Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (59 page)

T
REATMENT

Feed a natural diet that includes fresh vegetables for adequate bulk. Raw meat seems to be a natural laxative for dogs and cats. Milk sometimes is the same for cats.

If the animal’s stools seem dry, add ½ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of bran to each meal (depending on the animal’s weight). It will help the stools retain additional moisture. A similar treatment is to use ¼ teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of powdered psyllium seed, which is available in health food stores.

Use mineral oil temporarily where there is a large buildup of hard stools. Depending on the animal’s size, add ½ teaspoon to 2 teaspoons to the food once a day, until a bowel movement occurs, but for no more than a week. Continued use is inadvisable because the oil will draw reserves of vitamin A from the animal’s body and may also create a dependency on its use for normal evacuation. We could use a vegetable oil like olive, for example, but mineral oil has the advantage of remaining undigested as it passes through, while the vegetable oil is usually absorbed into the body and never makes it to the rectum.

Give the animal plenty of opportunity to relieve itself. Make sure your cat has a clean, accessible litter box and let your dog out several times a day.

Make sure the animal gets plenty of exercise. This is very important for massaging the internal organs and increasing blood flow throughout the body, often stimulating a sluggish metabolism. Long walks or runs or a game of fetch are excellent. For a cat, try games involving pouncing, such as “thing-on-a-string.”

D
OGS

Chronic Cases

If your dog has chronic constipation, try one of these remedies in addition to the advice just given. Pick the one that most closely matches your pet’s situation.

Homeopathic
—
Nux vomica
(poison nut) 6C: This is an effective treatment for constipation caused by poor-quality food in the diet, eating too many bones, or emotional upset (frustration, grief, scolding). It is best suited to a dog that has repeated but ineffectual straining and may show irritability, pain, and a tendency to hide or be alone. Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Silicea
(silicon dioxide, quartz) 6C: Silicea is best for the constipated animal that seems to have a weak rectum. With this weakness, the stool, though partly expelled, slips back in again. It’s also good for a dog that has trouble getting the whole bowel movement out and for the poorly nourished animal. Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Natrum muriaticum
(salt) 6C: Useful when constipation is a continuing problem but there is no desire to have a bowel movement (or little concern about it). Use Homeopathic Schedule 6(a).

Where the rectum is weak, you should also consider the possibility of aluminum poisoning. Signs include chronic constipation with straining, and stools that are sticky and messy rather than hard. Even though the stool is soft, weak rectal muscles make passage difficult. Consider the possibility of aluminum poisoning in all recurrent cases, even though the symptoms may be different from those given.

If you suspect this problem, stop using aluminum cooking pots or dishes for your animal’s food. Avoid pet food sold in aluminum cans. Also, do not feed processed cheeses (which may contain sodium aluminum phosphate as an emulsifier), table salt (which often contains sodium silicoaluminate or aluminum calcium silicate to prevent caking), white flour (which may be bleached with an aluminum compound, potassium alum) and tap water (aluminum sulfate may be used as a precipitant to remove water impurities).

To help remove the aluminum from the body, use high levels of vitamin C (500 milligrams to 3 grams daily) along with a zinc supplement (5 milligrams for cats and small dogs, 10 milligrams for medium dogs and 20 milligrams for large dogs—you will likely have to cut down a tablet to smaller size to have the correct dose). A chelated form of zinc is best.

Please understand that not all animals are adversely affected by aluminum; however, there are some individuals that are very sensitive to it.

C
ATS

Chronic Cases

For the cat with chronic constipation, use the basic treatment described above. In addition,
choose the one remedy below that best suits your cat’s condition.

Homeopathic
—
Nux vomica
(poison nut) 6C: Use for the cat that strains ineffectually or passes only small amounts without relief. It may act irritable, withdraw to be alone in another room, or avoid your touch. Constipation may follow emotional upset, stress or too much rich food. There may be a history of nausea and vomiting. Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Calcarea carbonica
30C: This is indicated for the most severe and persistent forms of constipation in cats. When the case is this severe, it is often called obstipation. Some cats never empty their bowels adequately, going two or three days between inadequate bowel movements. Use Schedule 4 (
view
).
Do not repeat the medicine
.

Herbal
—Common garlic (
Allium sativum
): For the cat with a big appetite that likes a lot of meat and tends to constipation, add ½ to 1 clove of freshly grated raw garlic to the daily food. Many animals like the taste.

Herbal
—Olive oil (
Olea europaea
): This oil serves as a tonic for the intestinal tract and stimulates the flow of liver bile and the contraction of intestinal muscles. Any excess oil will also lubricate the fecal mass and soothe the mucous membrane linings of the intestine and rectum. Give ½ to 1 teaspoon twice daily, mixed with food, until the movements are regular. (You also can give it once a week as a tonic or to prevent hair balls.)

Note:
Also consider the possibility of aluminum sensitivity, as described for dogs.

CORNEAL ULCERS

See “Eye Problems.”

CUSHING’S DISEASE

This disorder is a dysfunction of the adrenal glands, much like Addison’s Disease. With Addison’s, the adrenal glands are not producing enough hormone; with Cushing’s the opposite is true—the glands are over-producing corticosteroids (principally hydrocortisone). Of course what we want is “just enough and not too much,” so this over-production can be a real problem.

Why does this happen? It’s not really understood very well, but we do know that many of the dogs and cats develop Cushing’s because the pituitary gland (a hormonal “master gland” in the brain) is pushing the adrenal glands to do so. This accounts for about 85 to 90 percent of cases. The situation is further complicated because the pituitary gland is influenced, in turn, by the brain, and it’s entirely possible that the whole cascade of problems occurs because of psychological or physical stress—at least as contributing factors. Chances are that if your pet has this diagnosis, it is a dysfunction of the pituitary (and thus adrenal) gland that is the problem.

