Page 11 - Autumn 15

2015 IAVH Meeting – Holland. Report by S.F. Chapman, USA
One of the wonderful things about the IAVH annual meeting is that it provides an opportunity for members to enjoy the hospitality of other member countries.
This year The Netherlands members hosted the meeting, through the organisational efforts of Liesbeth Ellinger, the IAVH National Representative for Holland, and Tannetje Koning, president of the Dutch group, SCWD.
The conference began and concluded with social events, to which all attendees were invited. We met at the Amsterdam Central train station for introductions, then embarked on a canal tour on the Hop On – Hop Off Canalbus. This is an excellent way to get an overview of the city. Concentric rings and spokes of canals provide access to the major attractions, and the guided tour provided historical background. We spent an hour and a half at the world renowned Rijksmuseum; such a fabulous museum could easily have absorbed a day! We walked through the streets of Amsterdam after our last stop, enjoying the architecture, and city activity, en route to Café Kobalt. We were joined by the rest of the group for a typical Amsterdam meal.
Our lodgings at de Reehorst in Ede were comfortable, and the staff was friendly and efficient. The conference was held at a centre in Veenendaal, Edupet; the meeting room was well appointed, and the staff here was also delightful. This was the ideal start to an excellent learning experience.
Liesbeth opened the meeting by introducing Peter Gregory, IAVH President, who in turn thanked Liesbeth for her sterling organizational efforts, EduPet for the venue, and the Netherlands homeopathic vets for their support.
Our first speaker was the National Representative (NR) for Italy, David Bettio. David spoke on the treatment of canine Leishmaniasis with homeopathy. Leishmania is endemic in southern Italy, and much of the Mediterranean, and is moving further north as climate change expands the range of the sand fly host. Infected dogs and people can move worldwide, making this a disease of global concern. David presented data on 52 cases that he has treated, including sequential liver panels and titers. Twenty-eight were treated only with homeopathy: one group the similimum alone, one including Leishmania nosode, and one with the similimum, the nosode and a low potency immune-stimulant. As Leishmania is a reportable disease [in Italy, Ed.], some animals must be treated with conventional medicines. Those 24 patients were treated with constitutional homeopathic prescribing and conventional medicines, with local remedies used as necessary to control side effects of the conventional drugs. David’s results were quite good, resulting in clinical
cure, good quality of life, and low therapeutic cost. In addition, animals with renal disease improved much more than would have been expected with conventional treatment.
Stefan Kohlrausch (NR, Spain) added his insights on Leishmania treatment from his work in Spanish animal shelters. Whereas David has used many different remedies as the similimum for his clinical cases, Stefan has administered China alone as the genus epidemicus in these shelter dogs; in chronic cases, Stefan has given the similimum with China 30 C as a local remedy.
Stefan continued speaking about treatment of neonatal pups using the periodic table as a guide to remedy choice. Sankaran discusses the columns as correlating to the periods of life, and according to this premise, row 2 should correspond best to the neonatal period in pups. Stefan has seen better results using Beryllium salts in neonates than Calc salts; this may be because it corresponds better to the stage of life. When Stefan is considering mineral remedies, he finds it helpful to ask clients about their animal’s age, as if it were human, to hone in on the row, and the animal’s self- assuredness, to better determine the appropriate column.
Our next speaker, Minako Kuroda (NR, Japan) discussed the treatment of epilepsy with homeopathy. Minako often uses homeopathy in treating epilepsy, though at times, she finds conventional medicine necessary. In Japan, the most serious seizures seem to occur in summer, or in the humid typhoon season, illustrating the importance of weather rubrics in prescribing. Minako uses the core epilepsy signs, as well as modalities and individualising signs, and she presented several cases with clinical cure as well as other palliative results.
The IAVH treasurer, Don Hamilton, described a post-traumatic stress disorder in dogs and cats that can often be related to the administration of ketamine. Don has treated both behaviour changes and hyperesthesia in animals with the ketamine tautode, with good response. Some animals certainly had ketamine anaesthetic; in others, ketamine was only suspected to have been used. Signs that were frequently seen were fear, aggression, seizures, skin twitching, dissociation from others, tail chasing, and self-mutilation. These signs make sense as ketamine is primarily a dissociative agent, and animals in whom it is used may retain frightening memories of what occurred while sedated.
Sara Fox Chapman (NR, US/Canada) spoke next on the treatment of hyperthyroidism with homeopathy. Four cases were presented in depth, each requiring a different constitutional remedy. The role of Thyroidinum as an organ remedy was discussed, as well as supportive care and local remedies. The main difficulty in
treating hyperthyroid cats is that even though the cats may appear normal, their thyroid hormone levels may not normalise; in the case of cats with kidney failure, it may not be ideal for thyroid hormone levels to return to normal. Sara’s results have shown that hyperthyroid cats can live long, with a good quality of life with homeopathic treatment.
Malene Jorgensen, (France) discussed how a biologically appropriate raw food diet can be beneficial to cats suffering from kidney disease. As one in eleven geriatric cats suffers from renal disease, it is important to consider how suboptimal diet may be a precipitating or perpetuating factor. Malene reviewed cat physiology and renal pathophysiology to demonstrate how raw, meat based diets can be used to improve health. Malene also explained how supplements such as fish oil, prebiotics, taurine, natural vitamins, and glandular products fit into this diet.
Edward De Beukelaer (IAVH Sec, NR, UK) presented a study of the remedy ‘Limenitis bredewii californica’ or the California butterfly. This remedy is being studied as part of the cooperative development of remedy essences, which includes information from the proving symptoms, the nature of the substance, and cured cases. This permits sharing of knowledge and cooperation between homeopaths, which results in a dynamic materia medica in which the essence of the remedy can continue to be explored. Edward presented a case that illustrated many of the key aspects of this remedy. Bertie presented in a state of advanced renal disease. He was attached to his nurturing owners, crying if separated from them, and angling his whole body at a perilous pitch to lean into them. Historically he is an exuberant ratter, though this terrier was fearful of rats after being bitten by one as a pup, and had to regain his confidence with mice. The peculiar thing about this dog is his attitude toward pups: he will protect them and even keep their mother away from them; he also watches the son of the owners. This led Edward to choose Limenitis-b- c, based on Mind, children, nurture, desire. This remedy gave the dog ten days of high quality life, after which he died in his sleep. Edward discussed other aspects of the remedy as well. Remember that with the on-going MMHV we have an opportunity to be directly involved in developing the veterinary materia medica. We should be contributing to the MMHV whenever possible when Edward has translated a new remedy into English.
Large animal practitioners and milk producers alike should be enthusiastic about the Milk Repertory currently in preparation by Bernhard Hornig (NR, Germany) and his associates. Bernhard started work on this repertory in response to a need for a clearer set of rubrics for animal symptoms. The IMPRO
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