By Dr. Surjit Singh Makker | By Dr. Saurav Arora
Introduction
Holistic therapies are increasingly used in palliative care as an adjunct to the standard management of symptoms to achieve overall well-being for geriatric patients with malignant and non-malignant terminal illnesses. We expect certain changes to occur in an animal’s body as the animal ages. These changes may differ in different animal species e.g. in toy breeds of dogs, changes in the heart are common; whereas in other animals (cats), the kidneys may be one of the first organs to show signs of ageing. As our pets get older, they often suffer from common senior pet diseases that eventually lead to more complications. The most frequent causes of complications in both dogs and cats are cancer and kidney disease. In addition, 80-90% of senior dogs and cats suffer from arthritis. Degenerative diseases can take a toll on the body. The complications of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, disease of the joints and dental diseases etc. can make life uncomfortable. Pets with poor nutrition and pets with heart, kidney, or liver disease are predisposed to symptoms that cause the most dangerous complications.
Aim And Objective
To evolve a group of the most useful homoeopathic medicines in the treatment of elderly patients, to identify their reliable indications, most useful potencies, frequency of administration, and relationship with other medicines. The objective of the study was to determine the spectrum of diagnoses and treatments, as well as to describe the course of illness over time among older pets whose owners chose to receive homoeopathic treatment.
Materials And Methods
A prospective observational study was carried out during the period 2018-2020. A total number of 91 Dogs, consisting of 49 males and 42 females between the ages ranging from 10 years to 14 years, suffering from various health problems including behavioural changes due to ageing were included in an observational study. Medicines were prescribed considering the following factors: causative (miasmatic, predisposing and precipitating), generalities, modalities, presenting complaints, constitutional features, and reportorial totality. Parameters to assess the severity of complaints and quality of life and the severity of diagnoses at baseline, and after 6, 12, and 24 months. The severeness of diseases Acute/ chronic: Mild form and Moderate form.
Observation:
Most of the pets in this study fall into age groups of 12-14 years. Pets included from both sexes i.e. 49 Males and 42 Females. Investigation— Complete history including past and family history — Complete through examining the pet, general, and local examination. Electrocardiogram (E.C.G.), routine investigations of urine, blood and stool, testing for heartworms CT scan, MRI, or spinal fluid for severe cases.
Results
Out of 91 pets (Dogs) enrolled, 82 Pets who were followed up were included for the evaluation, and 9 Pets were dropped out. It was observed that 64 of 82 patients improved at a satisfactory level (78.04%). The results indicate a positive role of Homoeopathic medicines in the treatment of elderly patients. Medicine Prescribed were Merc sol 1M, Acid nit 200, Chionanthus vir Q, Acid flour 200, Iris versicolor Q, Nux vomica 200, Hydratystis Q, Thuja 1M, Calcarea phos 1M, Berberis vul Q, and Acid phos 200.
Conclusion
The severity of the disease showed marked and sustained improvements under homoeopathic treatment and this also led to an overall improvement in quality of life. Our findings might indicate that homoeopathic medical therapy may play a beneficial role in the long-term care of older pets with chronic diseases and studies on comparative effectiveness are needed to evaluate this hypothesis.
Authors
- Veterinary Homeopathy Specialist & Advisor – MyFurries.com.
Former Joint Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Govt. of Punjab, INDIA
- Guest Faculty, Dr. B. R. Sur Homeopathic Medical College, Motibagh, New Delhi, INDIA