HEALING CATARACTS IN PETS

Cineraria Maritima Ø (Dusty Miller)

The homeopathic remedy Cineraria Maritima, Mother Tincture has a reputation in the cure of cataract and corneal opacities. 

It is used diluted, EXTERNALLY. Apply one drop in the affected eye, three or four times a day. In cases of advanced opacity, and where pathological changes caused deterioration, less favorable results can be expected. Still, in the more advanced cases Cineraria can give temporary relief and serve to postpone surgery, without using steroids and prescription drugs. 

The formula calls for Homeopathic Cineraria Mother Tincture Ø which must be diluted first with a sterile saline solution to make your own eye drops.

Learn how to make the eye drops, it's easy READ MORE...

Veterinary Materia Medica

Homeopathic Remedies for Pets

Cocculus Indicus

The homeopathic remedy Cocculus Indicus, (Cocc.) is for travel and motion sickness (car sickness, sea sickness and air sickness). It can help pets who experience nausea or vomiting caused by motion or seeing other vehicles go by. Read more...

Homeopathy for Eye Injuries in Dogs, Cats and Horses

Although fairly common, generally injuries to an animal's eye need to be treated with great respect. Injuries are a frequent result of damage by protruding nails or collision with balls, fences or trees, especially in poor light or where the animal has been frightened. Also dog breeds with protruding eyeballs are subject to injuries when crated alone or together with another animal while under stress, traveling or during shipping.

If there is any doubt as to the severity of the problem, see or call your veterinarian for help. Cuts may need suturing to avoid distortion to the eyelid. The following remedies offer excellent choices for first aid treatment for a variety of accidents that involve the eye. Details of subsequent problems including conjunctivitis will be included in future posts.

Ideally, you would want to choose the remedy that is most fitting to the case (the one that matches the majority of the animals symptoms). Unless otherwise stated, only use 'one' remedy at a time. When appropriate, if you are alternating two remedies, give them at least 1 hour apart. Do not mix remedies together. Generally speaking, in acute first aid, if you have chosen the correct remedy, you should see some improvement by the third dose. A dose equals 1 to 3 dry pilules, given by mouth. Repetition of the dose is based upon the animal's condition. As the animal improves the doses should be repeated less frequently. When the symptoms are gone you should STOP DOSING. Only begin dosing again if the same symptoms return.

Bangs, Blows and Bruising to the Eye and Surrounding Area

Contusions and wounds to the eye...

Aconite

Aconite works best within the fist 24 to 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Use where shock is evident to calm the dog, cat, horse or person. Aconite will help limit other changes and reduce the risk of infection. Example Dose: 30c potency, give three or four doses, five to 15 minutes apart. Then choose the remedy that most matches the animals condition.

Arnica

This is the most useful of all remedies where injury is concerned. Arnica will help limit bruising, pain and swelling and may help arrest hemorrhage where the skin is damaged or cut. Arnica will also assist the healing of wounds. Example Dose: 200c potency, give four doses, initially each dose is given two hours apart, then continue giving the remedy twice daily until healed.

Ledum pal

Ledum is useful where the eye is bloodshot, bruised or contused. Where Ledum is indicated, discomfort will be relieved > by application of a cold pad to the eye. It is also valuable where there is bleeding into the front of the eye. If necessary, Ledum can be alternated with Arnica. Example Dose: 30c potency, two to four times daily, until symptoms improve.

Symphytum

An important eye remedy particularly where injury is concerned. Assists healing where there is damage to the bony orbit of the eye. This remedy helps to reduce pain and discomfort. Injuries from a blow to the eye from a blunt object will especially benefit from this remedy. Example Dose: 30c potency, two to four times daily until symptoms abate.

Staphysagria

Administer where there are wounds, cuts or lacerations to the skin of the eyelids and surrounding area. Reduces pain and discomfort. Promotes healing of tissues. Example Dose: 30c potency, two to four times daily until symptoms abate

Hypericum

This is the main remedy for pain relief and of additional benefit where there are lots of nerve endings associated with lacerations to the tissues surrounding the eye. Hypericum be used alongside other remedies where the relief of pain is of primary importance. Example Dose: 6c potency, given three to four times daily as needed.

Hypericum and Calendula Lotion

Use topically to clean any wounds, cuts, lacerations and abrasions. Hypercal lotion will also help stimulate wound healing and reduce bruising.

Instructions: Dilute before use by adding a teaspoon to a cup of cold boiled or distilled water. Bathe the affected areas two or three times daily.

