The 6-year-old neutered Ragdoll tom called Moko was first brought to my practice in November 2013. He suffered from a painful paralysis that had been getting steadily worse over a period of more than two months.
His owner suspected that the paralysis had originally started in the forelimbs, although at the time of the initial consultation the hindlimbs were affected. The attending veterinarians had already taken blood and X-rays but could not make a definitive diagnosis. Bone density was normal. The cat was also treated by an animal chiropractor, but the treatment was so painful for Moko that it had to be stopped. Previously he had been a very lively cat, running around like mad and sometimes colliding with walls. His owner suspected he might have injured himself.
Several cats live in the household. One of the cats had been ill when Moko’s symptoms began. Moko had, without permission, nibbled some chicken in a spicy sauce and developed black diarrhoea. After that the paralysis occurred and he had to be separated from the other cats.
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Moko appeared to be in considerable pain and the vet suspected malnutrition. He prescribed taurine, spirulina, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, calcium phosphate 260 mg/day, kelp and psyllium husks. Moko was also given a probiotic for the diarrhoea.
He is always hungry. No matter how much you feed him, he is constantly on his way to the kitchen to see what else there might be. He is fed fresh meat but also secretly helps himself to anything in the kitchen if you’re not careful. He is very clever and gets everywhere, even to places he shouldn’t be. Spicy food gives him diarrhoea, but that does not stop him from nibbling on chillies and other spicy things.
Because of his paralysis he can no longer jump up – this symptom developed quite suddenly. He places his front paws up and then tries to get up using one hind leg. He cannot arch his back nor extend the hindlegs. When he walks he looks very stiff. When he goes round a corner he loses his balance because of the stiff hindlegs. Once he is warmed up it is a little better; in the mornings the pain is worst at the first movement, when he yowls with pain. Sometimes he also feels bad in the evenings. He cries out when being lifted and when he bears weight on his forepaws.
He likes warmth and often sits under the heat lamp. He often sleeps for long periods under the duvet, completely covered, his head not visible. He likes to lie on the radiator, even when it is very hot. Summer heat does not bother him.
The skin on his face is sometimes slightly reddened. His owner has to wipe his eyes several times a day because they tear and crust with a reddish-brown discharge. In the past he has had red scaly rashes at the temples and feline acne on the chin. About once a week he sneezes and then tries to clear his throat, which sounds hoarse and dry. His medical history also includes cat flu and gingivitis (at the age of two several teeth had to be extracted). The gums still look purple around some teeth.
At six months old he had a fever and was treated with antibiotics for a cough. Otherwise he was a healthy kitten and settled into his surroundings without problems.
There are several cats in the house and Moko shares the leadership role with another tom. Sometimes the two of them growl at each other. Moko is allowed to sit on his owner’s lap. When he is hissed at by the other tom, he rolls onto his back and whimpers. He urinates more than the other tom and marks his territory when he is confined indoors. He does not like using the litter tray and prefers to do his business outside.
He is very affectionate and needs attention 24 hours a day. He is a happy, contented cat: playful, curious, cheeky, affectionate and up for any fun. Everyone who knows him would love to take him home. Only when strangers visit is he initially nervous and withdraws. After a while he becomes friendly and rolls onto his back. He does not like thunderstorms. Visits to the vet also make him nervous – he trembles and wants to bite and run away during the examination.
At first he was unsuccessfully treated with Bryonia and Calcium phosphoricum. At the initial consultation Phosphorus LM1 was given to be taken daily.
Two weeks later nothing had changed and for eight weeks he was treated with various remedies: Sepia, Chamomilla, Rhus toxicodendron, Tuberculinum and Ruta.
By now he reacts to any dietary change with diarrhoea and increasingly withdraws (perhaps to avoid pain). The stiffness is worse in the evenings. He now eats almost only fish and his favourite is smoked salmon. The right eye waters slightly with a clear fluid and he is drinking less and less. Previously he had always been curious in my practice and had reacted to examinations by hissing and biting. Now he is hunched and cannot properly stretch his back. Pulling the neck during the examination causes him pain.
We referred him again to a specialist, who took blood and X-rays. Everything was without findings. We were already considering an MRI and joint taps.
Moko is now stiff all day, worse with exertion. The diarrhoea is also worse, even though he was put on a therapeutic diet (Hill’s ID and Eukanuba Intestinal). Stools often contain mucus and blood. He tries to keep warm. The face is noticeably more reddened. He is given Dulcamara C30 twice daily. He improves somewhat on this and his owners decide against further tests.
After ten days the Dulcamara seemed to stop working and on 10.01.2014 he received a single dose of the nosode Sycoticco C200. Within a few days the picture changed. Slowly things began to improve. Dulcamara was continued and with each week he gained strength and energy.
On 27.02.2014 Moko’s owner sent us the following email: “Moko is wonderful. He has become a real whirlwind and is currently giving 110%. I have the feeling he wants to make up for everything. He races around the house, jumps back up onto the kitchen worktop and gets up to all sorts of mischief. I have my old Moko back! He no longer has diarrhoea. As a precaution I am still giving him the probiotic and am slowly phasing out the therapeutic diet (he is addicted to it!). He is a very happy cat. He hasn’t learned from his mistakes though – he still begs for anything that has a spicy sauce!”
I believe that Dulcamara was the simillimum in this case, but the nosode Sycoticco amplified the effect and led to a complete cure.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Ragdoll cat; Claudia Scheller; CC BY-SA 3.0
Category: Cases
Keywords: paralysis, black diarrhoea, skin rash, bowel nosode
Remedies: Dulcamara, Sycoticco.
Original article: Interhomeopathy.org
