Hi Gpm, I have a sense the remedy was not really all that well-indicated and too high a potency. What were the effects after Rhus? Was Pulsatilla ever prescribed for Seabert <nice name>?

Dear GPM, I'm sorry to hear about your animal deaths.

I would think a complementary would help, and Phos seems likely, especially with the situations you mention, voice, stool, bleeding and fearfulness.

Other considerations are:
CArbo Veg and Calc Carb.

ALl the best.
doctorleela

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Just over two weeks ago, a homeopathic vet prescribed Ars 200 for my cat, Seabert.

I started him then on Standard Process Feline Whole Body Support and spirulina in his food, twice daily, for about one week prior to giving the remedy.

Ten days ago he was finally ( I had my doubts about that vet ) given Ars 200C, 2 pellets dissolved in 4 ounces of water, one dose.

There were no immediate changes. Slow improvement in amount of licking at tumor (axilla) and skin itching seemed to lessen.

Six days later the dose, our home experienced two animal deaths during the nights, in two days. He wasn't present at either but remained upstairs in bed. He began to stay in bed constantly, losing interest in things he normally enjoyed such as his "walks" but would eat if food brought to him.

Two days after the second death (particularly hard one on me, which I mention because Seabert and I are very close) his tumor bled profusely. Started small amounts of colostrum sprinkled on his food.

On April 12, he began to appear concerned, almost fearful. He seemed to need to be next to something, almost trying to hide. He usually lies next to the computer keyboard but began sitting out of site, next to the tower. Today, he sat next to a large clump of weeds or next to (behind) a tree, that type of thing, with a worried look, glancing about at every sound but no flight/fight reaction.

He unsuccessfully attempted to pass urine without stress or strain, once. No repeated attempts. (Normal urine up to now.) Passed 4 small segments of very dark, dry, hard stool with no undue effort. (He usually has very normal stool.)

He is once again licking (tumor and front legs/paws) and scratching (head/neck areas) almost constantly on what are now our non-walks. (I take him out but he has no desire to do anything. Very different from his norm.)

The tumor continues to bleed (had lessened after Ars until the trauma of the deaths) perhaps due to his excessive licking or he licks it because it is irritating and bleeding. He will eat only with much encouragement but does not want the additives in the food now. (He had been gobbling them up.) Thirtless. (Had been drinking water....not a good sign with cats so not drinking now is actually an improvement, unless it is due to loss of interest.) Chooses to stay in bed all day. (Hiding out or lack of interest?)

His voice had changed before vet visit. His purr was rough, rattling. (Not changed.) Had maybe one bout a day of neck stretched out, hacking cough which has not returned since Ars. (improved) He had spewn small amounts of fluid from nose in little sneeze type blowing from his nose before Ars which I haven't seen since. But now he licks his nose constantly, swallowing excessively while doing so. The line in the middle of his nose between nostrils is bright red. (New today)

He seems almost confused at times, as though he doesn't know how to get back across the field to the house, even though I'm (non) walking with him. Just sits and looks around. (Very different from his norm) I walked away and left him, to see what he would do and he just curled up and stayed there till I went back for him.

He grazes on new spring grass like a horse. Always nibbled a bit but this is different.

I am inclined to want to stop Ars. I'm confused if this is actually an aggravation to the remedy or a whole new set of symptoms not caused by the remedy but due to the possibility he was more profoundly affected by the two deaths than I might have expected. (I took him to someone who scans the unconscious and she told me he had stresses that included non-payment of rent. That's my stress and he has absorbed it from me......my son never pays his rent causing me to feel anxious and Seabert had that in his subconscious.........! She said he is a sponge for my emotions. Talk about a heavy burden....I don't want to worry my dear kitty.)

Or, could it even be from the supplements?

So, if there was slight, slow improvement following Ars lasting 6 days, then this kind of down turn to low vitality/interest/appetite, would that be indicative of incorrect medicine or potency? The worsening of the bleeding is difficult for me to asses as a bad thing because the tumor itself looks somewhat less inflamed and angry, the vent is smaller and has moved more to the side as opposed to being a deep cavitation in the center before Ars.

