Hi Dr. Leela,
Wondering if you might be able to steer me down the right path. When I came home after the weekend, I was told that one of my dogs was limping. I assumed she was limping because she has a "bad" leg resulting from a nasty break when she was just a puppy. Periodically she may have some stiffness on that side, however I soon realized it was the opposite back leg. I have spent a good deal of time manipulating all the joints, tendons etc. she does not react to any of it, I have searched closely for swelling and/or punctures, infections etc to no avail. She will respond to opposite pressure from my hand but yet does not want to put pressure down when she walks. She has the most difficulty getting back up the stairs. She does not show any obvious signs of pain (no squeals or yowls etc). Her appetite is normal. She is a small labrador (~23 kg). She has a small head and large tubular body (even on a natural diet she has tendancy to be "tank-like" in stature). Her legs are short and although not stick like, also not heavy (somewhere in between). She is a real "momma's girl" is usually afraid of strangers, especially men. She is also afraid of small children and I have to watch her for "lunging" at them. I have been looking at calc but I was hoping you might be able to help out because I am puzzled that the obvious pain is absent. Thanks

Hi Krista,
I don't know if this is applicable to your dog but in horses, when one leg is favored for long periods of time, you can expect another leg to give out. Reason is balancing/compensating, to take weight/strain off the bad leg. The opposite corner, as you have described, is common. It may not even be so much in the leg/foot as in the muscles of the back or hip area. Try to hit some pressure points along the spine and see if she reacts. Just a thought.

This is an interesting site: http://www.wbvc.bc.ca/canine1.htm just to have on hand!

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Thanks gpm,
She appears to be OK this morning, her mobility is better etc. I will check along the spine, the theory sound plausible to me. She was found in a back alley with her brother when they were about 10 days old. They both had puppy strangles and her back leg was badly broken and infected. She is now 7 years old. The "bad" leg has the lower ankle joint that is about 2x the size of the other, all fused and hardened bone. I'm quite surprised that she hasn't had more problems before. Thanks for the website.
Off topic: I've never used Rescue Remedy before, but had a former adopter call me quite concerned because she is moving to another city with an already nervous cat with toiletting issues. She is very keen to try homeopathy, but I though maybe Bach flower or rescue remedy would be a better idea. The cat is anxious when left alone, is very insecure but yet will "bully" other cats (she has no social "cat" skills, probably taken away from mom too early). She has a finicky stomach (wrong food = diarrhea) and a pronounced head tilt (appears to be neurological -she can hold the head up when she sits, but she must tilt it to change direction, when she is nervous or anxious her head shakes). She simply does not do well with change and will urinate on clothing or other soft items belonging to her owner. She is extremely fussy about a clean litter box (it must smell fresh and fragrant for her to use). What do you think? Should I try to work up the case or maybe just go with the rescue remedy?

Dear Krista,
I rather think that this kitty may have a few issues that wouldn't be covered with RR. RR might help with the trauma of moving, itself, but there are other flower essences that are applicable to adjusting to a new home, etc. Even homeopathic remedies for the anxiety of the move. I really like RR for real rescue moments.

I am sure Dr. Leela or someone with more experience will be better able to advise. My thoughts, without looking up anything or reading a thing, (sorry) would be to maybe consider that the kitty had a trauma such as vestibular syndrome. I know that, along with other traumas, can leave a cat with the head tilt you mention. Also, might consider (depending if the inappropriate litter box use came before or after the head tilt/head shaking) the anger that sometimes, even females have, from spaying. You may want to check remedies that are for vestibular, for instance. I used Arn and Agar with really good success for that, leaving no head tilt or any residual symptoms. I also would think of Staph for anger/after effects of surgery, which does (sometimes!) work for cats who don't use the litter box consistently. Of course, there's always good old Nux V!

Hope someone is able to give you some qualified suggestions.....this is really just off the top of my head.

__________________
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 Kkrista,

For the lab, I can think of two things, one is as GPM suggested, a muscular weakness of some sort. The second is a local problem in the "foot" or paw. MAybe very small thorn or something. Sometimes these take time to suppurate.

For either i think you cuod give her a dose of Arnica 30. And Calc is a good suggestion.

I'm not sure I understand fully about the kitty. She urinates when she is nervous, is that the central problem?
Lyco was something that came to mind about her general state.

