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Scary, Aconitum! – An approach to the medicine Aconitum napellus in Veterinary Medicine by María Carolina Gonzalez Gomez
Mónica Castrilli • Veterinary Medicine Teacher of the A.M.H.A.
María Carolina Gonzalez Gomez • Veterinary Medicine, E.Co.Ho.Vet, Representative of the I.A.V.H. for Argentina
Alberto Dupuis • Veterinarian, E.Co.Ho.Vet Representative of the I.A.V.H. for Argentina
Marcelo Anibal Alvarez • Veterinarian, Chair of Physiology of the Nervous System, Semiology and Small Animal Clinic, UNICEN, Tandil
¡Que susto, aconitum! Una aproximación al medicamento Aconitum napellus en Medicina Veterinaria.
Resumen
En el presente artículo, los autores analizamos el medicamento Aconitum napellus partiendo de la descripción detallada de las historias clínicas de pacientes tratados exitosamente con dicho remedio.
Summary
In this article, we analyse the medicine Aconitum napellus from the detailed description of cases of patients successfully treated with this remedy.
Introduction
Three clinical cases of patients medicated with Aconitum
as the most similar drug are described below.
Case taking: The dog was purchased from a breeder at 2 months of age. She was the skinniest of the litter, her brothers ate her food. Heavy burden of parasites. Mrs. took her as her daughter, and she was raised as a human baby.
Previous diseases: skin problems (presumably allergies), operated on endometritis-pyometra (ovariohysterectomy) in 2001.
Behaviour: she was always good, shy, quiet (not demonstrative), very obedient, but refuses contact and is resisting when they want to sit with her. Very suspicious. She is totally independent. Always fearful, but you can’t determine the fears exactly. With the telephone, the fireworks and thunder she barked and got angry (she is currently a little deaf and almost does not react). They define her as “sullen” because of her independence, distrust and because she does not like to be touched. Routinely, she can be left alone, she never breaks anything.
At the age of 8 she was stolen and for 12 days she stayed in a nearby emergency kennel. When she returned home, she had changed: they noticed that she was more withdrawn, and her skin problems were worse.
For 6 months he has been more indifferent, she does not sit up to greet people when they arrive, and she is disobedient (she does not want to go for a walk).
When I entered the apartment to take the consultation, she was very respectful and kind, said hello, then laid down on her bed and fell asleep. Expression of grief. During the physical exam she showed a lot of fear with tremors. She is incapable of aggression (she always was).
Generalities: voracity of eating since they had her, demands food, whining, “expresses” her desperation. She wants everything (cheese, chicken, sweets, ice cream), except fruits and onions. But bones make her vomit.
She does not go for a walk on rainy days, or when there is thunder. she does not approach heat sources in winter. Climate modality not defined.
Particular symptoms: urinary incontinence for 6 months, does not retain urine, asks to go out very frequently, but does not manage to get outside (is urinating in the elevator); conventionally medicated with ciprofloxacin and propantheline bromide in usual dose and frequency with good response, but immediate relapse when discontinuing medication after 2 months. Physical examination shows multiple warts of various sizes and small mammary tumours. Odontolithiasis with halitosis.
Note: she was previously attended by a homeopathic colleague who initially prescribed Sulphur + Staphylococcinum and Thuja a posteriori, without success.
Repertorisation:
Mental trauma disorders (abduction leading to sustained behaviour change and aggravation of chronic skin problems)
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Case No. 1 (María Carolina González Gómez) 20-08-04 Patient: canine, Cocker spaniel, bitch, 13 years. Habitat: large department in the city of Buenos Aires. Family group: adult marriage without children. Reason for consultation: urinary incontinence.