Chronic skin condition in a six-year-old cat

'Pearl' is a neutered British Shorthair and first came to me in November 2011 because of her skin condition.

The cat had been outside in the yard when her owner noticed that the left eye was red and tearing. Later that evening the itching began and the cat had to scratch all over. On the day of treatment there was a general skin irritation around the left eye, the left forehead and the left temple.

In the past 'Pearl' had occasionally had soft stools with mucus and a little blood. In the previous week she had vomited once. Sometimes she retches up hairballs. At the first appointment her coat was slightly dull.

She is a reserved cat who does not stray far from home. Her owner has recently started a new job and now spends more time away from the house. 'Pearl' stays mostly indoors because she gets into fights with other cats outside.

With strangers she is sometimes friendly, sometimes rather reserved.

She eats mainly dry food, preferably Hills Oral Care.

While still at the practice I gave her Natrium muriaticum C200, once.

The rash improved very quickly, but had returned after six weeks. She was therefore given Nat-mur. LM1 daily in her food. Again the rash improved within a few days.

In February 2012 (two months later) she came back, this time with a deeper, moist and unpleasant rash. The rash was oozing with a foul-smelling, purulent discharge. The cat had also become more nervous, worse during thunderstorms. I changed the remedy to Calcium carbonicum C200, single dose, and gave the owner Rhus tox. C6 to use at home. (Rhus tox. is the only remedy with purulent discharges on the face). Her condition improved very quickly and for nine months she was well.

Calcium carbonicum 200 was then repeated as a single dose. This time the remedy did not take; the owner tried Rhus tox C6, but also without success.

Over the next four months several remedies were administered, but the rash did not improve. Occasionally the rash migrated from the original site to the nape and became worse because the cat scratched herself bloody and rubbed raw against the furniture.

Three months later the rash shifted to the right side. At that time Psorinum, Sepia, Mezereum, Graphites and Sulphur were given.

In June 2013 the owner reported that 'Pearl' had become very distant and was withdrawing more and more. She no longer wanted to sleep in her owners' bed or be stroked. The rash had become thickened in places.

I prescribed Nat mur. 1M again and everything improved very quickly. For the first two days the cat seemed 'as if drugged', then she was the 'old Pearl' again.

In August she then had a slight relapse and I gave the cat Nat mur. LM1 daily. After this prescription she slowly recovered. She now slept again in her owner's bed, became trusting and more affectionate.

The rash moved downwards and outwards, which at times led to small eruptions on both ankles. She received Nat mur. LM1 daily for two months. For nine months the skin has now been flawless.

If I had given Nat mur. in a higher potency from the start, we might perhaps have avoided the fiasco with the many remedies between February and June 2013. I had prescribed Calc. carb. because Pearl had become more anxious and nervous and the chosen remedy had not shown a lasting effect. In retrospect I now understand that the cat's owner had been under a lot of stress at that time and this had been transferred to the cat.

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Photos: Henry Stephenson

Category: Cases

Keywords: Skin rash in a cat, facial rash, reserved cat.

Remedies: Calcium carbonicum, Natrium muriaticum

Original article: Interhomeopathy.org