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Ear Discharge
By Dr. Susan Beal, DVM
(as posted to the Wellpet
list)
Greetings,
On 3/4/97 you wrote about your substantial
Weimeraner Harpo and his bouts with recurrent otitis and pododermatitis,...
Don't fall into the trap of looking
at all of the symptoms presented by this pup as being distinct
one from the other. Try and look at them as outward symptoms
of a deeper imbalance. They are all related - the ears to
the rash to the feet to the allergies to the teeth grinding
to the big appetite to the tendency to obesity,....
These symptoms all provide some of
the information required to ferret out the remedy to his unique
situation. Get with a holistic practitioner who will be able
to explain to you the relationship between all of these physical
symptoms and intertwine them with the emotional and behavioural
symptoms and determine a remedy to the underlying cause of
Harpo's dis-ease.
He may need remedies other than diet
and supplement to restore his body to balance.
Remember, yeast infections are not
primary infections. They are usually secondary to having unbalanced
the normal population of bacteria via the use of suppressive
medications (antibiotics, ointments,...). The helpful bacteria
as well as those considered pathogens are killed, and the
yeast and fungi take this opportunity to become established.
The most successful means of permanently
treating yeast infections is to restore the body to balance
via the use of deeply acting remedies such as homeopathy or
acupuncture.
This treatment may be supported by
such things as dietary modification, the use of honey and
apple cider vinegar to restore the pH balance, the strengthening
of the general immune system by the variety of means that
are often discussed on this list (Vitamin C, Echinacea, Astragalus,
Antioxidants, proper diet, other specific supplements,....),
and removing the other obstacles to a cure.
Many animals have hypofunctional thyroid
glands as part of their picture of chronic disease This, coupled
with a relatively severe long term calorie restriction may
cause him to "reset" his metabolic rate to one which
is directed a storing fat for the starvation state in which
he feels he's in.
Again, hypothyroidism is a symptom,
not a illness, and the treatment should be aimed at restoring
balance to the body, not simply supplementing thyroid hormones.
If you feel a supplement is in order, I suggest the use of
a mixed glandular supplement, not a replacement thyroid supplement.
The glandular supplement not only nourishes the glands and
aids in their restoration, it does not provide the negative
feedback that the conventional thyroid supplements cause.
Listen to this pup - he is providing
you with some interesting, inter-related, and unique symptoms
which will help lead to a cure, if you will follow the trail.
Get with a holistic practitioner to help you with the bigger
picture.
Sincerely,
Susan Beal DVM
Greetings, Ann Marie,
A few days ago you wrote: My pup is
just ten months and within a week of her vaccinations she
had an ear infection. the vet put her on tresaderm. I used
that to clear it up, but about once a month she starts scratching
and having brown junk in her ear. Just one.
This is a very common scenario after
vaccinations, either primary puppy vaccinations, or booster
vaccinations. Not only do we see ear discharges, but also
skin problems (pimples, hot spots, allergies), digestive problems
(diarrhea is common) and symptoms involving other organ systems.
The vaccine served as the straw that
tipped the balance of a Vital Force that was/is not in harmony.
Her Vital Force had been compensating, and perhaps had never
had enough "stress" to create symptoms prior to
the vaccinations. Perhaps she had had some subtle symptoms
of dis-ease (for instance some subtle physical changes, or
some behavioural or habit patterns, fears or "quirks"
which might not have been recognized for what they
are).
In any case, she has now consolidated
the imbalance of the Vital Force as an ear discharge.
And your thoughts are correct, in so
far as the Tresaderm is only serving to suppress the symptoms,
not restore the system/Vital Force to balance and harmony.
They are also sound insofar as realizing she needs something
other than pure foods, supplements, and suppressive medications.
This pup is a great candidate for constitutional
homeopathic prescribing. It seems as though she has had many
of the conventional obstacles to cure removed, in so far as
she is well started on a fresh and raw food diet, and her
supplement is being adjusted. However, dietary changes are
not enough in many of these cases, and we find that these
guys need a more specific catalyst to allow the Vital Force
to return to balance.
I would continue to use a mild herbal
earwash with her. I would stop using the drying agent. Most
of them contain salicylates, which are as suppressive as Tresaderm
(or Otomax, or Sulfadene, or Gold Bond Powder, or colloidal
silver, or,....).
