≡ ▼
ABC Homeopathy Forum

 

The ABC Homeopathy Forum

Nose runs like faucet when acutely anxious...

Please help me help my sweet rescue dog!

...Hoping someone will read through the following symptom picture and see what remedies come to mind...

My dog, who was feral (born on the streets initially w/out human contact), has had a tough time in her young life. The hardest thing for her is adapting to being around humans.

FEARS PEOPLE
She's been mistreated in the past and consequently is extremely uncomfortable around people in general (men in particular). She doesn't like women or kids much, either, though she's not aggressive and will put up with people looking at her/talking to her (we don't let anyone touch her). Her preference in all cases is to run away.

ANXIETY
Being outdoors (like on a walk) scares her unless it's almost deserted -- no people walking about, or if they are, it's far off. Traffic/cars do not intimidate her at all but random noises do, and she'll startle and jump or scuttle across the sidewalk lightning fast as though pursued (even when the noise is in the distance). She's OK with meeting certain other dogs one-on-one, but does not enjoy dog parks.

HABITS
On walks, she spends most of her time sniffing rather than walking, and will appear confident and even wag her tail slightly, but only during these times in the middle of the night when no one else is around to cause alarm. Other times on walks, she'll trail behind. If forced on walks during the day, she'll try to go home ASAP. She does assert her wishes and is not too bashful or shy to do that.

Her anxiety only gets mildly better once indoors again. But, at baseline she really remains anxious and fearful in nearly all situations. She is calm once indoors and is again in her bed and will rarely move all day unless it's to stretch briefly, even though she has free ability to roam around. She does not want to explore at all.

BODY ODOR
Once back from walks (even uneventful or short ones where you wouldn't expect her to break a sweat), the smell of her sweat fills the room, and it's really very unpleasant -- musty, putrid, and slightly metallic. This seems to be worse in the daytime but isn't to do with the sun (it can be a cold, rainy day and the odor is still present).

I'm assuming it's sweat, but she's not moist to the touch. It's just this pervasive odor. It fades within about 10 minutes after she settles down and never occurs unless she's just been on a walk outside.

She needs baths more often than other dogs, and although she seems clean enough in her hygiene, she does not spend time grooming nor is she concerned with making a mess and then laying upon it (food crumbs, bones, etc.). She is unconcerned with bodily discomfort, it seems.

SHUT DOWN, DEPRESSED
She's been with us a year now and we've seen very little progress in her mental state compared to other dogs we've worked with.

She's depressed with episodes of anxiety all day everyday, so much so that she will not do anything at all throughout the day, unless prodded (and even then she hates every minute of whatever you're wanting her to do). As soon as you stop forcing her to do something (a game, fetch a treat, anything), she will leave immediately and go back to her very small 'safety zone'. In every instance, she prefers to stay in this one spot -- her bed. She will not play with any toys (or any random objects in her environment); we've never seen her play even once on her own nor with us. Her preference is just to sit there.

LOW APPETITE
She eats very little (even of treats), often skips meals, and is not motivated by food at all, no matter if it is people food or pet food of any kind (even premium, all meat, fresh, etc.). She is quite thin, her ribs no longer show, but she is definitely on the thin side. Her skull area around her eye sockets is prominent as though she is emaciated. She will often refuse food all day and vomit yellow bile while on a walk. She is not ill from a medical/vet perspective and hasn't been sick (infection) while with us.

PHYSICAL CONTACT
She likes to be pet on her head, but elsewhere makes her slightly uncomfortable. She would hate it if a stranger tried to pet her. If we approach her bed, she'll always offer her stomach for a belly rub -- this is something we didn't train her to do, she just does it on her own. But she doesn't seem to particularly enjoy being pet or cuddled.

WITHDRAWN
Anyway, we have been trying to be patient in letting her come out of her shell on her own terms in her own time, but it seems like she's content to be withdrawn and prefers to keep to herself. She will join you on occasion, if you go into another room. She has one other specific spot she will go to in the house besides her bed (the couch), and she will go nowhere else, not even to explore when she knows you're not watching.

MORE INFO...
She's the picture of depression -- even looks it facial expression-wise. It seems like she's given up on life. She sighs often. She has profuse diarrhea quickly when under prolonged stress. She often has what look like mini seizures in her sleep where she twitches all over her body in localized areas, jerking mildly; she will wake out of it, if you call her name. And the only time she barks or makes any sound at all is when she's sleeping -- she'll yip repeatedly then. That's the only time we've even heard her voice. She also often sleeps with her eyes partly open, just unfocused, so her eyes are often red from not blinking.

