Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (63 page)

Trapped Foxtails

Floppy ears are much likelier to trap foxtails and other plant stickers. The flap is like
a hinged trapdoor that directs the stickers right into the ear canal. Though you can do little to prevent stickers (other than cutting down your weeds and controlling where your animal runs), here is how to deal with them if they get trapped in your dog’s ears.

After the dog has an excursion in a field, immediately check the ears (and between the toes as well). If you see foxtails, pull them out. If you can’t see any but think there is one deep down in the ear, don’t try to remove it yourself. The ear can easily be damaged or the foxtail pushed right through the eardrum. Try pressing gently on the ear canal, which feels like a small plastic tube under the ear. If the dog cries out in pain, there is a good chance a foxtail is trapped inside.

If you can’t get immediate veterinary care, put some warm oil (almond or olive) into the ear to soften the sticker and make it less irritating. There’s also a slight chance that your dog can shake the foxtail out after this procedure, but don’t count on it. As soon as possible, take your dog to a veterinarian, who will remove the culprit with the proper instruments (sometimes under anesthesia). Otherwise, very severe damage can occur.

Ear Mites

These parasites are very common in cats, and when dogs get them it is usually from cats. If you have a cat with ear mites and your dog shows symptoms, there’s a good chance he has them too.

Though the mites are not possible to see with the naked eye, the discharge that forms in the ear is. It looks much like deposits of dried coffee grounds down in the ear canals. An affected cat will scratch like mad whenever you rub its ears.

A dog will shake its head and scratch its ears frequently. Usually, there is no bad smell or any discharge like that seen in cats, but the ear canal looks quite red and inflamed (different than in cats, who have less irritation) when your veterinarian peers in with an otoscope.

Generally, low vitality invites infestation, so an improved diet will indirectly aid in both prevention and recovery (see chapters 3 and 4). Garlic and brewer’s yeast are especially helpful.

A mixture of ½ ounce of almond or olive oil and 400 IU vitamin E (from a capsule) makes a mild healing treatment for either cats or dogs. Blend them in a dropper bottle and warm the mixture to body temperature by immersing it in hot water. Holding the ear flap up, put about ½ dropper-full in the ear. Massage the ear canal well so that you hear a fluid sound. After a minute of this, let the animal shake its head. Then gently clean out the opening (not deep into the ear) with cotton swabs to remove debris and excess oil. The oil mixture will smother many of the mites and start a healing process that will make the ear less hospitable for them. Apply the oil every other day for six days (three treatments in total). Between treatments, cap the mixture tightly and store at room temperature. After the last oil treatment, let the
ear rest for three more days. Meanwhile, prepare the next medicine, an herbal extract that is used to directly inhibit or kill the mites.

Herbal
—Once the ears are cleaned out, one of the simplest ways to kill mites is with the herb Yellow Dock (
Rumex crispus
). Prepare it as described in Herbal Schedule 1, (
view
), and apply it in the same way as the oil, above. Treat the ears once every three days for three to four weeks. Usually, this is enough to clear up the problem. If you observe irritation or inflammation during the treatment process, then also use the treatment for allergy ears, above.

In a very stubborn case, you may need to thoroughly shampoo the head and ears as well. The mites can hang out around the outside of the ears and crawl back in later. Also shampoo the tip of the tail, which may harbor a few mites from when it is curled near the head. Use a tea infusion of yellow dock as a final rinse. Remember also that toning up the skin with a nutritious diet is absolutely necessary for the pet with a stubborn mite problem.

If there is no improvement, the problem may not be mites at all. It’s just as likely to be an expression of an allergy. Here’s how to tell the difference: Ears with mites have a dry, crumbly, “coffee ground” discharge observable (with a light) down in the ear canal only; allergy ears exude an oily, waxy, dark brown, fluid-like discharge that flows up out of the ear canal and is also seen around the outside of the ear.

ECLAMPSIA

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

ECZEMA

See “Skin Problems.”

EMERGENCIES

See “Handling Emergencies and Giving First Aid” (
view
).

ENCEPHALITIS

See “Distemper, Chorea and Feline Panleukopenia.”

EPILEPSY

Epilepsy has become fairly common in dogs, though it is rather unusual in cats. Often it’s difficult to find the cause. In some cases it seems to be an inherited tendency, probably tied to intensive inbreeding. I think the biggest factor, however, stems from yearly vaccinations. I have seen many dogs that first developed epilepsy within a few weeks after their annual shots. Apparently, it is triggered by allergic encephalitis, an ongoing, low-grade inflammation of the brain caused by a reaction to proteins and organisms in the vaccine. This condition was discovered many years ago and has been well documented in laboratory animals. Some have even pointed
to it as a significant cause of human behavior and learning problems. Fortunately, now that we know that annual vaccinations are not necessary, it will be easier to avoid this possible cause (see “Vaccinations”).

In general, the health of the nervous system and brain is influenced by heredity, nutrition during the mother’s pregnancy, lifelong nutrition, and any toxic or irritating substances that reach the brain. Also, certain brain diseases (for example, distemper) or a severe head injury can result in epilepsy.

For most animals, however, it’s hard to point to an obvious cause. The convulsions may start without warning and continue with increasing frequency. An epileptic animal may be either young or old at the time of the first attack. The diagnosis of epilepsy is usually made only after other possibilities—like worms, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), tumors, and poisons—have been eliminated. Thus, it is a sort of diagnosis by default, and the epilepsy may actually be caused by a mixed bag of things.

T
REATMENT

My own approach is to use a natural diet to promote nutrition for the brain tissues and to detoxify or eliminate possible toxins in the environment and to use homeopathic remedies to control the seizures.

