Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (69 page)

In people, Lyme disease causes a skin rash, tiredness, fever and chills, headache, backache, arthritis, and other symptoms. The situation is very different for animals, however. What I am going to say here you won’t hear anywhere else (unless you have access to veterinary journals).

The short explanation is that this is not really a defined disease in dogs, like other infectious diseases (e.g., distemper or parvo). The long explanation will take some patience on your part. Let’s start with some background.

How do we know that a germ causes a disease? Let’s say that people start becoming sick with something new and we don’t know what it is. If we check carefully and find some sort of bug in the blood—maybe that is what is causing it. So how do we know if that is right? After all, there are hundreds of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that normally live in and on our bodies and don’t cause any disease at all. The obvious test is that we give the “new” bug to someone and see if they get sick—not only sick but with the same symptoms as seen before. Logical, right? This has always been the method of determining if a micro-organism is the cause of a disease. You will have to take my word for it that medical
history is littered with supposed causes of disease that turned out to be quite harmless.

So, here is the story with Lyme disease in dogs. Though scientists have put the organism into dogs many, many times, they cannot reproduce the disease—they cannot cause Lyme disease by injecting the bug into dogs. Well, one way they can make dogs sick with some mild symptoms is to give them cortisone first (which suppresses the immune system) Not convincing? Not to scientists. The general conclusion is that dogs are indeed exposed via ticks, but they are naturally resistant to it and only those very few animals that have disturbed immune systems may show some mild symptoms. It seems that a fraction of dogs will have an excessive reaction, more like an allergy.

OK, I know this is not what your veterinarian told you and that there are all these dire warnings about Lyme disease and the need for antibiotics and how you should use the vaccine, right? So how do we reconcile this? I have treated many dogs over the years that have been diagnosed as having this disease and my experience also is that it is an insignificant disease. “Wait”, you say, “Dogs actually do get symptoms and veterinarians say this is what it is. How can this be?”

What veterinarians are calling Lyme is dogs that develop signs of arthritis, painful joints, and lameness (usually). Sometimes there is a fever but just as often there is not. Because dogs in some parts of the country are frequently bitten by ticks that can leave red areas on the skin, the thinking goes like this: This dog is lame, there is evidence of a tick bite, so it must be Lyme disease. Usually antibiotics are prescribed and most dogs get better. What is not understood is these dogs will get better anyway. Studies of dogs with these symptoms indicate that 85 percent of them recover without any antibiotic treatment at all. The other 15 percent will continue to have symptoms whether or not antibiotics are used.

How often will tick-exposed dogs have any signs of illness? According to Dr. Meryl Littman of the University of Pennsylvania, even in areas of the country where the disease is most common and 90 percent of the dogs are exposed to the organism, only 4 percent show symptoms of lameness, decreased appetite, or fever. They appear to have a natural immunity.

So, what are we to make of all this? I think some insight is given by the observation of Dr. Shelly Epstein of Wilmington, Delaware. Since she greatly decreased the use of vaccines in her practice (to 3–4 total, using single, not combined vaccines), her practice sees only 1–2 dogs a year that have symptoms of Lyme disease. This is in contrast to her prior experience and that of the other practitioners in her area (who give 30–40 vaccinations to dogs) that are seeing a case of Lyme disease every week. It is likely that the overuse of vaccines is causing a disturbed immune reaction to the Lyme organism in animals that otherwise would have been resistant.

If you think your dog (or cat, though this
is rare) is showing these symptoms, it can be treated with homeopathy very easily. Here is what you can do.

T
REATMENT

Homeopathic
—
Aconitum napellus
(monkshood) 30C: This remedy is often suitable for the very earliest stage of illness with high fever, especially if it is accompanied by a restless anxiety. Use Schedule 1 (
view
). This is the first treatment, in an early case. The remedies that follow are suitable for any remaining symptoms not cleared by this treatment.

Homeopathic
—
Bryonia alba
(wild hops) 30C: Often dogs will lie very quietly, crying out at the slightest motion. Give this medicine to the dog that is reluctant to move because of the pain. Use Schedule 1 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Rhus toxicodendron
(poison ivy and poison oak) 30C: This is indicated for the dog that is stiff and sore, especially on first moving after lying for a while. As she moves around, however, the joints seem to limber up and the stiffness is not so noticeable. Use Schedule 1 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Pulsatilla
(windflower) 30C: Give this medicine to the dog that becomes submissive when ill and does not want to drink water. Use Schedule 1 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Mercurius vivus
(or solubilis) (the element mercury) 30C is helpful to the sick dog that has, along with the other symptoms, red and inflamed gums, bad breath, and a tendency to drool or salivate. Use Schedule 1 (
view
).

Remember that any time there is an acute illness with fever, it is also helpful to fast your dog for several days (see chapter 15).

If the above treatments are not effective, it is very likely that what you are dealing with requires the skill of a homeopathically trained veterinarian.

V
ACCINATION

There are several vaccines on the market, and they are aggressively pushed by many veterinarians. Dr. Littman says that the dogs susceptible (the 4 percent that may show some symptoms) may not be protected by the vaccines that are available. In fact, there is concern that the vaccines may actually make the susceptible dog have a more severe disease if they are ever infected by a tick. My advice? Save your money.

MAD COW DISEASE

See the discussion in chapter 3. There is no way to detect it in dogs and cats and no treatment available at this time.

MANGE

See “Skin Parasites.”

MITES

See “Ear Problems” and “Skin Parasites.”

NEUTERING

See “Spaying and Neutering.”

NOSE PROBLEMS

See “Foxtails” and “Upper Respiratory Infections.”

OBESITY

See “Weight Problems.”

