Hello Dog Lovers Around the World:
Remember Tito, the mini-pincher with spinal disease? I would like to give you and update on his case, which I discussed in last month’s article. Tito was operated on by a veterinary specialist and came out of the surgery well. He stayed in the hospital for a day after surgery and then went home. The only instructions given to the owner was to keep him confined and feed him and slowly he would get better. The surgeon told Mr Mark it would take a few months, at least, for the dog to get back to himself again.
I spoke with Mr. Mark, Tito’s owner, after Tito came home. Mr. Mark did start him on Arnica 30C (see last month’s article) for a few days. As mentioned last month, Arnica montana is an excellent homeopathic remedy to take after surgery or any trauma (physical or emotional) to the body. It helps reabsorb edema (fluid that accumulates in the body around wound sites), and bruises. It speeds tissue recovery. After a few days on Arnica, Tito was given Hypericum 30C (St. John’s Wort) two times a day for a few days.
Hypericum for pain and trauma
Hypericum is an excellent remedy for any injury to the nerves (contusions, lacerations, punctures to parts rich in nerves like tips of fingers, teeth, tongue, genitalia.) Ever accidentally close the door on your dogs paw? Hypericum might relieve pain and help speed recovery. (However, if your dog is showing you the site is painful, a trip to the veterinarian is needed to rule out any fractured bones.)
Hypericum is an excellent remedy to take after dental procedures. Injuries to large nerves also respond well. It is also an excellent remedy for injuries to the head or spine (fractures, sprains) with sharp shooting pains, worse raising arms, movement, or worse urinating. These may be difficult to assess on your dog, but sometimes you can get an indication of these pains.
It cannot hurt to try Hypericum. If there is no improvement after three doses, then stop. (See last months article which explains how to take the remedy.) In acute situations, you can repeat it every hour or every 4 hours. But stop when you see improvement, or after three dose with no improvement at all.
I visited Tito the day after he came home from the hospital. Mr. Mark had built an area for him in the bathroom where he could rest comfortably and move around but not enough room for him to run or jump. Tito was able to get up and down and move around but he was very wobbly. He could get up to eat and eliminate. He seemed slightly depressed.
Hydrotherapy Can Work Wonders
After a few days of homeopathic remedies and Mr. Mark’s good care, Tito was feeling much better. He was standing and walking around much more. I then recommended hydrotherapy to Tito’s owner, and Tito was back to his old self in a very short time.
The Whole Dog Journal (A monthly guide to natural dog care and training). WholeDogJ@aol.com (For subscriptions: wholedogj@palmcoastd.com ) had highlighted Swimming Therapy for Dogs in their October 2000 issue. This is a relatively new therapy available to dogs. Many veterinarians are not even aware that this service exists. I would like to share this information with you with the hope it will help some of your dogs that may be suffering from spinal and other orthopedic problems.
Hydrotherapy appears to be very suitable for dogs who suffer from paralysis as well as those with arthritis and hip and elbow dysplasia, those recovering from orthopedic surgery and over-weight dogs. Hydrotherapy is an excellent way to provide gentle exercise for these conditions. This allows muscle strength to be rebuilt slowly and naturally.
A Great Alternative
After a dog had hip or elbow surgery, many veterinarians advise owners to rest their animal and slowly start gradual exercise. The recovery process can be long and require a lot of nursing care by the owners. This is especially difficult with large dogs that are primarily candidates for these problems. Proponents of hydrotherpay feel this non-weight bearing exercise, which encourages full range of motion activity, required for swimming, helps to speed recovery.
I do not think you should try this yourself in your bathtub or pool, unless your dog is very small. The people doing this are very well trained in how to help an injured dog or dog recovering from surgery. They recommend the pool be heated 90 degrees, which allows the muscles to relax. They also feel that if you do not know what you are doing, your dog can get nervous, might scratch you, or become over tired.
This swim therapy may not only be for injured dogs but can benefit dogs with hip dysplasia. Swim therapy helps them to relax their hip joints, allows the hip join to sit better in the socket, and dogs are able to walk better after this therapy.
As an aside, my client, Mr. Mark, tried swimming Tito in his bathtub. He told me that Tito got nervous and water was everywhere. On my recommendation he took Tito to a professional swim therapist in New York City. After a few sessions, Tito is doing very well. The other day he called to ask my how much to let Tito run around. Tito seems to be back to his old self. It is great to be able to share a happy ending to Tito’s story.
Holidays Can Be Dangerous for your Dog
On closing, one word about the holiday seasons ahead of us. The day after the holidays is one of the busiest at veterinary offices. This is because people tend to feed their dogs lots of different foods from the table, especially during a big holiday meal. The dogs may become sick with vomiting and diarrhea from these foods because they are unaccustomed to eating them. Try to restrain from feeding your dog a lot of extra foods, if possible. Two homeopathic remedies can help for these symptoms. Nux vomica 30C or Arsenicum Album 30C. Try two to three doses of each every time you see vomiting and or diarrhea. If the remedy doesn’t help after the third dose, it probably won’t help at all. If your dog continues to have these symptoms, you will need to see your veterinarian.
Chocolate Can be Fatal for your dog
Chocolates can act like a poison to a dog’s system. They lack the enzymes to digest chocolate. Even a small amount could be fatal to your dog. So please be careful. If you are planning to have chocolate out for your guests, be sure it is placed somewhere the dog cannot reach it. If someone brings you a box of chocolate, place it up higher than your dog can reach. Many dogs are very good at “stealing” food off the table.
With all that said and done I truly wish each and every one of you a Happy Holiday Season filled with peace, love and joy.
Until next month, Happy Tails to All,
Jill Elliot, DVM
Hydrotherpay Resources
The following is a list of Hydrotherapy Resources in the United States. I do not know of any outside of the United States. However, perhaps someone reading this article will become interested enough in this important form of therapy to pursue training in this area and bring this option to their country. Please let me know if this happens.
Angel’s Gate Hospice and Rehabilitation Center for Companion Animals
18 Josephine Lane, Fort Salonga, New York 11768, Phone: (631) 269-7641
Susan Marino, Founder
Carolina Canine Center
2104 Georgia Street, Greenboro, North Carolina 27408, Phone (336) 373-9663
www.carolinacanine.com Merry Black
The Animal Fitness Center
15790 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, California 95120, Phone (408) 997-0828 or (831) 726-3349
www.dogtherapy.com Kathy Kern
The following therapists were trained by Kathy Kern:
Bonnie’s K9 Corp. 136 Ninth Avenue, New York, New York 10011,
Phone (212) 414-2500
www.k9-swimtherapy.com Jodi Richard
Desert Haze Swim Therapy for Canines
Scottsdale, Arizona, Phone (480) 947-7011
www.dogswimtherapy.com Suzanne Hayes
PawAbilities, Unlimited
1415 Liberty Street, N.E., Salem, Oregon 97303 Phone (503) 399-1180
www.everythingpawsible.com Laurie Jensen, MeloDee Glaser, LuAnn Roberts
