Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 10:25:52 -0700
From: Mary Wulff-Tilford <animals@

<< 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?>>

Hi all,

at the risk of being redundant (when did That ever stop me!?), Thuja is NOT the only homeopathic remedy that is used for vaccinosis. There are many others included. The *whole* case should be taken before adminstering a homeopathic remedy for a chronic case of vaccinosis. Please contact a homeopathic vet for these chronic cases. If there is no homeopathic vet in your area, call around and find one that will consult over the phone, this is what we do, our vet is 7 hours away from us.
http://www.altvetmed.com/ahvmadir.html Acute cases can be taken care of many times quickly and "easily" at home
without the immediate help of a homeo vet.
--
Mary Wulff-Tilford,DiHom;Herbalist,AHG

Sandy wrote:
<<Homepathic remedies are preserved using Everclear grain alcohol.  The  idea is for the pellets to absorb the homeopathic tincture.  I have never  heard of the alcohol in a homeo remedy causing problems.    No sweat, and I hope I'm not off-base in thinking it isn't an issue.   Someone pls correct me.>>

Hi

no, Sandy, you're not off-base. The alcohol used in homeopathic remedies is very minute. It is nothing to be at all concerned about. The alcohol that is in herbal tinctures, can be a problem, especially for cats......but homeopathic remedies, as well as flower essences, have a very minute amount of ETOH(ethanol), and it is used to preserve the liquid that the remedy is in...
--
Mary Wulff-Tilford, DiHom;  Herbalist,AHG

On Wed, 10 Feb 1999 GoForaSail@ wrote:
<<Dr Wynn, do you  utilize homeopathy at all in your practice? If not, why not  if it works for others?>>

Yes, I do use homeopathy in my practice, although not as often as I used to.  I am also the author of the *only* review of homeopathic studies in animals published in a prestigious, peer reviewed veterinary journal.  It was viewed as so positive that quackbusters hounded me for weeks.

Still, your question begs THE question.  How do we know if it works for others? How do we know if it works for us?  We are unable to do large blinded studies in clinical or home situations because we just want our patients to get better, so it is incumbent upon us to be even more critical of the results we get.

I spoke at a homeopathic meeting last year, and presented the research review.  I brought up these points and stated that I stopped using homeopathy as a *primary* approach when I realized that I was getting the same results without it - because I was changing the diet and sometimes adding dietary supplements.  I was *stunned* by the number of homeopaths who shook their heads and murmured that maybe they should do the same test.  This is just one example of how to question 'what we know'.

We also must look at history.  If homeopathy is so wonderful, why was it overshadowed by the successes of penicillin in the early 20th century? There is more to this equation that vaccines, sanitation, cultural shifts, environmental poisons, etc.  It's a very complex question.

Homeopathy has further problems.  A system that insists it has everything you need to get better, and worse, insists that *everything* else is suppressive and shouldn't be used, is bound to die.  Hahnemann had a great idea, but I have a hard time with the idea that in almost 300 years, it couldn't be improved upon and integrated to produce the best medical system we can hope for.

I have to say, simply, that I believe homeopathy does *something*, but it is a  mistake to rely upon it as a primary system for handling serious and chronic  problems by itself.  And the truth is, even though I believe it does *something*, I don't know what and where it does this best.  So I continue to observe, and test, and not put animals at risk who may be best helped with
modalities that are sure to work in a particular situation, like herbs and acupuncture, or even (gasp) further diagnostics or conventional medication.

Susan G. Wynn, DVM CVA

Carole and all,

If u ever get bitten by a cat, take Ledum (lo potency - 6X, 6C) internally.  If there is nerve pain, follow it up w/ Hypericum again lo potency.  The 2 remedies are fantastic.  My best buddy got bitten and after just 2 doses of each of the above-mentioned remedies, her hand was completely back to normal - no pain and certainly no need for a tetanus shot. I also have an ointment that contains Ledum and Apis so applied that externally.  I avoid Calendula or Hypercal externally just in case there is some infection buried underneath.