Hemorrhaging Into or From the Eye

This is a consequence of severe trauma to the eye and should be treated as an emergency. Check for bleeding into the front chamber of the eye. This will obscure the iris and impair vision. The following remedies can help arrest bleeding and hasten healing.

Arnica

Always remember to administer Arnica in the initial stages of an injury to limit bleeding. In cases pertaining to the eye it will be specifically be indicated where there is retinal hemorrhage. Example Dose: 200c potency, given every two hours, for 4 doses, then reduce the dosing to twice daily until the healing process gains momentum.

Phosphorus

This remedy is a specific where hemorrhage is concerned, notably where the blood is bright red and is intermittent. Also indicated in retinal hemorrhage. Example Dose: 30c potency, one dose every 15 minutes until bleeding ceases.

Lachesis

Useful where there is intraocular hemorrhage where the blood is dark and remains fluid. Example Dose: 30c potency, one dose every 15 minutes until bleeding stops.

Crotalus horridus

Will limit bleeding from the eye where the blood is dark in color and remains fluid. It will also aid in the absorption of the clot. Example Dose: 30c potency, one dose every 15 minutes until bleeding stops.

Hamamelis

This remedy is useful for the effects of ocular trauma in general but of most value in hastening the absorption of clots in the eye. Example Dose: 30c potency, given twice daily until the clot is reabsorbed.

Sulphuric acid

Specifically indicated where trauma has caused massive bleeding inside the eye along with great swelling of the conjunctival membranes. This swelling and conjunctival edema is common in horses, dogs and cats and in the veterinary field it is referred to as chemosis. The conjunctiva is the clear tissue that surrounds and protects the globe (eyeball). It can result from trauma, hypoproteinemia (abnormally low level of protein in the blood), allergic reactions, and insect bites. Example Dose: 30c potency twice daily until the clot has reabsorbed.

Corneal Injuries and Abrasions

Damage to the cornea can result in permanent scarring to the eye and impairment of vision or may ultimately lead to ulceration of the corneal surface. Prompt action is always required. Don’t forget the value of Arnica, Hypericum, Ledum and Aconite in dealing with injuries to the eye in general and Euphrasia mother tincture in healing any injury. Consider the following remedies as more specific for corneal damage.

Calendula

A good general remedy for injuries to the eye and in particular to the cornea. Example Dose: 30c potency four times daily.

Conium maculatum

Useful where pain is evident and out of all proportion to the severity of the damage. The eye reacts to bright light and may water excessively even from the slightest abrasion. Example Dose: 6c potency four times daily

Euphrasia mother tincture, Euphrasia Ø

A general remedy to bathe the eyes where sore and inflamed or where the cornea has been damaged. Will help heal any injuries to the eye and reduce the risk of conjunctivitis. Instructions: Dilute before use adding two drops to 40ml of cold boiled water. Bathe affected areas two or three times daily using clean cotton balls.

Cineraria mother tincture Ø or Cineraria Eyedrops

This is a good remedy to help improve the health of the cornea and will assist healing where there is corneal damage. Instructions: Dilute the mother tincture and use as above or use the eye drops as instructed on the pack.

Foreign Bodies, sand, dirt, small pieces of straw, chaff, husk or grass awn may occasionally become lodged under one of the eyelids causing damage to the cornea (with possible ulceration) and conjunctivitis. Use appropriate remedies to assist healing after the material has been removed by your veterinarian. Wash out the eye with diluted Euphrasia Mother Tincture or tea made from the herb to afford extra relief and to help flush away foreign material and infection.

The following remedies can provide additional help:

Spigelia

Use where discomfort persists after the foreign body has been removed as indicated by profuse production of tears and frequent blinking or closing of the eye. The eyelids appear uncomfortable. Example Dose: 6c potency, given two to four times daily.

Coccus cacti

Indicated in similar circumstances to Spigelia, but where the symptoms are less pronounced, notably where there is little tear production. The animal may continue to rub the eye although the offending material has been removed. Example Dose: 6c potency, given two to four times daily.

To learn more about veterinary homeopathy, how to choose a homeopathic remedy and dosing for animals we invite you to visit our website Pet Remedy Charts.

Dogs and Ebola Virus

As I write this, Teresa Romero Ramos, a nurse assistant in Spain, is battling for her life against Ebola virus disease. Despite local protests and objections voiced via a global social media campaign, a court order mandated that Teresa’s elderly, but overtly healthy dog named Excalibur be euthanized. His remains were “put into a sealed biosecurity device and transferred for incineration to an authorized disposal facility…” Click the following link to read the rest of the "SPOT SPEAKS" article written by Dr. Nancy Kay DVM, who addresses present concerns about pets and Ebola virus.

