Noreen,

The number of pellets or tables are based on the size of mouth. Usually for dog or cat, they use two pellets or tablets. I like tablets better. If you use pellets, you need to smash it before giving to your cat. Homeopathic remedies need to "coat" the tongue. That's why adult use more than children. It's not because of the potencies or anything like that.  I like using tablets better. It is very easy to disolve in the mouth.

And of course, your cat should not eat 20 minuets before or after the remedies. And keep your cat away from any strong smell stuff, such as mint, rosemary, any essential oil.

As for the selection of the remedies, you need to carefully compare your cat's physical, mental, emotional conditions with Materia Medica. Just because one conditions matches, it doesn't mean that it will work for your cat. You need to picture your cat as a whole, and choose which one is the right remedies.

-- Yumi G

<<It says for adults and children let 3-5 pellets dissolve in the mouth  3 times a day.  Is it safe to give a 9 lb cat one pellet?>>

Yes, when u do find a remedy that fits, one or 2 pellets are safe.  To be even more conservative, I'd dissolve it/them in spring water and administer via dropper.

Sandy, owned and operated by the mountain cats happy to wake up to snow! <yay>

<<Just add 2 pellets in a brown dropper bottle filled to about 1/2 w/ spring water (can get it at a pharmacy or even at Fresh Fields type store) and dose once or twice if there is improvement.>>

Hi, all--

I have looked back at my copy of Pitcairn's book, and would love to type up all the homeopathic remedies he lists for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (the most common URI).  However, it would take pages and pages to list them all, and there isn't any one that applies to all cats.  So, here, in brief, are the ones listed in the book and what Pitcairn says about symptomology.  NOTE:  I don't provide the dosage schedule until near the very end of the email.  NOTE again:  the Pitcairn book is highly available and is not very expensive.  It's a good basic resource, with tons of information on alternative treatments for most of the common ailments our cats encounter.  It is not a perfect book, but it has helped me tons.

• Aconitum napellus 30C (monkshood)--corresponds to early stages of illness, which are marked by fever and a general sense of not feeling well.  If given when these symptoms first appear, it may avert any further development of the illness.  Use Homeopathic Schedule 2.
• Nux vomica 30C (poison nut)--remedy commonly suited to this condition, Nux V is a good choce for the cat that is grouchy and averse to being held or touched.  Often it will retire to a quiet room so as not to be disturbed.  Schedule 2
• Natrum muriaticum 6C This remedy is most helpful when the cold starts with much sneezing.  As it develops, there may be thirstiness and a white discharge from the nose. Schedule 1
• Pulsatilla 30C (windflower)--cats needing this medicine are sleepy, sluggish, and have a thick discharge from the nose or eyes.  Often the discharge is greenish in color.  Such a cat may want to be held or comforted.  Schedule 2

If condition is very advanced:

In addition to vitamins and nutritional support (cats sometimes stop eating when they can't smell and are also feeling pretty bad)--

• Pulsatilla 6C (windflower)--this is useful for the cat with thick greenish or yellow discharge, an obstructed nose, loss of appetite, bad breath, and a sleepy and sluggish demeanor.  Often these cats will be attacked by other cats in the family when they are ill.  Somehow the other cats sense a weakness.  Schedule 6a
• Causticum 6C (a mineral remedy)--use this one if, along with the typical cold symptoms, the eyelids are actually stuck together from the discharge and have to be manually separated.  Sched 6a.
• Thuya 30C (arborvitae)--this remedy is sometimes needed if there is no response to other treatments or if the cold symptoms have come on within 3 to 4 weeks after receiving a vaccination.  the nasal discharge can look very much like that described for Pulsatilla.  Sched 3.

There are different methods for giving these herbs, including infusions, cold extracts, decoctions, tinctures, and gel caps.  If you would like this info, please email me, as really it is very long and involved.  I can say, though, that I've gone the gel cap route and the tincture route and both have worked well for me.

Homeopathic schedule 1--give one pellet or tablet every 4 hours until the symptoms are gone.  Provide no food for 10 mins before and after treatment.  If your animal shows signs of improvement, continue giving the treatment for 5 days, discontinuing it as soon as (before 5 days) the symptoms are gone.  If you do not see a response withing 24 hours, however, you should try one of the other suggested remedies.

Homeo sched 2--give one pellet or tablet every 4 hours for a total of three treatments.  Provide no food for ten minutes before or after treatment.  No further homeo treatment wil be needed for the next 24  hours.  If your animal is not noticeably improved by then, try another remedy or go to one of the other treatment choices.

