Paralyzed Dogs Can Recover—What Helps The Most

Some paralyzed dogs recover and some don’t. We've just told Sadie's story. She was completely paralyzed and could not stand, move, urinate or defecate. With her family's care and holistic therapies, she recovered in 10 weeks to be able to run in the woods.

Not all paralyzed dogs recover as Sadie did. I've treated many post surgical dogs recovering from disc disease who remained at least partially paralyzed. I've also treated dogs with disc disease that have recovered completely. What I've seen has convinced me that which steps we take can make a significant difference in whether a paralyzed dog recovers.

What I’ve seen that makes the difference:
• Don’t use steroids—instead use antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids to naturally control inflammation
• Immediately begin treating with acupuncture and moxa
• Use electro acupuncture as well as dry needles
• Treat as often as possible—a minimum of three times a week to start
• Have the family reinforce acupuncture by using herb moxa between acupuncture sessions
• Prevent the skin from breaking down while the pet is immobilized
• Put all the joints through full range of motion at least twice a day
• Maintain an optimistic attitude around the pet and keep the vision of the dog as healthy & active.

If your pet becomes paralyzed, don't give up hope. Get holistic veterinary care and start your pet on its journey back to health.

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Paralyzed Dogs Can Recover—Homeopathy

Homeopathy helps paralyzed pets recover. It certainly contributed to Sadie's ability to go from completely paralyzed and unable to move, urinate or defecate to being able to run about in the woods in 10 weeks.

Holistic medicine has many aspects: nutrition, acupuncture, supplements, flower essences, and homeopathy. Each form of holistic medicine contributes to recovery of nerve and muscle function on paralyzed pets, but many families don’t ask for homeopathy because they don’t understand how it works.

Rather than try to explain how homeopathy works, I’m going list the homeopathic medications we used to help Sadie. Sadie was completely paralyzed and we’ve written about her recovery in detail in previous Caring for Pet blog entries. Now, here are the homeopathics I used for her:
• Traumeel oral and injectable
• Neuralgohreum injectable
• Discus injectable

Each of these medications is a combination of homeopathic ingredients. Together, the ingredients form a synergistic whole that benefits pets more than the individual homeopathic ingredients.

Traumeel
Traumeel contains Arnica montana, Belladonna, Calendula officinalis, Chamomilla Millefolium, Hepar sulphuris calcareum, Symphytum officinale, Aconitum napellus, Bellis perennis Mercurius solubilis, Hypericum perforatum Echinacea, Echinacea purpurea, and Hamamelis virginiana.

Traumeel helps control pain, swelling, infection, irritation, and stimulate bone union. Traumeel is best used at the outset of injury but it is also helpful if used during the recovery phase. In my experience, it is better to inject Traumeel than steroids at the outset of injury.

Of all homeopathics I’ve used, I believe Traumeel is the single most beneficial medication for injured pets. It is available as an injectable, oral med with an alcohol preservative, tablet, and cream.

Neuralgo-Rheum
Neuralgo-Rheum contains: Gnaphalium polycephalum, Gnaphalium polycephalum, Gnaphalium polycephalum, Causticum, Colchicum autumnale, Colocynthis, Ferrum metallicum, Lithium benzoicum, Rhus toxicodendron Spiraea ulmaria, Causticum, Colchicum autumnale, Colocynthis, Ferrum metallicum, Lithium benzoicum, Rhus toxicodendron, Spiraea ulmaria, Causticum, Colchicum autumnale.

In my experience, Neuralgo-Rheum helps ease nerve pain, stimulate nerve regeneration, and stop soft tissue swelling. If Traumeel is the first medication I chose for injury and acute paralysis, Neuralgo-Rheum is the second. In addition to helping pets paralyzed through traumatic event, it is helpful for pets that have been hit by car or have sports injuries that damage nerves.