PANCREATITIS

This condition, usually seen in overweight, middle-aged dogs, often first appears as a sudden, severe illness. Symptoms can include a complete loss of appetite, severe and frequent vomiting, diarrhea that may contain blood, reluctance to walk, weakness, and abdominal pain (crying and restlessness). The severity of the attack can vary from a mild, almost unnoticeable condition to a severe shock-like collapse that can end in death.

The problem centers in the digestive tract, with a focus in the pancreas. The underlying cause is not known, but I think it will soon be apparent that pancreatitis is another of the immune diseases (like hyperthyroidism in cats). As an immediate trigger, attacks can come on after overindulgence in rich or fatty foods, especially after a raid on a garbage can or compost pile. Frequent attacks of pancreatitis can finally result in a lack of insulin, leading to diabetes (see “Diabetes”).

P
REVENTION

Prevention consists partly of a properly balanced natural diet coupled with regular and adequate exercise. Exercise is important because it improves digestion and peristaltic movements of the intestinal tract, thus regularizing the bowels and keeping this part of the body preventively more healthy. It also keeps weight under control.

Do not overfeed your dog, because obesity is a predisposing factor to pancreatitis (no one knows why). Many people end up with fat dogs because they enjoy watching the animal eat heartily. For more information, see “Weight Problems.”

Realize that this condition can also be chronic in nature, persisting in a low-grade form for months or years unless corrected. If you have a dog with a tendency toward pancreatitis, be especially careful about setting off an attack through a change of diet. I also advise using vaccines minimally in these animals because the immune system becomes much more active after vaccination, possibly precipitating an immune-mediated crisis.

T
REATMENT

Treatment usually requires hospitalization, with fluid replacement therapy in the case of extreme vomiting and diarrhea. If the condition is mild but recurrent, the following measures should help to restore a balance of health.

Feed the basic natural diet and supplements (chapters 3 and 4), except minimize vegetable oils or butter, as well as other fatty foods that may irritate the pancreas. It’s okay to use cod-liver oil for the vitamin A, but keep the amounts low or switch to vitamin A
capsules. Be sure to use vitamin E to help prevent pancreatic scarring (100 to 400 IU, depending on size). For vegetables, emphasize corn (preferably raw) and raw grated cabbage, but include a variety of others as well. Avoid fruits.

Feed small, frequent meals instead of one large one. Offer all food at room temperature for best digestive action. Sometimes adding pancreatic enzymes to each meal will help as well, assisting the digestive process. They can be obtained in health food stores. Use the human products, giving ½ capsule to small dogs, up to 2 capsules for the larger dogs.

Use vitamin C and bioflavonoids regularly. Depending on the dog’s size, give 250 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C three times a day, if possible. Sodium ascorbate powder may be better tolerated than ascorbic acid. (A teaspoon of sodium ascorbate powder has about 4,000 milligrams of C.) Give 25 to 50 milligrams of bioflavonoids (vitamin P) to enhance the action of the ascorbate.

Eliminate any food or supplement that seems to upset the digestive tract or aggravate the symptoms. Find a substitute form for any supplement you need to discontinue, for instance, a B complex instead of nutritional yeast.

In addition to these nutritional steps, try one of the following as a supportive treatment. To start treatment, work with one of these two remedies:

Homeopathic
—
Nux vomica
(poison nut) 30C: Indicated for the dog that becomes very irritable, withdraws to another room (away from company), and is chilly. Use Homeopathic Schedule 2 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Belladonna
(deadly nightshade) 30C: Use when the problem has come on very suddenly, there is considerable fever, and the body feels hot to touch, and, the dog is very sensitive to sound and touch, with pupils dilated and evident excitability and agitation. Use Homeopathic Schedule 2 (
view
).

If neither of these remedies proves satisfactory, then work with these that follow:

Homeopathic
—
Iris versicolor
(blue flag) 6C: This remedy is particularly suited to the pancreas. It is very useful when the dog vomits repeatedly, with much drooling of saliva. Use Homeopathic Schedule 1 (
view
). Homeopathic—Spongia tosta (roasted sponge) 6C: Indicated if the pancreatitis is associated with coughing or breathing difficulties. Use Homeopathic Schedule 1 (
view
).

Homeopathic
—
Pulsatilla
(windflower) 30C: Very helpful if the dog shows no sign of thirst, seeks cool surfaces to lie on, and becomes clingy (wanting to be close all the time) and whiny. Use Homeopathic Schedule 2 (
view
).

Herbal
—Yarrow (
Achillea millefolium
): Use Herbal Schedule 1 (
view
). Yarrow strengthens the pancreas and helps to control internal hemorrhages. It is indicated if there is dark, chocolate-colored, or black diarrhea (perhaps containing blood) that is foul-smelling.

Realize that after an attack is over, there is still susceptibility to further episodes. Be es pecially careful in this regard:

• Keep the diet simple and low in fat.
  
• Don’t allow indulgences in junk food.
  
• Avoid vaccinations as much as possible.
  
• Keep the weight within normal limits.
  

PANLEUKOPENIA

See “Distemper, Chorea, and Feline Panleukopenia.”

PARALYSIS

Causes of paralysis can range from accidents that damage the spine, to blood clots that form in brain arteries, to intervertebral disk disease (“slipped disk”), as well as many others. Here we will consider the two most common causes, which are intervertebral disk disease and spondylitis (a buildup of calcium on the spine from arthritis). To some extent we can regard these two conditions similarly because both are degenerative processes involving the spine.

In intervertebral disk disease, the fibrous capsule that holds the soft gelatinous material between the vertebrae in place breaks down, and the gel leaks out The apparent cause is a breakdown of the ligaments that keep this material in place. This puts pressure on the spinal cord. The condition is worst in breeds that have long backs in relation to their legs, such as dachshunds.