gpm: zactly!!! (although it was just a shortbox, 4 cylinder). I am going to pick up a rental today, a Ford Escort. Its my weekend to do adoptions, where I take a bunch of cats to a retail supply store for adoption. We will see how many cats I'll be able to fit in this "circus car"! I think I'll get myself a clown nose...

But about the cat; I think I should start to address her case in earnest. Not sure if it was diarrhea or vomit I found this morning on the corner of her bed (probably diarrhea -but don't you hate that when you can't tell??!!!). Then I noticed her straining like crazy and she finally expelled a small piece of stool (looked straw-like, but formed). Then I noticed her straining on her bed, with no results. It appears I may be dealing with both diarrhea and constipation. She still doesn't want to eat. She also urinates quite a bit (apparently the kidney function is good), more than she should for the amount of sub-Q fluids I give her. Yikes she is so skinny, its gross. Are we still thinking nux? I had a thought about nat m...

Tell the rental people your sad story and have them DONATE the use of the car.....good for their public relations. Tell them to put a sign on it saying "donated by". They get great advertising and a tax write off. Actually, you might be able to get a dealership to supply you with a free, new vehicle, for the shelter. Get the theft and damage publicized ....then the news can cover the nice dealership that donated, get their picture in the paper, people see the car/van all around town with THEIR ad on it....blah, blah.

When you say the kitty's stool was straw like, you mean the color, not the consistency? Was the questionable vomit/diarrhea the same color?

I think I'd go ahead with at least one dose of Nux V now and see if it helps. Dilute and save the dilution just in case. I know no one wants to hear this .....but.....digestive problems like really bad colic in horses have responded wonderfully to 6C. A friend was hospitalized due to constipation. They couldn't relieve the problem after 4 days. She went home, took Nux V 6C, four doses over 24 hours. It did what he doctors couldn't. Took her 24 hours to pass stool but she *felt* better after the first dose.

However, with the cats, I've often found 6C to not work as well and have had to go as high as 1M. One dose at that potency will act rather promptly. Now, it may be that having started at 6, then to 30, to 200.....all with no results of any sort, may have led to the success of 1M. I really don't know. I wouldn't stick to a remedy that showed no response like I did with Nux V but it was so well indicated, just didn't work. It is only my experience and it could be coincidence. Since your gal's condition is so physical, one would be inclined to stay lower.

You could even use LM1, make the first dosage glass and use that (stir a bit before each repeated, if needed, dose) to repeat a few times in one day as one would in an acute. Nux V is a really good cat remedy.

Boger-Boenninghausen:
Stool; Diarrhoea; alternating with constipation (35) : ANT-C., PHOS., Abrot., Bry., Ferr., Graph., Lach., Nat-s., Nux-v., Op., Rhus-t., Ruta, ars., nat-m., plb., podo., puls., alum., ant-t., calc., cimic., colch., cupr., grat., hell., iod., lyc., merc., nat-c., nit-ac., psor., sulph., tab., vib., zinc.

Stool; Constipation; urging, with (20) : NUX-V., carb-v., kali-c., nat-m., aloe, anac., caust., con., ign., lyc., mez., nit-ac., op., rob., ruta, sabad., sang., sil., tab., vip.

PS..If you start low, see no response at all, you might want to consider moving higher. Response might be as little as looking more relaxed.

[ 26. March 2003, 17:43: Message edited by: gpm ]

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Thanks gpm, its gotten worse as I have been put into a Neon!!!

When I say straw, it was the colour of straw and also fiberous looking (like straw). The diarrhea or vomit was adversly dark and chunky/watery looking.

I don't think I would go anything more than 30ch and if I was really sure, LM.

I think I have some reading to do. Thanks for listing the above references.

[ 26. March 2003, 21:03: Message edited by: kkrista ]

krista,
state of the patient is important.if his vitality is very low ,you should the low vitality drugs.Verat is important in that case.

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Good point Pannakkal. It is NOT simplistically a matter of potency. It is first and foremost the REMEDY you have chosen that is paramount. The potency and repetition can aid or damage.
Gpm, I've read some of your posts for some time now and you seem to be implying there is some kind of 'blitzkrieg' on 6C potency prescribing. Maybe you have misunderstood the point. There is a time and a place for low potencies to be used. We ALL may use 6C potencies where applicable, just not ROUTINELY. I would defer to (my favoured) homoeopathic veterinarians in their expertise for these cases, as I don't know what (unobserved) straw coloured vomit/diarhorrea signifies in a sick abandoned cat.
It is distressing enough for me to read kkristas posts, never mind what it must be like for kkrista or anyone else to post them, yet homeopathic successes are reliant on expertise, not good luck - while there may be the odd occasion - and that is where the ultimate responsibility lies if you pursue the homeopathic option.

