Hepar sulphuris?

[Blanketback]

Has anyone used this? I'm seeing the vet on Thursday and I'm going to mention it - I wanted to hear about anyone's success with it.

[Momto2GSDs]

Originally Posted by Blanketback

Has anyone used this? I'm seeing the vet on Thursday and I'm going to mention it - I wanted to hear about anyone's success with it.

Hi Blanketback!
What exactly are you using it for?
Have you used homeopathic's before?
Is your vet holistic or a homeopath?

[Blanketback]

It was something I found while googling around, trying to find something for infected anal glands. My vet is mainstream, but also schooled in homeopathy, so I can talk to her about this and she listens and makes suggestions - instead of looking at me like I've got 2 heads, lol.

I haven't used homeopathics but I'm trying to avoid abx. One of his anal glands is infected and has whiteish discharge accumulating. Much better than the bloody one, but still... I'm adding pumkin to his diet and trying to figure out if I should switch him off the Fromm's LBP to a single source, because I think his anal gland issue may be part of a food allergy - he has a periodic itchy ear too.

[Momto2GSDs]

Two heads or selling snake oil!!!!! LOL
I am SO impressed that you looked for alternatives to antibiotics! Good for YOU!!!!
Hepar Sulph can be used for anything from hot spots to joint inflammation and for anal glands depending on the specific symptoms, so thanks for the explanation!

Couple of things you may want to consider.
Ground Psyllium Seed might help to bulk up his diet. Also, fresh ground carrots, cabbage, or celery. The pumpkin you are giving is great too!
Anal glad problems may stem from allergies. Raw food would really help, but if you are not prepared to take on a totally raw diet right now, you may want to look at The Honest Kitchen “Preference” to which you add raw meat. HK can usually be purchased or ordered from a “doggie boutique” store. Read about it here: Grain Free Dog Food | Dehydrated Dog Food | Homemade | Preference | The Honest Kitchen all life stages.

Or Zeal which is fish non grain, gluten free for adult dogs Zeal Dog Food | Food For Sensitive Dogs | The Honest Kitchen. Love would be for all life stages

Since his ears continue to act up, try couple of Tablespoons of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, mixed in his food twice a day, which might do the trick. Also wipe out his ears with the ACV or Witch-hazel twice a day.
Omega 3’s may also help with anal gland problems. Krill oil is better than fish oil because the Omega-3’s are in the form of phospholipids which are better absorbed by the body and it contains Astaxanthin which is an antioxidant found in the algae that the krill eat. I like DaVinci’s Neptune Krill Neptune Krill Oil 60 Softgels by DaVinci Labs
I can PM you an explanation of homeopathic medicine and how it works if you are interested, but here are a couple of homeopathic’s to consider for this anal gland problem:
Belladonna will help with the inflammation.
Silicea is a remedy that will help expel the fluids and excretions and then encourage healing.
Hepar Sulph is for anal gland infection and also for ear infections.
If this is an infection, about10 days on a homeopathic combination called Echinaeca Comp can be purchased from NaturalRearing.com :: Loading Website...

Also, warm compresses of Calendula or Red Clover Blossom solution 2 or 3 times per day for 3 or 4 days or longer will help.
I can give you further details and dosages on each thing I’ve mentioned if you’d like to pm……a little too long for the blog!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Mom’s

[Blanketback]

Thank you so much for the great info. I really really want to stay away from abx, and I'm looking at a possible TBD from an engorged deer tick pulled off him not long ago, so that's another reason I thought it would be better not to use them. Thankfully my vet agrees with me. But the frequency of the expressions is getting to worry me now. Oh poor puppy!

Thank you for offering to PM me with more in depth info, I'll send you one tomorrow after our vet appt. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

[BowWowMeow]

I would treat the infection with colloidal silver (a great alternative to antibiotics). You also want to apply something topically. Coconut oil would be a good place to start for a topical application.

I use a little bit of everything in the holistic toolbox and while I've had great luck with homeopathy for some conditions and some of my animals (and myself), it usually takes some experimentation to see which remedy works for which individual and situation.

[Blanketback]

Thanks to both of your for your input. We decided to go with the silicea for 2 weeks, and I'm also having a more thorough stool sample done to rule out giardia, because the vet thinks that the infrequent blood is possibly an unrelated issue and wants to rule it out. I got some psyllium husk, alphalfa and kelp powders to add to his kibble for now. I also bought some Nutiva coconut oil.