Sandy, owned and operated by the mountain cats who say "Us? Bite? Never!"

benedict@ writes:
<<  I am going through this myself with Smokey -- I think I've eliminated  the problem with pred, but now I'm dealing with dandruff.  I'm so sorry  Baranof has to go through this along with his other stresses.     >>

Is anyone aware that there is a cortisone homeopathic?  It's great for skin rashes, or will replace the pred that the vet recommends. It's by Boiron, and is called "cortisone".

Elaine Crews, N.D.

KECrews@ writes:
<< Is anyone aware that there is a cortisone homeopathic?  It's great for skin rashes, or will replace the pred that the vet recommends. >>

Dolisos also makes a homeopathic prednisone that I used with some success to wean Cleo (IBD) off pred.  I'm trying it now for Kelly's itchy skin problem.

Lee

Hi all

<<Quite a while ago there was a thread about where to buy homeopathic kits.  I can't find the posts - did anyone save them? TIA  :)>>

Jean, I don't have the posts handy (but do have them saved somewhere). Homeopathy overnight has kits I *think*. I also think the url is http://www.homeopathyovernight.com but this is just off the top of my head and may be wrong.

<<which homeopathic kit are you looking for...........wendy volhard has an emergency homeopathic kit for animals...email me if you'd like the url for it.>>

Bonnie, I'd sure like the url if it's not too much trouble!

Take care
Kathy and the cats

Here is the advice i got, in case anyone would like to save it compactly:

1. Luyties
PO Box 8080
St. Louis, MO  63156
1-800-325-8080 (call and they'll send a catalog)

2. Check with CureWise
28629 Hoover, Warren MI 48093
or their webpage  www.curewise2000.com

3.   Hi, please visit www.alchemilla. com
Visit the web site and there is a person listed called Jim Klemmer, let him know that you got the info from Dr. Murphy's web site, best kits I have came across.

4.  My first kit was the Dolisos 50 remedy kit in 30c.  Only once in a while I would need a remedy that wasn't included.  Our study group got together and ordered around 20 kits of them at once at a very discounted price (29.95).  Four years later I'm still using remedies from the original purchase.

5.  Best and smallest kits are in Bullet boxes and made by Washington homeopathic.

6. www.homeop.com

Best, Margaret

Noreen,
I don't know about allergic reactions to Pet Calms--I didn't think that kind of thing was very likely w/ PetCalms or other homeo. remedies. Since Slick's previous episode w/ hair pulling was stress-related, I would suspect that this recent episode is also.

I wonder if other homeopathic treatments would help your guys.  I looked up "Spraying" in George Macleod's book _Cats: Homeopathic Remedies_ (pp 104-105), and this part seems to pertain to your guys.

 "This distressing complaint is one of the most difficult to deal with involving as it does psychological and emotional  disturbances.  A thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this habit may lead to a remedy which could prove useful if only in a palliative sense.....

In the male cat also the habit may have its origin in territorial marking and if this is thought likely, the remedy USTILLAGO MAYDIS should be considered, giving it in 200c potency three times per week for 4 weeks.

In the neutered animal the accompanying use of the potentised hormones e.g. FOLLICULINUM, OVARIUM, OESTROGEN and TESTOSTERONE may also have to be considered.  Potencies of 6c to 30c daily for 30 days are usually sufficient to bring about some response, used in conjunction with or after the other remedies mentioned."

There's also a bit about cats who spray right after being altered, but I didn't think this applied to any of your kits.  Cletus might still have some scarring from the blockage and the catheter--it might still hurt him to pee....I wonder if extra vitamin E would help him or aloe vera in his food?

Also, have you considered any flower essences?  Here's a list of some which might help:

* SPRAYING CATS: Beech, Holly (especially if due to inter-cat conflicts), Willow, Agrimony

I got this info from this website: http://www1.mhv.net/~dca/articles/Bach_Flower_Remedies.html

(I think Evonne posted this earlier.)