Discus
Discus contains more almost three dozen homeopathic ingredients: Gnaphalium polycephalum, Berberis vulgaris, Cimicifuga racemosa, Cinchona officinalis, Colocynthis, Ledum palustre, Ranunculus bulbosus, Aesculus hippocastanum, Ascorbicum acidum, Cuprum aceticum, Kali carbonicum, Nadidum, Natrum oxalaceticum, Nicotinamidum, Picricum acidum, Pulsatilla, Pyridoxinum hydrochloricum, Riboflavinum, Secale cornutum, Silicea, Thiaminum hydrochloricum, alpha-Lipoicum acidum, Ammonium muriaticum, Cartilago suis, Discus invertebralis suis, Argentum metallicum, Calcarea phosphorica, Coenzyme A, Embryo suis, Funiculus umbilicalis suis, Glandula suprarenalis suis, Medulla ossis suis, Mercurius praecipitatus ruber, Sepia, Zincum metallicum, Sulphur

In my experience, Discus is invaluable in helping dogs paralyzed due to disc disease. It is most effective when started early and should be used intermittently after the pet has recovered mobility. In my experience, dogs paralyzed from ruptured discs that have been treated with steroids or surgical repair do not respond as well to homeopathy as those treated with holistic therapies from the outset.

I used Discus for Sadie because it helps with spinal injury regardless of the cause, but its use is not limited to disc disease. Pets with arthritis, spondylosis, and other joint problems, benefit from Discus, especially when it is injected at appropriate acupuncture points.

Summary
Homeopathic medications help paralyzed dogs. Unfortunately, they are not as easy to give as some other medications because they cannot be combined with food. Instead, they are given by injection or given when the mouth is empty, usually by crushing between two spoons and placing the powder inside the cheek to be absorbed through the mucous membranes. No paralyzed pet should go without them.

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Paralyzed Dogs Can Recover—Acupuncture

Nothing is more heartbreaking than a paralyzed pet, but don’t give up hope: acupuncture can help restore nerve and muscle function. In a previous blog, we told Sadie’s story. Sadie went from complete paralysis, including inability to move her legs and inability to urinate or defecate, to running in the woods in 10 weeks. Many pets, just like Sadie, can recover from apparently hopeless paralysis.

What we did for Sadie
Acupuncture that helped Sadie included dry needles, electro-acupuncture and homeopathic injections at acupuncture points. We started with more than 20 acupuncture points and used fewer and fewer points as the treatments progressed. We chose which points to use based on Sadie’s symptoms.

We started with needles in the webs between her toes, on the outside of her front paws and her back paws, and along her back. After inserting all the needles, I ran an alternating current between points above and below the spinal injury. For Sadie, I also injected homeopathic solutions from BHI-Heel into the four points that benefit the whole spine: SI 3 and BL 62. This medication lingered at the points, continuing to send its healing message along the meridians, rather like holding a finger on an elevator button continues to ask the elevator to come to your floor.

I’ll describe how to find SI 3 and BL 62 so that if your pet has a spinal problem, you can massage these points to bring energy to the spine. Massage at these points will also help pets with disc disease.

SI 3
SI 3 is the third point on the Small Intestine meridian. Usually, it’s easier to find SI 3 on yourself, then look for it on your pet. Feel alongside the edge of your hand away from your thumb just as the hand bones join the littlest finger. The hand bone is a metacarpal (MC), and the metacarpal on the outside is MC 5. As MC 5 forms a joint with the bones in the little finger, it widens. The dip just before MC 5 widens is where SI 3 is located. Most people have one or more tiny wrinkles here.

To find SI 3 on your dog, wiggle the toes (digits) of its front feet. A dog’s digits are shorter than our fingers are, but it’s easy to see where the digits flex as they form a joint with the metacarpals. Feel along the outside (lateral) of MC 5 for the dip just before MC 5 widens. This is in the right point to stimulate energy that helps the spine, especially the neck. Stimulate this point on both right & left front paws.

