Animals can be susceptible to ailments during changes in weather in Autumn/early Winter and then again in Spring, exposure to the elements or contact with respiratory viruses. You can treat these symptoms easily with your homoeopathic remedies by observing the symptom picture and selecting a remedy to suit.
A good initial remedy for early low-grade fever or early flu, which may be the odd sneeze from cats or a throaty cough from dogs, is Ferrum Phos. At this stage, it also helps if you can dose with vitamin C, a pinch of powder twice daily in food for cats to a teaspoon of powder or 1000mg tablet for a large breed dog. Additionally, herbs such as Echinacea, Olive leaf, Andrographis, Astragalus, and Reishi/Shitaki mushroom can help the immune system. Dose range: from 1/8th of a human dose for a cat or small dog to a whole human dose for a large dog.
Belladonna is a good remedy if they are aimlessly wandering and restless with a fever, often feeling hot at the top end of the body but with cold feet. Consider Allium for copious running of nose and sore eyes, Kali mur for thick white discharge and mouth ulcers, Arsenicum if restless and chilly or Nat mur if discharges are ‘egg white like’ and the animal is unsociable and seemingly depressed.
For later in the course of the illness, when the cough (in dogs) and sneeze/runny nose (in cats) has developed, then useful remedies are Gelsemium, when the animal just wants to be alone and to rest quietly, or Pulsatilla if seeking company and bland pale yellow discharge, Phosphorous if blood-flecked, Hepar sulph if irritable, with sore/excoriating discharges. Bryonia is a good cough remedy when the cough starts up every time the animal gets up to move around, or is worse out on a walk, but settles when resting.
Always read the label and follow directions for use.
Written in conjunction with Dr Clare Middle who runs a natural therapies only veterinary practice in Balingup. Ph: 0405 009 804, www.claremiddle.com
Factsheets: Download & print our Animals Info Sheets, Cat Flu, Cold & Flu, Cough Remedies for Animals, Kennel Cough, Runny Nose & Sore Throat Factsheets, Remedy Pictures & Remedy Guide or refer to our Homoeopathy for the Home Prescriber book, eBook or visit our website for more free Animal Info.
Opening a remedy vial: Watch how it’s done here!
Dosage & administration of remedies: Click here for how to and when. As a general rule you should reduce the frequency of doses of a remedy as it starts to act & not continue once the situation has resolved.
Owen homoeopathics
443 Great Eastern Hwy Redcliffe WA 6104
P: 08 9277 9565 E: owen@h-e-c.com.au
www.owenhomoeopathics.com.au