Itchy Terrier with Colitis February 2, 2012 Show #15

See past shows with Dr Christina Chambreau

Dear HWC BlogTalkRadio show listeners,

We intended to talk about cures and palliation for today's show. However, a question from a regular listener came up about her pet and we thought everyone could benefit from this case of an itchy Tibetan terrier that also had colitis symptoms. 

Since we have some information, we will be learning some case taking and remedy selection. We can also learn how to tune our observation skills and this will help with evaluating the response to remedy selection.

Just to mention to listeners if you would like to present your pet health issue for future shows please send us a note via email, the BTR email system or even the Homeopathy World Community FaceBook page.

When you send information to Debby Bruck, please include all pertinent information in order to get a complete picture. Type of animal, gender, age, history, when worse or better, food likes and dislikes, drinking habits, other things you notice when doing the full pet health scan of features. Please see the January 25th show to learn how to do the full health scan of your pet. Tell us when problems started, exercise pattern, whether the pet lives indoors or goes outdoor, etc.

We have the picture of the male terrier named Frodo.

Just a side note: Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is the primary protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.Maybe the owner, Maria, loved this story?

Doggy with itchy skin that appears to be worse when the muzzle is on.
Frodo is a 2 year old Tibetan Terrier that has been in the family since he was 5 1/2 months old and his GI problems pretty started when he arrived. He has also been pretty itchy, mostly on his face that maybe started two months after he came to live with Maria. The dog is neutered.

Skin Complaints

The itching can be quite problematic and seems to be worse when he wakes up in the morning and after eating. His coat is very healthy, very shiny. He still has some separation anxiety. When the owner leaves him he sits by the door the entire time. Frodo gets bathed in very expensive medicated shampoo for him which Maria had hoped with resolve the itching problem. She also thinks that the itching and the colitis are somehow related.


Energy Level

For a young dog he has very little stamina, seems lethargic, although he has bursts of energy and will run like crazy for 5-10 minutes and then lie down. He is intolerant of the heat, loves cold weather (mind you he has a long, heavy coat) hates the rain, hates wet pavement, so after a rain when the sun is out he refuses to walk.

Digestive Complaints

Frodo also suffers from colitis and has previously been treated with homeopathics, but to no avail. He is on a very limited diet, and everything that goes into his mouth is closely monitored.
Diet, Nutrition and Supplements

He used to be on a raw foods diet but that didn't help his colitis. His colitis improved a bit after he was switched to Taste of the Wild Salmon kibble. He also eats pumpkin with each meal and he has been taking Gastriplex which is primarily slippery elm bark and sometimes gets a probiotic.

Temperament and Favorite Position

He is extremely willful and stubborn and even on days when he agrees to go out for a walk he often will just stop and won't budge. Maria either has to pull him or just turn around and go home. If he agrees to walk they usually walk about 2 miles a day. He is always inside. Also if she stops to talk with someone he usually lies down. He will even lie down in the summer, when the road is extremely hot. Lying down is his favorite position. He often sleeps on his back, particularly when he is hot.

He is very loving, affectionate, loves people and all dogs. Maria says he doesn't have a mean bone in him. He loves to play with toys and loves to chew his antler or nylabone. She never gives him rawhide bones. He usually drinks water after he has eaten his kibble. His his thirst varies. Often after a walk in the heat he DOESN'T drink, which always surprises me.

Previous Remedies Given To Frodo

He has taken a host of remedies, arsenicum, belladona, calc carb, aloe and maybe some others. The most important remedy that she tried which worked quite well for a few months was Sulphur. They had to increase the dose but then it stopped working. Frodo is a classic Sulphur in many ways.


Pet Scan Eyes and Injuries
Frodo has a little discharge from his left eye, not the right. The left eye has very little pigment, black rim is not complete and his skin on his face is quite pink. He also hurt himself in the dog park, ran into a bench. Did something to his right leg - he has re-injured his leg but that has happened in several months. Gave him Ruta and arnica.

Now that we've heard the owner tell her story, we will review the case taking method.
Maria sent in this case. While we cannot fully treat animals homeopathically on this show (need professionals to do that when you are stuck with your own animals), Dr Christina will make comments that could help Maria and others in prescribing.


Frodo is a 2 year old Tibetan Terrier - have had him since he was 5.5 months old and his GI problems pretty started when he arrived. He has also been pretty itchy, mostly his face - maybe started two months after he came to live with me.

Case taking: were any vaccines given in those two months? What other changes happened before the face itching began?