Take care, Susan

Hey all --

<<Since I was leaving them inside I decided to give each 1/3 of a Pet  Calm tablet (VitaTreat).  When I got home from work I found a huge   amount of Slick's hair in his bed.   He is the hair puller.   He  hasn't done this since the bad episode last summer when his brother  died.   Was he extremely stressed by being in the house and I didn't  give him enough of the Pet Calms or did the PetCalm cause this?????>>

Noreen, I've used this product for my sprayer, Sam, and never had a fur-pulling incident. That's not to say it *didn't* cause it w/ Slick, just a point of reference. When I give the Pet Calms pills, I give him 1/2 a pill (he's ~ 13 pounds)

It's possible that Slick reacted to one or more of the ingredients, or it stimulated him instead of sedating him -- somewhere in the foggy recesses of my mind, I seem to recall Valerian *can* have that affect on cats....

What I have also had success using is a liquid dose of Calms Forte. It's  homeo combo remedy, but the combo really mellows Sam out. Here's how Sandy explained it:

"Shoot, I lost my old files on Netscape but lemme try it again.  Basically, like Nancy said, Calms is a combination remedy (tho one I like too) so to be on the safe side, I told Vick to dilute 1 or 2 pills of Calms or Calms Forte in some spring water in a brown dropper bottle.  Since the potencies are really low, it's not as likely to cause a proving but after giving it about 3-4 times, u can take one drop of this solution, and mix it w/ 9 drops of spring water.  Then, depending on whether u believe in the 4th Organon or 5th, u would succuss it 10 times or 100 times.  This way u will end up w/ the next highest potency, and not as likely to aggravate or prove the remedy.  Initially u can dose more frequently but only re-dose if u see any improvement at all;
otherwise it's risky to repeat it."

With Sam, I didn't follow this exactly, but never got a proving. To speed things up, I crushed the tablets in a coffee filter. I gave him a dropper full every time he seemed edgy. Now I just mix Valerian in his daily syringe of tea (a few herbs selected to support his bladder and guard against FLUTD-associated problems) and it keeps him pretty mellow.

Vick and the kitty company: Skippy, Sam, Max and Jezebel

Susan,
I somehow missed your original post, but wanted to comment on part of what you most recently posted.

vitality@ wrote:
<< On the other hand, the examples I mentioned earlier -- arnica, euphrasia  and  crataegus -- are beneficial, not harmful, in their whole form (or made  into a tincture, infusion, poultice, whatever).  And since they are also used  to make homeopathic remedies, which in turn are used for treating similar  symptoms as the herbs themselves are used to treat, then I fail to see  how  these particular homeopathic remedies can any longer be considered to  work on the same principle as what you've described.  It seems, in other words, as if some homeopathic remedies work by a "law of similars" while others work  by a  "law of opposites". But I have never seen the latter (which sounds more  like  how an allopathic approach is supposed to work) used to explain how  homeopathy  works.
Susan>>

They all work by the law of similars. You're correct that these substances  you mention can be helpful in a proper herbal dosage. But anything can be  toxic and exhibit adverse symptoms if taken to excess. Just think how you  feel after eating too much of a really good dinner. :-)

Arnica is one herb I'd never take internally for instance. But Hahnemann  did and convinced friends and family and many followers after him to do so  and record the symptoms. It's all a matter of dosage. A little bit of an  herb may be useless - a little more, more often is therapeutic, but a  little more than that, causes problems to occur. Those problems are the ones recorded in the Materia Medicas and repertories. Another good example  is plain water. A little doesn't do much. A good quantity can save lives. Too much can take lives. And that's a substance we tend to think of as completely benign.

So - that's the real beauty of homeopathy. You don't need to know exactly what problem you're experiencing as a diagnosis since it is treated based on similar symptoms and also, you can take medicines derived from potentially dangerous materials without the same worry of harm like if you took the raw form.

Be well,
Nancy and the furkids

Hi all
As a newcomer to homeopathy, I've been following the recent thread with interest because I've found the Law of Similars confusing. However, I'm just reading a book called Let Like Cure Like, by Vinton McCabe, a classical homeopath, and it clarified it for me very well:

-begin quote-
The first principle, the Law of Similars, is the single most important guiding principle of homeopathic practice. When we use this principle, we always know that we practice true homeopathy and that we always work in a manner that will help the patient to express [not 'suppress' - my comment] his symptoms, removing them totally from his system.