The next step is to get with a homeopathic
veterinarian, and have a thorough homeopathic consultation
done. This history taking and case analysis will provide a
remedy picture which suits this individual pup's dis-ease
symptoms. Then give the carefully chosen remedy, and assess
the results of the action,....
Remember that is should be the goal
of medicine to offer treatment that not only cures, but strengthens
the body sufficiently to prevent further problems. (That's
Dana Ullman, in Homeopathy, Medicine for the 21st Century,
speaking here,....)
I hope this has been of some use to
you.
Sincerely,
Susan Beal DVM
Greetings,
There has been some discussion of late
about ear discharges, the use of a variety of medications
for a variety of specific diagnoses of ear "infections",
and the best products for use in these situations.
I think it is really important that
we recognize these discharges (ears and otherwise) for what
they are - an external symptom that the body is not in balance
or harmony.
The body (Vital Force) attempts to
consolidate this disharmony or dis-ease in a manner that protects
and buffers the system. If it is able, the Vital Force shoves
the products of the dis-ease to the outside, where they are
relatively less harmful to the overall system.
In cases such as these, we will see
ear discharge, eye discharge, snotty noses, skin eruptions
and discharges,...unsightly, but healthier for the individual.
If we use products such as Tresaderm,
Otomax, ear drying agents, salicylates, antibiotics, antifungals,
steroids, etc,...to deal with the symptom of the dis-ease
without addressing the underlying cause of the disharmony,
we are doing the Vital Force a great disrespect.
These treatment choices are also serving
to force the imbalance deeper into the system, creating a
new set of symptoms, often on a deeper, more threatening level,....
So you will see the story of an animal
who has runny eyes, is placed on antibiotic drops (or colloidal
silver, or,...), the eyes clear up, but they develop an ear
discharge, which is then treated with otomax/Tresaderm/whatever,....
The imbalance and dis-ease shifts around
from place to place, but is never resolved.
Better case scenario, the dis-ease
continues to manifest as external discharges (but the Vital
Force gets worn down in the process,...) Worse case scenario,
the dis-ease is suppressed, and causes deeper and more serious
symptoms.
For example, it is really common to
see cases of kidney, liver or heart dis-ease after a long
history of skin and ear symptoms,...or seizures after a skin
problem has been "successfully" treated,....
The ever increasing presentation of
animals who have stranger and stranger, more and more resistant
organisms in their ears or on their skin (or in any other
"infectious" process,...) is a reflection of this
scenario also.
The skin, ears, vagina, respiratory
tract, and other organ systems have a normal and usual population
of bacteria - we are not sterile beings, nor are our animal
companions.
The use of antibiotics and steroids
skews this population, and kills off the normal flora, leaving
a situation where the other bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and opportunistic
pathogens are able to grow enthusiastically.
Now you really have a system out of
balance - Pseudomonas, yeast, fungi are usually the result
of treatment, and are not the primary invaders.
And so, the answer is not stronger
drugs, or more eardrops, or oral antibiotics/antifungals,....
The answer is recognizing the discharge for what it is, and
attempting to restore the system to balance.
If you need to use and earwash/eye
drop, use a product that does not kill off the normal bacterial
population.
Consider the use of herbal ear washes
(Halo makes a great product (Same folks who have the Cloud
Nine Herbal Dip)), dilute apple cider vinegar (dilute with
water or some yoghurt) or mulleinated oils.
These products will cleanse the debris
out of the ears, will make the animal more comfortable, but
will not mask the symptoms nor will they skew the normal flora.
Consider also the other obstacles to
cure. These guys need fresh and raw foods, appropriate supplementation,
good chiropractic care, a minimum of pesticides, medications
and toxins - all the basiscs.
Consider also that these guys who have
been on such strong and long-term medications will need measures
taken that will help restore and stimulate a healthy immune
system.
Consider also the relationship of vaccinations
to skin and ear dis-eases. In most of the cases I see at my
practice, the skin and/or ear symptoms started or flared up
within two weeks to two months of a vaccination, either a
primary vaccination or a booster vaccination.
Many animals with chronic ear conditions
are very responsive to careful homeopathic prescribing. A
veterinary homeopath will be able to provide this.
I urge you to carefully consider these
inter-relationships when you are dealing with ear conditions
in your animal companions.
Think about why the discharge is there,
what it is telling us, and the long term implications of the
theraputic and management options.
Look at the whole animal, not just
the involved organ system.
I hope this has been of some use to
you.
Sincerely,
Susan Beal DVM
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