Homeo sched 3--Over the course of three days, give one pellet or tablet every 12 hours.  Provide no food for ten minutes before and after treatment.  If there is no improvement after these 6 doses, choose another remedy.  If a definite improvement has occurred, then no further homeopathic treatment will be needed.

Homeo sched 6a--here, you will repeat doses over a total period of 4 weeks.   With option "a," you give one pellet or tablet on the tongue or down the throat once every day.  Provide no food for ten minutes before and after giving the medicine.  The dosage schedule is kind of complicated, so please email me for more info if you need it.

All of the above information is from Dr. Richard Pitcairn's book, Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.  Of the remedies I've listed, I've
tried the Pulsatilla 30C and the Natrum Muriaticum, both with great success.  At my local health food store, the meds cost a whopping $9 total for two little bottles, of which I've used only a minimal amount. When Garbanzo got sick, instead of taking him to the vet for shots and antibiotics (which don't do anything for a viral infection anyway), I gave him the Pulsatilla remedy, and he looked markedly better in 12 hours and was completely himself within the next day or day and a half.

I don't know that these remedies are going to work equally well for your furfriends, but certainly they are worth exploring as one form of treatment for URI's.

Gabby and los gatos fregados

hi
I don't know if you've gotten any responses yet to your question, but I will try to answer it here.....

a proving is when a substance is taken by a healthy person and the results are recorded in the Homeopathic Repertory...all of these symptoms are called "rubrics"....one person might take Apis(which is honey bees), and they might have the symptoms of a swollen throat, stinging, swellings, redness, etc....... that substance is made into a homeopathic remedy, but diluting it and
succussing(shaking)it numerous times....then, that homeopathic remedy is matched to the symptoms...if you had redness, swelling, etc, and it sounded like it matched Apis, then Apis would be the remedy that would solve your symptoms.
That's homeopathy 101! although very simplified!

On the cat list....when they refer to a proving, they are talking about taking a remedy (that is not well indicated, repeatedly), and you GET the symptoms of the substance. For instance, if you took Apis, without needing it, over and over again, you would get redness and swelling etc.

is that clear as mud?!?!:<)

Mary Wulff-Tilford, DIHom; Herbalist, A.H.G.

amberbarbaraherb@ writes:
<< As I understand it when you   give a cat or a child or horse or mammal a vaccination, the vaccine   causes a reaction that is suppose to make the patient a little sick.   The sickness causes the body to grow a small amount of the toxic disease  cells you are trying to prevent.  The immune system then steps in &  grows cells to counter the sickness.  This is why a cat that gets a
 rabies shot does not get rabies.  The cat has grown antibodies that  fight off the rabies virus.  If you flush the patients body of the  effects of the vaccine aren't you removing the therpuetic benefits of  the vaccine? >>

From what I understand, you are part right.  The problem with vaccines like rabies is that they can cause other problems than just stimulating the immune system to prevent a certain disease.  One of the main problems is vaccine site sarcomas, a cancer that grows at the site of the vaccine.  That's why many vaccines are given in a leg rather than the body itself, so if a sarcoma
develops the leg can be cut off (nice, huh?).  With homeopathics to use with vaccines, you are not trying to "flush the body of the effects of the vaccine" so the vaccine will no longer protect from the disease - you are trying to keep the vaccine from having other negative impact.

Other possible problems caused by vaccines are the possibility of getting a "bad batch" of the vaccine.  This is where I think homeopathic remedies can help the most.

Lee

hey all-

<< I guess my question wasn't very clear. <<snip>>My question is: am I wrong to believe that homeopathics (of  any kind, single or combo) should not be taken continually? Aren't you  s'posed to take it till it works, stop if it doesn't?>>

kathy, this sounds like what i've heard and read, too.

you spend the time to find the best single remedy, and take it once or twice. no improvement? stop and re-research. improvement? keep taking, but taper off according to the dosage schedule. stop when you're better.

i don't like combo remedies, they seem counter-intuitive WRT homeopathy. except for calms forte, which really seems to work better as a combo than as single remedies... but when i gave it to sam, i used liquid dosing, so he wasn't getting much (sandy- am i correct in saying the reason for the liquid dosing was to avoid a proving??)

<< Kathy and the cats in our very snowy wonderland>>

of which we in stupid, hot florida are very jealous!!

