19 Feb 2012
by adminin Uncategorized
Scoobie is an 8 year old Maltese with a very strong mind of his own, so I guess it was not all that surprising when he decided to cross the street unexpectedly while on a walk with his person around Christmas time. Unfortunately, being a little Maltese dog, you’re not a great match for a car. Poor Scoobie, and his distraught people, ended up at the emergency clinic on a Sunday evening in pretty bad shape.
After emergency stabilization for shock and pain it was determined that Scoobie had multiple fractured ribs but seemed to be relatively lucky as far as internal injury goes. The emergency vets were concerned about Scoobie’s neurological status, though, as he would not stand or even right himself properly. A referral was made to a neurologist and Scoobie was sent home, partly because he was so distressed being away from home and from his family.
I saw Scoobie a few days after the incident and despite good conventional pain medication (fentanyl and tramadol), Scoobie was still extremely painful and would scream bloody murder when touched even lightly. He could walk but would fall over after a few steps. His people reported that he was quite restless, not eating properly and just seemed uncomfortable and freaked out overall. At this point they were still worried that he would not make it.
Knowing how incredibly powerful homeopathy is in the trauma department, I assured the clients that Scoobie’s chances of full recovery were good, but that it might take a little time and patience, especially for full mobility.
We started him on a homeopathic remedy called Aconite for the shock and fear and then after a few days of that switched to the trauma king of remedies Arnica.
Scoobie started eating properly quite soon after starting these remedies, and we slowly weaned him off his pain meds as things improved. Other remedies that we used over the week included rhus-tox (for joint pain), Chamomilla (a remedy Scoobie had done well on in the past when he had back pain), cuprum, bryonia and arsenicum (for diarrhea from the stress of it all).
Scoobie has continued to improve, and although I’m not sure he’s 100% normal (I’m not sure he was ever 100% normal and I think his people would agree!), he is currently a happy dog, going on his walks, running the house, and proud that he may be a small dog, but he challenged a car… and…. won(?!)
19 Oct 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
Just home after an incredibly inspiring seminar led by Dr. Sue Armstrong and Dr. Don Hamilton. We are a small group of 15 veterinary homeopaths that have met a number of times over the past few years at the San Geronimo lodge in Taos, New Mexico, to study the treatment of cancer with homeopathy and supportive care in animals. Dr. Sue leads the way with her experience in treating cats, dogs, horses and people. She takes us through the science and the conventional approaches, to make sure we’re up to date, and then she leads us through nutrition, supplements, organ supports, and the various approaches to the different forms of cancer. We learn from her cases and from each others’ cases. Perhaps we learn the most from our struggles.
I had the opportunity to present a difficult case that I was working through and I had just the one. Julen is a 13 year old black and white kitty who is lucky to be in home with 2 wonderfully dedicated women who take superb care of him. Julen has not been doing well since about March, and since then has had periods of severe pancreatitis, fluid in his abdomen, numerous visits to the emergency clinic, a few ultrasounds and finally an exploratory surgery this past month. It did not look good in there. Although we did not biopsy, our assumption at this point is that Julen has metastatic cancer somewhere in his abdomen, possibly affecting his pancreas and stomach. The surgeon suggested that perhaps we let Julen go on the table, but I felt that Julen had some will to live left, so we sewed him up and sent him home. He recovered from surgery better than I expected and within not too long started acting like his normal self again.
Presenting his case was a bit of an exercise in humility, but it was one of the best learning experiences that I could have hoped for. We split into groups and then came back with suggestions from each group. The suggestions included organ support, nutritional support and homeopathic remedies.
I emailed the clients right away and we got Julen on some probiotics, alfalfa, dandelion and goldenseal, marshmellow tea and slippery elm, digestive enzymes, B vitamins. A small remedy, leptandra, was suggested but it turns out that no one in Vancouver has it! Right now Julen is on Calc-sulph in low potency because he has some drainage from his incision, but stay tuned….
The lesson that I learn from these wonderful animals and that was supported by this group of wise, compassionate veterinarians, is that there is so much possibility for healing even when presented with a very bad disease.
I love palliative care. I don’t know how I would practice it without homeopathy and other alternative therapies, but I think just having an approach which respects and supports a creature’s energy of life, and then recognizes when it’s time to die and helps that transition happen with peace and dignity, is such an inspiration for my practice.
Another great example of this:
Charlie is a 15 year old border collie who I started seeing 1.5 years ago because he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Charlie had had some seizures and a brain tumor was diagnosed by MRI. He was started on prednisone and phenobarbital. He was having some hind end weakness when I saw him and had a history of diarrhea and skin allergies.
Charlie’s care giver started him on Essiac tea and we agreed that Iams dry kibble was not giving him the nutritional support that he would need at this stage in his life, so he was started on a home cooked diet. At this point we all agree that Charlie eats better than his family and his veterinarian!
We also treated Charlie with immunosupportive mushrooms and a regime of homeopathic remedies – mainly Calc carb and Carcinosin.
