Page 12 - Autumn 19

Treating Merlin the collie was a great pleasure
Homeopathic treatment of an individual over time is a journey of unknown destination. Remedies can stay the same, or change as your patient evolves. Sometimes the similimum does everything, and sometimes it needs support.
Treating Merlin the collie was a great pleasure. He was a great old character and his owner was very attentive giving excellent information and feedback. He came to me already old, with the strange symptom where periodically, about every month, his scrotum would fill up with blood, get very tight, burst and then settle for a few weeks. I had never seen this before, and presumed it was some kind of varicocele.
He was a dog of very strong character, but my initial prescription of Aurum only helped superficially. However Lycopodium 30c given weekly by plussing sorted out the testes, as well as considerably improving his bowels.
As the months passed Merlin became progressively stiffer, and this wasn't helped by the Lycopdium – although surely this was his 'constitutional'? A prescription of Rhus- tox 30c given twice weekly did the job however. He always had frank blood in his urine, aetiology unknown, and when he developed very strong smelling urine Benzoic acid was helpful, given weekly.
However all good things must come to an end and it came time to say goodbye. My observation over the years is that homeopathic treatment [given over the years] often makes death a much more comfortable experience. The following was written by his owner and I found it quite beautiful, so we decided to share it. It was a true team effort with homeopathy, CAM 4 Animals and love all playing their part.
Merlin's passing on Monday was about as good as it gets. On Saturday he was walking and cocking his leg, Sunday not so good and by Monday morning he was slipping in and out of consciousness. I called Paul, and he made the 4.5 hour trip from Nottingham home. A minute before he came home Merlin got fidgety and wanted to get up. I thought he wanted a pee, and then Paul walked in. A couple of hours earlier I was losing him so Paul said his goodbyes on the phone, and then Merlin started to perk up about the time Sarah Kernohan said the healing team had us covered. The room was filled with so much peace and love it was amazing, and at one point it felt as though the room was full of all those he loved waiting for him. We breathed in rhythm together (thank you Sara!) and chatted. Over the last two weeks he had said his goodbyes – he saw all his favourite people and dogs and visited his favourite places. I gave him Arsenicum and he was almost gone when the vet came. He chose his time. And almost as soon as he was gone he started talking to me – the most beautiful thing he said was that his transition had been "like silk". Enormous thanks to everyone who had him in your thoughts. I wouldn't have wished for anything to be different. He looked so so peaceful when he had passed, and his tongue was sticking out – he always slept with his tongue sticking out when he was at his most relaxed.
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