Should I be trying to find a complimentary remedy for what might be an acute from the deaths in the house or considering remedies to stop this (maybe) action from Ars?

I will have to seek help elsewhere than the homeopathic vet, I'm afraid. It was just one more joke on me. Same old, same old. I'm afraid I probably spelled out ARS for him while he was talking away about his son and how many homeopaths he has taken him to without success, his family, his great relationship with this notable homeopath and that one, all on the clock on my time! But the real indignity was he must have washed his hands fifty times, as though my Bert were dirty (and he is clean as a whistle, fluffy white) absolutely could not take a temperature and never even really wanted that cat out of the carrier.....only let him out because I asked if he didn't want to see the tumor.

The tumor was just a small, pedunculated thing for about 3 years, seemingly of no interest to allopathic vets who have seen him. He was a bit anemic last blood test. About 8 months ago, Seabert began licking it with such force that he eroded it so it was flat. It is now over one inch across, almost flat to the skin from his licking. No one ever called it tumor before but this vet used terms like metastasized, which scared me.

He had been on Calc C LM1 and up to LM3. Last remedy given before Ars was Rhus T, one dose 30 in water, about two months ago in attempt to slow down his licking the tumor.

Seabert is 16 years old, a neutered male. For over 6 years has had recurring bouts of bloody/crusty eruptions around his neck/shoulders and head areas. Calc was of good service for some time. Rhus T had seemed to stop them from recurring (at least for the time since he received it) and those that were there were healing. Since Ars, they are gone but he does still itch, which is what has me so concerned, that I've suppressed.

I would very much appreciate assistance, any advice.

[ 14. April 2003, 02:04: Message edited by: gpm ]

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Thank you Dr. Leela and Chris for your thoughtful responses. It is very appreciated.

Seabert had a course of 9 doses of Phos LM1 at the end of 2001 that seemed beneficial at first. Ear/eye discharges reduced dramatically, scratching/skin sensitivity (itch) much reduced. Unfortunately, at dose 8, a house friend (AIDS kitty) died and on the 9th dose he suffered reactions including gray spots/bloodshot in left eye white and what looked like a very bad headache, wincing, began sneezing. At the time, it was believed that Phos had brought about the eye/headache symptoms and was stopped. Calc LM1 followed with good improvement and has been given over the last year +, up to LM3, in doses spread out (succussed, etc) over time as a way of controlling ear sensitivity, skin eruptions and tumor discharges. I was not too concerned about discharges or eruptions because he continued to feel well, other than "itching" and I was always grateful his "problem" was outside rather than in. But the tumor began to grow and bleed as he continually traumatized it by licking. Calc seemed to be unable to relieve, at least in the potency (LM3) so far given.

The one dose of Rhus T did seem to help begin to clear the bloody/crusty skin eruptions on his withers but he continued to abuse the tumor.

Seabert had one dose of Puls 200 at the end of 2000 for bout of sneezing and another, unintentional dose, toward the end of 2002, when he drank LM1 from dosage cup left unattended, made for another cat.

Looking back over the years Seabert seems to become sick with each death. Unfortunately, circumstances here with injured/orphaned wildlife and with so many old/ill cats that have been sent or taken in, death is not infrequent. Seabert was quite injured as a kitten when he was brought here. An old cat on her deathbed "adopted" him. She died shortly after but ever since, Seabert has been very solicitous of injured or sick animals. One example: when an Albino squirrel (deaf and blind with glaucoma) arrived, Seabert positioned himself next to his cage, nose to nose, seldom leaving the squirrel. Hard to believe but the little squirrel knew where Seabert was and clung to the other side of the wire, right next to Seabert. When the squirrel died, Seabert walked away from the place where the cage was and has never returned.