I didn’t see Charlie from Nov. 2010 until today and I almost thought Charlie must have a twin brother when he came to greet me. I swear he looks younger and better than ever. He is on lower doses of his meds, has had no seizures, his skin and joints are doing well, and he looks like a healthy 10 year old dog for his 15 years. His only problem on examination today was that his teeth were pretty darn dirty, so we hand scaled them. No one really enjoyed the sound of scraping, but Charlie was a champ and I left him with a pretty nice smile if I do say so myself.
I have to admit that I don’t know what has helped Charlie the most – the diet change, the mushrooms, the essiac, the homeopathy, the supportive conventional specialist…. but this is truly an integrative approach and the result has been pretty incredible. Apparently even the neurologist is surprised.
23 Feb 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
My last full day in India was spent at Ajanta and I have to say that I disagree with the Lonely Planet on another front. They say that if you have to chose, Ellora wins over Ajanta hands down and maybe it’s just me and my personal spiritual inclinations, but I found Ajanta completely mind stopping. The setting is a beautiful escarpment in a sort of valley of low lying dry rocky hills and cut into the horseshoe shaped cliff are about 20 something large caves which are carved into shrine halls and meditation rooms with exquisite detailed pillars and buddha statues, but the real marvel is the remnants of the detailed paintings which covered every square inch of wall and ceiling at that time. The bits that remain show incredibly detailed depictions of the buddha’s life and stories and you can still see the bright colours that were used, all from natural dyes and lapis lazuli.
Despite the crowds, noise and tourist bustle, I found the caves deeply moving and peaceful. What a marvel that in the 5th century, without the technology and tools, that was possible. The amount of skill and work that went into that place is unbelievable, and I wonder what happened to the people that must have lived and practiced there? What caused them to abandon the place, when the final cave was still incomplete?
19 Feb 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
This is the land of intensity! From Goa I took the overnight bus to Hampi. That was a bit of a trial – air conditioning blasting, the horn going almost non-stop, and the twisting and bumping of the road, not to mention a tiny “bed” that luckily I had another homeopath from the conference to share. Hampi was a welcome reward but it was a bit of a change of scenery going from the quiet and calm of a Goan resort to a bamboo hut where around the corner could be found a herd of goats, some meandering cows, a village of narrow winding streets, much of which is dedicated to the low budget traveler. The “garden paradise” hostel was pretty nice, though, and you could sit at the outdoor cafe and eat momos, drink pineapple juice and just enjoy the passing of the river below and the stories of other travelers.
The sites of Hampi are pretty incredible – volcanic rock and old temple remnants scattered everywhere you look.
After 3 days I decided to move on and head to the caves of Ellora and Ajanta.
The train journey was another trial and I tried to practice equanimity as the train stopped at a station 2 hours from my point of departure and stayed there for 5 hours before moving on. I was booked in the regular sleeper, which seemed okay, but is pretty basic compared to sleeper class back home (like… no comparison is possible!) and I would have chosen air conditioning this time so I wouldn’t have been subject to the hours of heat, smell and mosquitoes.
The train arrived in Hyderabad by about 5 a.m. and my next train was leaving at 6pm so I spend the day exploring Hyderabad. I’m not sure that I would recommend it as a purposeful stop, but it was interesting to see the bustle of another city, to eat biryani where it comes from and to see some tombs and the minarets where you can climb up and have a nice view of the crowds and markets below. There is a lovely buddha statue in the lake, but I felt a bit sad to see that the lake was so incredibly polluted and filled with garbage. I suppose the buddha would remain equanimous and compassionate in any case!
The train on to Aurangebad was a more pleasant experience. I was sharing the space with a family of Muslim Bohra women – 2 mothers and their 3 young school age daughters. They were friendly and sweet and I must admit that I did enjoy the curiousity and friendliness of the women in Hyderabad. Even behind the burka I had many young women smile at me, shake my hand and ask my name and where I’m from.
I arrived in Aurangebad at 4:30 a.m. and could not find a hotel to stay in. I guess everyone has the lonely planet. I finally landed at the pretty basic youth hostel which provided a cold shower and a few hours of sleep.
I took a crowded jeep later in the morning to see the caves of Ellora. By crowded, I mean about 21 people in a jeep which should seat maybe 10. You have to see it to believe it. Every time he would stop to pick someone up I would marvel at where they would go and somehow they fit somewhere and we moved on.
The caves are remarkeable. The main cave is Hindu and was carved out of the rock over 150 years. There are also some buddhist caves and there are Jain caves but those were not accessible today. I enjoyed the relative quiet of the buddhist caves and the man who sweeps them clean took me into a small rock shrine room and chanted the refuge prayer in sanskrit to show me how the sound would reverberate off the walls. It was a very moving moment for me.
I also haven’t been feeling well again today – I think I took some silly culinary risks in Hyderabad – so I took many breaks in the buddhist caves just to cool off and meditate a little. I was aware of bats hanging on the cieling above, though, so I couldn’t fully relax! I wonder if the monks that lived there so many centuries ago shared their little rock cave cells with the bats.
