Drama: Veterinary Homoeopathy!
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2000 July / Aug VOL II NO 4.
Dr Vishpala Parthasarathy
'Crot-hor

We were doing the colo-rectal issue. Dr Rama, the issue editor, had sent us 5 articles some 3 months ago. We had just finished a phenomenal TB issue, which took literally 3 months. A simple CR issue would provide the much needed breather. With so many articles already in the bag, we felt we could wrap up the issue in record time. And what do you think happened? Our fount dried up, we had no new articles to fill up the issue. Now what? We sent in our requests to the NJH author bank. Slowly articles trickled in but nothing dramatic.

That is when my pet dog Churchill came to the rescue, but at what a price! On Sunday 8th Oct 2000, the trainer felt he had some bleeding spots in the mouth. I could see nothing very unusual so ignored it. By Monday, he was weak and breathless on his morning walk. By evening he started bleeding per rectum. We immediately sent him to the vet. She said he had fever of 101.50F plus maggots and to do an X-ray Chest to rule out cardiac enlargement. X-ray - NAD. Bryo 200 - 2 doses. By Wednesday, 11th Oct, the vet confirmed no fever, but the bleeding had increased.

He was spotting all over the house, even passing clots. We had to tie him up in one corner and put him just outside my room so he would not be lonely, with newspapers under him. In 6 hrs the newspaper would be soaked with blood. By Thursday, 12/10, he could hardly move; would not respond when called- in fact lay so still that my heart would miss a beat. He had not eaten for 24 hrs, including his prized Wednesday ration of mutton! This really meant sick!! Wednesday night, I fed him by hand, mixed cake in his food, and lots of water. Thursday morning he barely managed to walk to my study early morning, again his favourite time, as he has me to himself. While lying prone, he passed urine involuntarily, which seemed very highly coloured, even bloody. Stools were tarry-black, indicating internal bleeding.

The vet examined him, collected for a blood test but only did S Bil not even a CBC, which was normal. She gave him a shot of Terramycin, prescribed antibiotics and haematinics. I categorically told her I know homoeopathy will resolve the crisis and did not start the antibiotics. This was already Wednesday evening, and in 48 hrs Churchill had rapidly declined. Thursday morning, I consulted Dr Dixit and gave him a detailed history.

Follow-Up
12-10-00 Thursday morning Crot-hor 200 2 hrly
12-10-00 Thursday night first dose of Tub-b 1M and Crot-h 200 ct 4 hrly
My husband, who left for Singapore on Wednesday night, kept calling daily to find out status. That day again I fed him by hand with lots of water during lunchtime. Even dinner, my servant fed him by hand.

13-10-00 Friday morning, after 6 doses of Crot-h, Churchill wagged his tail a bit, something he had not done for 3 days. So I asked Churchill if he wanted a small walk? He got up and came down just in the compound. He was tired in 10min and was sent up. Now Crot-h was reduced to 6 hrly.
14-10-00 Saturday: we were on Day 6. Bleeding stopped. Churchill came for a walk.
Urine was still highly coloured so I asked for: CBC, SGPT and urine.
Reports came only on Monday, by which time Churchill was perfectly alright- no bleeding, anus was completely dry and healed. He had resumed his walks and eating and responding, even jumping.

Details of CBC Reports
14-10-00: Hb 8.7 Gm/dl; RBC 3.85 million/cc; morphology - abnormal 1+: WBC Total 20,000/cc Differential - Band cell-5, N 72 L 16 B07 Platelets 10,000 (N= 150,000-3,00,000). Urine showed Bile pigments ++; SGPT - 26 (N)

The high WBC count indicated presence of an infection. The presence of bile pigments in urine without a rise of Bilirubin, in a case of fever, indicates Septicaemia. Low platelet with fever and bleeding from multiple origins actually first give a suspicion of acute leukemia. But the absence of any abnormal cells ruled that out.

Thus the confirmatory findings were of septicaemia and Churchill was treated accordingly. The improving symptoms showed the resolving stage. We took it easy, no long walks, though he was normal in the house.

Even with so much improvement, the vet advised Anti-biotics and Haematinics. The stools were completely pitch black and the change in colour would show that his condition was turning normal. But the haematinics would make stools black and cloud the judgment, so we avoided those also. On Day 8 ie Monday the 16-10-00 morning his stools were completely normal yellow.

CBC Repeat on Saturday 21-10 ie in 6 days.:
RBC 4.21million/cc; Hb 9.5 Gm%; WBC 14,000/cc WBC Differential N-68, L 20 E 1 B 0 M 7 Band cell-4 Abn 1+
Very good improvement

3rd CBC on 25.10.00
WBC 11,100/cc WBC Differential N-62, L 26 E 5 B 0 M 7; Platelets 70,000/cmm

25-10 Tub-b 1M 2nd dose and Crot-h 200 6hrly ct. The Crot-h has to be ct till platelet count touches normal with weekly dose of Tub-b 1M
6-11-00 As at the time of going to press the reports have shown further improvement WBC 9000. Platelets 100,000

The Homoeopathic Understanding
The Reasoning Process: To produce full learning form this case it is necessary to have an understanding of the selection of the remedy and differentiation:

First symptom- Bleeding PR: Phos or snake venom.
Phos: Bleeding character red, watery. Plus voracious appetite. Ruled out
2. Blood; dark. Clotted, ropy stringy. Crot, kali-bi
Kali-bi not so marked for bleeding.
3. Destruction of RBC's, bleeding from 2-3 outlets. Urine highly colored. But No pathological Jaundice. SGPT and S Bilirubin N.
Urine represented destruction of RBC and its products.
The dog had turned from being aggressive to mild, dull, not able to respond, not even greeting or wagging tail!

Further Reading of Crotalus-H From Materia Medica:
Affection: Blood, liver
Deathly sickness and prostration.
Causes disorganization of blood and tissues.
Haemorrhages are dark, from all orifices.
Rapid decomposing. Septic conditions. Offensive odours from body.
Recurrence periodicity-yearly. He got maggots after one yr inspite of utmost care and cleanliness.
Mind: Melancholy. (Antipathy to family - no greeting, no getting up, no wagging tail.)
Craving: sweets.( Ate food only when mixed with cake and sheera.)
Resp: anxious, laboured breathing.
Fever 101.50F malignant. Urine dark, bloody urine.
Ropy stringy discharge- blood even saliva was thick and stringy.

The picture was of disorganization of blood and snake venom. Pt chilly- so Lachesis was ruled out. Final choice was Crot-h 200. Higher of the medium potencies chosen as pace of disease was rapid and it was an emergency situation. But high potency 1M was not chosen as the pt condition was very low to be able to withstand high potency. Rapid response required if the system is to be stopped from rolling down hill and pulled back up. And the response we got was nothing short of dramatic - in just 36 hrs ie by 14-10 he was improving.

As of today Churchill is completely all right. Eating well, taking his long walks. And again demanding his just due from Boris, his little son, who is aggressive and refuses to toe the line