I thought long before giving him Ars as suggested by the vet. Seabert is fastidious, worries if accidentally disturbs something, Heaven forbid he should knock over anything, wants everything in a certain order, rarely really relaxes but is not restless. He is never flighty but has what I would call quietly controlled anxiety and overconcern.

I wish I hadn't subjected Seabert to the vet visit. It was a long ride and didn't accomplish what I wished to be an all inclusive health practitioner for Seabert. I was hoping for someone who could provide medical knowledge re how advanced his case might have become by physical exam, be available for possible emergencies, somewhat competent in prescribing and not react like an allopathic vet to presence of skin eruptions and tumors.

Seabert walked with a bit more interest this morning and did eat a bit. The red line between his nostrils is now pink, a small erosion.

Thank you both, again, very much. I will do some reading about your suggestions.

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Hi gpm,
where is the tumor located? Leaning behavior I have seen in animals who seizure or look like they will anyways. I would probably take into account "confusion" etc, especially if a new symptom (neurological). What are the skin eruptions like? My cat with rodent ulcer coughs a lot, licks a lot has reoccurring lesions over his body and has also had inside the mouth. His symptoms pointed to ars as well, but it hasn't had much of an effect on his condition.

Hi Krista,

His tumor is in his left armpit. Original homeopathic vet (and allo vets since) referred to it as...flesh colored "wart", "condylomata" and "pedunculated". It has been there for 4 years probably brought out by large dose of Sulph......? Originally the size of a small grape. None of the vets ever suggested it was much of an issue.

Seabert had somewhat similar, confused or disconnected symptoms during the Phos. It was a thought then that Phos may have brought about bleeding in the eye, in the growth and brain.......atherosclerosis. Or, if the gray at iris edge was blood under surface, might be termed Arcus Senilis. Calc C LM1 seemed to clear the eye discoloration. (For which I will always be grateful to Anna.)

Since Seabert began licking it so much more in the last months, washing away the bottom portion, it has become flat, round on bottom surface, increased ten fold in size (at least one inch across) and bleeds. The last vet used terms like cancerous, ulcerative, bleeding, fleshy tumor, not (yet, he added) necrotic, raised, cauliflower and cavitated.

His skin eruptions were small, flat, itchy, raw spots that crusted leaving pink, healed skin when crusts flaked off. The last time such spots erupted they were larger, further down his shoulders than before and did not heal. They crusted but reappeared repeatedly in same place, bleeding instead of just raw. They began to subside with garlic shampoo washing and Rhus T. Are now gone.

The person who "tapped" into his subconscious (two days after the homeo vet visit) also said he has a lot of fungus in his system, low zinc levels and needed spirulina.

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Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

gpm, is it possible that he has developed a lesion on top of the fatty cyst? The type of eruptions you describe sound very simuliar to our cat who was only positively diagnosed in the fall after we did biopsy. His eruptions actually damage his skin, they are deep and the scabs adhere very tightly, there is bleeding and if really big (size of coin) they look like burnt skin. However since merc, my cat seems to only have smaller lesions now, not that I advise merc, in our case merc brought out mouth lesions that had to be removed to stop the cat from choking to death. Perhaps his present problems are not as closely linked to the eruptions/tumour?
It seems to me that the ars has been benificial, perhaps 200ch was a little too intense? If his appetite improves and nothing major is happening, perhaps it would be best to wait and ride it out?

Gpm, in your second post you mentioned a tumour 'discharge', is this separate from the bleeding caused by licking?

I've been looking at rubrics like Itching, effects after scratching. Drawing blood. Denudation. As well as Skin, tumour <just a general pathology definition for any number of swellings, nothing sinister> and the remedies that appear most are Calc carb, Lach, Lyc, Merc, Sulphur.
Obviously it's hard to know why Seabert licks the area so compulsively, whether it's an itch cycle or it burns or smarts. Another "must scratch till it's raw" remedy is Graphites when attended with a gooey discharge.

Anyway, given that he has had success doing an 8 inch poo, crikey, anybody would hafta feel a bit better after that ! , so let's hope he's feeling more of his normal self today.

