Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (75 page)

Homeopathic
—There are several homeopathic medicines that are helpful for acute gastritis (discussed above) that are also helpful for the chronic condition. Sometimes the acute episode is the beginning of an illness that will turn out to be long lasting, though, of course, you can’t know that at the beginning. Look over the remedies for acute gastritis, as any of them can be useful when the animal has the same indications as given there.

The main difference to understand is that with the chronic form of illness, the symptoms are often not as marked or as intense as in the acute stage, though the indications for the remedy are still there. For example,
Pulsatilla
is a frequently needed medicine. As
with the acute condition, you may notice that your pet has become more “clingy,” wanting attention. In addition, he may drink a lesser amount of water, but still some. None of these symptoms, however, will stand out as strongly as when they are seen in the acute form.

Consider, in particular, the remedies
Arsenicum album, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla
, and
Silicea
.

An additional remedy that was not mentioned before is:

Homeopathic
—
Natrum muriaticum
(sodium chloride) 30C: Useful for the cat that has excessive hunger, is thirsty, and has discomfort after eating. Also good for stomach problems associated with worms. Use Homeopathic Schedule 4 (
view
).

Gastric Dilation (Bloat)

This serious problem is seen mostly in the larger dog breeds (especially the Great Dane, St. Bernard, and Borzoi). Its cause is unknown, though veterinarians have found it to be linked with the feeding of commercial foods (especially large meals of concentrated dry forms of food). It occurs most often in dogs between the ages of 2 and 10 years, and most often at night.

The symptoms of the condition are that approximately two to six hours after eating, the stomach (upper abdominal area) gets enlarged with liquid and gas and sometimes feels like a tight drum. Most often, you will see excessive salivation, drooling, unsuccessful attempts to vomit, extreme restlessness and discomfort, desperate attempts to eat grass, and, eventually, weakness and collapse.

This is an emergency situation because the increased pressure on the walls of the stomach causes fluids to leak in from the blood, with consequent dehydration, shock, and possible death in a few hours. Another complication is that the stomach can rotate on itself—a condition called volvulus—and the twisting can completely block entry into or exit from the organ. Immediate surgery is required in this instance.

P
REVENTION

Feeding a natural, home-prepared diet seems to be the best way to avert such problems. Feed two or three small meals a day instead of a single one.

Especially avoid feeding dry food or concentrated foods that will absorb water after they are eaten. The dog will eat more than its capacity, and when the food becomes distended with water, the total weight of the food is greatly increased. This can prevent the stomach from its natural emptying and also increase the chance of the stomach twisting around and blocking the movement of food out of it.

Regular exercise, which strengthens the muscles and “massages” the stomach and bowels, is extremely helpful.

T
REATMENT

When gastric dilation first occurs, it is rather sudden and can be shocking. Sometimes
the only thing noticed is that the dog is restless and desperately eating grass. If you look closely, you may see that the animal’s belly is larger than normal, distended with gas.

Get to your veterinarian as soon as possible. If the condition is one of simple stomach dilation, it can be temporarily relieved at the hospital by passing a tube into the stomach. However, the condition tends to recur. Each time, the attack comes on sooner and with more severity. Eventually, the animal is put to sleep because of the apparent hopelessness of the situation and the high cost of repeated medical measures.

If there is also volvulus (twisting of the stomach), then surgery must be done to straighten out the twisted stomach and allow open passages in and out. The stomach wall is also “tacked down” by suturing it to the inside of the abdominal wall to prevent it from twisting in the future.

Even though you must see your veterinarian immediately, it is still appropriate for me to give you some treatment suggestions, because there will be times when you cannot get veterinary service immediately; further, the condition tends to recur, and you will become aware of the early signs. If you can intervene with treatment soon enough, it is possible to head off an attack. But it’s important to remember that these treatments should never be considered a substitute for veterinary attention, especially if they persist.