The remaining 10–15 percent have tumors
in the adrenal glands themselves, which causes the excessive production (the pituitary gland not involved). These tumors are often benign (not malignant), though not always.

What happens as a result of this condition? The usual and most common symptoms are excessive drinking and urinating (that precede the condition by weeks or months); enlargement of the abdomen due to weakness of the muscles, production of excessive abdominal fat, and enlargement of the liver; loss of body hair (on both sides equally), which comes out very easily. This latter is associated with developing thinness of the skin and a color change to dark brown or black (most often on the undersides). Though these symptoms are common, there are many other changes that can occur—changes in reproductive cycles, symptoms of diabetes, excessive weight gain (obesity), and so on. It is a very complicated condition and mimics many other disorders, so it takes considerable skill to determine that this is the problem.

A further complication is that Cushing’s Disease may occur along with other chronic problems, almost as if it’s a further deterioration of health in a pattern of decline. For example, your dog may have had years of skin allergies, arthritis due to hip dysplasia or cruciate ligament breakdown (knee joint deterioration), and now Cushing’s Disease pops up. It seems to me that it is a fundamental breakdown in the body’s ability to regulate inflammation and repair of tissues (in which the adrenal glands are intimately involved).

Recognizing this problem and treatment of it requires the skill of a veterinarian. There are blood tests of various types that can be done—both for testing hormone levels and for testing the functions of the adrenal glands. I have treated many of these cases over the years and, though surgery or drugs are the conventional approach, I still prefer to use homeopathy and nutrition as my first tools in resolving it. Because there can be multiple problems, how to treat this is very individual. I suggest you work with a homeopathically trained veterinarian who can set up a treatment schedule to address all the problems your animal has. As you might anticipate, excellent nutrition and reduction of stress are necessary adjuncts.

CYSTITIS

See “Bladder Problems.”

DEMODECTIC MANGE

See “Skin Parasites.”

DENTAL PROBLEMS

The mouth and its associated structures are especially important to animals, not only for eating but also for grooming and manipulating things. This part of the body contains many nerves and is served by a plentiful blood supply, making dental problems more
serious than you might expect. Mouth pain can keep an animal from eating enough or grooming properly.

Four problems are most common: accidents that damage the teeth or gums, congenital or developmental disorders, periodontitis (calculus on the teeth and associated gum disease), and tooth decay. Let’s look at each in turn.

Accidents

If a pet is hit by a car, it’s not unusual that teeth are broken off or knocked out. In most cases, after the initial inflammation has subsided, the animal feels no real discomfort. Generally, a broken tooth can be left in place (if still firmly attached), at least until a convenient occasion for removal occurs, such as another need for surgical anesthesia. Sometimes, however, the root will become abscessed and require removal.

As for injured gums, an excellent immediate treatment to stop bleeding and promote rapid healing is:

Herbal
—Calendula tincture (
Calendula officinalis
): Apply it directly to the bleeding gum with a saturated cotton swab, or dilute the tincture with 10 parts water and use it as a flushing mouthwash, applied with a syringe or turkey baster.

An excellent treatment for mouth pain from injuries is:

Homeopathic
—
Arnica
(Leopard’s Bane) 30C, using Schedule 2 (
view
). The next day, give
Hypericum
(St. John’s wort) 30C, also using Schedule 2.

Congenital or Developmental Disorders

Problems of this sort are so common in some breeds of dogs that they seem to be standard equipment. Cats, however, have very few congenital mouth problems, probably because they’ve been less modified by intentional breeding.

Some dogs, especially toy breeds, have teeth that are simply too crowded, often overlapping in position. Sometimes the jaw is too long or too short. Worst of all is the fate of breeds like the bulldog and Boston bull terrier, who have very short jaws with teeth that are crammed together, turned sideways, and completely out of position. They really have a mouthful of problems.

What can you do about it? I recommend extracting some of the permanent teeth as they develop, preferably while the dog is still young. Left untreated, the crowding and poor fit may lead to gum disease and loose teeth.

Some dogs have relatively straight, uncrowded teeth, but one jaw is longer or shorter than the other. As a result the teeth don’t meet properly, causing discomfort and premature breakdown of both teeth and gums. If the difference between the jaws is ¼ inch or less, removal of some of the deciduous (baby) teeth before the arrival of the permanent set may restore proper alignment. But if the difference is greater, little can be done preventively. The treatment with the greatest chance of restoring normal mouth anatomy is to give:

Homeopathic
—
Calcarea carbonica
30C, Schedule 5.

Other structural problems include supernumerary (extra) teeth, which should be removed to prevent accumulation of food and debris, and retained baby teeth, which force the permanent teeth to grow beside or in front of them (trapping debris and perhaps distorting the jaw formation). They, too, should be removed by a veterinarian.

Periodontal Disease

This is the most common tooth and gum problem. It results from a change in the normal saliva, which creates a buildup of calcium salts, food, hair, and bacteria on the animal’s teeth. These deposits put pressure on the gums, causing inflammation, swelling, pulling away, and receding gums. A pocket opens up between the gums and teeth, which collects still more debris and further worsens the problem. Eventually, the process can loosen the teeth and cause them to fall out. A serious complication is the development of an abscess, which destroys the root of the tooth.

Of course, periodontal disease doesn’t destroy teeth overnight. It may take months or years. If your pet has periodontal disease, it will show these symptoms: bleeding gums, foul breath, excessive salivation, painful chewing (dropping food while eating or turning its head to the side to chew only on one side), and possible loss of appetite or weight. You can see heavy brown deposits (calculus) on the teeth, particularly on the back ones. And the teeth may be loose.