The Law of Similars demands that we look not just at the symptoms of the illness that has caused the patient to consider homeopathy but also at the totality of the patient's symptoms. We consider all the information we have about that patient as a person, not just as a sick person. By stressing the symptoms' totality and working with the central motivational theme of the
patient's life, we can help him to release the cause of the disease and not just its symptoms. We then give a remedy that *in a totally well person* would create the same symptom portrait that the patient is already presenting.

Perhaps the best way to understand the Law of Similars is to look at one of our basic laws of nature. We have all been taught in school that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" ...

...the allopathic approach to sleeplessness [in giving a sleeping pill] is to set forth an action and try to ignore the equal and opposite reaction. The approach tries to suppress the symptom of sleeplessness at the moment and ignores the long-term reaction: increased sleeplessness.

The homeopathic approach to the same symptom is to increase the symptom, to give a remedy that in a sleepy person would create sleeplessness.

By working the Law of Similars, the homeopath uses the principle of equal and opposite reaction to bring about healing. Giving that patient the correct remedy causes sleeplessness - an action. *The system* [my emphasis] meets this with an equal and opposite reaction - sleepiness.

That is how the Law of Similars works and why the action of homeopathic remedies are so very effective. They create a healing reaction.
-end quote-

Has that further muddied the waters?  <G>

--Jean, Saski Basket & Amber Sweet T'ing

dawn.marie@cwix.com writes:
<< How much bacillinum do you dose for ringworm in a 10-week-old kitten? >>

Dose the kitten  (30C potency) 1-2 drops twice daily.  Or you can add to drinking water.

Elaine

Hi all

<<One major problem I have with this book is the dosage schedule. I completely disregard that. For nearly every ailment she recommends giving remedies on a pretty rapid schedule depending on the severity of the problem. I personally feel that she goes way overboard with the repetition of doses.>>

I agree, Nancy, but I think that that's not so much a problem with Walker's book *only* as with every book that suggests homeopathy for pets. I've saidit before, but it seems as tho authors suggest a dosage schedule as tho it's a round of antibiotics. I don't like to quote dosage schedules generally, because from the little I know about homeopathy, it seems just plain absurd
to dose according to a set regimen. Why do they do this? Is it because it's more work to explain a more proper way to treat with homeopathics?

In an emergency, tho, or a crisis situation, I'm just wondering if the "wait and see how they react" approach is ideal. I suppose a kitty could perk up or improve pretty quickly if the right remedy is used, yes? How long then would you wait before dosing again? Would the animal stop improving just as quickly? I guess as with all homeopathy, it's on an individual basis. ??

<<Also, a second point of disagreement for me is that she recommends 30C for almost everything. I think this is too high in many
cases of first aid type situations. >>

Nancy (or anyone who can / cares to answer), could you elaborate on this a little more? Is a low dose generally the way to go in a crisis situation? Why is that? I'm curious, cause it seems to me that the few number of homeopathic first aid kits I've seen stock 30C remedies. Would a better approach be to build a kit of individually-bought remedies in low potencies?

Take care all
Kathy and the cats

<<In an emergency, tho, or a crisis situation, I'm just wondering if the  "wait and see how they react" approach is ideal. I suppose a kitty could  perk up or improve pretty quickly if the right remedy is used, yes? How long  then would you wait before dosing again? Would the animal stop improving  just as quickly? I guess as with all homeopathy, it's on an individual  basis. ??>>

I agree w/ U all about the dosing schedule.  Why not just say - redose if there is an improvement of any kind.  This way if kitty improves right away, but still is not 100% ok, then redose.  Lot better than telling someone to take 3x a day for 4 days or some such.  I just aggravated w/ a 200C in spring water when i took a remedy for this back spasm I've had all week.  It makes me cringe when I read MacLeod and other books that recommed 1M!  That's just ridiculous, I feel.

<<little more? Is a low dose generally the way to go in a crisis situation?  Why is that? I'm curious, cause it seems to me that the few number of  homeopathic first aid kits I've seen stock 30C remedies. Would a better  approach be to build a kit of individually-bought remedies in low potencies? >>

Personally, I feel that kitties and other lil animals should not be given anything but lo potencies.  Lo is usually defined as under 30C so that would include 3,6,9,12, and 30X and 3,6,9,12, and 30C.  Between 30 and 200C is considered medium and all potencies above 200C are hi.