Don't know if this was helpful, so do get back.
warm regards,
doctorleela

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Dr. Leela,
I'm not sure I would say she urinates when she gets nervous. I think anxious might be a better description. Most problems occur when her environment or schedule changes. The cat is visibly upset and stand-offish when her owner has been away and then first arrives home.
gpm: as memory serves we spayed her while she was with us and we didn't note any personality changes. The poor thing was found on the side of the highway. Someone had left her in a carrier which they placed in a ditch on the side of the road. She was lucky that a passerby spoted her. She has always had the head tilt since we have known her. She did have a nasty earmite infection which of course may have contributed to the tilt.
In a nut shell she simply doesn't do well when her environment or routine changes -fear of the unknown? I believe that the aspect of routine is more important to her than environment. Thanks

Does anyone know what I should be looking under for a "head tilt"? I found:

HEAD>Unsteady>teeling: bell, clem, phos,rhus-t, sep, sulph (I tried to look up "teeling", no idea what that means.)
HEAD>Balancing>Sensation in>on motion:glon
HEAD>Balancing>Sensation in>difficulty keeping erect: crot-h, fl-ac, lyc, rhus-t
MIND>Anxiety>when alone: ARS, dros, mez, PHOS
MIND>Anxiety>when alternating w/indifference: Nat-mur
MIND>Confidence>want of self: ANAC, aur, bar-c, bry, chin, kali-c, lec-c, lyc, (nux-v) puls, (rhus-t), sil
MIND>Fear>of being alone: ARG-N, ARS, CROT-C, HYOS, KALI-C, LYC (nux-v)PHOS,puls, sep, stram
MIND>Forsaken: arg-n, AUR, (bar-c), cycl, lach, plat, PSOR, PULS (rhus-t) stram
MIND>Restlessness>Anxious: ARS, KALI-AR, KALI-C, NAT-A, NAT-C, nay-m, nit-ac, phos, (nux v), puls, rhus-t, sabad, sil, sulph, (sep), tab
MIND>Talking>anxious:ALUM
MIND>Timidity>alternating w/assurance: alum
I have checked out nux-v, sep, phos, acon, nat-m and rhus-t; leaving ars, puls and possible alum as more likely. Would someone with a broader knowledge of remedies be able to comment? I'm starting to think that perhaps I should just send arn (for the shock of the move)and hope for the best?
Thanks

[ 02. August 2002, 20:17: Message edited by: kkrista ]

Hi kkrista,
I think you could use:
HEAD>Balancing>Sensation in>difficulty keeping erect: crot-h, fl-ac, lyc, rhus-t
MIND>Anxiety>when alone: ARS, dros, mez, PHOS
MIND>Confidence>want of self: ANAC, aur, bar-c, bry, chin, kali-c, lec-c, lyc, (nux-v) puls, (rhus-t), sil

I just picked up these rubrics:
HEAD; FALLING of head; sideways (K118, G98)
HEAD; HOLD up head; unable to (K127, G106) (Balancing difficult) (Falling) (Heaviness) (Motion; constant) (Raise the head, unable to) (BACK; Paralysis of muscles of back; Cervical) (BACK; Weakness; Cervical region)
Indifference family,loved ones: acon., allox., ars., ars-i., bell., carb-v., carc., fl-ac., Hell., kali-p., kali-sil., lap-gr-m., lil-t., merc., myric., nat-p., nat-sil., nit-ac., PHOS., plat., SEP., syph.
MIND; FORSAKEN feeling (K49, SI-546, G39) (Delusions; alone, feels - deserted, feels - disgraced, feels - enemy - family; does not belong to her own) (Estranged) (Helplessness) (Weeping; tendency; goes off alone and weeps as if he had no friends)

Don't know what rubric to use for the nervousness to change/routine. BUT Silica would cover this nicwely. Sil covered the other 3 rubrics except the indiff to loved ones.
So I think a dose of SIlica 30 should help.
All the best,
doctorleela

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Thanks Dr. Leela,
The owner is moving in a week so that should give enough time to guage response. Hopefully it will be favourable. I will suggest to her that she find a homeopath in Calgary where she is moving to. Any suggestions from our Canadian subscribers?

HELP! Owner called me in tears this morning. She has not had a wink of sleep for days! The cat literally screams from the time she arrive home to when she leaves for work in the morning.
* screams all night in front of owner
* can not be consoled
* eyes "bug-out", pupils dilated (BELL???)
* strung-out upon move to unfamiliar surroundings
other symptoms:
* does not like auto rides (motion=anxiety?)
* will have the courage to explore new surrounding only when owner present
* will pick on "weaker" cats, other cats don't like her (social skills???)
* appetite, urine, BM are normal
* prefers to drink from "running water"
* conventional sedatives will 'deaden" but not fully mask (you can see the anviety underneath the sedation)
* is sleeping up high on a piece of furniture (paranoid?)
The cat howled for 15 minutes after her owner left this morning (she listened to her in the parking lot).
Do you think Bell might take the edge off? She is thinking of returning the cat because she feels guilty for putting her through the stress of a further move to Calgary where she will be left in someone else's care for 2 weeks before she is able to settle in to her new home.