One of the easiest and most available herbal treatments is one discovered by one of my clients, Betty Lewis of Amherst, New Hampshire. She breeds Great Danes and has found that freshly made raw cabbage juice is an effective treatment at the beginning of bloat and has used it successfully many times.

Herbal
—Cabbage (
Brassica oleracea
): This plant is a member of the mustard family. Reduce fresh cabbage leaves to a liquid (with a juicer); do not add water. Give 1 to 2 ounces of this as a dose (to large breeds, less to smaller animals), repeating the treatment if symptoms return later.

Because of vomiting and the pressure closing off the opening to the stomach, I primarily use homeopathic preparations. The pellets or tablets will act especially quickly, even if not swallowed, if they are first crushed to a powder (between folded heavy paper) and placed on the tongue.

Of course, you will need to plan ahead and order these in advance since you will need them immediately.

Homeopathic
—
Pulsatilla
(windflower) 30C: This is the first remedy I use in these cases. It resolves the majority of them. Give a dose of 3 crushed pellets every 30 minutes for a total of 3 treatments.

Homeopathic
—
Belladonna
(deadly nightshade) 30C: This remedy is indicated when the problem has come on very suddenly, with severe and intense symptoms. There is agitation, desperate attempts to eat anything: grass, rags, even carpet. Pupils are dilated and the head may be hot. Give a dose of 3 crushed pellets every 30 minutes for a total of 3 treatments.

Homeopathic
—
Nux vomica
(poison nut) 30C: Best for the dog that becomes withdrawn, irritable, and chilly. This is the best treatment when the stomach has become twisted. Give a dose of 3 crushed pellets every 30 minutes for a total of 3 treatments.

Homeopathic
—
Carbo vegetabilis
(charcoal) 30C: Dogs needing this remedy will be greatly distended with gas and look very ill, with cold legs and ears and bluish color to the tongue and gums. It is suitable for the state of shock that accompanies this condition. Give a dose of 3 crushed pellets every 15 minutes for a total of 3 treatments.

If this treatment improves the general condition, one of the other remedies may be needed to complete the treatment. Wait a bit and see if recovery ensues. If not, then try one of those already discussed.

Dogs that have had this problem before, perhaps one serious episode from which they have not fully recovered, may benefit from homeopathic treatment to resolve this and prevent future attacks. What you will see in these dogs is a pattern of recurring indigestion and gas, with periodic swelling of the animal’s stomach, which causes breathing difficulty. This state of chronic ill health will produce progressive weakening, low energy, and a cold body. Use Homeopathic Schedule 4, (
view
), and, for this chronic condition, give the treatment at a time when there is no crisis.

Homeopathic
—
Hepar sulph
(calcium sulphide) 30C: Use Homeopathic Schedule 4 (
view
). This is another treatment to use between crises, with the idea of preventing further attacks. It is indicated for the dog that has a history of skin or ear eruptions with itching and discomfort. Sometimes this history is vague; the original skin problem may have been suppressed in the past and no longer be remembered. If this treatment is successful, the stomach will improve and the skin eruption will come back for a while. Further treatment may then be necessary to resolve this condition. (See “Skin Problems.”)

Homeopathic
—
Graphites
(carbon compound) 30C: Dogs needing this will have also have had skin and ear problems in the past. Typically the eruptions tend to be worse at the base of the tail. They will be overweight, tend to be chilly (and like warmth), and be constipated. Use Homeopathic Schedule 4 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Silicea
(silicon dioxide, quartz) 30C: Stomach problems are recurrent as indigestion or discomfort after eating. This can lead to frequent vomiting of food and nausea. These dogs often have accompanying rear leg trouble—stiffness, weakness, pain—that will be diagnosed as hip dysplasia, spondylitis, spondylosis, or degenerative myelopathy (all different manifestations of the same disorder). Use Homeopathic Schedule 4 (
view
).