Vick and company: Skippy, Sam, Max and Jezebel

<< My question is: am I wrong to  believe that homeopathics (of  any kind, single or combo) should not be taken continually? Aren't you s'posed to take it till it works, stop if it doesn't?>>

<<kathy, this sounds like what i've heard and read, too.
you spend the time to find the best single remedy, and take it once or twice. no improvement? stop and re-research. improvement? keep taking, but taper off according to the dosage schedule. stop when you're better.>>

Homeopathy is not an exact science.  If it were, it wouldn't be so much fun to study and a challenge to continue the learning curve! So much depends on the individual case, whether the condition is acute or chronic, the strength of the vital force, the age of the animal, etc.  Here's an example where a remedy was given on an unusual schedule:  once every other day for 3 treatments, once daily for 7 days and then twice daily for 7 days.  The advice was to alter this schedule if necessary. The patient is now taking it at one dose about every 2-4 weeks.  In some cases, as long as you're seeing *some* action from the remedy, it's sometimes not necessary to repeat. Those things may be subtle - the eyes are tearing less, the overall behavior is improving, their energy level is higher, better hair coat,etc. The above schedule was for an older patient with several chronic disease
problems, thus the somewhat different dosing schedule and the person prescribing this has a decidedly classical approach to homeopathy.

As Lee said, with some of the formulas such as Pollinosan, which is a combo remedy, for some reason they do recommend taking it daily if the condition is chronic.  Combo remedies are a whole other ballgame.
Leah

Here's the info on Sepia I posted a while back.  Lee, I'll look for the old ringworm posts and if I find any, will send them to you.  May be a while cuz am leaving in a hr or so to take Booey to be cremated.

Here's my old post:

http://www.windflowers.com/wind/products/homeo/Remedies/Sepia.html

For those w/o web access, this is what it says:

SEPIA. The source of this remedy is cuttlefish ink.

CONSTITUTIONAL INDICATIONS. Those who respond best to Sepia tend to be tall, lean, and narrow-hipped, with soft facial
features, dark hair, brown eyes, shadows under the eyes, and a sallow complexion (sometimes with a yellow-brown saddle across the nose and cheeks). Although they look tired and low-spirited, they perk up with exercise. Women going through menopause also respond well to Sepia.

MENTAL SYMPTOMS ALLEVIATED. Indifference, even to loved ones; irritability and snappiness withfamily and friends, making one difficult to live with, but cordiality with strangers; inability to concealthoughts, coupled with wish to hide away physically;
selfishness, bottled-up anger, despair, fear thatsomething dreadful is about to happen; crying when talking about symptoms or illness; physical and mental torpor, despite ability to be the life and soul of the party; being overwhelmed by life and resentful of one's lot; tendency to be greedy and opinionated; tendency to play the martyr.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS ALLEVIATED. Headaches accompanied by nausea, especially in evening; dizziness that feels like a ball rolling around in the head; baldness, extreme sensitivity to odours; constant phlegm, which tastes salty; throat that is sensitive to the slightest pressure; pale lips, coated tongue, and sour taste in mouth; milk and fatty foods cause indigestion, especially in evening; smell of cooking causes nausea; craving for spicy, pungent foods and for wine and  vinegar; aching back and sides; unbearably itchy skin, with patches of brown-yellow discolouration;  vitiligo; smelly foot sweats; low blood pressure;
palpitations; flushing hot and cold by turns; congested  veins; bedwetting in first stage of sleep; in men, sexual problems or exhaustion after sex; flatulence and  tenderness in abdomen, relieved by Iying on rigft side; in women, upsets in menstrual cycle, hot flashes during menopause, sagging or prolapsed womb, pain during intercourse, aversion to sex and to being touched.

Better after food sleep, exercise, or hot applications, and  in thundery weather. Made worse by cold, tobacco, mental fatigue, and exertion in hot, damp conditions. Also worse in the early morning, in the evening, in the buildup to a storm, and on the left side.

REMEDY THAT FOLLOWS WELL. Guaiacum.

COMPLEMENTARY REMEDIES. Natrum mur., phosphorus, Nux.

INIMICAL REMEDIES. Lachesis, Pulsatilla.

Hi Carol

How generous of you and your friends to help out!! Bless you.

A couple of things come to mind, but I'm not sure how appropriate they are. Flower essences are good, but IMHO would take far too long to work. Rescue Remedy may be an exception, and it certainly can't hurt, but I wouldn't count on it to be your only choice.

