by Deborah Collins
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Placebo for animals? I could not help smiling at this oxymoron, while putting together this issue on homeopathy for animals. Animals, after all, are unlikely to think that little white sugar pills or a few drops in their water might do anything to relieve their complaints. Yet, an ever increasing number of veterinarians worldwide make successful use of homeopathy, often finding their way to it when all else has failed.
Farmers, who are usually known to be practical types and sometimes reluctant to try out methods that have not been tried and tested, find that carefully applied homeopathy reduces the need for antibiotics in their livestock.
Pet owners, as well as those homeopaths who also work with animals, see the results on a daily basis. Some of the most dramatic cures of homeopathy have been seen in animals, who would otherwise have been put down, such as the case of Rupert the horse, published in the July/August 2010 issue. So much for the placebo effect!
In this issue, we were fortunate to have a good supply of cases to choose from; in fact, so many that another issue will soon be dedicated to our animal friends. It is interesting to note the various approaches used and how it is possible “even” with animals to make use of the more modern methods, such as the sensation approach. It is also interesting to see the after-effects of vaccinations and how homeopathy can addressed them.
Behavioral problems and their backgrounds are explored, as well as physical complaints which, as we shall see, sometimes have their source in past emotional issues.
We wish you much reading pleasure and look forward to your comments.
Categories: Editorials
Keywords: animals
Remedies:
by Geoff Johnson

Arran, a 5 years old entire male border collie, presented with arthritis of the thoracic spine and pelvis on 25/3/08, confirmed by radiography. The pelvis gave him great discomfort, demonstrated by pain on palpation and difficulty rising.
In the consulting room, he was lively, excitable, and starting at little movements and noises. He approached me and accepted a stroke and then returned to the owner, whom he licked and clung to slightly, pawing her leg and hiding behind her a bit. He was fearful and trembling on being examined and sought protection from the owner. He was very alert. “He is very watchful and has 360 degree senses.”
He was chosen by the owners from his litter-mates because they noticed that he was always exploring and on his own, "although he was not an outcast." He kept climbing up things and falling off. He is very intelligent. He will not let visitors approach initially but, given time, he will go to them. If someone really wants to be loved by him, however, he will not oblige - “he hates being over-smothered.” He has always had a nervous edge, which is worse with children because they “barge and crash and he slinks off.” He loves walking, particularly at the sea and in open spaces, like the moors, rather than in woodland.
He is excessively sensitive to feelings; if someone is crying, he comes, puts his head on their knees, and is very quiet. If they are laughing, he brings a toy and wants to be with them. Raised voices make him cower and freeze. He waits until he knows what you want him to do and then does it. He is very obedient and adores being trained but hates the lead. He has profuse slobbering because he pants so much in the car, being so excited by winding lanes “because they are walks and fun,” but settles and sleeps on the motorway. His favorite game is jumping in the air and catching things. When his back is bad, he becomes more jumpy, is averse to touch, and does not want a fuss. The physiotherapist says his muscles are frequently in spasm, especially the neck.
He hates bathing. He hates being cornered in any way and cowers or tries to get out but in a defensive way rather than an attacking way. He would never chase sheep; once another dog chased some sheep and Arran went, rounded up the other dog, and brought her back “because he knew I was concerned and intuitively he does my wishes.”
He is not top or bottom dog, and is not too concerned about hierarchy. He will, however, fight an aggressor. He is not over-sexed. He is a bit jealous and if the owner makes a fuss of another dog, he becomes “a sickening goody-two shoes”. He pushes between the owner and her partner when they cuddle. He behaves worse when the owner is with him at the physiotherapist's “because he feels he has to protect me.” He is not clairvoyant. He is sensitive to changes in atmosphere, which makes him sneeze.
When a visitor unknown to him comes, he barks ferociously until he is told to stop, and
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then goes away to his bed. If the visitor is a friend, he is delighted and tries to get a game going.
Analysis
Remember, it is important to listen to the exact words of the owner.
There are several themes running through the case:
1: tubercular energy – averse to being smothered, cornered, the lead; the desire for open spaces, winding roads cause excitement, the exploring and climbing as a small puppy. 2: Empathy – meaning an awareness and full comprehension of others’ feelings.