BL 62
BL 62 is the 62 of 67 points along the bladder meridian. The bladder meridian starts at the inner corner of the eye and runs along the spine all the way to the little toe. BL 1 is at the eye, and BL 67 at the outside of the nail on your smallest toe. BL 62 is the point along this meridian where you can feel the dip on the outside of your ankle bone. It’s easy to find if you grab your Achilles tendon. The ankle bone (lateral malleolus) is just in front of the web of skin in front of the Achilles tendon. Find the most prominent part of the ankle bone and slide down on the bone into a tiny dip. That’s BL 62. Massage here to help pull energy all along the spine.

Massage both SI 3 and BL 62 to benefit your pet’s entire spine.

What’s coming?
In the next few Caring for Pet blog, we’re going to cover the homeopathic meds that can help paralyzed dogs, focusing on those we used for Sadie. Never lose heart if your pet is paralyzed. Use homeopathy, acupuncture and holistic medicine. And pray: “May the best that can happen, happen. Amen.”

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Paralyzed Dogs Can Recover

Sadie's Story
Don't be heartbroken if you have a paralyzed dog. The future may look hopeless; you may be in tears, and your pet may be in pain; but there is hope. Let me share Sadie’s story because it’s a great example of what’s possible when a family doesn’t quit believing that their paralyzed pet can recover.

Sadie is a beautiful blonde 8-year old Akita-Lab mix that developed sudden paralysis May 18th. When I met her,Sadie was unable to move anything but her head. She was unable to urinate and unable to defecate. She couldn’t take a drink of water or eat a bite of food unless she was rolled onto her sternum and held so the bowl was directly under her mouth.

A few days earlier, a neurologist had told Stacy and Avi, Sadie’s guardians, that Sadie needed an MRI to establish what had happened to her spine. You can imagine the sinking feeling they had when told they needed several thousand dollars for tests. To make matters worse, Stacy and Avi had booked nonrefundable tickets for a trip out of the country. The flight was leaving in 5 days.

Making the decisions that helped Sadie
Stacy and Avi decided that rather than invest in an MRI, they would invest in acupuncture and homeopathic therapy. Stacy asked for my help and we created a treatment plan. Stacy had elicited a friend’s help for the period they would be away; and Abe, Stacy and I refined the plan so it would work in their absence. Then, Stacy set to work changing Sadie’s diet to home-cooked meats and vegetables rather than canned food or kibble.

Our plan included the best of allopathic and holistic medicine. Sadie would receive a house call every few days. During the house call, I would acupuncture Sadie and give her homeopathic medications. Between visits, the family would moxa specific acupuncture points. Sadie would be turned every few hours. Three times a day, she would be carried outside and her bladder would be manually emptied. Her bowls were manually emptied until she was able to defecate on her own. We added flax to her diet to increase the bulk in her feces and get her stimulated to defecate as soon as possible.

The challenges of wet bedding and shedding
Sadie had been an outdoor dog with the thick Akita coat but she couldn't be left outside where, paralyzed, she couldn't protect herself from flies, rain, wind, or sun. Sadie was moved indoors where she shed up a storm.

Loose hairs were not the only housekeeping challenge, because within days Sadie became incontinent and leaked urine. Her bedding need to be changed, washed & dried multiple times during the day. The family bought potty pads by the car load.

Handling the health problems
During her illness, Sadie lost muscle mass. Her weight went from 80 pounds to 70 pounds, and by the time she quit losing weight, she was probably nearer to 60 pounds. Her limbs stiffened. Her bony joints rubbed on the bedding and it looked as though she might develop bed sores. We handled these problems by feeding Sadie more often, frequently massaging and moving her limbs through full range of motion, and positioning her elbows and ankles to prevent skin breakdown. Sadie received bed baths to keep urine from scalding her skin. We continued with acupuncture. We used injectable and oral homeopathics. We added a Chinese herbal formula, Minor Invigorate the Collaterals.