You'll also learn how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently working with the American Veterinary Medical Association to provide information for veterinarians pertaining to pets and Ebola.

Abdominal Injuries in Dogs and Cats...Emergency At Home Care

ABDOMINAL WOUNDS

What to do if the organs are showing and the “secret” household item you should have on hand that could save your pet. 

Abdominal Wounds are common pet emergencies. Frequently small dogs and cats with severe abdominal wounds receive them following an attack by a large dog. In many cases, if a pet owner had been aware of what to do, they could have saved their dog or cat’s life.

What to do if your pet ever has a serious abdominal injury...

SIGNS

The abdomen (belly) holds most of the important internal organs. It is protected by 3 layers of muscle, plus the fat and skin, but is vulnerable to injury. A small dog or cat can easily have his entire abdomen punctured by a large dog bite. The only thing visible to you may be small punctures on the surface of the skin.

These are the most important signs which signal immediate veterinary care:

• Shock
• Pain
• Vomiting
• Evidence of injury (i.e. bruising, swelling, local pain)
• Blood in the urine if the bladder or kidneys are injured
• Blood in the stool or around the anus if the large bowel has been injured Abnormal swelling may indicate a hernia particularly in the groin or flanks
• Protrusion of intestines if the abdominal wall has been torn

CAUSES

A bite, car accident or foreign object has penetrated the abdomen (belly). Other
common ways include falling and large animal kicks.

SOLUTIONS

CALL THE VET RIGHT AWAY. Serious abdominal injuries need to be treated by a veterinarian.

CHECK FOR SHOCK

A pet in shock will act weak or sleepy. The most common sign I see are pale gums and tongue- in some dogs and cats the eyelids droop. Severe shock can result in death in as little as 15 minutes. If you suspect this, then transport to the emergency vet right away. Wrap your pet in a blanket to keep him warm, and put a few drops of honey on his gum’s, give the animal Bach Rescue Remedy and drive immediately.

APPLY PRESSURE

In bleeding wounds, you want to apply direct pressure with a clean cloth or gauze pad. If the blood seeps through, re-apply a second cloth- removing it can break up a forming clot.

CLIP THE FUR

This is advised to do so long as the wound only appears superficial and doesn’t penetrate into the abdomen. Use clippers or blunt scissors. I always advise to first fill the wound with K-Y jelly to keep the hair from adhering to the wound.

CLEAN THE WOUND

I find that it is easiest to use warm running water. The best thing is using a handheld showerhead. After gently spraying, use a damp cloth soaked with antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine) and gently wipe around the wound. If you are treating the wound at home, then perform this hydrotherapy twice daily for 3-5 days.

WHAT TO DO IF INTERNAL ORGANS ARE SHOWING

This seldom happens, but if it does you need to know what to do.

RINSE THE ORGANS

First rinse the organs with saline solution- if you don’t have this lukewarm tap water is fine. This cleans the organs and keeps the tissue moist and healthy.

PUT THE ORGANS BACK

These can be gently pushed back into the abdominal cavity after being rinsed. First soak gauze pads or a cloth in either sterile saline solution or lukewarm tap water. DON’T use your bare hands. Apply firm pressure and place the organs through the hole or tear in the abdomen. If you can’t get them to go in easily, then leave them on the moist towel. WRAP the abdominal cavity and the organs with a belly band. This is easiest with plastic wrap (Saran Wrap - the secret household item we mentioned above). It just needs to be tight enough to hold everything in place till you can get to the vet or emergency clinic.

I have been educating pet owners on how to care for their pet’s at home for years by using the natural remedies and treatments found on Pet Remedy Charts, and homeopathic treatments from the book, Fast Forward to the Cure, Veterinary Homeopathy for dogs, cats, horses, birds, pet rats and backyard chickens. It’s not complicated; it’s easy when you follow the simple step by step instructions.

 

How to Perform CPR on Dogs and Cats

CANINE OR FELINE CARDIAC ARREST

SIGNS

You find your pet lying on their side not moving or breathing. Your pet suddenly drops to the ground after running.

CAUSES

This is every pet owner’s worse nightmare, but fortunately it seldom happens. Most dogs and cats which suffer heart attacks have an underlying heart problem. This can happen with a sudden blow to the chest, hyperthermia, hypothermia, drowning, car accidents and some poisons.

EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY. CPR usually isn’t very successful without veterinary care.
CHECK RESPONSIVENESS. Often a pulse is hard to obtain, so check to see if your pet responds to external stimuli.

NO HEARTBEAT. BEGIN CPR.