FINALLY, THE UNUSUAL SYMPTOM
Beyond all of this, there is one particular unique symptom that I think would be helpful in determining a similimum, but I can't figure out what the remedy is (or even what the rubric would be)... ACUTE RUNNY NOSE WHEN PANICKED

When feeling acutely panicked or fearful, her nose immediately begins to run like a faucet. It's practically instant. And it's not unusual for drops to collect at the base of her nose and drip off in droplets -- it runs that much and is thin and clear like water. When the stressful situation passes (minutes later), her runny nose will stop entirely. Other times, her nose is usually dry to the touch.

So, can anyone point me in the right direction toward a possible remedy that would fit with her anxious, timid, depressed personality, the other info I mentioned, and this one especially peculiar symptom?

I'm happy to provide more info in even greater detail, if you've got any questions, and I so appreciate you reading all of this; I know it was loooong...

Thanks for any help!
All thoughts are welcome! :>)
 
  suryadrop on 2011-10-25
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
pls take arsenic alb 6C 2 drops morning empty stomach for a week

dr. deoshlok sharma
 
deoshlok last decade
...I forgot to mention; she's had Arsenicum Album (dry dose in water), to no effect (no change in symptoms). She's also been given Staphysagria in the past, with no discernable change in her.

Thanks for your response, Dr. Sharma. Could you tell me what rubric you're using for her runny nose/panic issue?
 
suryadrop last decade
So just sits in a corner and does nothing?

The symptom you mentioned, the runny nose when panicked, is easily found in 'Ailments from fear or fright'. You don't need to find the specific symptom caused in the repertory, as what happens is often decided by the inherited or developed weaknesses of the patient. Generalizing in this way is important to utilizing our remedies.

One would need to look at the general state of the dog. The fear of going outside, the desire to be inside where it is safe, the fear of people, the withdrawn state, the going into a shell, the nightmares, the passive state - these would suggest to me Calc carb. There are alot of remedies for ailments from fright though - Opium, Mimulus-p, Aconite, Stramonium, Borax - but that state you describe does sound a lot like Calc.

David Kempson
Professional Classical Homoeopath
Dip.Hom.Med.1994
 
brisbanehomoeopath last decade
you can try arsenic alb in diffrent potency...

it is a strong medicine for your symptoms...

I have no time for discussing all the symptom ....

dr.deoshlok sharma
 
deoshlok last decade
Thanks for the responses!

Yep, she just sits in one spot and literally does nothing.

She'll sleep or just sit there calmly looking about, that's it. And she's young -- only 3 years old, so it's not from weariness due to age or anything like that.

Prior to reading your latest responses, I gave her Arsenicum again as suggested, and she's since developed severe diarrhea and shivering/quivering when anxious. Immediately following the dose, she was breathing quickly and shallowly, but has since begun to breathe normally again. Is this an aggravation most likely, or is she proving the remedy?

I'll look into Calc carb, but I'm curious: is it too soon to give her another remedy, since she was just dosed with Arsenicum again?

By the way, Dr. K., she likes going outdoors, it's just the people and noises she's leery of. Does that change your suggestion any?

Thanks very much for all input! It's very appreciated.
 
suryadrop last decade
One more thing...

Forgot to mention, she grinds her teeth to the point that several of her front teeth are worn down on the bottom row. Most often she does this after a stressful situation has just passed, and she'll do it repeatedly through the day/night. She also licks her lips a lot in nervousness.

Hope that helps give an even better picture of what's going on with her. Thanks!
 
suryadrop last decade
Calc carb stays indoors out of fear. The theme of Calc is protection and security. They feel vulnerable outside, in unfamiliar places, and want to go back inside because it is safe there. This is because it is the Oyster shell - the shell provides protection from threats. It has nothing to do with the physicality of being inside or outside, it is what is out there that frightens them.

An aggravation has to be worsening of current symptoms. Is that what happened? A proving is typically new symptoms, or the old symptoms develop new qualities (like the normal diarrhea changes colour or suddenly occurs at different times).

I would wait to see what happens after Arsenicum so that things don't get too confused. You should really wait at least 3-5 days to make sure a remedy is or is not working.
 
brisbanehomoeopath last decade

Post ReplyTo post a reply, you must first LOG ON or Register

 

Important
Information given in this forum is given by way of exchange of views only, and those views are not necessarily those of ABC Homeopathy. It is not to be treated as a medical diagnosis or prescription, and should not be used as a substitute for a consultation with a qualified homeopath or physician. It is possible that advice given here may be dangerous, and you should make your own checks that it is safe. If symptoms persist, seek professional medical attention. Bear in mind that even minor symptoms can be a sign of a more serious underlying condition, and a timely diagnosis by your doctor could save your life.