This is different from sympathy, which does not suggest such understanding, and clairvoyance, which suggests knowledge but not necessarily with sympathy. Note that the snakes are clairvoyant, the spiders have a great sensitivity to others' feelings but cannot understand them, and mammals have compassion and the power to comfort.
3: Alertness
The kingdom is not as obvious here as in some cases but the alertness and 'aliveness' suggests an animal remedy, although some plant (e.g. Solanaceae) and mineral remedies (e.g. phosphorus compounds) can, of course, appear like this. It was more of a feeling that an animal remedy was required despite the fact that hierarchy was not an issue.
The degree of empathy or sympathy suggests a mammal or a bird remedy. The tubercular element suggests a bird, spider, or insect remedy. The fine tremor and great alertness together could suggest a bird – that feeling of holding a small bird in your hand. 360 degree vision suggests bird or insect remedy. I was considering a bird remedy after the first 10 minutes of consultation; the confirmation came through
Arran's fears. “He is watchful with noise but not too bothered and is OK with fireworks and thunder. He is really twitchy in the morning with the dawn chorus and in the house, seems terrified by the calls of pheasants – he becomes twitchy and pants and rolls his
eyes and clings to me, yet he will chase pheasants, when I let him out in the morning.”
After that statement the only decision was 'which bird to use?' A materia medica search revealed that Ovi gallinae pellicula (the inner lining of hen's egg) has a strong affinity to the lumbo-sacral area and is generally worse for over-exertion. The difficulty with veterinary homeopathy is that you cannot take the animal verbally to level 5 (sensation or source level), as you do with human patients, who may well tell you reasonably accurately what sort of bird they need! Chicken did not seem ideal because hierarchy is very important to them; 'pecking order'. The extreme 'Carcinosin like' obedience of
Arran, however, could suggest a domesticated bird. Obviously, pheasant could be considered but my dealings with them do not suggest great intelligence!
Prescription: Ovi gallinae pellicula 200c bid 2doses, taken on 28/3/08
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Follow-up
A month later: his lameness and discomfort were very much worse the day after taking the remedy. He could hardly move, was continually changing position, and would not be touched for 24 hours. Then, for three days, he was three times as bad in his reaction to the pheasants’ calls and the dawn chorus; “As soon as they started, he was squeaking
and running up the stairs to get to me.” He had become very jumpy in the thoracic area, if he was touched.
Two months late: he looks great, has shown steady improvement, and is happy to be stroked. He shows no stiffness and just climbed Mt Snowdon in the snow, where he fell all over the place, yet seemed fine the next day. He has stopped coming upstairs. He is generally cheerier, has become less clingy and is not scared of everything all the time.
The physiotherapist said he was transformed and could not understand how such a change occured in him in only 4 weeks. He can now stretch his legs right back.
Birds in Homeopathy
General animal themes present: survival, one-upmanship, jealousy, ego, competition, dirty, smallness, attack and defense.
It has been suggested that the animal theme is not as obvious in birds as in other families but I have not observed this.
Bird Mind
Impartial detachment but also connection – the way a homeopath must be detached but also connected
Intuition/natural knowing
Drugged disorientated, out of it, not there
Spiritual and search for it
Empathy +/- family awareness – often in healing professions
Group or family relationships depending on whether flock or solitary
Responsibility and freedom
Trapped
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Connection to mountains and sea
Freedom, travel +/- sophisticated, cosmopolitan
Pride without haughtiness
The urge to do it right – not quite perfectionism – to protect, care, mother
Claustrophobia
Sensitive
Empathy
Indifferent, cold, detached
Words
Trapped, escape, hunt, chase, fly, soar, high, heavy, hooks, surprise attack from the blue, rip, tear, violence, murder, buoyant, horizon, travel, extension, separated, focus, speed, swoop, suffocated, claws, blood, torture, crushing, power, heavy, light, suffocation, vision acute/clear/far/bright, caged, cornered, oppressed, free, freespirited, free-fall, empathy, flight, clarity, direction, order, balance, speed, horizon.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
A black and white border collie; Johh Leslie
Border Collie "Griff", taken on a hill top (about 2,700 feet) in the Southern Uplands of
Scotland; Beth Loft
Categories: Cases
Keywords: averse to being smothered, desire open spaces, empathy, alertness, arthritis, pelvic stiffness
Remedies: Ovi gallinae pellicula
by Vicki Mathison
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K ashmir, an 18 year old Arab broodmare, presented with the most horrendous case of mud fever, rain scald, and loss of weight despite being on excellent pasture and daily hard feeds. She had been treated with everything! As horse owners know, there are nearly as many bizarre suggestions on how to deal with mud

fever as there are horses. Nothing had made the slightest difference, including homeopathic remedies well indicated for her physical problem.
