Creon until he healed and put a collar on him. The collar didn’t last 10 minutes and the anxiety it caused him was awful. So, we stopped that. He healed up okay, but then scratched himself open gain. That is now his pattern, to start healing and then scratch open the wounds. I have put socks on his back feet recently, which gave a few days of relief.
I stopped the Rx food for a week, and went back to cooking chicken. That didn’t seem to make any difference. His weight is up to 18.6 lbs. His fur looks healthy, his activity is great and he isn’t ravenous.
I am done with the hospital Rx’s.
We have 4 cats in our family. We have Cupid’s sister, a 4 year old main coon and a 14 year old domestic. All are only indoor.
I am so hoping you can help!
Here are pictures of my Cupid’s face:
Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy 2019!
Warm Regards,
Lisa
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
I’m concerned that he somehow got mites on his face and this has to be treated. Ivermectin is an off-label drug for cats but it is often used for mites. Revolution is a spot-on product that handles mites. ites can be hard to find on a cat, and the procedure is typically a skin scraping.. Additionally, Psorinum 200c is a great remedy for skin but it is not sold in Homeopathic Pharmacies in the States because of the FDA. I think you can get it on Amazon if you look. Another great remedy for cats who tear their face up is Calendula 30x given three times a day (this is not the tincture). Lastly, we have the remedies Mezerium… where the itching is focused on the face and perhaps, Bacillinum- a great remedy for cats with Ringworm. Here is a cut and paste from the web. Also, it might be a good idea to have a consult with me at some time as he has quite a few problems.“Diagnosis of Sarcoptic Mange can be difficult. Mites are usually found though a microscopic search of scraped skin samples, but this search may not succeed, because your cat may kill the mites by scratching. The itching will remain because of toxins left in the skin. More mites will appear later when new eggs under the skin hatch. A negative test is therefore not always a sure indication that mites or eggs are not present. In this event, your vet may begin what’s called a medication trial. This is a treatment course used after a suspicious negative test result, to see if treatment resolves the symptoms.”
Hello Dr. Khalsa,
We use homeopathy for everything in our family, including our animals. I have a 20-year old horse who is in excellent health except that has some skin issues and I don’t know the correct remedy to help this. I am hoping you can help because he has been on a steroid (Dexamethasone) for too many months now. I recently stopped the steroid and his skin issues are coming back slightly. Normally, the winter (in FL) is a bit better than it is in the summer for him.
Here are his symptoms:
flaky mane – looks like severe dandruff – The skin of the neck under the mane sometimes gets “bumpy” as if there are ridges all along the top line. He scratches this mane so much that he is scratching the hair off in one place. He gets hives – I am not sure if this is environmental or if it is something he is ingesting or is caused by bugs. It is likely NOT something he has eaten. Under his stomach he gets open sores that sometimes bleed and then get crusty. He seems very itchy overall and we will often see him scratching himself on the trees
My horse also has a cough which seems to be seasonal and only happens from time to time. The steroid seemed to help this, too. I have him on an herbal supplement for the cough which does seem to be helping. He has not been diagnosed with heaves.
He is very much a “people horse” and loves being with people and with other horses. He does not like to be left alone. He is sweet and affectionate except when he is eating. When he is eating, he wants his full attention on the food. He is piggish and will steal our other horse’s food.
He is obedient and willing and has no behavioral issues. He will tend to be stubborn and unmoving if he is really being naughty, which happens infrequently.
I would appreciate any help you can give us! Thank you so much.
Terri H.
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
Check if you are using a new bedding or if there is any mold around. This can cause allergies. I prefer my Allergy Elimination 4 Pets procedure for horses as it works great for allergies. Arsenicum album is the quintessential equine remedy. That said, his skin problems fit but his personality does not totally fit. I would still deem to try it giving Ars alb 30c three times a day for three weeks. It is a fantastic remedy for horses and the flakey skin and allergy symptoms fit well.
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Dear Dr. Khalsa,
I have a three year oldDaschund. She is very baby like, always wants to be stroked, sits on my knee, gets in bed with me. She barks a lot at people coming to the house or even new people entering the room. Her problem is that she pee’s a lot, and drinks a lot. She probably drinks four times as much as our larger Jack Russell. I have suspected diabetes. I am at home most days with her and at times can let her out every half hour to relieve herself. She pee’s in the house, I think sometimes out of need and sometimes out of laziness.
I have given her Pulsatilla and Silica without much if any improvement.
Thank you. I’d be grateful for any advice.
Sally Gouge
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
Your little girl needs a blood test. Although, at 3 years old, I do not suspect major problems we still have to rule out diabetes, kidney problems, Cushing’s and some other diseases. This has to be the first action taken as this is certainly not normal and we would not want to miss one of these problems.
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Greetings Dr. Khalsa,
My mother in law has a two year old West highland terrier that always suffers from severe itchy skin. If allowed to itch – the areas becomes red, sore looking dry rather than moist. She does not like it to be touched. The areas are bare of any hair. She is on a Dermotosis diet recommended by the vet. He thinks its endemic – (her sister does not have the same problem). She may be worse in the morning 7.45 ish. Weather /temp makes no difference but when on a walk she is not concerned by it at all. Never stops to scratch. She is a calm but playful dog, affectionate and possibly quite spoilt! She likes sitting on a cushion on the sofa! I wonder if you could suggest something we could try?
She seems perfectly sweet and happy and well apart from this complaint.
Thanks for your help!