Note:
If you achieve favorable results with one of these treatments, bear in mind that using drugs like tranquilizers, antibiotics, stimulants, or depressants immediately after a positive homeopathic response will very likely cancel out the favorable response and
lead to a return of the original condition. For this reason, minimize or eliminate such treatment if the homeopathic remedies are doing the job.

STONES

See “Bladder Problems.”

TEETH

See “Dental Problems.”

THYROID DISORDERS

The thyroid is an extremely important gland that regulates the use of food, body weight, body temperature, heart rate, hair growth, one’s activity level (low thyroid individuals tend to be sluggish), and other more subtle functions. The thyroid is an
endocrine
gland, one of the members of body-regulating glands that include the pituitary (linked directly to the brain, the “master gland” which regulates the other glands, controls total body size, milk production after birth, skin color, and several other functions), the pancreas (certain cells involved in insulin production), the adrenals (see “Addison’s Disease” and “Cushing’s Disease”), the parathyroid glands (regulating calcium), and the reproductive glands (testicles and ovaries). The endocrine glands are what control most of the functions of the body. When they have problems it almost always has to do with either overaction or underaction.

Hypothyroid

Hypothyroid
(under-function) conditions affect dogs (not cats, except very rarely) and are actually quite commonly diagnosed. In the majority of dogs this disorder is part of an immune problem. In the same way that there will be allergies affecting the skin, the thyroid will be underactive because the immune system is affecting it, blocking normal function. In fact, these animals with immune problems will have several areas of the body affected at the same time—skin, thyroid, and bowels being the most frequent.

Reduced thyroid function can also happen (rarely) due to inadequate iodine, but more commonly from use of certain drugs. For example, a common treatment of skin allergies is to use corticosteroids (antiinflammatory drugs), and these will interfere with thyroid hormone production. So, the young dog may start out with a skin problem but because of drug treatment for it, develops thyroid dysfunction secondarily. Phenobarbital, used to control epilepsy in dogs, also will block thyroid hormone production.

The signs of this problem are variable and often mimic the symptoms of other diseases. Most often one will see lethargy, mental dullness, slow heart rate, weight gain leading to obesity, recurrent infections, and intolerance of cold (seeking out warm places or the sun).

Changes in the skin are usually what alert people that something is wrong. There is a dry, dull hair coat and the hair comes out
very easily. The outer coat comes off leaving a very thick wooly undercoat (from failure of the hair to be replaced properly so it sort of “piles up”). There may be patches of hair loss (equally on both sides, which distinguishes it from scratching hair out from itchy spots, which tend not to be symmetrical), the skin will be dry yet the hair greasy feeling that leaves a “doggy smell” on your fingers. As with Cushing’s Disease (an adrenal gland dysfunction,) the skin can become darker than normal and be prone to infections and subsequent itchiness.

The conventional, allopathic, treatment is giving an artificial hormone every day for the life of the dog. The disadvantage of this is that the underlying cause (the immune-mediated disease or the drugs being used) is not addressed. As an additional side-effect, the artificial thyroid hormone causes the thyroid gland to shrink and produce even less natural hormone than before. If this is done long enough, the poor glands will never work again.

My cases have done very well with homeopathic and nutritional therapy, and I always advise trying alternative treatments before considering complicating the problem with a replacement hormone. If the dog is young enough and has not been on hormone treatment very long, he can be brought back to normal thyroid function and have his health restored. The dogs already on hormones for long periods may not be completely curable (because of the drug effect), but usually their health can be significantly improved and the hormone dosage considerably lowered.

P
REVENTION

In my practice I see dogs with this problem after some suppressive treatment for other conditions. A common instance is use of corticosteroids for skin allergies. It really means a worsening of chronic disease—the same disease that was there before but now developing more internally. The only effective prevention I know is at the first sign of chronic illness (including allergies) in a young dog, seriously improve nutrition and seek alternative (drugless) treatment at that time.