This mare had had a miserable for the first 14 years of life; she had been savagely abused and struggled to trust humans. Kashmir’s way of dealing with her fear was to avert her head: “If I can’t see you, you don’t exist and cannot hurt me(?)” Looking into the depth of her eyes, one could clearly see the hurt, pain, and profound desolation.
She showed no aggression or anger – just a dull submission. She had been given
Staphisagria and this had been the turning point in her ability to trust her present owners.
4 years later, she was sent to stud – away from everything she had grown to trust. The subsequent weaning of her foal seemed to have brought up all of her past trauma. The strange aspect of the case was that she did not show any emotional signs of distress during the weaning and was looked after beautifully by the owner of the stud. She did, however, show symptoms of deep depression and it seemed that her immune system had taken a dive, hence the severe skin destruction.
It seemed that Kashmir needed to be treated on an emotional level, for without addressing this level first, the remedies well indicated for her physical problems were not able to work. The plan was to bring her back into her body and then proceed with other remedies.
She was given Staphisagria 1m for two days and that was ALL she needed! Fourteen days later, the mud fever and rain scald had disappeared, she had gained weight, and she was back to her original relaxed and affectionate self.
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Before treatment One week later Two weeks later
Photos: Vicky Mathison
Categories: Cases
Keywords: mud fever, rain scald, emaciation, savagely abused, struggles to trust humans
Remedies: Staphisagria
by Evelien van der Kamp
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Karel is a Dutch long-haired German shepherd dog. The first time I saw him, he was 10 months old and had just started his training as a guide dog for the blind. After an initial good start, he became hyperactive, circling the whole day in his kennel; he was completely unreachable until he was let out, then he made contact. Once out, he was hyperactive, chasing everything – cats, joggers, birds, and even fast cars. When brought back to his kennel, the contact with him was again lost. It became impossible to train him.
He ought to weigh about 40 kilos, according to his race and his age, but he only weighed 27 kilos and his hip bones and ribs stuck far out of his furry coat. He was well fed on a good brand diet, made especially for large dogs. He ate everything but it came out almost undigested, with constant loose stools.
Guide dogs live their first year in a guest home with children, where they are cherished and constantly accompanied. The dog learns everything along the way; he goes to the market, comes in the car, and learns the little things, such as ignoring other dogs and sitting before crossing the street. At the end of that year, he is taken away from his family and goes into formal training, which in practice means being put in a kennel until he is let out for walks or for training. Many dogs cope with this system but some do not.
In human terms, one could say that these dogs go from heaven to hell. Some dogs undergo a completely change of character and display unacceptable behaviour, which was the case with Karel.
He was the first guide dog brought to me for treatment. The owners had very little faith
– neither in him nor in homeopathy as such. I was told that he was being put on probation while the training continued, then two weeks later, I heard that he was disqualified for the training and had even been put on the list for euthanasia. He was regarded as a hopeless case, completely disturbed. There was nothing to lose, though, and I was allowed to try my best for him!
I gave him Iodum C200, twice, based on his obsessive behaviour, his digestion, his impulsiveness, and his history of “losing his home” – a major theme of Iodum, according to Jan Scholten. He improved enormously and after two weeks of being let out every two hours, his digestion was back to normal: he ate well, his stools were firm, and he could hold them in. He was disqualified from training and began a new life. He was lively, cheerful, and enthusiastic but the problems were not completely over yet.
His impulsive behaviour continued; he acted impulsively and frightened people by chasing them for fun, with a big smile on his face. When he reached them, he would bark twice, wag his tail, and then turn around; he did not bite. Being in a car was also a problem. The idea that it had to do with small spaces was verified by his behaviour in confined places such as lifts. He was a typical example of “all bark but no bite”; afraid of things that others would find normal. He had diarrhea from anticipation. His character was open and he made contact with everyone.
He was given Argentum nitricum 200C, which again helped him enormously. This was given frequently in the course of the following years and the improvement continued.