I find that my cats respond really well to 3X and 6X so I rarely mess w/ higher ones for them.  Pigpen's doing so well w/ Silica 3X.  But she seems to have plateaued out, so to speak.  So I gave her a 6X dose, and she's showing even more improvement.  If need be, i'll move it up to 9X next.

I have a teeny remedy kit labeled for the kitties' use and I keep it on The shelf in the cupboard that has all the kitty parapharnelia.  Over the yrs, i've bought all the polychrests e.g. Nux, Hepar, Arnica etc. and made up my own kits.  The kitty cats have one of their own.  That way I can find it easier and don't have to sort thru all my junk.  And believe me, i could vie w. Sanford and Son when it comes to that cuz I have over 150 remedies..LOL

I think all the major manufacturers make 30X kits (Hyland's does for sure). if u can't find a kit w/ lower potencies, then 30X will do.

One good thing is if u know how to dilute and succuss, then u can always get a lo potency and work your way up w/ successive potentizations.  It's what I do to prevent aggravations and/or provings.

Sandy, owned and operated by the mountain cats

I myself rarely use even 200C but my mom and her family (all homeopaths, just about) use hi potencies w/ great success.  To each her own <shrug>

W/ my kitties, I've found that it's best to give a remedy close to bedtime.  Then I can watch over them but not obssess all day long and wonder whether to redose.  And in the morn, if I see the need, only then do I redose.  Since I use such lo potencies, I've never seen an aggravation or a proving but one can never be too careful I suppose.

Speaking of which, have any of u ever seen a proving in your kitties? if so, did u try giving one of the "antidote" remedies?  Just curious if it works.

Sandy and the mountain cats who don't make typos <they've trained viavoice to recognize meows>

<<crisis use whatever potency you can get your hands on.  Have you noticed  if the 30x,200c are better for longstanding trouble such as CRF?  That's  what I've been using, now I'm wondering.....>>

Jade, I'm so sorry u have a CRF kitty too:(  W/ mine, I found it very tricky to treat him homeopathically (even tho it is always my first choice) b/c the symptoms would keep changing.  In his case, that was due to his heart I think.

I did manage to help w/ the retinal detachment the second time around by repertorizing and being ready ahead of time.  As soon as I saw the blood in his eye, I gave him a remedy and it took care of the problem.  I only wish I had known this earlier so I could have saved the sight in his right eye *sniff*  Poor baby was so brave - he never complained.

Later, I used very lo potencies of 3 heart remedies and they helped a lot. My mum got me 1X so I would give him 4-5 doses of that, then dilute and succuss to 2X give 4-5 doses of that potency, then 3 X and so on.

I have used C w/ my cats tho never above 30C.  Just gave some to a neighbor's cat who suddenly got the sniffles.  FYI to all - Aconite can stop a cold dead in its tracks if given very very early i.e. a few sniffles and some other key symptoms (check a Materia Medica to make sure), and it will nip the cold in the bud.  Neighbor kitty did not aggravate on the 30C so I was happy.  Course I only administer remedies in spring water, and that may be part of the secret. I dunno how or why but somehow liquid dosing really works better.

I have never given a 200C to any cat, w/ CRF or otherwise.  I would think that the weaker the Vital Force, the more careful one must be to use lo potencies on the cat.  W/ my CRF cat, that's why i went w/ the lowest potency.  Boy, w/ 1X I could see improvement w/in 5 minutes sometimes. Cool stuff, homeopathy!

Sandy, owned and operated by the mountain cats

Dawn Marie asked how to use a Repertory.  A repertory is a book of symptoms.  Diff Reps are categorized differently e.g. I have one Rep that is alphabetical so if I'm looking for Wrist problems, I know it'll be towards the end.  But Boericke for instance, has Wrist under "locomotor system".  So once u buy a Repertory and get used to the scheme for listing symtpoms, u go to the section that interests u e.g. Skin for Ringworm probs.  This is what u would do for acute prescribing where u are treating just the one self-limiting condition.

