Page 10 - Spring 17

Ronnie – A Stramonium case by Edward de Beukelaer
Ronnie, a 7-year-old DSH cat, is seen for acute paralysis. He was suspected to suffer with some sort of spinal episode (embolism/ bleed?). He lost the use of his back legs and bladder overnight. He had been hiding for several weeks before it happened. He was rescued 2 years before, he was urinating everywhere according to the previous owner; he settled in the owner’s household very quickly and became a prolific hunter in the night and was indoors during the day. (4 other cats in the household, owner has a busy cattery)
surgery overnight) and the bladder paralysis (the rectum was functioning normally and the hind legs were paretic, not paralysed).
I Prescribe Gelsemium 30 once per day (remedy nr 21 in this repertorisation, present in the three groups of rubrics.
He improved and found his normal mobility again but he did not return to be himself.
I suspect he may have improved regardless of the remedy?
A new consultation 3 months later
‘He gets confused about the big cat that barges in, he feels threatened, he gives a warning mew, nobody takes any notice of the big cat. He is the only one bothered about the old Persian (he is a bit clumsy and not dangerous), he does not understand this old cat. He is in and out again but not hunting as he was. He hides under the stairs for visitors now, ‘if I don't move, nobody will see me’. He used to be affectionate to strangers now he is worried about them. He got worse, when I was away and the girl, who works for me, kept the house and the cats; he may have been a bit worried about her boyfriend. who is a bit arms and legs everywhere but nice enough. He urinated in the house a few times (not the boyfriend). He still flops out on me, it is really odd, he rolls on his back and stretches out, he slings himself around, he is almost too relaxed then. He has disappeared a few times since the spinal episode, for 24 hours and then came in hiding and slinking away, not wanting to come in. He squares up to the neighbour’s cat, who does not take any notice of him. I don't get him, I have to feed him separately, where he feels safe, but every now and again he pushes all the cats out of the way and starts eating all their food, the others back off then, the others seem to think he is random and let him.’
‘There was an episode a few weeks ago, I was stroking him and he let out a mew, it sounded like pain, then the hiding started. There was a second similar episode a week later again, when I was stroking him. It was almost like he saw another cat, as if there was a confrontation and he did not want to back down. Since then he gave out a warning cry, when one of our other cats came near him. He was warm and on edge, hiding, I could pick him up, he spent his time under the bed upstairs, he would flop and relax in my arms normally, when he flopped like that in my arms he became more responsive to me. He dragged himself to the litter tray and passed a hard stool. With the other cats he normally keeps himself to himself, he does not snuggle up to them. His hunting and being affectionate one to one is typically him, he is more affectionate than the average cat, he never scratches. He is affectionate and flops out on you, it is typically for him. He is submissive and always gives way to the others, he is wary of a few of the cats and gives them a wide berth. He is wary of people standing up. He used to be wary of me in the garden, not anymore now. It almost looked like he had lost the will to live a few days ago.’
Solution
This spinal accident that happens after few weeks of hiding is almost like something is not managing to come out and I use the three skin symptoms of ‘eruptions appearing slowly’, ‘eruptions suppressed; and ‘eruptions fail to break’ out to try and illustrate this. Spinal episodes are more often acute, this episode seems to have developed slowly.
The two other rubrics I took were: eyes staring (we noticed this, when he stayed in the
In the surgery, he is timid to examine but later sits relaxed on the window, I can stroke him.
Solution
I went back to the same repertorisation and chose the remedy that has quite some illusions. I should have given the remedy the first time: he had the illusion of seeing another cat when it started ...
Stramonium 1M, 1 dose
A few days later he is his old self again and has not needed any more treatment in the last year. Stramonium needs security and is dependant. They can look like Pulsatilla but are more erratic and bizarre. The need for support is much more ‘clingy’. Stramonium can be a remedy for phantom pregnancy in dogs. They tend to suffer from an important distortion of reality.
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Behaviour during chronic anamnesis at the vet’s office
The cat is always taken to the vet’s office in a carrier. When the doctor opens the carriers, the cat remains inside for a while or emerges but very slowly. However, if the top of the carrier is taken off, the place stops being safe, and the cat exits. It walks carefully and pays attention to the noises and events. It also utters desperate cries for help. When the vet claps, it stops for a moment (passive reaction) and then flees in immediate panic (active reaction). It hides behind the fridge or the closet, or under the desk. It cowers in its hiding place and cannot be taken out easily. When the vet manages to catch it and brings it close to their chest, the cat clutches at the vet and starts to relax. There are cases when the cat is so lost that it does not even notice the clapping and the noises (passive reaction). Only louder noises (e.g. whistling) can jolt the cat out of this state and urge it to flee. While trying to escape, its consciousness is often not active, and it can jump at the closed door or window. If the carrier is open and in the cat’s sight, it escapes to that safe place. It often sits with its back turned towards the carrier’s door when inside.
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