Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (56 page)

Homeopathic
—
Belladonna
30C: When the condition has come on suddenly, is very painful and associated with a fever (temperature over 101.5 degrees F. or 38.6 degrees C.) Use Homeopathic Schedule 2 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Eupatorium perfoliatum
30C: Try this remedy if Belladonna (above) was not sufficient to resolve the problem or if your dog does not fit the picture described for Belladonna. Use Homeopathic Schedule 2 (
view
).

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Behavioral abnormalities can be complex and difficult to change, but often you can help considerably. Poor breeding practices, especially in purebred dogs, have fostered the development of many such disturbances, including viciousness, epilepsy, repetitive habits, and other signs of nervous system imbalances. It is also my impression that many behavior problems have their roots in one or more of the following: poor nutrition and associated toxicity, chronic encephalitis (brain inflammation) following vaccination, inadequate exercise, insufficient psychological stimulation and attention, and the influence of the owner’s personality patterns, expectations, or conditioning. For instance, family conflict, excessive attachment to a pet as an attempt to escape loneliness, or the desire to have an aggressive animal to feel safer from other people can all have a strong adverse influence on an animal’s personality.

T
REATMENT

In this brief discussion we’ll focus on general measures that can be very helpful and, in some cases, may be sufficient to treat the disturbance, provided that the contributing environmental factors are understood and eliminated. Start with nutrition.

Take your pet off commercial food, if you have not already done so. Any food that contains artificial preservatives, coloring agents, or other additives contains chemicals that can irritate the brain tissue and cause abnormal responses. Feed our fresh foods diet.

Provide a complete vitamin supplement that is especially rich in B complex. I would use a multi-vitamin tablet, with the major B vitamins at the 5-to 20-milligram level, for a trial period of at least two months.

Use supplements to help eliminate and counteract the effect of substances that may be irritating the brain cells. If you suspect a buildup of toxic material, give your pet the following: zinc (2 to 20 milligrams a day, depending
on the animal’s size); vitamin C (250 to 2,000 milligrams a day); lecithin (½ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of granules in the food daily); and bone meal (an extra ⅛ teaspoon to one teaspoon daily).

Algin (from seaweed) is also useful. It’s a natural substance that works to remove heavy metals such as lead (which can be a contributing factor) from the body. Use Nori seaweed. Depending on the animal’s size, use from ½-sheet to 1 full sheet of Nori per day, mixed with the food (chopped up) or, if liked, given straight as a treat.

The zinc and the vitamin C work as a team to eliminate toxic heavy metals, while lecithin protects the nerve cells against irritation. With the addition of bone meal, this group as a whole helps to detoxify the body and to protect the nerves.

Minimize exposure to toxic substances. Make sure your animal is protected from accidental poisoning by various household chemicals. Just as important, minimize its exposure to such pollutants as cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and anti-flea chemicals (which affect the nervous system).

In addition to these measures, one or more of the following treatments may be useful.

Homeopathic
—
Belladonna
30C: Indicated for a hyperactive, excitable animal, especially if there is a tendency to bite. They may be prone to spasms and convulsions or see things that “are not there,” like flies in the air or bugs crawling on the carpet (hallucinations). Use Homeopathic Schedule 5 (
view
). If this remedy is effective, then work with a homeopathic veterinarian for continued treatment with other medicines.

Herbal
—Common oat (
Avena sativa
): Oats are well suited as a general nerve tonic and are particularly useful where nerve weakness or irritability may have appeared after other stressful diseases. This herb is good for animals that have received a lot of drugs, are old, or have a tendency to epilepsy. It is also helpful for the animal with weak legs, muscle twitching, or a trembling associated with weakness. All of this, of course, will be in addition to any particular behavior problems exhibited (this applies to all of the herbs to be described).

Though feeding rolled oats as a cooked grain in the diet is helpful, a more potent preparation is the tincture. Use Herbal Schedule 1 (
view
).

Herbal
—Blue vervain (Verbena): Vervain is suited for animals that are depressed and have weak nervous systems. It’s also for those with irritated nerves and muscle spasms and is especially appropriate for those whose abnormal behavior is associated with epilepsy; in such cases it will strengthen the brain function. Use Herbal Schedule 1, (
view
).

Herbal
—Skullcap (
Scutellaria lateriflora
): This herb is useful for behavior disturbances that center around nervous fear. The animal may also show one or more of the following signs: intestinal gas, colic, diarrhea, muscle twitching, and restless sleep. Use Herbal Schedule 1 (
view
).

Herbal
—Valerian (
Valeriana officinalis
): Valerian
suits the animal that tends to get hysterical, associated with a hypersensitivity. The animal shows a changeable mental disposition and an irritable temperament. Like skullcap, valerian may be most successfully used for animals that have digestive disturbances like gas and diarrhea when the nerves supplying the abdominal organs are overactive and those that may also have a history of leg pains or joint inflammation.

Since valerian is one of those herbs that can cause a toxic reaction if given in large doses over a long period of time, I advise that you try Herbal Schedule 1 (
view
) for no more than a week. If you don’t see beneficial results by then, discontinue use and try one of the other suggested remedies, such as the oat tincture.

Herbal
—German chamomile (
Matricaria
): Animals that will benefit from this herb are noisy, whining, moaning, and complaining. They will let you know about their pains or discomforts. They are sensitive, irritable, and thirsty and may snap or try to bite. Such animals don’t like to be hot and are often mollified or quiet only when being carried or constantly petted. Use Herbal Schedule 1, (
view
).

Use the suggested schedule for the herb you have chosen for two to three weeks (except for valerian, which should not be used for more than a week). If you see an improvement in that time, even a slight one, continue the treatment as long as the improvement goes on, up to a maximum of six weeks. Then discontinue the regular use of the herb, but give a few more doses of it whenever symptoms return or worsen.