Baby steps
By the first of June, about two weeks after she became paralyzed, Sadie was standing on her own. Stacy & Avi were in Israel and couldn't see Sadie's first steps to recovery. Abe wasn't sure Stacy & Avi believed what he was seeing when he discussed Sadie during their phone conversations. Abe had seen Sadie stumble outside to urinate and, indeed, her bed was no longer wet. Abe also believed Sadie had climbed down one flight of stairs and back up. Abe wisely blocked off the stairs because Sadie was neither strong nor coordinated, and she could easily hurt herself with a missed step.

More problems
Sadie developed diarrhea and we changed her diet. Abe fed her small frequent meals of broth, rice and chicken. We continued acupuncture, homeopathy, and the range of motion exercises. We kept the stairs blocked off but let Sadie spend more time outside. We made sure no flies had laid eggs on her coat as she slept and no maggots were able to penetrate her skin. Maggots are a living hell for many paralyzed animals.

Stacy & Avi return to a stiff, mobile, elated Sadie
Four weeks after having been too paralyzed to pee, poop, or move, Sadie had full control of her bodily functions and was able to walk reasonably well. Stacy & Avi returned to find a stiff, but mobile dog.

At that time, only one of Stacy's legs actually received messages from the brain that let her know where it was in space (proprioceptive placing), but Sadie was able to stand to urinate, defecate, and eat. Her skin was intact. She had not developed bladder infections or skin infections. Her appetite was great and she could begin rebuilding lost muscle mass.

The strength to climb 3 flights of stairs
We were all thrilled, but there was work to do because Sadie lived 3 flights up from street level and our goal was for Sadie to be able to run in the woods. Sadie would need to climb the stairs under her own power. Over the next few weeks, with her beloved family at home, Sadie grew increasingly stronger, and 10 weeks after Sadie became paralyzed, I got this note:

“I wanted to let you know that Sadie is doing very well. She is now able to go up and down the stairs to walk in the woods twice a day. She is loving it. She also is running a bit like a trot and she has a huge smile on her face. I have been giving her the herbs 2x a day - I think it is helping with her energy and vitality. Thank you for all your support. Avi's youngest son said the other day "Sadie's back!" that was a joy to hear. Love, Stacy"

Pray & don't lose hope
If you have a paralyzed dog, be like Stacy & Avi, don't lose hope. We do not have miracles for paralysis, but we do have the great traditions of Chinese & Western medicine. And, we have the prayer, “May the best that can happen, happen. Amen.”

What's coming?
Over the next few Caring for Pet blog entries, let's discuss the acupuncture techniques, homeopathy, herbs and attitudes that helped Sadie overcome paralysis.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANCE

According to longevity statistics, the average male Golden lives 11 years, so Lance should have been dead three years ago. And, Lance should have died months ago following surgery for abscessed cancerous mass in the liver (hemangiosarcoma). Even with successful surgical removal, the average life expectancy after surgery is only 19-61 days. So, it’s easy to see why Lance’s birthday this month is worth celebrating. Happy 14th Birthday Lance!

Lance survives because his family loves him dearly, providing him with optimal nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, and supplements. Lance is fed wheat grass, probiotics, Omega 3 fatty acids, home-cooked meat, vegetables, and fruit. Lance receives Yunnan Pai Yao to prevent internal bleeding. He receives Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentle Pets) for weakness and cancer. He has also received Xiao Chai Hu Jia Qin Jiao Tang (Benefit Hips & Knees) and Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum) for his liver and joints.

In addition to helping Lance survive cancer, his family ensures he is free of arthritis pain. Like most large dogs, Lance suffers from hip and knee arthritis. To prevent this arthritis from becoming crippling, his family injects him with Adequan and provides oral joint medication (Joint Optimizer). In addition, Lance receives regular acupuncture treatments.

As important as acupuncture, medications, food, and herbs are, they only support the life energy that Lance has. What keeps that life energy flowing is the love and support Lance receives from his family. Bernadette and Bruce have kept Lance happy to be alive during the tough times with hypothyroidism; hot, inflamed joints; abscess liver tumor; and bloody diarrhea. Their love is what truly makes the difference.