Jane Barkes
Former CEO The Footprints Project
Registered Member of the Society of Homoeopathy
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
Westies commonly get the yeast malassezia and to top that off, 70% of Westies are allergic to the yeast. If the areas are under her arms and have an orange peel look it is likely the yeast. Two good remedies for Westies with allergy and yeast problems are Psorinum 1M and Arsenicum album 30c. The Psorinum can be given three times in one day followed by Ars alb 30c three or four times a day for 21 days to see if it helps. If not, arrange a consult with me.
Hello Dr Khalsa,
Is there a remedy for anal glands? My female dog has had them cleaned and the vet said she has to go back every three months. She is a mystery mix, about 55 lbs and approx. 7 yrs old.
Thank you
Dana Landry
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
- Get the glands expressed
- Make up warm Epson salts according to the package and soak the anal area 2x a day for 5 minutes on soaked cotton batting or an old cloth. Do this for two weeks and concurrently begin and continue (3)
- Give the homeopathic remedy Myristica 30x three times a day for two weeks and then twice a day for two more weeks and then once a day for 2 weeks.
Hello Dr. Khalsa,
My dog is a 12 year old Yorkie. He is sick a lot…with fevers. I always address them but he gets sick so often and doesn’t want to eat. He will go three days without eating which makes me feel so badly bc I know he is hurting. Also, one of his biggest problems is that he won’t sit on my lap…and he is a lap dog. He will sit on my daughter’s lap and he LOVES me, and will sit by me, or sleep by me, but when I try to hold him, he tries to get away…like he has claustrophobia or something. I know there is a remedy for this but I have no idea what it is. I have given him everything I can think of for it. It could be the remedy with the symptoms of something to do with authority…but I don’t believe the remedy is sulphur, which is the first one that comes to my mind. Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. He has been this way his whole life, except as a puppy, when I held him all the time…
I can explain. I can tell when he is sick bc he doesn’t eat and has very low energy. I always check his head to see if he is hot and I have treated him for many fevers with Belladonna, Gelsemium, Aconite, etc. acute remedies for fever. I feed him people food, only give him dog food as a side dish and it seems to help him with fiber. He has not been vaccinated as long as I have had him, with one exception when I took him on an airplane to CA one time and they required the rabies shot. But I believe I have cleared it out with Lyssin. I spoke to a vet over the phone for him and he prescribed Neodymium, but it didn’t do much. I really don’t see vets very much. They are expensive and I don’t do drugs at all for Jack. I know the problem with not sitting on my lap is not a medical problem, it would be more emotional or behavioral. He has some weird behavior that might be attached to it. When he goes potty, he goes back and forth, sometimes in circles, before he eventually does his thing. It takes him so long to go potty, it is disturbing for me. He also marks his territory way too much, I believe. Thank you
Susan Olsen
Hi Susan,
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
I highly recommend a consult with me www.doctordeva.combecause there are many nuances. Most of the remedies that you have used would not be ones that I would have started with. Belladonna is good for a fever but do you actually take a rectal temperature or are his ears warm? He may be having IBD and intestinal discomfort when he does not want to eat. Because of the GI thing I would start with Lycopodium 6c three times a day for a month. (likes to be in the same room but not on top of the person, excellent GI remedy) If this does not work I would go to Natrum mur 6c three times a day for two weeks and see what happens.
Dear Dr.Khalsa,
Two questions:
I make food at home for my son’s dog. It is chicken or beef and carrots, yams, peas, beans, rice, or oats and coconut oil or flax seed oil. Should I be adding extra bone meal or anything else to make it a balanced meal?
Also, I saw our dog scooting along the carpet. How can I tell if that is an anal gland problem? If so, what should I do about it?
Thank you
Ranjit Grewal
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
Your dog could have anal sac problems or tapeworms. You can have his anal glands emptied and they usually scoot for a few days after that but then it stops. If not, treat for tapeworms if he has had fleas as fleas carry tapeworms. I prefer coconut to flax seed oil as dogs do not digest flax as well. Powdered bone meal is not digested. I would eliminate the beans and add leafy greens for calcium.
Dear Dr. Khalsa,
Thomas is a cat aged 16. He has been very shy all his life, never called or cried, never felt like cuddling on my lap. He was most of the times a scared, wary cat when it came to strangers, but always happy to be petted by his human family and in fact always purred loudly.
In the last year his health has somewhat deteriorated and also his behaviour. He eats much more than before, and he drinks A LOT (which leads to the need of changing his litter extremely often). He usually prefers to drink directly from a glass or much better he wants to drink from the shower ( I have to let the water flow for a while and then he drinks and licks the shower tray).
I can see he is a bit deaf and his sight is not as good as it used to be, his nails grows a lot and messily and he has lost weight, but the main problem is that he cries very loudly all night, and now sleeping at night has become a major issue in our house.
He usually cries from 8 pm to 5 -6 am, very loud, insisting cry. Then a few more times up until 9.30 and then he goes to sleep.
I understand there must be some kidney problem, but I don’t want to take him to the vet as it’s such a stressful thing for him. Any suggestion would be very much appreciated (if the case requires so, I am willing to go for a private consultation)
Thanks in advance.
Caterina Bogataj
Dr. Deva Khalsa:
Hyperthyroid. Have her take a test for the thyroid. Have her take a T4 and free T4. They can give him simple mathmiazole and reduce the thyroid. Over- production of hormones. Then you can have a consult with me after she has the test, but she should get the test first and the basic thing to get is a full geriatric panel with the T4 and free T4.
Visit Dr. Khalsa at her website for information and consults:
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,
Available from:
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!
Nutrients for Cats and Dogs
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.
Learn more about nutrition for your pet:
https://hpathy.com/veterinary-homeopathy/deserving-pets-gives-scoop-supplements/