You could try calms forte, a homeopathic preparation. If the cats are agitated and really frightened, you could try Aconite 30C. Oh, here we go. The following comes from Kaethryn Walker's "Homeopathic First Aid for Animals":
Begin quote:

"Create a safe, calming environment. Close doors, pull curtains. Turn off music, televisions, appliances and so on. Allow the animal a 'cooling off' period of about 30 minutes before making contact. Choose from one of the remedies listed. Dilute in milk or water in a saucer and leave within the animal's reach after the cooling off period has lapsed. Do not attempt to give remedies by mouth to highly upset or openly aggressive animals.

Status acute: After an initial dose, treatment may be repeated at 15 minute to half hour intervals for up to four doses.

Status chronic: After an initial dose, continue with two doses a day or until symptoms subside.

• Aconite -- First stages of fear, panic, terror, hysteria; animal is jumpy, resists touch; laboured breathing, thirst, restlessness:
• Ars -- Anguish, restlessness, fidgetiness, cold sweats; animal dreads being left alone; fear resulting in exhaustion; unquenchable thirst, animal sips cold water; worse at night
•  Gels -- Excitement or fear causing illness; classic stage fright; hysteria causes animal to 'freeze up'; exhaustion, listlessness, limpness, dizziness, drowsiness, dullness, trembling
• Phos -- Fear or hysteria from loud noises, thunderstorms; animal jumps at noises, movement; restlessness, fidgetiness, weakness; animal cannot bear to be left alone; worse: touch, evenings, weather changes
• Staph -- Nervousness, irritability after a bad fright; deep sense of 'having been wronged'; animal is peevish, difficult, unresponsive, wants to be alone

I hope some of this is useful. My Kashmir gets right hysterical when I take her to the vet (even on a good day at home she's terrified of people). I have to be with her during the entire procedure, whatever it may be, and often we end up having to sedate her :(((( So I really hope something here can help these poor kitties. It's really difficult for everyone involved to have to deal with a hysterical cat, not to mention the trauma it causes the cat herself!

Please let us know how it goes!!
Take care
Kathy and the cats

Susan,

Sometimes I try to help and people seemingly don't want the advice, but I feel I have a lot of experience with telephone consults and working with homeopathic vets, so hope this info. is of some assistance to you.

<<Would such a homeopath have to see the client or could this be done with a phone consult?>>

I have had no choice but to consult by telephone, as I have no holistic vet nearby.  If they are really good at taking a case, they can serve their clients well by doing a phone consult.

<<If so, is your homeopath open to phone consultations?>>

Yes, if you're interested, e-mail me privately.

<<Do you know the kinds of questions a homepath might ask to get a history--is there perhaps a list of questions that you know
of?>>

They will ask about the personality of the animal - do they prefer warm or cool surfaces on which to lay, are they snugglers or loners, are they easily frightened, do they have any unusual habits, how do they respond to strangers, how do they get along with other animals,  any symptoms peculiar to the am or pm, these are just a few.

They should ask about the physical/medical history too in detail too, including medications.  Medications that have been given can sometimes prevent/slow down a successful treatment with homeopathy.

You directed some of your other questions to Kathy, so I'll let her answer those.  I have studied homeopathy off and on for about four years and was in a study group for about a year, which I would recommend if you have one nearby.

<<And, could someone explain to me what the opposition is to Pitcairn's video course?   I have an idea...but couldn't a vet use that as a starting place or is it just that Pitcairn's whole approach to homeopathy is objectionable? >>

I don't think the video course in and of itself is a bad idea; it's just that homeopathy cannot be learned from a video - it's a continuing education experience.  I try to find a veterinarian that has at least 8 years allo experience and several years experience treating homeopathically also.  That way they have the clinical background and can apply that in addition to the holistic treatment if necessary.

<<There's a holistic vet fairly close by (1/2 hour to 45 min. drive), but he has only taken the Pitcairn course...plus he also said he could just treat my cats by phone consult and the phone consults are a little pricey, so i think if I were going to do that (phone
consults) I 'd want to consult w/ someone w/ a deeper knowledge of homeopathy. >>

Phone consults *are* expensive, but if you can hit a remedy/treatment plan on the head, you'll actually save money in the long run.  Finding a good classically trained homeopathic vet with an inclination for continuing research is what you need to obtain.  Their prices can range from $90 up to $150/hr.

A couple of additional words of warning - in this day of more and more people seeking out alternative care for their pets, some vets are getting so they're not too good about returning phone calls.  I much prefer a vet that will take the time to serve current clients than take on so many clients that they don't return calls for 3-4 days.  Especially if you're somewhat new to working with vets this way - if the cat has an aggravation or a result you're not expecting, you want to be able to reach im/her.
Check on their hours they're available too - some are drastically cutting back the days they're available.  I also know of one that charges extra for emergency consults, I believe that was with current clients.

