G is for Grief.

                            www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

                    G could also have been for gastritis but as grief is something I am undergoing personally at the moment I thought it would be more appropriate to write about grief.

                    Last Tuesday Ponto my beloved brown doberman died tragically at the age of 7  from leg cancer and the following evening Dandy the  30 year old donkey that I had had for 25 years died of an internal blockage. Needless to say I had several veterinary opinions on both but ultimately to no avail. With Dandy at least I could say it was the average age for a donkey in this country but Ponto’s life was definitely cut short as my last two dobes lived to thirteen and a half. So I am mourning and missing them both dreadfully.

                                       However do animals mourn? The answer is definitely YES. If a donkey has a particular friend it often goes down hill and dies within two months. This happened with William an elderly donkey that was devoted to Maddie our lovely grey mare. When she died of a broken leg which the vets could not repair he was inconsolable, there was absolutely nothing we could do to cheer him up and he too died shortly after her. When a goose died her gander honked miserably for 24 hours and died of a broken heart, shortly followed by his other goose who died 24 hours after him- it was wretched to watch.

 Cats can also be bereft and usually I try to pair them up with another cat when their friend dies. When  Hogie’s  Cornish Rex friend died he managed to pair up with Sheba the Siamese very successfully. However I find with most of our many rescued cats they seem to find true love only the once and thereafter they just have friendships. Sometimes they go around for days crying piteously but the arrival of someone new at least takes their mind off things. A friend’s Siamese would not stop howling after its  feline friend died,  it finally stopped when another young cat was introduced and after some initial hissing they settled down.

 When my brown doberman, Little Dorrit’s mother Daisy died she was inconsolable and started to self mutilate. There are homeopathic remedies that can help and vitamin Bs are said to aid depression (in humans as well) but with Dorrit absolutely nothing worked until Di Patience, the renowned doberman breeder, told me of a young brown dog called Ponto with a sweet nature. He arrived and Little Dorrit dried her tears and for the rest of her life they were absolutely devoted. In turn to help Ponto with Dorrit’s death we introduced Little Nell. They were inseparable until last Tuesday whenl Ponto died so quickly ( two weeks from the onset of a limp) and unexpectedly of bone cancer. Nellie is now totally forlorn. I am taking her for long walks to try and distract her and giving her the remedies but if anything she is getting worse not better and whines heartrendingly whenever she is left alone for a moment. She is also having to sleep on my bed and there really isn’t much room, but it is comforting for both of us. The remedy- I have consulted all my doberman expert friends and  have been in touch with dobermann rescue - we definitely need to find her another companion. But that isn’t so easy she is six so a puppy may drive her crazy and an older dog may intimidate her and eat all our cats, ducks etc but something will have to be done very soon.

 HOMEOPATHICALLY: Ignatia is the main remedy for grief. Nat Mur can be given after Ignatia particularly if the animal seems to want to be left alone. Nux Vom is also possible for a cat or dog that does not want to be handled; however, if the reverse is true and your pet craves attention Pulsatilla may be more appropriate. Staphisagria can be good for grief when it is accompanied by symptoms such as hair loss. Aurum may be appropriate when there is deep depression and Causticum works well when the animal appears to age after losing a companion, either animal or human, that has probably had a worrying illness over a long period.

Herbally: Camomile,skullcap and valerian are very calming. Flower remedies Honeysuckle or Star of Bethlehem may be given to animals when they have lost their owner or the other household pet. Olive is said to be helpful when the worry has been longstanding.

I shall be giving Nellie Causticum as she looks as though she has aged and gone much greyer since Ponto died last week.  Both of us are taking a vitamin B complex and swallowing ignatia.

H for heart next week.

                             Alexandra Bastedo is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary whose website now has a donation button for all the 150 animals- 148- since last week which have been rescued at www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk   

Alexandra Bastedo is also a patron of Compassion in World Farming, The Animal Welfare Trust, and WildlifeAid, locally she is President of Cat and Rabbit Rescue and Vice President of Brent Lodge Wild Bird Hospital  near Chichester and patron of Paws Animal Rescue at Findon. She is a former president of her local RSPCA branch but left in order to devote more time to th ABC animal  sanctuary with its numerous rescued needy animals.

