Multiple Organ Failure and Fear of the Dark in Two Wheaten Terriers
Why is this a case about dogs? Because they are not unlike chidren, and in addition, they do not know what a placebo effect is. Writing up the  case of IBS in a young girl  reminded me of the time I treated two Soft-coated Wheaten terriers. The dog's owner, let's call her Anna, came to see me in regards to severe fatigue. On inquiring into her circumstances I learnded that she had great difficulty sleeping.
 
"You see, Dr. Zimmermann, I have two dogs. They are brothers and 11 years old, and both of them are very sick. Harvey is up every night with vomiting and diarrhea. He is okay during the day, but sick every night. He has lost a lot of weight." Apparently the vet had diagnosed him severe inflammation of the intestines and advanced liver and kidney disease going into multiple organ failure. Harvey was not expected to live much longer.

The Time of Day, or - Night

I immediately asked Anna if there was a certain time during the night when he was sick. "Roughly between 2-5 am", Anna said. "And his brother, Zorro, has developed a fear of the dark and refuses to go outside to do his business in the evening or at night. But he is old, too and has poor bladder control. So I'm up half the night looking after those two dogs. "
Which explained why she was so tired! I suggested the most logical thing to do: Treat the dogs! Both of them had very nice, clearly defined symptoms which every homeopath would easily be able to prescribe for. Harvey's 2-5 am time aggravation and serious digestive symptoms immediately brought to mind the remedy Kali-carbonicum, the same remedy I used with Lisa in the case of migraines and IBS.
Zorro, as it turned out, was not only afraid of the dark, but had also become very aggressive towards other dogs, animals and even people. The other day he had even tried to attack a horse while out for a stroll in the countryside with his owners. At the same time he had become very clingy towards Anna, pining after her when she would go out and barely leaving her side. This striking combination of violent behaviour with a desire to attack, the strong fear of the dark and the aversion to being alone brought up the homeopathic remedy Stramonium. 

Angel's and Devil'sTrumpets 

Stramonium, a fascinating remedy made from the seeds of a plant called both "Angel's Trumpet' as well as "Devil's Trumpet'. Ingestion of the seeds can lead to hallucinations, intense fear and aggression. Of course, in the homeopathic world, if a person, or, in this case, an animal, already has these kinds of symptoms, a homeopathic preparation of Stramonium can help those symptoms.
I have often given this remedy in cases of children or adults with severe anxiety, which often dated back to a fright, especially involving violence or the fear of violence. But it can also be highly useful in various neurological conditions when the cause is not really clear.
In any case, Anna gave the dogs these remedies and within a few days Harvey stopped vomiting at night. He gained back some waight and did better overall, lived for another six months and died a peaceful death. Zorro mellowed out and was willing to go out again at night to relieve himself.
And Anna could sleep through the night and had energy again.

Animals and Homeopathy

The interesting thing here is that animals also respond very well to homeopathy. Their symptoms of disease can be quite similar to those of humans and of course they also have unique personalities and can also suffer from emotional traumas, grief and frights just like us. Homeopathy can be very helpful for a dog or cat that has been attacked by another animal and has been frightened since, as well as for animals who are grieving the loss of a companion animal or human. Homeopathy is also useful for pets with separation anxiety.
Although I'm not a vet, I have frequenlty treated animals, usually those of friends or neighbours and it has always been an interesting and often uplifting experience, often demonstrating the power of homeopathy.

Anke Zimmermann, ND
Photo credits of dog with glasses with thanks to
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Dogs_g59-Intelligent_Dog_p137.html