Finally, he became a wonderful dog, who charmed everyone with his charisma. His weight was around 47 kilos, without much fat.
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He died recently of old age and his ashes were scattered on one of our favorite places on this beautiful island (Schiermonnikoog). I would like to dedicate this article to him, one of the nicest, most fun dogs I’ve ever known.
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Thankfully, the training for guide dogs has changed since Karel’s time; these days dogs often live at home with their trainers.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
11 week old German shepherd puppy. Head profile; Marilyn Peddle
Pastor alemán gallego; Albert Galliza
Categories: Cases
Keywords: hyperactive, unreachable, impulsive, loss of home, digestive problems, weight loss
Remedies: Argentum nitricum, Iodium
by Douglas Wilson
The patient is a 15 year old desexed female Siamese cat called Daisy. She had been diagnosed about a year ago with hyperthyroidism. She was being treated with
Felimazole (thiamazole/methimazole) 2.5mg BID. The owner said the treatment was expensive and difficult to administer. She also reported side effects of listlessness, lack of appetite, and occasional vomiting.
Previous History
The problem started about a year ago, following a rabies vaccination. She became less active and suffered a dramatic loss in weight. Previously, she had developed a local injection site reaction, between the withers. She lost her voice after being involved in a

road traffic accident several years ago. She recently relocated from London to Croatia and lives in a household with 2 other cats.
Laboratory results
The thyroxine (T4) level was 70 nmol/L at the time of initial diagnosis (normal 8 - 40).
Levels ranged between 40 and 11.4 during the period of treatment.
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1st Consultation: 14/10/2010
2.7kg
Eyes: alternating watery/dry. Painful
Nose: dry
Mouth: moderate tartar
Heart Rate: elevated, over 190 when untreated
Personality/Character
Alert, interactive
‘Love junky’ (but only on her own terms)
Manipulative. Likes to control owner (less so with boyfriend)
Likes to be centre of attention, but also wants to be on her own
Sensitive to other people’s feelings
Jealous of other cats
Used to chew wool (since young) but not recently
Likes

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To be warm
Dislikes
Sudden fast movements
Lavender
Vacuum noise
Crinkly aluminium foil
Food
Can be fussy
Likes fresh tuna, prawns, salt
Drinks
Always drinks a lot
Repertorisation using Radar version 9.0 and Synthesis 9.1V
Sum of symptoms (sort:deg) - Sum of symptoms (sort:deg) - Intensity is
considered
1 1234 4 GENERALS - VACCINATION; ailments after - never well since
2 1234 1 GENERALS - VACCINATION; ailments after - rabies; for
3 1234 3 MIND - MANIPULATIVE
4 1234 1 MIND - JEALOUSY
5 1234 3 MIND - INDIFFERENCE - everything, to
6 1234 2 MIND - SENSITIVE - noise, to - crackling of paper, to
7 1234 1 LARYNX AND TRACHEA - VOICE - lost - fright agg.
8 1234 2 GENERALS - FOOD and DRINKS - salt - desire
9 1234 2 GENERALS - WARM - desire for warmth
10 1234 1 GENERALS - FOOD and DRINKS - tuna fish - desire
Prescription
Reference to materia medica confirmed that Thuja was indicated, since it reflected many (but not all) of the major symptoms. Thyroidinum was also given as part of an ongoing investigation into rebalancing glandular activity (using LM potencies), with the intention of subsequently weaning off Felimazole.
I routinely use LM potency remedies, beginning with the lowest potency available at the time.
Ø Thuja LM2 SID
Ø Thyroidinum LM2 SID
Ø Felimazole 2.5mg EOD
4
1
9
69
112
11
4
116
31
2

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Ø Encourage raw meaty diet
2nd Consultation: 18/11/2010
The weight has increased to 3kg. Daisy’s general appearance has improved and she has more energy. She is eating a variety of fresh meats but vomited liver. Her voice is returning although it is still croaky. She also started to chew wool again last week. The homeopathic treatments were given as directed but the boyfriend did not give
Felimazole regularly.
Interpretation
The increased weight and improved appearance are encouraging. The increase in energy and appetite for fresh meat may be a response to the treatment but it could also be the result of a reduced exposure to Felimazole. The observation that Daisy started to chew wool again is a good sign since this is the return of a previous long term behaviour that stopped when she started to suffer from hyperthyroidism. Another favourable sign is the return of her voice, which she lost after a road traffic accident several years ago.
