{"id":740,"date":"2014-11-03T15:24:22","date_gmt":"2014-11-03T23:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pivh.org\/sfd\/?page_id=740"},"modified":"2023-05-03T19:15:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T02:15:26","slug":"homeopathic-treatment-of-lymphoma-in-a-dog-a-curative-case-todd-cooney-dvm-cvh","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pivh.org\/sfd\/library\/library-examples-2\/homeopathic-treatment-of-lymphoma-in-a-dog-a-curative-case-todd-cooney-dvm-cvh\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeopathic Treatment of Lymphoma in a Dog, a Curative Case, by Todd Cooney, DVM, CVH"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Homeopathic Treatment of Lymphoma in a Dog, a Curative Case, by Todd Cooney, DVM, CVH<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"Rosie<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rosie, a 12 year old spayed female German Shorthaired Pointer, came into my clinic in October 2012 looking very weak and thin, with an extremely large abdomen tight with fluid. She was at one time a beautiful German Shorthaired Pointer and had whelped 2 healthy litters earlier in life. Her owner sat down with me and recounted the last 6 months of Rosie\u2019s symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments at her regular veterinary clinic, and how nothing seemed to be helping this dog. Repeated visits to the vet to drain fluid from her abdomen were only giving her temporary relief. The day before I met Rosie, her local vet gave a bleak prognosis for recovery, as Rosie had signs of lymphoma [ascites, severe panhypoproteinemia, hematocrit of 20.1% (39-55), and leukopenia], and recommended that her owner consider taking her to the veterinary teaching hospital at Purdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began to take the case, gathering as much history and symptom information as possible. Rosie was born in 2001, went through a typical puppy vaccine schedule, and had no significant health issues as a pup until maturity. She had annual vaccinations for distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, rabies, and kennel cough without interruption until 2012, when she became ill. One year, 2009, stands out in her history, as she underwent a spay, dental cleaning, bloodwork, and vaccinations all in one visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the spring of 2012, the owner began a series of trips to her local vet. Symptoms began appearing in March 2012, with vomiting and diarrhea over 24 hours, but intermittent vomiting for the past two weeks. She also had an abscessed anal sac, and was about 10 pounds under her average weight. Bloodwork revealed low total protein [3.5g\/dL (5.4-8.2)], hypoalbuminemia [2.4g\/dL (2.5-4.4)] and hypoglobulinemia [1.1g\/dL (2.3-5.2)], but all other values were normal. No sign of intestinal parasites on fecal examination, and she received treatment with Metoclopramide, Clindamycin, and Diawin for her symptoms. Two weeks later, the vomiting resolved, but Rosie still had diarrhea. Her hematocrit had dropped from 42% to 39% (39-55), still normal, but her total protein level remained too low, which can be a sign of intestinal \u2018leakage\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mid April 2012, she continued to have profuse, watery, pale brown diarrhea, which was now occurring off and on. She was less active and acting \u2018older\u2019 than before. She now had an enlarged abdomen, with her total protein levels becoming even lower [3.3g\/dL (5.4-8.2)]. The local vet diagnosed a protein-losing enteropathy by exam and bloodwork findings and suggested a referral to Purdue. The owner declined the referral and began a program of homemade diet and probiotics. Rosie partially improved, but still had a swollen and fluid filled abdomen with occasional diarrhea. On October 11, 2012, Rosie went back to the local vet, as her abdomen was very large and tight. They drained a large amount of fluid from her abdomen and found her total protein level to be the lowest yet at 2.7g\/dL (5.4-8.2). Her hematocrit had fallen to 20.1% (39-55), and she also had a white blood cell count of 4,700\/uL (6,000-17,000). The vet diagnosed lymphoma, offered again a referral to Purdue, and gave a poor prognosis for recovery even with the treatment Rosie would receive there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very next day, October 12, 2012, brings us back to the first day I met Rosie and her owner. She was very weak and wobbly, almost ataxic. The abdomen was now very distended again with fluid, although recently drained, and was also tender. Her gums were pale pink. The owner said Rosie didn\u2019t seem to be herself mentally now either, and when I asked her to elaborate, said she \u2018acted like a patient with dementia\u2019 and has a dull attitude. She was thirstless, even after walking in warm weather. Before all this began earlier this spring, she did have a history of a \u2018sensitive stomach\u2019 and chronic intermittent diarrhea, depending on what she ate. Her appetite recently has not been very good, and she is more finicky than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The symptoms I gathered from Rosie\u2019s current condition were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n