A. Dear Pam,

 
I find that some re-homed cats find it hard to adapt to a new diet quickly.  They have had so much change in their life that I think they want to keep something constant in their life. This can apply to some cats anyway, even if not re-homed, and sometimes it is not possible to get them to change their ways. I think often animals have a sense of what is right for them too, and if your cat will not change to a more raw and natural diet after a month or so, then it is likely it is getting the nutrition it needs from the commercial food, so relax and have a happy, guilt-free life! Remember, most of the animals I put onto natural diets are not healthy on their present diet, so there is a need to change.

However,.. having said that, many cats will swap to a new diet if you mix a tiny bit of the new diet into their favourite food they are used to. Examples of healthy things to try are - small pieces of cut up raw chicken neck, the pointy bit on the end of a chicken wing, some nice fatty lamb mince, a raw white bait fish or two, some tinned sardines. You may find after a couple of weeks they are crunching the meat and bone happily, then you can gradually add more. At least swap from a cheap supermarket dried food to a premium dried food from a vet or pet shop, this can improve their nutrition significantly.

New kittens usually readily take to chewing on raw meat and bone, and if you start them on a natural diet at this early age, you will have no problems continuing with it, so this is the best time to start.

Our (almost) 12yr old male Irish Setter lives with our daughter and her 3yr old desexed male Hungarian Visla. For as long as we can remember, Danny is "beside himself " and uncontrollable during the approach of, and subsequent thunderstorms.Even allowing him in the bedroom (even on the bed) does not help as he continues to paw and / or claw at us. If he is shut out of the room he proceeds to shred the door, and the same if he is put outside. 

I read your reference to Gelsemium, and wondered if the remedy we have from our own naturopath can be used for him, and if so what dose and frequency? Could you also explain what "Rescue Remedy" is, and does, and where we can obtain it, if this would be more appropriate? 

Thank you in anticipation of your help in this matter

A. Dear Lynn,

You can buy Rescue Remedy from the Glow catalogue. I also add Mimulus (for specific fears) and Aspen (for vague undefined fear) to the Rescue Remedy. This combination is effective in about 80% of dogs with storm phobia. Dose orally or even onto the body frequently until the dog settles, then as needed. After 2 or 3 storms, the dogs learn that storms aren’t that bad, and you may not need to use it again but it doesn’t hurt at all to dose just in case as flower essences are totally without side effects. If you only have Rescue Remedy, not Mimulus and Aspen, you can try just using that and there is still a fair chance it will work as well as the combination of the three.

I usually prescribe the above, plus the best matched homeopathic. It sounds to me as if Danny is more likely to respond to Phosphorous or Belladonna, as Gelsemium patients tend to be very passive – they freeze and tremble, but are rarely destructive. I would give both remedies either in a LM1 potency twice daily for a couple of months, combined with the above Bach Flower Remedy combination, or use a 30C potency once a week until the next storm, and dose once or twice additionally at the start of the storm. If you are using the 30C potencies, you will also be dosing the Bach Remedies separately as described above.

For really bad cases, you can also dose them up on nervine herbs such as a human dose twice daily of tablets containing any of the following – Chamomile, Passiflora, Hops (Humulus), St John’s Wort. There are several good choices in the ‘Glow’ catalogue.

 

A. Dear Col,

Many dogs become gradually blind with old age and tend to cope with it well. Nine years is a bit young for cataracts, and a sudden deterioration is a bit unusual, so I would get her checked for diabetes, as this can cause a sudden onset cataract in both eyes.

Otherwise, it may help to see a veterinary ophthalmologist, in case she has luxation (or dislocation) of the lenses which may respond to treatment. They may also be able to comment on the possibility of surgery, but this is only worth the expense and stress if the retinas are fully functional and if the blindness really worries the dog.

Occasionally homeopathics can help with sudden onset blindness, and also can treat fear due to blindness, but you would need to go to a homeopathic vet for this treatment.

The very best thing would be to get the ophthalmologist to check her first, then if he can’t help, and surgery is not a good option, to then go to the homeopathic vet.

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