Zoe

Zoe's Profile Breed: Rottweiler Mix Age: 7, Spayed Diagnosis: Aggression, Allergies Click here to read excerpts from Zoe's Allergy Test Results Today, Zoe is a happy, healthy dog now with virtually no allergic reactions or aggressive manner. She was treated with natural therapies, diet and nutrition- no cortisone injections, anti-histamines, or mood-altering drugs were required. Zoe's story is one of healing the mind as well as the body.

Dog-gone Crazy or Something Deeper?
Large dogs with an aggressive mindset are frightening to handle. "Zoe" was a dog who needed a wide berth, as anyone resembling a veterinarian had to maintain a safe distance from her.

Zoe's parents contacted us in search of something to calm Zoe down just for the drive to the veterinary office. We were told that Zoe had seasonal allergies, itchy ears, a green discharge from the eyes, and she chewed her paws. Ouch!

Zoe had annual vaccinations from her adoption at age two until she was 6-years old. She was comfortable with the other dog in the family, but not with other dogs. She loved cottage cheese and received a serving almost daily. Her caregiver prepared home food, and gave Zoe a herbal medicine recommended by an animal therapist. She had been on aspirin for a year, and had developed a "bunny hop" gait, the right pelvic limb missing a step when running.

Using Calming Techniques to Control Anxiety
We had our first look at Zoe on February 24, 2000. She was clearly nervous around strangers, posturing herself behind the owner. She growled if anyone approached her. Her mom believed that Zoe had a traumatic experience as a puppy which had imprinted on her a fearful aggression to strangers. We agreed. At 89 pounds, she was capable of much injury.

Physically examining Zoe was delicate dance. Dr. Kruesi placed his hand on the owner's shoulder, while keeping the owner between him and Zoe. They were pals-or at least Zoe needed to see that. Dr. Kruesi then asked the owner to place her hand on Zoe's shoulders and begin to pet the dog in a reassuring way. Using the owner's hand as an extension of his own, Dr. Kruesi placed himself arm-over-arm with the owner's and petted Zoe together. They maintained synchronous glides over the dog's body during the cursory exam. As a result, Zoe stayed put.

Zoe's BioMedical Profile® at CRVC
The consultation and exam took 1-1/2 hours, but left a more trusting patient and owner. Despite normal temperature, ear canals, eyes (constitution), and abdominal rhythm, her examination revealed sensitivity at BL-23, an acupuncture association point (kidneys). We obtained a blood sample for her BioMedical Profile ® and ELISA food allergy test. A urine specimen was collected for routine urinalysis and a stool sample was submitted for parasitology.

Homeopathic Desensitization
Zoe was highly allergic to many grasses, broadleaf weeds, deciduous trees, and oaks. She had extreme food sensitivities to soybean, corn, rice, potato and carrot. Surprisingly the allergy test was negative for milk. I prescribed three different oral homeopathic antigen extracts for grasses, weeds, and trees, at $12.00 per 1-ounce bottle. The dose was ˝ dropper of one extract at bedtime, rotating to another extract each day. This homeopathic allergy treatment (oral desensitization) took approximately three months, from March until late May, 2000.

Zoe stayed on a home made diet of fresh, whole foods, avoiding the foods she was sensitive to for several months. She was given four nutritional supplements based on her blood tests and urinalysis: an emulsion of adrenal and thymus extracts; a nutritional supplement formulated for eye disorders (happened to contain what Zoe needed most); lecithin, and a digestive enzyme.

First Recheck: Zoe's Cool as a Cucumber
At her first re-check, Zoe is much easier to approach, no longer aggressive! She has nodular red dermatitis and erythema (red color) of her ear flaps. She lost 12 pounds in 4 months. We treated an area of moist dermatitis (hot spot) on her face that was triggered by an insect bite. Her mom is to apply aloe vera gel to the hot spot until it has healed. Zoe recovers nicely.

A few months later, Zoe is back for an external ear infection which got worse after swimming. She is treated with a natural enzyme-based antibacterial medication. The owner calls back one week later to report that the ear medication worked great.

At the end of the year, Zoe is back for a BioMedical Profile® Re-check. Her disposition continues to improve, and it's easy to examine her. She has a mild otitis externa (external ear infection), and now some trigger points (chronic muscle spasms) in her hamstring muscles, triceps, and lateral head of the quadriceps. We advise her owner to try acupressure at home, and dispense a traditional Chinese medicine for the ears. One week later the ears are no better. We prescribed a conventional antibiotic with DMSO as an ear drop, and this resolves the problem in one week.

A new dog
Zoe returns on April 16, 2001 for her annual re-check. Her allergies are essentially gone, she is happy, energetic, ears are healthy, and her points of muscle tension have dissipated. She shows no fear of Dr. Kruesi, and lets him nuzzle nose to nose! We marvel at her one year recovery from multiple allergies, and her good disposition. Her fearful aggression has gone. The "before" and "after" allergy test results speak for us, honestly and objectively .

Zoe is a healthier dog now, with practically none of the itch and frustration she used to suffer from. She was treated with natural therapies, diet and nutrition- no cortisone injections, anti-histamines, or mood-altering drugs were required.

Excerpts From Zoe's Allergy Test Results

ELISA IgE allergy test results for Zoe,
7 year-old Rottweiler-mix (below)

* Borderline
** Positive
*** Highly Positive

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