Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (64 page)

Herbal
—Eyebright (
Euphrasia officinalis
): Use the extract (which is available as either tincture or glycerin), 5 drops to 1 cup pure water. To this mixture also add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Mix well and store at room temperature. Put 2 to 3 drops in the affected eye 3 times a day to stimulate healing.

An immediately useful homeopathic treatment for the pain and inflammation is:

Homeopathic
—
Aconitum napellus
(monkshood) 30C: Use Schedule 2 (
view
).

Injuries

Other eye injuries include scratches, abrasions, and bruising of the eyeball. In these cases, use one of the following homeopathic treatments.

Homeopathic
—
Euphrasia officinalis
(eyebright) 30C: Use Schedule 2 (
view
). This is especially useful for scratches and abrasions of areas other than the cornea (see “Corneal Ulcers,” above).

Homeopathic
—
Symphytum
(comfrey) 30C: Use Schedule 2 (
view
). This remedy is indicated for blows or contusions to the eyeball (the whole eye, not just the cornea in front—for example, from being hit by a rock, a car, or a club).

Inflammation

This is often part of a viral or bacterial infection. Use the eye cleansing treatment methods discussed in chapter 15 (with saline washes).

Ingrowing Eyelids (Entropion)

In this condition, the lids turn in and press the eyelashes against the corneal surface. The constant rubbing of the hairs causes a large (sometimes white), long-lasting ulcer to appear. This problem is not as easy to observe as you might suppose. Gently pull the lids away from the eye and let them fall back. Repeat several times. If the animal has ingrowing eyelids, you should be able to see the cuffing in of the lids as they are released. Some dogs are born with this condition, so you can see it when they are quite young. Others develop it after a long period of low-grade conjunctivitis (inner eyelid inflammation). The repeated inflammation and contraction cause the lids to turn in. Ingrowing eyelids are more common in dogs than cats.

T
REATMENT

The usual correction is surgery, which is quite easy to perform and usually successful. I have also had very good results in young animals with this condition using:

Homeopathic
—
Silicea
(silicon dioxide, quartz) 30C: Use Schedule 5 (
view
). If after a couple of weeks there is no change, then surgery is indicated. It will help, temporarily, to put a drop of almond oil in the affected eye 3 times a day.

Of course, if the underlying cause is chronic inflammation, then you must deal with that. A helpful treatment is:

Herbal
—Goldenseal (
Hydrastis canadensis
): Use the extract (tincture or glycerin) and add 5 drops to 1 cup of pure water. To this mixture also add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Mix well and store at room temperature. Put 2 to 3 drops in the affected eye 3 times a day to stimulate healing.

If the lids have become hardened through scarring, use:

Homeopathic
—
Silicea
(silicon dioxide) 6C: Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (FIV)

This recently recognized disease of cats is also called Feline AIDS, because it causes a depression of the immune system just like AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in human beings. The virus is in the same family as human HIV (retroviruses), but fortunately it’s different enough that it doesn’t affect people. Since its discovery in a California cattery in 1986, the virus has been found in every part of the United States, and in other countries as well.

The incidence of infection is surprisingly high—14 percent of sick cats brought to veterinarians in the United States are positive for the virus; 44 percent is the rate among sick cats in Japan. As far as is known, FIV is spread only through bite wounds—from fighting—not from close physical or sexual contact. So it is not surprising that the disease is more common in unneutered males and in cats that roam outdoors. Reports indicate a wide range of ages affected—from two months to 18 years.

If the virus is not resisted by the immune system, the disease is very serious, usually causing severe, chronic illness with a wide range of symptoms. Typically, four to six weeks after becoming infected from a bite, the cat develops fever and swollen lymph glands (for example, those under the jaw), along with suppressive effects on the immune system. Often this will clear up, and the cat can seem normal for months or years, until excess stress or some other factor depresses the immune system. Then the disease is reactivated and the chronic phase begins—a process that ends in death six months to three years later (without alternative treatment).

Because a major effect of the virus is to depress the immune response, it is difficult to fully describe all the different ways in which symptoms can manifest. As is the case with human AIDS, many other infections get established and persist—infections that ordinarily would be brief and insignificant. For example, colds can lead to permanent upper respiratory symptoms, with runny eyes and a plugged up nose (or discharge).

One common symptom is an inflamed mouth, with periodontal disease and loose teeth. Examples of other problems include: blood disorders, anemia, bacterial infections, skin eruptions and infection, persistent mange (skin parasites), chronic diarrhea (and wasting away), inflammation of the interior of the eye, fevers, lymph gland enlargements, chronic abscesses, recurrent urinary tract infections (cystitis), and loss of appetite and weight. In addition, there can be other persistent infections, like fungal diseases or toxoplasmosis (see “Toxoplasmosis”). One of the most alarming expressions of the disease affects the brain. Cats will act demented, have convulsions, or attack people or other animals.

P
REVENTION

Prevention is the most important way to approach this disease because, once established, it is very difficult to eliminate. If you can keep your cat healthy by using a raw, fresh diet—along with the rest of the general program in this book—its chance of resisting the disease is very high. Of course, preventing your cat from roaming and fighting significantly reduces the chance of infection.

If a new cat is coming into your home, isolate him or her from the other cats for at least three weeks. During this time, have a test done for FIV (and Feline Leukemia at the same time). This involves taking a blood sample at the veterinarian’s office and is quite useful in determining if this new cat is carrying either virus. (Of course, if the test is positive, the cat will have to be kept isolated from the others to prevent transmission of the disease.)