1. Assess responsiveness
2. Establish a patent airway
3. Perform rescue breathing
4. Cardiac massage - establishing circulation

STEP 1

RESPONSIVENESS

The first step is making sure that your pet is truly unresponsive.

1. CHECK his breathing by placing your hand in front of his mouth and nose.

2. CHECK for his heartbeat by placing your ear against the left side of his chest. This is the area where his left elbow touches his chest, immediately behind his left armpit.

FIND A PULSE.

Put your ear on the left side of your pet’s chest directly behind their armpit and listen for the heart. You can also feel for a pulse, although this is often difficult to do in a healthy dog or cat. Press your fingers into the inside of the back leg ( the thigh and groin) to palpate the femoral artery.

Check the palpebral (relating to the eyelids) reflex by touching the inside corner of his eyelid. He should then blink.

Check the menace (threatening) reflex by quickly moving your hand towards his eye- it should cause a blink.

Pinch the toes, or the webbing between the toes. He should pull his foot back or at least twitch or move his eyes in response to the pinch.

NO RESPONSE, BUT BREATHING. No response likely means that he is unconscious. If you can see breathing, then he is likely in shock. Wrap him in a warm blanket, Put a few drops of honey on his gums, and give BACH RESCUE REMEDY every few minutes, while you get to the Vet or emergency clinic ASAP.

STEP 2

AIRWAY

The second step in CPR is obtaining an open airway.

1. PULL the tongue out of your pet’s mouth, but be careful to not get bitten. If you can't get a good hold on the tongue use a piece of gauze or paper towel.

2. STRAIGHTEN the neck by moving the head to be in line with the neck.
DO NOT HYPEREXTEND (forcefully stretch out, beyond its normal limits) IN CASES OF NECK TRAUMA.

3. PERFORM two rescue breaths, by closing the mouth and performing mouth to nose ventilations. IF they continue, then proceed to STEP 3, BREATHING (below). If there are no breaths, then look into the mouth.

4. VISIBLY inspect the mouth and look down the throat for a foreign body. If you see something, reach into the airway and remove it.

5. IF the airway is still not open, attempt THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER (shown in following steps).

6. TURN your pet upside down, with back against your chest.

7. WITH both arms, give sharp thrusts to the abdomen.

8. AFTER 5 thrusts, stop and check to see if the object is visible in the airway. If so remove it and give 2 mouth-to-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths do not go in, repeat the HEIMLICH MANEUVER.

STEP 3

BREATHING

After achieving a patent airway, perform RESCUE BREATHING.

1. CLOSE your pet’s mouth and breathe directly into his nose until his chest expands. If the chest doesn’t expand then go back to STEP 2 – AIRWAY.

2. VENTILATE at 15 breaths per minute. One BREATH every 4 seconds.

3. PROCEED to STEP 4 – CIRCULATION

STEP 4

CIRCULATION

1. ENSURE there are no major points of bleeding. Control as necessary.

2. GENTLY lay your pet on his right side.

3. LOCATE the heart, which is found on the lower half of the chest on the left side, behind the elbow of the front left leg. Place one hand below the heart to support the chest; place the other hand over the heart.

4. COMPRESS the chest 5 times followed by 1 rescue breaths. The goal is to give 80 to 100 compressions and 15 to 20 breaths per minute. Compress the chest 1⁄2 inch for small pets and 1 1⁄2 inches for large pets.

5. EVERY 5 times follow up with 1 rescue breath.
You will have to exert a lot of force with large dogs, but don’t worry about breaking ribs, ribs heal.

After every minute, stop and check for a pulse or breathing.

Continue heart massage compressions and the rescue breathing until you hear a heart beat and feel regular breathing. ONCE your pet is breathing and his heart is beating, CALL your veterinarian immediately!

ACUPUNCTURE (Resuscitation Point)

There is an acupuncture point that will stimulate breathing and help revive an animal from unconsciousness or apparent death. Stick a pin in the middle of the slit of your pet’s upper lip below the nose (midway between the nose and upper lip). If you don’t have a pin, use a knitting needle, the tip of a non-retracted ball point pen, a chopstick or the tip of your fingernail, etc.

HOME CARE

After any pet has had a heart attack, the most important thing in preventing it is determining why. Your Veterinarian can ultrasound and X-ray the heart to see if underlying heart disease was the problem.

Will you ever need to know CPR?

Probably Not.

But what if you did?

Do You know what to do?

Practice CPR on your pet BEFORE you need it.

For more information on home treatments using herbs, homeopathy, flower remedies and acupressure for dogs, cats, horses, birds, pet rats and backyard chickens visit, Pet Remedy Charts.