Prescription
The homeopathic treatment was continued as before and the Felimazole was reduced to
2.5mg twice weekly.
3rd Consultation: 07/01/2011
Daisy’s weight is still increasing and is now 3.4kg. Her voice has returned and is no longer croaky. She is eating her raw food diet well. Her nose is not dry and her eyes appear better. Her breath smells better and she is no longer jealous when other cats sit on the owner’s knee.
Interpretation

An improvement in all the physical symptoms is encouraging. Daisy is improving on a deeper level since she no longer appears to be jealous. The improvement in her breath is perhaps because she is actually flossing her teeth when she chews wool (?!)
Prescription
Reduce Thuja LM2 to once, every second day. Continue Thyroidinum LM2 SID. Stop
Felimazole.
Future Plan
Re-visit after one month. Consider using Natrum muriaticum instead of Thuja, if this is indicated. Probably also wean off Thyroidinum.
It is anticipated that Natrum muriaticum is likely to be required at some time in the future, as a constitutional remedy for Daisy. This is for several reasons, especially the mental symptoms.
Sensitive
To other people’s feelings
To crinkly aluminium foil - repertorised as rustle of paper (although most cats are averse to the sound of aluminium foil)
‘Love junky’ on her terms
Likes to be centre of attention, but also wants to be on her own
As with Thuja, Natrum muriaticum has strong sycotic symptoms that are shared by the patient. These include:
Vaccinosis
Hyper: overactive gland
Hydrogenoid: always drinks a lot (uncommon in cats fed properly)
Salt: desires salt and sea food
Felimazole side effects:
It is worthwhile reminding ourselves of the side effects that are recognised for
Felimazole since some of these (eg, vomiting, anorexia, and listlessness) may contribute to the patient’s symptom picture.
Vomit, off food, listless
Itchy face & neck (self traumatise)
Bone marrow suppression (red blood cells and white blood cells)
Reduces hepatic oxidation of benzimidazole anthelmintics (advise caution when worming)
Less effective if on phenobarbitone
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Immunomodulatory (caution advised with vaccination)
It is also important to be aware of the side effects that occur in people since our clients will be administering the drug. This is particularly important in pregnant women since
Felimazole is a suspect teratogen. It is excreted in the urine, so women should wash their hands after handling the drug and when emptying litter trays.
Categories: Cases
Keywords: hyperthyroidism, rabies vaccination, love junky, weight loss, croaky voice,
Remedies: Thuja, Thyreoidinum
by Evelien van der Kamp
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Job is a three year old female golden retriever, who has been brought in for consultation due to biting her owner when she is in a stressful situation. When she is on the loose, she also bites other people and dogs. Her owner has become panicky over this behaviour change, since her previous golden retriever had to be euthanized for a similar rage syndrome. She and her dog are losing trust in each other; when the owner is in a panic her dog bites even more. Job is very open and seems to pick up every little signal, which she cannot channel, and then she bites. Immediately afterwards, she is full of remorse: she behaves submissively and licks her owner’s hands.
Job has various anxieties: noise – she startles from relatively small noises and screaming children, and she does not dare to go in the kitchen when the dishwasher is on. She dislikes the garden sprinkler. She is, however, not afraid of fireworks, not even of fire-crackers thrown right between her legs! When she is anxious, she hides under the table against the wall. She is excited when there is strong wind and she chases everything that flies into the air. She is pushy, nervous, over-sensitive, and possessive of her owner. She has a very good appetite and has tough stringy saliva. In general, she is warm and prefers to lie in the shade. She has been vaccinated every year; a complete cocktail, including rabies.
Analysis:
A dog who does not tolerate stimuli well, which results in short sharp bursts of panic and the tendency to bite anyone nearby. This is followed immediately by remorse.
Saliva stringy. Worse from sun, wind, and the sound of water
Prescription: Lyssinum (rabies nosode) C30, repeated after two weeks.

Follow-up:
She improved immensely until the owner has her re-vaccinated a month later (again a complete “cocktail”, as well as deworming. After this, she had severe diarrhea and she became very restless; she was chasing everything that moves and attacked cyclists.
