Sometimes the most rewarding cases come along on Friday afternoon...
Afew months ago, I was finishing up some office work when a call came in that there was an elderly and very sick dog who had been seizuring most of the day and It was her time. I gathered my bag and headed toward Culpeper. When I arrived the family had surrounded a panting, anxious Keeshound who was pacing around the kitchen. Her face would tremor, and seize up for no reason about every 10 minutes. Every time she tried to lay down and get some rest the seizures would start. The owners expressed that if there is anything else that can be done they would be happy to try it. Homeopathy was the only modality that I could think of that may help. In a 16- year-old dog, with mammary tumors as well as a history of seizures, I had my doubts. It would take some time to work up a remedy with the symptoms given to me by the owners.
I went on home to pick up my children at the school bus, get them a snack, and hit the books. I found a remedy that fit all of the symptoms that I had for her. None of the symptoms that were given to me were emotional symptoms and often in homeopathy those are the symptoms that help me the most to find a remedy. The remedy kept coming up Ignatia… I almost did not believe it. Ignatia is often indicated for individuals suffering from symptoms associated with grief. The facial seizures fit the picture though, but I did not see the grief as being part of the case.
Soon the owner came to my house to pick up the remedy. I could not help but ask if there was anything that they could think of that may have upset the dog in the past, even in the past few years. The owner reported that the dog was very close to the husband in the family and that he had been away for quite some time over the past couple of years.
We started with Ignatia 30c that night. The dog did great that night, feeling and acting much better and into the next day. On Monday I could not help but call to see what happened. She had a couple of whole body seizures but was doing well, the facial seizures had abated and she was playing and happy. By Monday night she was having an increasing number of facial seizures and I had told her owner to give Ignatia 200c when this happened. The owner reported that she was acting like she was 5 years younger, and she was jumping around and playing.
This little dog lived another 5 months, giving her more time with her family and especially the husband who was home for the remainder of her time.
Using homeopathy in animals is quite rewarding. The animals most often respond quickly to their remedy, and often are healed by the remedy needing no other intervention.