If you are looking for a constitutional remedy, then u have 2 choices: either write down all your/kitty's symptoms and then look for them in the appropriate section in the Rep, or go thru the Rep page by page marking down all symptoms that match.  Some people only look at the major symptoms, others look at 'em all. Still others look for what are referred to as Strange, Rare, and Peculiar (SRP) symtpoms.  Homeopathy is as much art as science, seems like.  Sometimes a remedy seems to match but another one just jumps out at me and I give that only to find it ends up working like a charm.  To quote my buddy Vick  "homeopathy isn't user-friendly". That unfortunately, is quite true.  But stick w/ it, u will be amazed at the results.

Anyway, once u identify symptoms, u will see remedies listed for each.  Some general symptoms will have as many as 40 remedies whereas an obscure symptom will have 1 or 2 remedies.  If u use Kent, then remedy names in regular font are counted as 1 point, italicized ones are 2, and bold fonts are counted as 3s (boericke's is diff - only 1s and 2s).  Once u've written down all the remedies that show up along w/ their corresponding weight(s), then u add up the #s for each remedy. The remedy w/ the highest # or "hits" as some refer to it, is *the* remedy.

Since Reps are expensive (the one I like best is Murphy's and that costs in the $80 range), I did a search for Reps and found - ta da - Kent's Rep online!  This is so cool!  Boericke lovers, don't despair - it's at the same site; just poke around for it and other neat articles on homeopathy.

Here's the URL: http://www.homeoint.org/books/kentrep/default.htm and the Skin section is here:
http://www.homeoint.org/books/kentrep/kentskin.htm

When u get to this page, here's what u will see.  From here, u look over each symptom or set of symptoms and find a match for your kitty.  This is tough to do w/ kitties b/c we can only guess at some problems they might be experiencing e.g we may not be able to tell if they have tearing pain or bearing down pain, and so on.  But it's a start.  Here it is.  Happy repertorizing; knock yourself out <g>:

KENT : SKIN (p. 1303-1340)

Skin (p. 1303)
Skin, burning, sleep, after (p. 1304)
Skin, coldness, diarrhœa, during (p. 1305)
Skin, discoloration, bluish, spots (p. 1306)
Skin, discoloration, red, spots, coppery (p. 1307)
Skin, dry, burning (p. 1308)
Skin, eruptions, blackish (p. 1309)
Skin, eruptions, burning, night (p. 1310)
Skin, eruptions, crusty, serpiginous (p. 1311)
Skin, eruptions, ecthyma (p. 1312)
Skin, eruptions, herpetic, crusty (p. 1313)
Skin, eruptions, herpetic, zoster, zona (p. 1314)
Skin, eruptions, painful (p. 1315)
Skin, eruptions, pimples, perspiring parts, on (p. 1316)
Skin, eruptions, pustules, itching (p. 1317)
Skin, eruptions, rash, scarlet (p. 1318)
Skin, eruptions, scaly, icthyosis (p. 1319)
Skin, eruptions, tearing pain, with (p. 1320)
Skin, eruptions, ulcerative pain, with (p. 1321)
Skin, eruptions, urticaria, wine, from (p. 1322)
Skin, eruptions, vesicular, scurfy (p. 1323)
Skin, erysipelas, scratching, after, agg. (p. 1324)
Skin, excrescences, swelling, inflamed, puffy bunches (p. 1325)
Skin, goose flesh, morning (p. 1326)
Skin, intertrigo (p. 1327)
Skin, itching, chill, during (p. 1328)
Skin, itching, scratching, unchanged by (p. 1329)
Skin, jaundice (See Yellow) (p. 1330)
Skin, rupia (See Eruptions) (p. 1331)
Skin, swelling, affected parts, of (p. 1332)
Skin, tension (p. 1333)
Skin, ulcers, bluish, edges (p. 1334)
Skin, ulcers, discharges, copious (p. 1335)
Skin, ulcers, fistulous (p. 1336)
Skin, ulcers, jerking pain, with (p. 1337)
Skin, ulcers, sensitive, around about (p. 1338)
Skin, ulcers, swollen, margins (p. 1339)
Skin, warts, horny (p. 1340)

Copyright (c) 1998 MEDI-T