Nutrition should be geared toward preventing the intake of substances that may irritate the brain tissue. Work with hyperactive children indicated that food additives, for instance, may affect the brain this way. Thus I recommend that you put your animal on a strict regimen that excludes all commercial foods, snacks, or foods containing additives or coloring agents. Use the basic diet described in chapters 3 and 4, with certain modifications.

• Limit organ meats (especially liver and kidney) to once a week or less. They are more likely to be contaminated by pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals, and hormonal substances.
  
• Consider a vegetarian diet for a dog (or using low-meat recipes for cats, as in chapter 5). Many human epileptics are significantly helped by avoiding meat, and it may help pets as well. Give it a trial of at least three months to see if it helps.
  
• Use special supplements. Since the B vitamins are very important to nerve tissue, use a natural, complete B complex in the 10 to 50 milligram range, depending on your pet’s size. Niacin or niacinamide should be a minimum of 5 to 25 milligrams. Also supplement with ¼ to 2 teaspoons of lecithin and 10 to 30 milligrams of zinc (the chelated form is best). Give about 250 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily to assist detoxification. Again, use the level best suited to your pet’s size.
  
• Protect your animal’s environment. Avoid exposing your epileptic pet to cigarette smoke, car exhaust (rides in the back of pickup trucks are particularly harmful), chemicals (especially flea sprays, dips, and collars, which affect the nervous system), and excessive stress or exertion (but moderate regular exercise is beneficial). Don’t let your animal lie right near an operating color TV or close to an operating microwave oven.
  
• Use treatments that strengthen the nervous system. See the herbs suggested under “Behavior Problems,” giving special attention to common oat, blue vervain, and skullcap.
  

As an alternative to herbal treatment, there are specific homeopathic remedies that are often quite useful in this condition.

Homeopathic
—
Belladonna
(deadly nightshade) 30C: Use Schedule 4 (
view
). Start with this treatment and observe for a month; if the problem is no better, go to the next remedy (if the animal is better, do not give further remedies, but continue with the nutrition and other supportive methods discussed above). If the seizures come back after another month or so, then give one more dose of
Belladonna
30C to see if that once again improves the situation. If it does not this second time, then give one dose only of
Silicea
30C. Hopefully, this will be all that is needed. If not, then consult with a homeopathic veterinarian.

Homeopathic
—
Thuya
(or
Thuja
) (arborvitae) 30C: In many dogs, epilepsy comes on after being vaccinated, especially with Distemper or Rabies vaccines. If the treatment already suggested above has not eliminated the problem, then give Thuya, and allow several weeks to see if the seizure frequency decreases. Be aware that if either
Thuya
or
Silicea
has solved the problem, the epilepsy is likely to return if your dog is vaccinated again.

Homeopathic
—
Arnica montana
(mountain daisy) 30C: Use Schedule 5 (
view
). This remedy is indicated for the animal that has developed seizures after a head injury. It is an alternative to the two remedies just discussed and is appropriate only if you know that the cause of the problem is an injury to the head. Give one dose and allow a week or so to assess if the seizures have stopped. If the problem continues, then give one dose of
Natrum sulphuricum
30C. This treatment protocol will resolve many seizures from concussion to the head, but if the problem still persists, there are other medicines that can be used in this way. Consult a homeopathic veterinarian.

EYE PROBLEMS

Five major problems can affect animals’ eyes: cataracts, corneal ulcers, injuries, inflammation (infection), and ingrowing eyelids (called entropion). We will consider each of these in turn.

Cataracts

This condition is just like what happens with people. The round, clear lens in the interior of the eye (behind the pupil) that transmits and focuses light becomes cloudy or white (milky). Sometimes this happens as
a result of injury to the eye. This condition, however, is also a frequent accompaniment of chronic disease and immune disorders in dogs. Many of the dogs with chronic skin allergies, hip dysplasia, and ear problems will develop this as they get older. Cataracts are also more common in animals that have diabetes mellitus, even with insulin treatment.

Veterinarians sometimes remove the lens surgically, and this may help. Unless the underlying condition is satisfactorily addressed, however, the eye is never really healthy. Prevention, by treatment of the chronic illness, is really the only effective method.

T
REATMENT

See “Allergies” and “Skin Problems” for treatment suggestions, even though these do not deal directly with the eyes. You must take the approach of healing from the inside out. If the cataract is the result of an injury of the eyes, however, use this treatment.

Homeopathic
—
Conium maculatum
(poison hemlock) 6C: Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

There are other remedies that can be used for eye problems that are the result of injury. If this one is not effective, contact a homeopathic veterinarian.

The cataract associated with allergies and immune diseases is more difficult to treat and needs the expertise of a veterinarian skilled in the use of homeopathic treatment.

Corneal Ulcers

Ulcers of the cornea are usually the result of an injury, such as a cat scratch. When the surface of the eye is broken, it hurts and tears will form. The injury itself can be so small it’s invisible unless a light is shone upon it from the side or a special dye is used. Bacteria may infect the scratch, but in the healthy animal a rapid, uncomplicated recovery is common.

T
REATMENT

If the injury is deep or there is debris or a splinter stuck there, it will need careful professional treatment under anesthesia. Superficial injuries do not bleed. If you see blood, suspect penetration into and damage of delicate internal structures. This kind of injury can be very serious. The following recommendations are for treating slight irritations, shallow ulcers, or noninfected scratches
only
.

Nutritional
—Cod-liver oil: Add ¼ to 1 teaspoon, depending on size, of cod-liver oil to the diet. Also add vitamin E to the diet, 100 to 400 IU daily depending on size.

Every 4 hours, apply a drop of cod-liver oil directly onto the eye or into the lower lid. The oil has protective functions, and the vitamin A in it will stimulate healing. Instead of dropping the oil into the eye, you can use an infusion of the herb eyebright (as described next).