“Cute” the Dog
Re: How Homotoxicology Helped
Date: Current Date (2012)
Symptoms and Problems Began: (2004)

Cute the dog is a female Jack-Rat (part Jack Russell/part Rat Terrier)
She was approximately 3 months old when we brought her into our family.

Within the first year of her life, I noticed a large patch of hair missing, literally balding to the point you could see the pink of her skin, soft and smooth, not even a follicle. The hair simply fell out. There was no itching or redness, but it did turn dark after a while. It resembled a large scar. It was about 3 inches long and wide and was located on the back of her neck. I took a picture of this and apologize for the quality, but it is all I have.

I took her to our regular veterinarian whom we had used for years and trusted as I was concerned. She did not know what it was and didn't think there was much we could do. She felt it was a scaring due to some injury and suggested that we do a surgery on it to cut the skin and pull it together tighter so it would not be so noticeable. We could biopsy at that time to see if that gave us any clues.

Note: There had been no injuries and I was not concerned with appearances, but I didn't want to do more invasive therapy or treatment.

As more time past the patch of baldness continued to increase, so I took her to a second vet, but once again there was a dead end, no diagnosis, no treatment. This was not a typical "hot spot."

I knew there was a problem because the symptoms were progressing, but with two different medical opinions and no likelihood of resolution, what were my options?

A pet guardian knows when things are not right, so I started reaching out to some friends that were really involved  in the animal world and was referred to a veterinarian  that I was told used not only  traditional Western medicine approaches, but also incorporated other alternative methodologies in an "integrative" approach. His office was about an hour drive from my home, but I was interested and loved my dog, so I made an appointment and took “Cute” in for the consultation.

After some questions, we realized that the stubborn spot of hair loss was at the site of her rabies vaccination. The veterinarian informed me that rabies vaccination can cause an inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) and that this is associated with strange, and often permanent hair loss at the vaccination site. Prior to this no one had mentioned that such reactions could occur, but this doctor showed me the information and it seemed possible. It fit the history, as my dog had been well and then suddenly developed these issues. The veterinarian was careful to say that there was no way to prove what had caused the issue, but it made sense that inflammation from a foreign material could imbalance the body and lead to other negative health consequences. Conventional medicine and science had shown this to be true.

We discussed doing a skin biopsy, but I did not want to do anything invasive and asked about alternative approaches. While Cute is a sweet dog, she is not a very good patient and I didn't want to compromise my relationship with her and injure her unless absolutely necessary. We reviewed the possibilities for the diagnosis and he showed me textbook information about the difficulty and lack of response of such lesions if it was a rabies vaccination hair loss case.

We both strongly suspected that the skin problems she was showing were a direct result of the above. It made sense for the first time. He also was honest with me and told me that there was no guarantee that treatment would be successful, and the odds were not in my favor that the hair would ever grow back.

His recommendation was something called “homotoxicology” an approach to healing that integrates the treatment principles of homeopathy with the diagnostic approach of conventional Western medicine. I was aware of homeopathic remedies as I had been exposed to them in my own health path, but the word homotoxicology was new to me. He explained that he would do a mix of diluted liquid medicines that he felt were appropriate. The theory was that this treatment might activate Cutes’ own detoxification, drainage, and immune systems so that she might better address any toxins of damage to the tissues in that area. Statistically the odds were against us, but the treatment had very high safety records and I agreed to try anything that would help my pet.

He said to come back in about 4-6 weeks for a recheck and I agreed. He also said that toxins or material might come out of my dog as the body activated and began to excrete and inflame diseased tissues to clear out the cause for the condition.

I began the medicines he prescribed immediately and by the time we went back in for our visit, her hair had already started to grow back and any further balding had stopped in its tracks. It was amazing.

My integrative veterinarian was amazed with her positive, rapid response and to this day he is still  in awe that not only did her hair re-grow ( which is unusual), but she is like a Chia Pet, her entire coat is really thick and healthy. She has had no further attacks of dermatitis or illness in the eight years since. She is a healthy, bright and shiny dog.

I will be forever grateful for finding a vet that was able to think and treat outside the “box” let’s call it, as not only may I have had a bald dog, which I could live with, but the diagnosis was a dreary one with a potential bad ending. I believe this therapy stopped any further negative side effects for my little girl and she has been healthy and well, vital and alive for 8 more years to date.

Owner:  Chris Jaymes, Los Angeles, CA.


PS. I hope other people will share their stories here and support the AHVM Foundation in its important mission to improve research and education in complementary and alternative medicine. As we learn more we can integrate these therapies more completely and make it easier for people with problems like this to find answers. Happy Thanksgiving!!