Hi again, Krista.......Seabert's itchy skin eruptions always were small, flat, not raised and none of the skin had burnt like damage after flaking of the scabs occurred, like you mention for your kitty case. Just these last few, on his shoulders, the last couple of months seemed to scab, slough, bleed and re-scab, repeating and never actually healing or going away. Other times, new ones would pop up but in different places and when the scabs sloughed and good skin beneath grew regular hair. These last few were large, like you say, coin sized. Since they seemed different, non healing, it prompted a visit to the (uh) homeopathic vet. (Who never looked at them! Or in his mouth, or much of anywhere. Token temp taking, which he couldn't do! Fumbled a bit and quit..hurried to wash his hands yet again!)

As for the cyst (so much a better word than tumor) it has never had any scab formation. At first was just skin but since he has been washing it away it has always been flesh, has never formed a scab. But you may have a good point...it might be a lesion caused by him licking. That was what I'd thought (hoped) all along.

You said your kitty was positively diagnosed by biopsy......what was she positive for? That's kind of what I though this vet might do because he is in a group that practices allopathic medicine...maybe not a biopsy but a skin scrape at least. Or call for a blood test. Or culture the ear discharge. I know they aren't vital for homeopathy but I thought it might be good to do. I had been thinking it was a "cyst" all along so his casual calling it a cancerous tumor did shock me.

Seabert had a temp of 103.8 F, this afternoon. He hadn't felt warm before but may have been running a little fever which could explain lack of appetite and energy. (I hope.) Finally passed about 8 inch (!) stool that had a lot of hair inside dark feces, then a soft light colored section, then a normal colored section with black, tar like substance inside, then the last portion had a lot of twined grass mixed in it. It seemed to make him feel a little better, took him for a ride to the wildlife feeding stations in the golf cart (yes, I'm old and use the cart to get to the far stations...sometimes), he did a bit of exploring (improvement!) and he ate some after. Haven't retaken his temp. He "looks" like he feels a just a little better. I think I will hold off on a remedy just now (unless there is an emergency in the night...aren't they always at night?) and agree the Ars may have been high. Imagine, in skin cancer cases, Dr. Ramakrishna recommends Ars 200.......10 times a day for 7 day periods! Dr. Banerji recommends Calendula 200, daily for 2 weeks......scary dosing.

As I mentioned, each time there has been a crisis with Seabert it always seems on the heels of a tragic loss and also while he was in the midst of treatment himself...like the Phos. He was doing so well on it and his friend died. He crashed. This has happened with him quite a number of times. High fevers, sneezing/nasal discharges and lack of energy for unknown reasons....always after a death. (He certainly lives in the wrong house.) I know there is reluctance to use much of the "mentals" for animals but I have to wonder about that. Must admit I haven't seen that reaction in any of the other cats, though, just my Seabert.

Your interest and thoughtfulness means a great deal to me....thank you Krista, Chris and Dr. Leela for being there for my Seabert and for being the very special people you are. I will probably be back for more help.

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Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

Hi gpm,
The cat was finally diagnosed after about 2 years for Feline Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex or commonly named Rodent Ulcer. The lesions vary a lot with this complex. It appears to be "immune related" (what isn't!). Our cat is supposed to be on life long pred or depo to "control", however we know I'm not into that! So we have been treating homeopathically, put him on raw food, my only concern would be the regrowth of mouth lesions, but so long as they stay on the body thats OK for now. This cat always had problems with stomitus and we were going to pull his remaining teeth after the lesions formed in his mouth, which we originally thought were ulcers. They were so deep, pus-filled and nasty looking that the vet decided not to waste money pulling the teeth as she was sure he had cancer. Surprisingly the biopsy should differently. We pulled his teeth and here we are today. Check out this site for pictures of the way various lesions will look. Our guy had mostly "yellow, burnt" looking lesions on the body until after merc, then they started to look smaller along body, more like the oral lesions depicted.
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