Page 12 - Winter 18

I went to visit the house. Cinnamon was sitting on his chair, curled up. I went to examine him. He started getting grumpy, but did not actually go to bite me. My key memory of him was enlarged glands, slight temperature, but not much else to go on.
• Mouth examination – unremarkable
• Eyes ok
• Ears ok
• LN enlarged ++
• Abdominal palpation – unremarkable
• Heart rate 160, regular, no murmurs
• Respiration 24, clear, no dyspnoea
• Coat ok, no overt dehydration
• T39.2
Just from this we had a few possible clues. Using Reference works analysis may have gone like this:
• Appetite [4] decreased (130)
• Rest [4] desires (89)
• Touch [4] aggravated (736)
• Irritable [4] disturbed (42)
• Throat [4] sore (970)
• Glands [4] enlarged (328)
Which produced a chart like this: [not shown here]
Traffic Light Assessment:
Red Level – My diagnosis was Pharyngitis. There were options of anti-pyretics and antibiotics.
Red Flags – We had the concern about dehydration needing fluid therapy.
Green Level – All routine husbandry was still needed, perhaps with also foods that had a good nutritional support in an easy form. Perhaps syringe feeding.
Amber Level – There were various options. After consider- ing the Materia Medica, Hepar Sulph was my first choice.
I discussed the options with the owner. “Cinnamon would like to start with some remedies please”.
Traffic Light Management:
Red Level – Conventionally, Antipyretics and perhaps Antibiotics would have been indicated, maybe also some fluids. Cinnamon wanted otherwise.
Red Flags – If he deteriorated then drugs and fluids would need to be brought in.
Green Level – The owner was attentive to fluids and nutri- tional support.
Amber Level – We started on Hepar Sulph 30c every 1-2 hours over the rest of the day.
Next check after one day. Cinnamon was improving, more alert and interred in food. The management was continued and he was checked in on daily until it became clear he was getting back to normal.
Thinking about this in LifePath Management terms, Cinnamon had been going well. There was some degree of challenge that proved too much and he went off the path. With Amber and Green Level management he was sup- ported to get back into centre. All complete without com- plications within a few days. Happy owner. Happy Cinnamon. Happy vet.
The years went by and Cinnamon had the occasional flair up of his throat problem. Usually a similar pattern. I did use other remedies from time to time. On one occasion at the acute early stage, Belladonna seemed to have a good effect. I have also used Gelsemium sometimes, but overall he seems to respond to Hepar Sulph better. Always, within a few days he gets back to normal and always the owner notes improvement in his vitality once the remedies are started.
The problem has never progressed to deeper pathology and for the in between stages he has been his happy usual self. A life that has continued mostly in the Green and with the occasional Amber flare-ups, then respond well to Amber management.
Cinnamon was getting older and his owner had noted that he was starting to drink more water than usual. He was brought in to the practice to be checked out. Physical exam- ination did not point to any thing specific.
Red Level – We reviewed the options of further Red Level investigation. The owner did not want to do a blood profile. We did test a urine sample and found a low specific gravity as well as a trace of protein. Despite the lack of full informa- tion, it was looking like Chronic Kidney Disease was starting to develop.
Red Flags – After review of the options “Cinnamon decided” he does not want further conventional manage- ment at this stage. Red Flags are put in place for possible action should he deteriorate.
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