Master symptom list: 1.diarrhea; 2. itching

For a young dog he has very little stamina, seems lethargic, (although he has bursts of energy, will run like crazy for 5-10 minutes and then lie down)

Master symptom list: 3. energy level

Case Taking:  In cold weather will he go for longer walks? Play more?

is intolerant of the heat, loves cold weather (mind you he has a long, heavy coat) hates the rain, hates wet pavement, so after a rain when the sun is out he refuses to walk. He is always inside. Also if I stop to talk with someone he usually lies down. He will even lie down in the summer, when the road is extremely hot. Lying down is his favorite position. He often sleeps on his back, particularly when he is hot.


Comment: just because a dog has a heavy coat, or is a northern breed, you do not ignore heat and cold seeking – you just focus less on the symptom. Most important are changes in temperature preferences with the onset of illness. Lying on his back does indicate he is trying to cool off.

Case Taking: There is a contradiction here – he seems to like the heat, or is he just tired? How long would he lie on the hot road?  It does indicate the degree of lethargy.

Master Symptom list: 4. Seeks cold; 5. averse rain and wet pavement.

He is extremely willful and stubborn and even on days when he agrees to go out for a walk he often will just stop and won't budge - I either have to pull him or just turn around and go home. If he agrees to walk we usually walk about 2 miles a day. He is very loving, affectionate, loves people and all dogs - doesn't have a mean bone in him. He loves to play with toys and loves to chew his antler or nylabone.

Case taking: is he only willful and stubborn about walks?

Comment: I would not Repertorize on loving, affectionate, friendly – as these are fairly normal and common behaviors and are not new for him. Maybe it would help me in the final remedy choice.


He used to be on a raw foods diet but that didn't help his colitis. His colitis improved a bit after I switched him to Taste of the Wild Salmon kibble - he also eats pumpkin with each meal and he has been taking Gastriplex which is primarily slippery elm bark and sometimes I give him a probiotic.

Comment: This is a good example of palliation (which is not always a bad thing). While trying to cure the colitis and skin, Maria is helping him be more comfortable. The trick is to stop these as the symptoms resolve, to know what is helping and if he is cured. I would probably try a fresh fish diet over the kibble. I like Mitomax probiotic (pediococcus).

I never give him rawhide bones. He usually drinks water after he has eaten his kibble - his thirst varies. Often after a walk in the heat he DOESN'T drink, which always surprises me.

Comment: this is unusual, but I do not know how to Repertorize it.

Master symptom list: 6. Thirst after eating, not after a walk.

He has taken a host of remedies, arsenicum, belladona, calc carb, aloe and maybe some others.

Materia medica:  When I look at the remedies given and the symptoms listed, they do not all match. Ars alb animals are rarely cool seeking and are usually worse at night, not in the AM. I have rarely had aloe help digestive problems. Bell and Sulphur are both cold seeking. I would prescribe the Bell especially if there were a lot of redness. It, and Sulphur are good for stubbornness.

He is neutered.

The itching can be quite problematic and seems to be worse when he wakes up in the morning and after eating. His coat is very healthy, very shiny. He still has some sep anxiety - when I leave him he sits by the door the entire time.

Master symptom list: 7. Skin, itching, worse AM and after eating.

RE: pet scan - he has a little discharge from his left eye, not the right. The left eye has very little pigment, black rim is not complete and his skin on his face is quite pink.

Master symptom list: 8. discharge L eye.

Comment: if the pigmentation is there from birth or before vaccines I would not use it.

I also think that the itching and the colitis are somehow related.

Master symptom list: 9. Colitis with skin problems

Comment:  did the skin improve with the diet change that improved the colitis?

He also hurt himself in the dog park, ran into a bench. Did something to his right leg - he has reinjured his leg but that has happened in several months. Gave him Ruta and arnica.

Comment: How well did he respond to the ruta and arnica.

Materia medica: Arnica is best used for blunt trauma with bruising when the animal is so sore they do not want to be touched by you.

I buy a very expensive medicated shampoo for him which I had hoped with resolve the itching problem.

Comment: Plain shampoos seem to work well. If the shampoo resolved the problem I would be worried about suppression. I do not recommend tar and Sulphur shampoos, for example.

 
IMPORTANT - One more thing, I forgot to mention the most important remedy that we tried which worked quite well for a few months - Sulphur - we had to increase the dose but then it stopped working. Frodo is a classic Sulphur in many ways.


Comment: what potencies, frequencies, etc. What changed?  This is important since if there were significant steps toward cure, you would want a remedy that follows Sulphur, or complements it (I like Rehmen’s Relationship of Remedies for this, but Kent’s repertory has a table of relationship of remedies in the back, too).


Next steps:
Check the early warning signs of illness for any other symptoms.
Repertorize using the symptoms listed above.
I would be thinking of Lycopodium, without repertorizing.