Lyssinum 30C was repeated but as the reaction was not as good this time, a higher potency was given: Lyssinum 200, 3 times. The owner was also advised to stop the rabies vaccinations and the monthly worm tablets.
Job’s disposition improved once again, and her owner felt confident enough to take her to agility training, which requires an excellent rapport between owner and dog (The handler teaches the dog various commands, and they run through an obstacle course together).
Three years later, she is still doing well.
The differential diagnosis was Stramonium but the fear of water and the stringy saliva pointed clearly to Lyssinum. A beautiful rubric for Lyssinum is: “anger, alternating with quick repentance.”
Many dogs respond with a similar aggression after their rabies vaccinations; sometimes, not after the first one but often after the second or third dose. It has become an important question to ask in the anamnesis of dogs who suddenly become aggressive or display behaviour changes.
With Lyssinum dogs, one sees a contradiction in their behaviour: they can be frightened of something tiny, yet be fearless in situations where one would normally expect a dog to be afraid.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Golden retriever playing in the snow;Ltshears
Categories: Cases
Keywords: biting, remorse, anxious from noise, stringy saliva, over-sensitive
Remedies: Lyssinum
by Vicki Mathison
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Meg is a 6 year old female pig dog, nervously presented for treatment by her owner who strongly believed that homeopaths are closely related to witches, warlocks, and the marginally insane.

Meg’s problem was chronic kidney pathology resulting in black like ink blood from her kidneys. This had been going on for about 3 months with the urine almost totally blood.
She had been on every imaginable veterinary medication during that time with no improvement. The vet diagnosis was not clear; seemingly bleeding from one kidney with no infection, no crystals, and normal blood clotting properties shown in her blood test. The prognosis was not good. The owner was offered an operation to remove one kidney, with the risk of her not surviving the surgery. If she came through, she would never be able to hunt or run again.
She was a very stoic dog and showed no signs of her life-threatening illness other than the blood. Her energy levels were compromised but apart from that, she just kept on trucking. Other than the fact that the blood was blacker and thicker in the mornings, there appeared to be no clear modalities in her case.
Meg was definitely the alpha dog in the pack of five pig dogs. In the words of her owner: “She just IS. She doesn’t seem to need to defend her position and is not aggressive or even particularly assertive with the other dogs – and believe me, they are no pussycats!” Meg’s owner described her as “slightly arrogant “because she knows she is the BEST hunter of the pack; confident, proud, fearless and will work until she drops.”
There seemed to be no outstanding mental/emotional symptoms, no other physical disorders, no known family history, and no clear causation.
When she appeared at the clinic, the first thing that struck me was her eyes – yellowish green and elongated. She slid into the consult room and when I welcomed her, she shot her head forward in a darting motion; totally friendly but with a distinctive sudden and sharp movement. I could not resist hanging this case on Sankaran’s sensation method and despite Meg not showing other strong Snake characteristics, such as aggression and jealousy, I decided to give her Lachesis, based on her appearance and gestures.
Lachesis is indicated for black urine but is not mentioned under ‘black like ink’. Lachesis pertaining to Meg’s pride and slight arrogance is indicated under MIND:Egotistical
(haughty)
Prescription
She was given Lachesis 30c – twice daily for three days and by the fourth day the urine was clear. She was back running with the pack within 7 days. Three years later, she is still an energetic working dog.
Regarding Meg’s apparent lack of aggression and volatility in relation to her unquestioned and totally unchallenged position of leadership in the pack, I wonder if the other dogs were aware of a covert power, which was not detected by us humans.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bull terrier; Caelum
Categories: Cases
Keywords: black like ink urine, alpha dog, stoic, confident, proud, fearless
Remedies: Lachesis muta {as Lachesis mutus} comments to this article
2011 April
by Geoff Johnson
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Beanie Sturgess, a 9year old entire greyhound x collie bitch, was referred to me on 1/10/07, three tenths lame with a diagnosis of osteosarcoma of the right fore. Examination confirmed a walnut sized bony swelling on the lateral aspect of the proximal humerus. Radiographies clearly showed osteolysis, new bone formation, and periosteal new bone formation, subsequently confirmed by Hamish Denny as an osteosarcoma. Beanie was on Flexicam for pain relief. The case carried of course a very bleak prognosis conventionally, leading the owner to seek homeopathy. The family wanted to see if they could have one more
Christmas with Beanie.
