Page 5 - Winter 2011

Garfield’s Eyes – Homeopathic treatment of a chronic eye ulcer by Ronit Aboutboul, DVM, RCHom Israel
Can homeopathy help with a case of chronic eye ulcers in a cat, of suspected viral origin, that hasn't been reacting to any treat- ment, surgical or medical, oral or topical, for several years?
That's the question that I was asked over the phone one fine day in August 2010. My reply was, as usual, that it might help, or not - depend- ing on multiple factors.
CASE HISTORY
Garfield, a chubby 6 years old domestic shorthaired Ginger cat came to the consultation, presenting with an active corneal ulcer on his left eye. The ulcer had appeared about a year earlier and had been treated by an ophthalmologist with various oral and topical conventional medications.
The only treatment able to control the accompanying symptoms of chronic discharges and a constant eye spasm was a combination of 3 eye drops medications - Zovirax (acyclovir), Okacin (lomefloxacin) and FML (fluorometholone)- which were given daily over the last months, or else "the cat seemed to be suffering a great deal".
Garfield's medical history showed a chronic and consistent eye prob- lem that was being followed by veterinarians for several years. Since a young age, about 6 months old, he'd been noticed to keep his left eye shut often.
In the summer of 2008 he started shutting his right eye too, and was taken to the treating veterinarian. Since there were no noticeable local symptoms he was vaccinated and sent back home. Several days later he was rushed back to the veterinarian with a red and painful eye. An acute neo-vascularised corneal ulcer was then diagnosed and he was referred to an ophthalmologist who confirmed the diagnosis and performed sur- gery on the eye. The ulcer had healed and the accompanying pain, red- ness and spasm symptoms were gone. A corneal opacity, probably due
to scarring, has remained in the right eye ever since.
A year later, in the summer of 2009, the cat started showing the same
symptoms, in the left eye this time, was taken to a second ophthalmolo- gist that diagnosed a corneal ulcer and had prescribed a medical treat- ment that he'd been on ever since. Considering the medical history, follow-ups and symptoms, a Herpes virus infection, chronically affecting both eyes, was the agreed diagnosis.
At the first homeopathic con- sultation, August 20th 2010, Garfield’s eyes looked both moist. The owner reported daily chronic serous discharges. His right eye looked clear and healthy except for a small corneal opaci- ty. On his left eye a vascularised ulcer was prominent, along with
some scleral neo-vascularisation and redness. He was getting daily treat- ments with 3 different eye drops to prevent him from blinking constantly. Other than his chronic and severe eye condition Garfield looked healthy and happy, with a beautiful coat. No other symptoms, of Herpes or any other origin, had ever bothered him.
TREATMENT AND FOLLOW UP
We stopped the daily eye drops treatment and, after 2 weeks break, started with the homeopathic treatment:
Silicea LM2, 5 drops in the drinking water, once a day for a week. After an initial improvement during the first several days, he seemed to be blinking again and got another week of treatment.
At the first follow up, 5 weeks after the first consultation, he present- ed with an inflamed, red and painful eye. The ulcer seemed to be worse Continued on page 4
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