Hope this is of some help.

Leah

 Melanie writes
<<Naomi wrote:
I do also use the combination feline nosode on my kittens prior to their allopathic vaccine.

Where does one acquire feline nosodes? What are they? Can I get them from an  allo vet? >>

I doubt if you could get them from a regular allo vet.  I get mine from a homeopathic pharmacy in London,  but I know there are various suppliers in the USA and Canada too,.

Nosodes are a homeopathic treatment.  A nosode is a remedy prepared from the actual thing (bacteria, virus or whatever) that causes the disease in question - although as far as I know,  the combined nosodes are prepared from allopathic vaccines (please anyone else correct or agree with me on this!!)

To "vaccinate" with a nosode,  you have to follow a specific dosing regime e.g one dose per  day for 3 days,  then one per week for 6 weeks, then one per month for 6 months.  There are other variations on this theme.

Of course a nosode can also be used to treat the disease in question, in which case a specific nosode (not a combo) is preferable.

In general,  nosodes are felt to be rather controversial - I hope the homeopathy "experts" will comment on this!  (I am  not sure exactly WHY they are controversial)
--
Naomi

Hi Kidz,

There is a homeopathic version of prednisone.  Lee knows more about it than I, she also has had better results from it than I.  It's maufactured by Dolisos.

Isn't Co Enzyme Q-10 catagorized as an antioxidant?  Anyone know if it is fat or water soluble?  Great stuff!!  Even my allo vet recommended it for Sammy's heart murmur.  I just wish I could afford to take 'em myself!

<< Anything specific I can  do now about that battery of ignominies he's experienced?>>
>
Jillian -

Having lived with a cat who suffered vaccinosis for years before I knew what it was, I would recommend some thuja asap to counteract effects of the vaccinations.  Do you have a vet who does homeopathy?

susan

 boles@ writes:
<<  Never any trouble before now -- he's about 5 years old.   The vet said  it is probably diet related, but his diet has not changed in the last couple of months....why was he so acidic 4 weeks ago and so alkaline now? >>

Hi Noreen,

I can empathize with you wholeheartedly!!!.

One of my vets who is a feline kidney transplant surgeon at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston tells me that:

1. 1. Science diet food is recommended so frequently by vets not because of the nutritional content, but because it's the only food that vets are familiar with that is "balanced" and won't cause crystals.
2. 2.  She also supports the fact that some cats will get crystals regardless of diet.  She recently operated on and removed 20 kidney stones from a kitty that had been kept on Science diet  for the past eight years because of an earlier bout with crystals.
3. 3. Two of my vets (one holistic and one allopathic) concur that if foods like Science diet are used, the kitties should be evaluated every few months. Both agree that they question the value of keeping a cat on something like Science Diet forever..

This is the exact same problem that I have in my house.  Two neutered males and five spayed females.  Bandit, the youngest (3yrs old) male provokes Samson the older male.

Samson got tired of being provoked this summer and seriously retaliated. Two weeks later Bandit became blocked.

The rest of the story is pretty much the same as what you are experiencing with catherization etc.

Now for maintenance I use Urtica Urens on Bandit and flower essences.  Over Christmas, Bandit exhibited some signs of discomfort and I started administering the Urtica Urens every twenty minutes.  Within an hour and a half he was in the litter box and fine.

Here is the description of the Urtica Urens treatment taken from Pat McKay's website.  I didn't use it until after Bandit had been treated allopathically. I gave him the 10 day course, plus the Christmas time episode and will probably continue to do so periodically in the future.

http://www.patmckay.com/webdoc47.html

BTW, Urtica Urns is available in HFS.

<<Any ideas here or personal experience....where do I go from here.....I   was giving him cranberry last week - started on Thurs.>>

Everyone here gets cranactin in their food or in the case of the boys with a syringe.

<< Vet is already talking Hills C/D....oh no....Please help if you can....thanks.....>>

There are a number of other foods besides Hills if you choose to go back to prepared foods.  I believe that Wysong makes a food for Urinary Health.

BTW I have an appointment with the animal communicator for Feb 6 to speak with Bandit again.  My present communicator doesn't seem to have much impact on him and so I'm going to try out a new personality.

Sharon (who spends too much time checking litter boxes and kitties elimination habits) LOL
Boston