Congratulations Lance, and thank you Bruce and Bernadette. Your love for Goldens makes the world a better place.

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Panza, a Cancer Survivor

Let’s hear it for little Panza who is doing well despite cancer.

Cancer is a devastating disease that affects half our dogs and one-third of our cats. For many forms of cancer we don’t have tremendous success with conventional approaches. For example, even with surgical removal of a cancerous spleen (hemangiosarcoma), dogs live an average of 19-61 days. Panza had surgery last February and, 6 months later, is still doing well.

Several things contribute to Panza’s ability to live beyond the normal lifespan of a dog with a splenic tumor, the most important of which is her family’s love. Every day she has fun. Panza receives short walks and weekend outings. She receives hot, home-cooked food, skin care, & baths.

In addition, holistic therapies have helped extend Panza’s life:
1. Premium nutrition with emphasis on proteins, fresh deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables
2. Herbs such as Yunnan Pai Yao that help limit bleeding
3. Herbs such as Blood’s Palace that promote movement of energy and prevent “blood stasis”
4. Homeopathy for toxin clearance
5. Acupuncture tune ups

When Panza’s family first began working with me after her surgery in February, we were realistic. We discussed the possibility that Panza, like many pets with this type of cancer, could develop a sudden internal hemorrhage and die. Still, we created a plan that looked at Panza’s overall health, including her allergies, arthritis, tendency to diarrhea with a diet change, anal sac scooting, and proceeded. We came up with a whole new way of feeding her. We selected ideal supplements, fatty acids, vitamins and herbs. We acupunctured her weekly, then monthly. We did everything we could from a holistic veterinary perspective, including prayer, and Panza has benefited.

Panza is one example of how well a pet with a loving family can do given holistic veterinary support. In upcoming Caring for Pet blog entries, we’ll talk about some of the others.

HERE’S TO PANZA’S FIRST SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING SURGERY FOR CANCER!

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Anesthetic and Non-anesthetic Dental Cleaning for Pets

Should your pet have dental work done by a veterinarian while it is anesthetized? Or, can your pet take advantage of the less expensive non-anesthetic dental work that is being offered by some vet clinics?

There’s a big difference in the price of anesthetic dental treatment compared with the price of non-anesthetic dental treatment, but there is also a big difference in what can be done to your pet’s teeth. How do you know which is best?

Here are six questions that I use to help clients understand whether anesthetic or non-anesthetic dental treatment would be best for their pet:

1. Does this pet have a truly stinky mouth with abscesses? Yes, then it’ll need teeth pulled, so please request an anesthetic.

2. Does this pet have painful teeth that should be extracted? Yes, then please request anesthetic.

3. Does this pet hate to have its mouth handled? Yes, then allow it to be sedated. This either can be full-blown anesthesia or an injectable sedation rather like valium.

4. Is this pet naturally haywire? Yes, then request sedation or anesthesia so the miniature jack hammer used to bust off tarter will not accidentally put a hole through the roof of your pet’s mouth.

5. Does this pet have a so that positioning it in a technician’s lap for the nonanesthetic dental can be painful? Yes, then request anesthesia or sedation so your pet’s head and neck can be positioned and maintained in comfortable way.

6. Does this pet have serious dental problems and serious heart, kidney, or liver disease? Yes, then request a sore neck nesthesia, but also request a cardiac and blood oxygen monitor, IV fluids, and herbs to help the liver detoxify the anesthetic.

Anesthesia scares many pet families and they are right not to take it lightly. If families have pets that are calm and have minimal dental disease, they’re candidates for anesthesia-free dental care. If pets are aggressive or regular rodeo candidates, they need anesthesia or sedation. If the dental disease is severe, pets need anesthesia.

There’s a delightful video on non-anesthesia dental care by Jan Rasmussen, the author of Scared Poopless. The video is at http://www.dogs4dogs.com/.

After you watch the video and answer the questions above, you’ll have a good idea whether your pet is a good candidate for non-anesthesia dental care.

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