I have a cocker spaniel mix who is 12 years old. Last September she had a serious auto immune problem and we almost lost her. She recovered exceot for a heart murmur. The last month she is experienced daily muffled coughing and more labored breathing. One day last week she was chasing a car up the lane and collapsed at the end laying on her side just trying to get her breath. Her appetite is still good but I was wondering if there is anything homeopathically I could give her to ease the coughing and breathing difficulties. I just had her checked at the vet a couple of weeks ago. She is ok but they did suggest some prescription meds to help with the fluid etc. When I inquired about side effects I was told it would cause more drinking and urinating and possibly eventually a shutdown of her kidneys. I said I'll take my chances with the congestive heart failure. Last September she recovered nicely with carc 200c and phosphorous 1 m. I honestly think she's on her last legs here but I want to make her as comfortable as possible. If we have her through the winter months I'll be surprised. Any help appreciated.

__________________
Dessie

Keeping in mind the right remedy for the right case; I have used ars on a cat with the same symptoms, its kept her alive for the last 3 years. Good luck!

What potency were you using and what frequency administering? I had thought about arsenicum. Thanks for your response.

__________________
Dessie

With my cat, I first tried 30ch, one dose with brilliant results, but I did need to redose with 200ch about a week later (again only one dry dose) and it held for about 1/2 year. (She had been on allopathics: beta blocker, lasix and pred).

She needed redosing again and I used 200 ch one dose and she was good for another 1/2 year, by this time she was weaned off of all allopathic meds, except a minimal dose of beta blocker (her heart has been damaged at birth, and with time it continues to lose the ability to keep rhythm; when we first got her she was about a year old. We knew she had a murmur and very poor eyesight, we did spay her at that time and the vet found further defects in the positioning of her organs).

Then she started to have a very big problem with her teeth (about a year ago), I used nat mur 200ch which helped with the redness and then went back to ars, but this time using LM1 (I disolved one pellet in 250ml of water and a drop of vodka -I divided this into 7 daily doses, each dose was disolved in another 200ml of water; of course the original soluntion should be tapped against a book or something to success -sp? before adding to the glass, stir and gave the cat about 3 ml of the final solution), however I had to go to the second glass after a few doses after noting agrevation (suddenly started to hide in the closet and wouldn't come out), by 2nd glass I mean that the original solution dose is disolved in 200 ml of water, and about a tbsp of this solution is then further disolved in another 200 ml of water, it is from this solution that I would give the 3 ml dose), her behavior changed back so I continued up to the last dose.

Since then she hasn't required another dose, however she has many rotten teeth in her mouth that we can not extract (surgery is not an option, she has zero chance of surviving anestesia at her age now), so in the last 6 months we have put her back on a minimal maintenance dose of oral pred.to keep down inflamation.

I don't usually mix the 2 forms of medicine, but her case is very complicated and out of my expertise for sure, I'm not sure if a more qualified person could fix her, although I have consulted with little change in her condition.

The cases may be quite different, in the cats case, she has been dying since she was born and it really is about management rather than cure for her because the damage to her heart was there at birth, and the longer she uses it the weaker it becomes. However she was given 2 months to live when she became acutely ill the 1st time (3 years ago) and I credit ars wholeheartedly with keeping her alive and in comfort all this time. She no longer has suffocative attacks where she would literally pass out, she no longer accumulates fluid in her chest, she can run and jump (in moderation of course), has a healthy appetite and can hold her own with any cat or dog.

I hope you find equal success with your dog!

I have read where hawthorne berries were used with great success. Half a capsule twice a day.

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

__________________
Dessie

Well after considerable thought I gave the dog 30C apis b/c I felt she had a lot of fluid built up which might have been contributing to the worsening cough and difficult breathing. Well I gave it last night and she is amazing me today. She is at least 80 percent better. Just wanted to post this in case anybody out there has this problem with their dog.

__________________
Dessie

hawthorn , is the remedy crataegus -as such one of the main heart remedies- but in this case i would have used cactus G 3x . It clears the venous system . I commend it as I have used it on myself. People and animals share the same life force and respond to the same remedies. I once cured a carcinoma on the jaw of a rabbit with hecla larva 30. The supreme being or Jung´s universal unconciousness rules!

I've used the crateagus tincture with heart problems in humans. It can be used along with the remedy.

__________________
Shirley Reischman

I also hve a cocker mix who is almost 12 years old and is going through similar problems as your dog. He is going through a lot of coughing and laboured breathing. First vet thouht it to be kennel cough so prescribed antibiotics which was useless. Our 2nd vet did an ultrasound and found that there was alot of fluid biuld up around his heart and adndoman, he also has an enlarged liver. I am completely new to homeopathic medicine but willing to give it a try. I as little bit confused of what to give and how the dossage and how many days>