Also, the herb can be used preventively. Give it to your pet before an event you know will trigger the problem behavior, for example, before leaving him alone for long periods. In this way it can be used occasionally, as needed, over several weeks or months.

What if you don’t see a good response over the trial period? Then discontinue the selected herb and either try it again after a few weeks on a better diet or use one of the alternative herbs suggested.

I would like to suggest one additional alternative for those who are willing to go a little further. In my own work I find that the best herbal system for behavior problems with psychological roots is the use of the 38 flower preparations, known as flower remedies, discovered by Dr. Edward Bach. These were originally developed for human use by Dr. Bach in England in the 1930s. I have found them effective for animals. They are dilute extracts of selected flowers given orally over a long period (weeks to months), often with remarkable improvements (see chapter 14 for more information).

It is beyond the scope of this book to cover this extraordinary system in depth, but for those interested readers who want to explore the system or who are already acquainted with it, I want to call special attention to the following flower essences (but not to the exclusion of the others).

• Chicory: for the overly attached, possessive animal
  
• Holly: for the vicious, aggressive, suspicious, or jealous animal
  
• Impatiens: for the uptight, impatient, or irritable pet
  
• Mimulus: for the animal afraid of specific things, like the dog afraid of men or of thunder
  
• Rock rose: for use where attacks of terror or panic are part of the disturbance
  
• Star of Bethlehem: for use where physical or emotional shock seems to have initiated the imbalance
  
• Walnut: for the animal that is overly influenced by a strong personality (human or animal) or apparently under the influence of bad heredity
  

Select up to four (no more) of the best-suited essences. Add two drops from the stock bottle of each of these essences to a clean one-ounce dropper bottle. Then fill the bottle with spring (not distilled) water. Store it at room temperature. If the solution clouds up in a few days, make a fresh batch.

Regardless of the size of your animal, give two drops of this diluted medicine orally four times a day until the desired results are obtained. If you can, drop it directly in the mouth. If not, mix it with a little food or milk. There is no unfavorable side effect or possible toxicity with this system.

A final note: Behavior problems are complex, but that does not mean they cannot be solved. Sometimes other treatments are needed—for example, an antidote to rabies vaccine. That level of treatment can only be administered by a veterinarian trained in homeopathy. If the simple measures here are not sufficient, you are encouraged to pursue further homeopathic treatment with a trained homeopath. See my Web site, www.drpitcairn.com, for a list of qualified practitioners.

BIRTH

See “Pregnancy, Birth, and Care of Newborns.”

BLADDER PROBLEMS

Inflammation of your pet’s bladder lining and urethra or the formation of urinary mineral deposits and stones is not unusual, particularly for a cat (see “Allergies”). Symptoms show up as increased frequency of urination, the appearance of blood in the urine, and, in severe cases, extreme discomfort, with straining and partial or complete blockage of the bladder.

Though conventional veterinary treatment almost always includes antibiotics, research shows that bladder problems are not caused by bacteria. In my own practice I have not found it necessary to use antibiotics for this problem for over 25 years.

Another common but erroneous idea is that because gritty material accumulates in the bladder, ash (minerals) in the food is responsible for urinary tract trouble. Research shows that ash doesn’t cause the problem; rather, grit forms because the urine becomes too alkaline. Some commercial foods now add extra acid to make the urine more acid to prevent this. There are side effects from use of these acid formulations—leaching calcium from the bones is one unpleasant effect. What these formulas do is keep the urine acid, but do not cure or eliminate the underlying problem, which often results in kidney failure as cats get older.

It is clear to me that much of this problem originates in feeding pets poor-quality food, with a resulting toxicity and excessive elimination load on the linings of the urinary system. Almost invariably, the first attack follows a history of feeding dry commercial foods over a long period. Sometimes I say (as a way to make a point) that if you want to increase the chance of a bladder problem, feed dry food and leave it out all the time.

I’ve found that, once through the crisis, the condition is very responsive to diet changes and natural therapies, resulting in a stable cure rather than a temporary relief.

T
REATMENT

First, change your pet’s diet. If it mostly centers on commercial foods, the condition is almost sure to recur. Fasting is especially useful here, as it has been observed that continued eating aggravates and prolongs the problem. Therefore, during the acute phase of the condition (below), put the animal on a liquid fast, offering a broth. For cats, use a broth made from meat or fish. For dogs, use vegetables and meat. You may add a small amount of natural tamari soy sauce to season it and to supply easily digested amino acids. In addition, provide your pet with pure water (without chlorine or fluorine) at all times.

After improvement or recovery, adopt the natural diet as advised in chapters 3 and 4. Feed your cat only twice a day—morning and evening. Don’t leave the food out for more than 30 minutes. If she does not want to eat at these times, let a natural hunger develop until the next feeding time. This is very important. Frequent feeding alkalizes the urine, leading to formation of “sand” and “stones.” Cats, as carnivores, are meant to eat infrequently and fast in between.

For one month, also use these measures.

Give vitamin C, 250 milligrams twice daily. This will help maintain an acidic urine while you are making the diet changes, which makes mineral salts more soluble and counters the formation of crystals.

Increase the amount of vitamin E to minimize or prevent scarring of tissues that are healing. Add an extra 25 to 50 IU daily to your cat’s food.

Give vitamin A. Add four drops of cod-liver oil (to the food) once a day or 10,000 IU of vitamin A once a week.

Besides diet, here are some specific treatments. Let’s start with cats, who are more
prone to bladder trouble. There are three different phases of the problem.

C
ATS