In my consulting room, Beanie looked very gentle and lay motionless by the owner accepting strokes. She approached me only once in the hour consultation. When she moved, her lameness was obvious. Her character was described as faithful, submissive, lively, and playful.
Her history reveals the group of compounds from which the required homeopathic medicine is chosen. She was the first in the litter of pups to explore, bark and jump up, and was the most agile and the quickest learner. The mother only spent one night with the pups and afterwards only saw the pups to feed them, which she did standing up, before leaving to sleep elsewhere. The behaviour of the mother may have contributed to Beanie developing separation anxiety at five months. She still howls if left alone. She also became 'dependent for cuddles'. She is very perceptive, especially to the owners going away. She is sensitive to raised voices and reprimand. She fears thunder and storms, wishing to hide in a corner or sit with the owner; if the owner consoles her, she calms down. She is not bothered about hierarchy with other dogs and is neither dominant nor submissive. On a walk, she disappears, exploring everywhere. These facts suggest that the homeopathic medicine required is probably a compound containing phosphorus.
Beanie was brought up in the wilderness, in France, and had a stray dog companion with whom she would go roaming for long distances every night. She had complete freedom with her 'partner in crime', who would lead her away on these jaunts. In April
'07, the Sturgess family returned to Somerset, leaving the stray behind. Beanie became depressed, seemed 'lost', with an air of 'what have I done wrong?' In July, Beanie vomited fresh blood. In August, she developed reverse sneezing which passed. In
September, lameness developed on the right fore, with subsequent diagnosis of the tumour.
Based on the above information, and the knowledge of which medicines are effective for bone cancer, I prescribed an aqueous solution of Phosphorus 200c, 5ml tid.
The owners reported after a week that Beanie seemed more alert and had only vomited twice in seven days, which was unusual. The lameness was no better. I instructed them to continue with the Phosphorus 200c.

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On the 12-11-07, Beanie was very happy and lively but had gone very lame. This coincided with the family moving house again. The tumour was getting bigger.
Because the lameness had worsened and the tumour grown, I thought that the remedy required by Beanie was either not Phosphorus or that the case was incurable. Beanie, however, seemed to the owners and to friends met out on dog walks, to be more happy and lively. This mental amelioration without physical improvement suggested that the required remedy was closely related to Phosphorus. This could mean elements adjacent to Phosphorus horizontally or vertically in the periodic table, or a compound of
Phosphorus.
The worsening of the lameness when the owners moved house is reminiscent of the development of the tumour after the original move from France. The likely aetiology in
Beanie's case is moving house and the stress that this entails. An investigation of the twelve medicines particularly useful, when ailments come on due to the specific stress of homesickness, reveals that the commonest one is Phosphoric acid. This is also known to be a major remedy to counter the effects of grief; leaving the stray dog behind in
France.
I changed the prescription to Phosphoric acid 200c tid.
On 8-1-08, Mrs Sturgess reported that the lameness had decreased and Beanie was full of life. I advised that Phosphoric acid 200c was to be continued tid, alternating weekly with Carcinosin 200c tid. This alternating system was developed in India by Dr
Ramakrishnan, who has successfully treated thousands of cases of cancer using homeopathy.
By April 2008, the bony lump had decreased in size and Beanie was not lame; she was weaned off the Flexicam. There was no pain or necessity for painkillers for 14 months, and the Phosphoric acid was continued.
In July 2009, 22 months after diagnosis, Beanie became lame again and did not respond to increased doses of Phosphoric acid. Even with amputation the median survival time for an osteosarcoma is 18-25 weeks (Denny – Guide to Canine and Feline Orthopaedic Surgery Third Edition). The lump started to grow and it was decided to avoid any potential suffering, so Beanie was put to sleep at the end of
August.
They had all enjoyed two 'extra' Christmases.
NB: If readers would like to contact me for a more in depth reason for the choice of
Phosphoric acid and the relevance of the history and Beanie's behaviour, they are welcome to do so.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
A white greyhound puppy; Scott Robinson
Danish Christmas tree; Malene Thyssen

Categories: Cases
Keywords: osteosarcoma, homesickness, grief, separation anxiety, perceptive, sensitive to sounds, explorer
Remedies: Phosphoric acid, Phosphorus
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