Absolutely Pannakkal, I would clasify the cat as having a low vitality and because of this I have been treading lightly because I know I am not experienced enough to know for certain what she needs (so I would rather do no harm).

I did contemplate Nux v last night (found reference to urine being of more quantity than water injested), but then the cat ate a little when I offered her another type of food. She will not eat in front of me (doesn't trust me), but she is eating small amounts so I didn't want to interfer with her progress by giving her anything else.

As it turns out, this morning the cat housed underneath her wouldn't eat this morning and had thrown up last night's supper and has diarrhea -so in the end I can not discount a viral component at work here (which would (I believe) make the question of vitality even more important, as ultimately the body must have the strength to fight).

Its not that I have discounted homeopathic care for her, but at this time I'm thinking I don't want to rock the boat because to me she looks as if she could go either way. She is not on any allopathic drugs, she was given Arn initially for the trauma and I'm tempted to wait to see if a clearer remedy picture presents itself.

Its time this cat got something, she seems as if she is in a rut, neither getting worse or better. She had an acute episode the other day:

She was suddenly straining to urinate a few nights ago, she was very restless pacing from room to room, in and out of the litterbox, peeing only drops at a time; I took her to the vet that evening where (while we were waiting) she paced around the room until she finally backed into a corner looking like she was spraying (back end in the air, tail twitching back & forth); when she stepped away she had left a small puddle of urine on the floor which obviously contained blood and actually looked like 1-2 drops of sediment -type blood. The urine was analyzed NSF; just a lot of blood, RBC and higher concentration of WBC and quite dilute (pale, unconcentrated). Because it was not a full blown infection the vet did not want to medicate (unbelievable!) and instead wanted to wait to see if it would resolve on its own (he felt it is probably a chronic cystitis). Remarkably,immediately after this urination the cat settled (night and day) and was not restless anymore. (this scenario was exactly played out in another case we had where Lyc was the remedy that cured)The situation resolved itself and now I am left with the following symptoms:

much straining at stool (and weakness at stool), sometimes causing nausea (vomit of bile) directly after stool

stool is round, solid, colour changes slightly with every stool (but overall normal); difficult to dislodge (much straining to move bowel causing weakness) -stool today was small, hard and dried out balls

originally lots of urination (more than liquid consumed)

very little appetite ( I force feed her, she will eat a small amount on her own)

thirsty (drinks more than normal but not an alarming amount)

urine more normal in terms of quantity this morning (back & forth)

ocular "speckling", this usually indicates age to us, I have noticed however that the cat will look up from side to side and appear to be knocked somewhat off balance (a type of vertigo???); vision probably declined

extremely emaciated (1.88 kg)skeleton with skin

hind end weakness, evident to some degree when walking (somewhat stiff)

as this episode was unfolding I noticed clear discharge from her nostril -has been sniffling (clear discharge) quite a bit

although she has settled down quite a bit in the last week and a half; she is extremely vexed when she is probed (discomfort around the abdomen?), she spurns a lot of contact but at the same time appears to want it; she loves for me to touch her around the head, but freely growls if I pick her up or touch her below the waist (however I should mention that it is not unusual for declawed cats to react this way so I would be more inclined to assume this to be part of her nature rather than symptom make-up)

her teeth & gums are in excellent shape

her coat and skin appears OK

her ears are ok, minimal waxy discharge

no respiratory problems evident at this time

Level II blood work indicated normal function of all accounts with the exception of somewhat elevated ALT (liver enzyme) and somewhat elevated blood glucose (12mmol/L; could be attributed to stress)

seeks heat, loves to sit in front of the heat register (blowing heat) but does not appear to like to be covered

sleeps quite a bit

Although my instinct is telling me to try Lyc, plb and sulph are very high contenders; others to consider include nat-m and phos

Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks

Have a read of Alumina in Boericke and see what you think.
Good luck.

Thanks Chris, I will look into it. I haven't given the cat anything yet and she did start to eat some tuna of her own accord (thats good). A friend of mine promised to take a look at the case as well for me, so I should have a couple of opinions to work from.

Alumina it is, I gave it to her this morning. I only had in a 30ch. About 15 minutes afterward, she didn't want to go back to bed, rather wanted to be out and about, so I left her in my spare room with the other crotchity old foggies. I will monitor her closely for progress.