Copyright Alexandra Bastedo                                                       

F is for Fleas.

by Alexandra Bastedo.     www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

Fleas are an on-going battle. You don’t want to be so heavy-handed with the chemicals that the immune system is impaired, but at the same time you don’t want the fleas to take over and create an infestation that can cause disease. I do not believe in giving chemicals internally if I can possibly avoid it but brewers’ yeast and garlic can be effective flea deterrents when taken orally. The sugars in a lot of commercial pet foods may also make your animal more attractive to fleas and they are particularly vulnerable if they have a weak immune system. It is therefore very important to feed pure foods- whether cooked or commercial- and to supplement with a good multi vitamin and mineral formula.

The main anti-flea herbs are eucalyptus, citronella, cedar,rosemary and fennel which can be pulverised and made in to a flea powder. You can also make good herbal collars from herbal oils. Juliette de Bairacli Levy also recommends her lemon skin tonic, which is made by putting a sliced lemon into almost boiling water. It should be left to cool overnight and then put on the coat of the animal in question and can be used on a daily basis as it is harmless. A flea comb is the other important piece of equipment as it picks up fleas as it moves through the fur and these can then be drowned in hot soapy water or popped between two thumb nails. If things cannot be controlled herbally then there is a chemical spray or spot on treatment but use it very sparingly and be on the alert for side-effects particularly in the young or old. I have had examples of suppurating skin and itchy skin from these products. Orally if really necessary Capstar from the vets will kill off all fleas that bite the animal for a month. By injection from your vet Program renders fleas infertile for 6 months so their eggs cannot hatch out. It is also very important to vacuum regularly and wash bedding frequently to get rid of flea dirts and eggs. The bedding should be washed in hot water. Lavender and fennel can be left near the bedding as fleas dislike it.

HOMEOPATHICALLY: Sulphur is excellent for skin and can be a flea deterrent. Urtica can be given if there is an allergy to flea collars. Phos Tox can also be very effective.

VITAMINS: A vitamin B comlex and in particular vitamin B1 may discourage fleas from biting. Vitamin E in conjunction with a little cod liver oil is particularly good for skin problems. The mineral Zinc can also help skin to heal.

Copyright Alexandra Bastedo.

Alexandra is the author of  the veterinary recommended”The Healthy Cat” and “The Healthy Dog” books (J. Kemnitzer did the recipes tested on the sanctuary animals).

Alexandra also founded Pet Nutrition Concepts with her renowned homeopathic vet Mark Elliott and the highly respected pharmacist Kalpesh Patel( of Vega Vitamins who do capsules for vegetarians) in order to provide high quality vitamins for her own and other people’s pets. They are obtainable on www.petnutrition.co.uk

E is for Epilepsy

             by Alexandra Bastedo   www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

Epilepsy is less common in cats than dogs but it does happen in both none-the-less. The most likely cause is head injury and some vets now suspect vaccinations. I had a lovely old retriever called Ben with epilepsy caused by a brain tumour which showed up when we had him xrayed. Drugs had very little effect and the fits became more and more frequent so in the end he was so terrified it was kinder to put him to sleep. A friend was badly attacked by her dobermann which was quite out of character – this also proved to be as a result of a brain tumour which was untreatable and he too had to be put to sleep.

 However in the absence of a tumour diet can play an important part in epilepsy and only the purest foods like chicken and rice should be given along with vegetables and vegan meals or Vegecat in the case of felines as they must have taurine in their meal. A vitamin B complex which is excellent for nerves and vitamin C and zinc should also help.

HOMEOPATHICALLY: Belladonna and Stramonium are probably the first remedies to try, particularly when the animals have dilated pupils and try to escape from their surroundings. This occurred several times in my first ever dog – a young poodle puppy called Noddy - whom we had to put into a small dark cupboard until his fit stopped so he would not harm himself. Fortunately with age the fits ceased. George Macleod recommends Cocculus 6c as a remedy that can be used long term and may prevent seizures. He also recommends Nat Sulph, Opium and Tarentula Hispanica. Silica can also help.

 HERBALLY: Skullcap and valerian are calming remedies for shattered nerves and Bachs Rescue Remedy can also help bring round an animal and calm its fear.

                         Alexandra Bastedo is the author of the veterinary recommended” Healthy Cat” and ” Healthy Dog” books ( Ms. Kemnitzer did the recipes after trying them out on the sanctuary animals). She is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary which is home to 150 animals and birds. She also founded a pet vitamin company caled Pet Nutrition Concepts  on www.petnutrition.co.uk with the eminent homeopathic vet Mark Elliott and the highly respected pharmacist Kalpesh Patel to provide tailor made vitamin formulations for her own and other people’s animals.

copyright A.L. Bastedo