Another important point is that any cat suspected of having FIV (or feline leukemia or other chronic viruses) should never be vaccinated. That’s because the vaccine viruses stress the body (possibly triggering the latent state) and depress the immune system in many cats (again allowing the virus to get started). The principle is to avoid anything that will disturb or weaken the immune system. I know this advice runs counter to that of many veterinarians, who encourage vaccination as a way to protect a weakened cat. My clinical experience and background in immunology, however, convince me that this is the worst thing to do.

T
REATMENT

It is possible to greatly help cats with this problem. Success depends on how much damage has already occurred and the age of the cat. Some will need treatment the rest of their lives and never regain their health. Others, younger and less advanced in the disease, may recover—at least in the sense that the disease goes into remission and they lead normal, healthy lives.

Because of the tremendous variability of symptoms, I will not offer specific treatments here. You can apply the different treatments described in other parts of this Quick Reference section as appropriate to the symptoms your cat has. It will be best, however, if you can work with an alternative veterinarian.

FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS (FIP)

This serious infection can be fatal for almost all cats that develop symptoms. It seems to come on after something depresses the immune system. For example, I have seen many cases occur within a few weeks of the cat receiving a vaccine against feline leukemia—probably from a temporary immunosuppressive action of the vaccine (an effect known to occur with several vaccines). It is not that the vaccine causes the disease directly, but rather that the cat was already carrying the FIP virus and the vaccine gave it an opportunity.

FIP is caused by a coronavirus, a group of
viruses that also cause disease in pigs, dogs, and humans. As far as is known, however, the FIP virus does not spread to humans or other animals.

It is thought that cats become infected through the mouth and throat, the upper respiratory tract, or, perhaps, the intestinal tract. People often don’t realize when their cats begin to get FIP because they may show no particular symptoms or may run just a mild fever and seem like they’re not feeling well for a few days. During this period (one to ten days after initial infection), the virus can be shed from the throat, lungs, stomach, and intestines and spread to other cats. After this the virus incubates anywhere from a few weeks to several years before symptoms appear.

Once symptoms appear and the disease progresses, the cat gradually loses its appetite (and weight), develops a persistent fever, and becomes depressed (inactive, subdued). Meanwhile, the virus spreads throughout the body tissues, especially affecting blood vessels. It is interesting to note that by this time (when symptoms are so evident) the cat is no longer shedding the virus and is not contagious.

This points up one of the real problems in control. When the cat is the most contagious, you don’t realize anything is wrong, but once symptoms appear it does no good to isolate the cat. However, sanitation can be very helpful in limiting the spread of disease from one cat to another, because the virus can persist in the environment (soiled floors, food or water bowls) for a long time—up to three weeks in home conditions. It is no surprise that this disease primarily impacts multiple-cat households or catteries and is not likely with cats isolated from others.

The most common symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, rough hair coat, and, possibly, accumulation of fluid in the chest or abdomen. Early symptoms can also resemble a common cold, with sneezing and watery discharges from the eyes and nose. (Some of the chronic upper respiratory problems in multiple-cat households can be caused by this virus.) In other cats, the first symptoms may involve the gastrointestinal tract (vomiting, diarrhea); this is a serious form that can rapidly become fatal.

FIP can also affect the eyes, causing one pupil to be larger than the other or causing fluid or blood to accumulate in the eyeball. Like the other serious cat virus diseases in this section, FIP can sometimes affect the brain or interfere with reproduction.

P
REVENTION

See the prevention advice for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), above.

Unfortunately, the diagnostic test to see if a cat is carrying the virus is extremely inaccurate. There are too many other mild and insignificant related viruses that will give false positives on the test, indicating a problem where there is none. Many veterinarians no longer even test for this virus.

T
REATMENT

Since FIP takes many forms, I can give only some general guidelines for its most common manifestations. The more severe forms require very careful and persistent treatment under the guidance of a veterinarian. I strongly suggest not using antibiotics or corticosteroids, however, as these drugs do not help at all and only further weaken the cat, almost certainly leading to eventual decline and death from the disease.

As severe as the disease can be, I have had very satisfying results in the majority of cases I have treated with homeopathy and nutrition. Inevitably, I will be asked if the cat is completely cured and free of the virus. Clinically and by their appearance, many cats can become normal. Because there is no way to be sure that the body is free of the virus (by testing or other means), however, this aspect of the question cannot be answered. But most people are satisfied when their cat begins to act normally and look well.

Here are some guidelines for treatment.

• In the early stages of FIP (which are characterized by fever and loss of appetite), try the treatments for feline leukemia (below).
  
• If the symptoms are primarily upper respiratory symptoms, then refer to the section “Upper Respiratory Infections.”
  
• In the intestinal form with vomiting and diarrhea, use the treatments under the corresponding sections.
  
• If your cat has the very unfortunate form of FIP with accumulation of fluid in the chest and abdomen (hydrothorax or pleural effusion in the chest, ascites in the abdomen), the following treatments may help. However, this form is usually eventually fatal.
  

Homeopathic
—
Arsenicum album
(arsenic trioxide) 6C: Indicated for the anxious, chilly, thirsty, and restless cat. This is the most likely remedy to help. Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Mercurius sulphuricus
(yellow sulphate of mercury) 6C: Tremendous difficulty with breathing. The cat has to sit up all the time because of the fluid in the chest. Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Apis mellifica
(honeybee venom) 6C: Very difficult breathing (as described above), but there is an aversion to heat and the cat seeks out the coolest places to sit (tile floor, bathtub, next to the toilet). The cat will also cry out occasionally, sometimes even while asleep. Use Schedule 6(a) (
view
).