Tomorrow I’m hoping to get to the Ajanta caves which are older and are buddhist, and then I fly out of here on Monday and will be home by Tuesday evening. It’s hard to believe. I’m ready for a soft bed and a bland meal, though, and perhaps some cooler weather to clear up this horrible heat rash I have on my neck.
12 Feb 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
A few of the homeopaths at the conference had mentioned that they had seen dolphins swimming not far from the beach quite early in the morning, so yesterday I got up before sunrise and went down to the beach. I walked, swam, saw the sun rise, but no dolphins. I was just about to give up and leave when I turned back and spotted a fin! There they were, jumping and playing! I went back in the water and felt quite close to them. It was pretty magical. I wonder what it is about the dolphin energy that is so captivating, but I felt completely spellbound coming out of the water, having started my day with a brief visit from these wonderful creatures.
09 Feb 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
Even landing in Goa you can feel an entire change of air, of energy. It seems to be true that you don’t have to go far in India to see a whole different way of being, of living. Language and culture change. People here seem in no great hurry to get anywhere. The beach is stunning. The sand is soft. The water is warm. The air is clean. Of course, we are also here in a bit of a luxury bubble at these hotels where our homeopathy conference is. I have ventured out only a little, as the schedule is actually quite grueling and I was a little sick for a few days.
The houses are beautiful, Portugese influenced, and multi-coloured. There are small and large churches scattered about.
The beach dogs seem to enjoy themselves and are very friendly, approaching with a smile and a wag. Although I have offered them bits of croissant on my morning beach walk, which they have taken graciously, my friends were offering a dog naan one evening at an outdoor restaurant and she refused it, only wanting the attention and petting.
I am learning so much at the conference. We are watching case after case, learning different approaches to case taking, seeing cases of mineral, plant and animal remedies and learning how different homeopaths approach the different levels of human experience. Yesterday was Dr. Jayesh Shah and his expertise is to allow patients to enter a deep meditative journey where they experience the qualities of the remedy state that they are in. He was presenting cases of the noble gases and it was absolutely incredible to witness the deep state of isolation and despair of these patients, not to mention some pretty intense physical pathology, that was expressed in their case taking and that was cured from just one dose of the remedy. One patient had a resolution of long standing inguinal hernias and a nasal polyp. Another patient was on multiple psychiatric drugs and was able to come off of them all days after taking his remedy. Of course, not all cases can be so miraculous, but it’s always nice to be reminded of the power of our craft. So there CBC!
I’m hoping that all this knowledge will translate to a better ability to help my animal patients heal, but I am also hoping to expand my practice to include more direct healing for the human caregivers. When I think about all the cases I’ve seen and treated over the last 10 years, there are so many situations where I may have been able to help more by treating the entire family and I think this may be the next frontier!
03 Feb 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
Mumbai is an incredible city. Expecting that I would want to leave as quickly as I arrived, and with all the traffic here, arriving itself is an experience, I have been surprised by how much I have enjoyed this city. Every step is a different variety of sights, smells, sounds. The juxtaposition of wealth and poverty, classy coffee shops and chai stalls, 3 wheeled rickshaws zooming in and out of traffic while stray dogs loll and snooze on the side of the road all make Mumbai like some kind of modern discordant but mesmerizing symphony.
The workshop has been exciting and humbling. We’ve seen 4 different homeopaths each take a case with quite a different style and method. They make it look easy but have also demonstrated that some cases can be taken to a deeper level of expression than others. I know that from working with animals for sure! Some dogs and cats can express their states far more clearly than others, so I guess we’re not all that different.
Tomorrow on to Goa and the rest of the seminar.
I’m looking forward to giving my brain a day of rest and moving to a place that will hopefully be a little less noisy and crowded.
31 Jan 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
Ahh, back again in India. No place like it.
They say that Mumbai has its own rhythm and that’s for sure. Everything moves at its own pace and despite the crowding and honking, there are elements of the city that are in full relaxation mode in the midst of it all.
19 Jan 2011
by adminin Uncategorized
I’m starting to realize that I’m going to India in 8 days and I need to get organized! I found a house sitter for my sweet fat cat, Shira, and I think she approves. I went to the eye doctor today and am well stocked with contact lenses.
I have 4 appointments today and I’m hoping by this time next week I’ll feel confident that my patients are stable and are going to be fine, or well taken care of by another vet, while I’m away. So far so good.
Today is an acupuncture appointment on an older dog with some neurological weakness in her back end. She seemed to be improving from the last treatment and her owners are extremely dedicated, doing chiropractic, physiotherapy as well as a slew of nutritional supplements, and all around loving care. I’m hopeful for Jenny’s progress.
Then there’s an older cat with hypertension who needs a blood pressure check, an epileptic cat who I haven’t seen in years but is usually fairly stable and grouchy, and a sweet but moody Yorkie with a loose tooth. I’m a little worried about that one. It might require some serious sedation if the tooth is about to fall out to give it the final yank. I don’t want to loose a finger before my trip.