Homemade Kitty Litter

Make your own non-toxic, clumping, cat litter at a fraction of the cost.

Commercial perfumed cat litters are composed of chemicals that are toxic to animals and the environment and should be avoided. Most commercially sold clumping litters can block the bladder, kidneys and cause other health problems for the internal organs of grown cats and kittens. They don't even have to directly eat it to receive the toxins, because while grooming and licking themselves as part of their hygiene ritual, including between every toe to remove those little clumps of kitty litter, overtime this can cause a toxic amount of litter to get into their systems via the oral route. The clumping, dehydrating action of the litter is extremely bad for their health, and can cause illness or even death. Additionally, standard cat litters aren't biodegradable, so they end up producing more toxic waste for our landfills.

As handy as it is to scoop your kitty's urine cleanly away in a perfumed single clump, it's not worth  risking their health merely for convenience. No matter how extravagant or frugal you are, you still want something that works and something that won't harm your cat.

The Alternatives
 
There are many commercial varieties of 'healthy' kitty litter on the market, with of course a higher price range for the safer products. For example, natural wheat litters are safe and they have good clumping ability. However, the cost is around $16.00 for a ten pound bag.

Homemade Cat Litter

Store bought wheat kitty litter is expensive and literally just a bag of coarsely ground wheat. No mysterious, supernatural ingredients and not even organic. This expensive litter can easily be made at home for a fraction of the cost. Bulk whole wheat, available from health food stores, makes a safe and simple, sustainable cat litter.

Instructions:

You can use a grain grinder on a coarse setting, or simply blend some wheat berries until it's the consistency you want. The finer you grind the wheat, the better it clumps, but don't grind it as fine as flour because then it would be too dusty to have around. It doesn't need to be exact, just try for a coarse, grainier type consistency.

Also, even though you won't be eating it, we still recommend you buy organic wheat! Why go organic? Organic foods are grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Organic grains are not genetically modified. Organic wheat is grown in soil that is nurtured, not treated... which means top soil, groundwater, rivers, lakes, streams, watersheds, fish & wildlife, and people are not compromised. Also because it's important to support sustainable farming practices whenever you can, and this is a very affordable way to go about doing it. I recommend buying organic animal-grade wheat, (animal-grade means it hasn't been cleaned to the standards we expect for human consumption) most feed stores carry it in bulk. It will cost you about $14.25 for 50 pounds: this is less than 1/5 the cost of store-bought wheat cat litter! Any wheat berries will do, they are also available in bulk at your local natural food store. It's so easy to make, that when the litter pan is low, simply grind some wheat berries and toss it in.

Used homemade kitty litter can be composted or tossed in with your green waste pickup. It can also safely be buried several inches below the ground. Your plants will love it.

If your cat spends most of his time outdoors, you'll only need to remove waste from the litter pan once or twice a week. If you have an indoor cat you would probably need to do it daily.

For more pet health care solutions visit Pet Remedy Charts for Cats.

Safety Precautions

Precautions for Pregnant Women Worried About Toxoplasmosis. If you are pregnant, don't handle or accidentally breath the dust from any kind of cat litter or garden with compost made from cat litter. Cat feces can contain a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. Wear gloves when you garden (even if you don’t have a cat), in case the soil is contaminated with cat feces from neighborhood cats. Toxoplasmosis can pass to and damage your unborn baby (mother-to-child transmission). The infection can also cause a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Fortunately, cats infected with toxoplasmosis shed the organism in their feces for only a short period of time. This means that most cat feces shed by pet cats that are housed indoors are not infected with the Toxoplasma parasite and the cat litter is not a real threat to a pregnant woman.

Still, taking precautions to avoid exposure to potential toxoplasmosis in the cat litter is a good idea for any pregnant woman.

• If possible, a pregnant woman should not change the cat litter box and should avoid contact with cat feces. Ideally, another household member should change the cat litter box.
• If a pregnant woman does find it necessary to change a cat litter box, she should wear gloves when doing so and wash her hands thoroughly afterward.
• The cat litter box should be cleaned on a daily basis. Toxoplasmosis cysts in the litter box require 48 hours to become infective.
• Pregnant women should wear gloves when gardening or working in soil or sand, as it may have been used by neighborhood cats and contain cat feces.
• Pregnant women should also avoid handling or ingesting raw meat. Wearing gloves while preparing meat and washing hands thoroughly after preparation can also help avoid infection.
• Any foodstuffs from the garden (fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc.) should be washed thoroughly before ingestion.
• Do not feed the cat raw meat during your pregnancy.