Sophie is scratching and biting at her skin again

[JodyLT]

Hi everyone - My Sophie is a Portuguese Podengo Pequeno spayed female, just turned 11yo, weighs just under 11 lbs. I have been transitioning her back to a raw diet (Raw Feeding Miami) from the past 4 months of a human grade cooked called Just Food for Dogs, because she developed an anal sac infection or a swelling and redness of her right anal sac, which she'd never had in all the years on raw. I went to my local vet for diagnostic and then treated homeopathically and it is now almost completely resolved.

She had been on raw her whole life with brief lapses into cooked but always high quality foods.

For several years, Sophie has had intermittent biting and scratching episodes where she would create raw bald spots in various places on her body. I tried apple cider vinegar, natural flea protection (diatomaceous earth in her food and topically, raw garlic which I still do and HWF which I still do, even that nasty Apoquel years ago when I felt desperate and that allergy shot Cytopoint a couple of times last year, which worked but, of course, through suppression.
I'm done with all of that and want to address homeopathically, once and for all.

Sophie's demeanor, personality, moods match the Pulsatilla "type." One dose of 200c healed an infected lobe on the outer part of one ear recently and I gave her Pulsatilla again for her anal sac issue, which didn't work as well and followed that with a dose of 200c Silica, which seemed to have helped.

Not sure to try a dose of 200c Pulsatilla again for her skin issue popping back up and would love any feedback here, Dr. Jeff.

See image of the raw spot she just created today.

Thank you!
Jody

 

[Dr. Jeff]

How's her BEAM Jody?

A skin symptom like this after a dose of Silica can be a great sign!

Perhaps try aloe vera massaged into any irritated-looking skin lesion.

 

[JodyLT]

Hi Dr Jeff - Thank you! Her BEAM is good! It's not raw now; I've put calendula cream on it which she always responds well to and sprayed apple cider vinegar over her body and massaged into her skin. I'm going to watch her over the next day or two.
So you think the Silica is bringing up this little bit older symptom in it healing process from newest to oldest?

 

[Dr. Christina]

One way to tell if "Silica is bringing up this little bit older symptom in it healing process from newest to oldest" is to step back and look at all her symptoms, modalities and possible triggers.

Have you created a timeline of any problems she has had, including any of the early warning signs of internal imbalance, as well as what treatments were given and the response to each? Looking at the big picture is a very important step in evaluation of response.

Dr. Christina

 

[JodyLT]

Thank you, Dr. Christina. I don't have a timeline but can create one, yes. That is a weekend project as a lot has happened over 11 years. She also just had an echo cardiogram today because this vet heard a murmur and the radiologist came out to tell me she has mild mitral valve disease. I'm getting the pictures and report which I"ll send here.
I'm def not putting her on Pimo, would like to handle homeopathically as well as maybe giving her Hawthorne Berry or something else you/Dr. Jeff might recommend.
But let me get the films first and send. And work up that timeline.
Thanks so so much for the feedback.
Jody

 

[JodyLT]

UPDATE on Sophie 3/4/21: While I didn't get to create a timeline for Sophie, I did start incorporating raw heart from several different animals into her and our other dogs' diet, as well as raw liver. I started her on COQ10 and Pet Wellbeing's Young at Heart, and looked closely at her written echo cardiogram report, which while the vet gave me what sounded like a gloom and doom, wasn't bad at all. Her heart is functioning pretty well, according to the vet after pressing her for more info.
I also went back to the Materia Medica for her skin issue and Silica still does seem to be the choice right now (thank you Dr. Jeff ), so I started her on 30C with Dr Jeff's Q Tip method.

Interestingly, within 36 hours, she developed an aggravation - little red bumps, not quite hives but similar, all over her chest and part way down her abdomen. Her BEAM is very good and even though she has those bumps, she is scratching much less, biting much less. So, hoping it's a curative aggravation. We are waiting and seeing.

I am still giving her the Silica. Would love some dosing advice from Dr. Jeff or Dr. Christina going forward. I'd started on 30C morning and evening. With this aggravation, which seems curative but not sure quite yet, do I stop dosing and wait and see? Dose same amount, something else? These are the finer points of homeopathy I am learning and love. Very elegant! And amazing!

Here is a pic of Sophie's bumps. She is quite the scruffball.

Thanks!
Jody

 

[GinnyW]

Hi, Jody...Since noone else has jumped in, I'd say that, yes, I would stop dosing and watch and wait to see what happens with the bumps. Another finer point of homeopathy is knowing that you CAN watch and wait, and still be "doing" something I'll follow her case with interest.

ginny

 

[JodyLT]

Hi, Jody...Since noone else has jumped in, I'd say that, yes, I would stop dosing and watch and wait to see what happens with the bumps. Another finer point of homeopathy is knowing that you CAN watch and wait, and still be "doing" something I'll follow her case with interest.

ginny

Thanks so much, Ginny! Appreciate your input. Sophie's chest bumps are a lot better today (see photo). I'd already given her a dose of Silica last night before I posted but will stop and wait and see what happens now. I'll keep you all posted and love any feedback. Thanks! Jody

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Jody, and thanks so much Ginny for replying to Jody. I really appreciate it. ? ?

Yes! Ginny advised exactly what I was about to write (before I saw her reply)!

Jody, you may want to hold off on dosing for the weekend.

Please update us by next week.

 

[JodyLT]

Hey Jody, and thanks so much Ginny for replying to Jody. I really appreciate it. ? ?

Yes! Ginny advised exactly what I was about to write (before I saw her reply)!

Jody, you may want to hold off on dosing for the weekend.

Please update us by next week.

Yes doing that; thanks!

 

[JodyLT]

Yes doing that; thanks!

Hi everyone-Update on Sophie-3-9-21: Sophie’s red bumps reappeared with white heads on some of them, lasted for a day and disappeared again. Her BEAM remained good. She continued to lick lick her paws and chest but a bit less than usual. Today, she started scratching and biting again; not intensely but did start again.
I am thinking of giving her another dose of Silica snd then waiting again, giving a little nudge. Thoughts, Dr Jeff, Ginny? Thank you!!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

What's the indication for redosing (aside from a nudge)?

Has her BEAM (or any other non-skin symptom) changed?

 

[JodyLT]

What's the indication for redosing (aside from a nudge)?

Has her BEAM (or any other non-skin symptom) changed?

She’s gotten a little fussier Re eating but not as much as the past. Mostly her skin. In working with Dr Lisa Samet, for me, which as been very successful thus far, that is what we’d do. After waiting, if I had a bit of a relapse, I’d take a dose and it would give my body the nudge it needed at that time and I’d be back on track.
Is there a reason you think this a bad idea in this circumstance? Thank you, Dr Jeff.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Oh, not necessarily a bad idea at all Jody!

 

[JodyLT]

Oh, not necessarily a bad idea at all Jody!

Ok then! Lol I’m going to do and wait and see. Thank you, Dr. Jeff!

 

[JodyLT]

Ok then! Lol I’m going to do and wait and see. Thank you, Dr. Jeff!

LOL Nice! We may have an agg about 5 hrs after dose. We'll see how it unfolds. ?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Practicing the two additional Ps of the 4 P symptoms (persistent, prominent, problematic, peculiar) are what you need to do now:



It's time for patience and perseverance.

 

[JodyLT]

Practicing the two additional Ps of the 4 P symptoms (persistent, prominent, problematic, peculiar) are what you need to do now:



It's time for patience and perseverance.

The two additional P’s? They’re important ones! Perhaps the 6 P’s? Thank goodness she doesn’t have 2 tails. Now that would throw me for a loop! Lol

 

[Dr. Jeff]

HA! yes! We couldn't repertorize that symptom!

 

[JodyLT]

HA! yes! We couldn't repertorize that symptom!

???