Darling Ginger, who has an especially active imagination (monsters around every corner!), over the years became incapacitated by trips to the vet. Unfortunately, she is also prone to rapid tartar buildup (haven't been able to slow that down yet, although there may be some new options). So, about every 9 or 10 months she has her teeth checked and blood drawn and then within the month she undergoes day dental surgery which requires anesthesia and sometimes teeth extraction.
Her trauma approaches primal terror. Extreme nausea leading to extreme salivation and a very despondent, withdrawn kitty. The quick visit meant about a day's downtime, and the dental procedure up to a week. It was so bad 2 days after one of the procedures I thought she had come down with a nasty respiratory virus. But she wasn't sick, just extremely upset. The vet shot her up with pepcid, and I continued dosing her for a few days, but it was still several days before she was mostly back to normal.
It was after that episode I explored homeopathic options. The extreme terror suggested aconite (monkshood). I have been using it since then with outstanding success. Aconite is VERY short acting, so for the quick visits I dose her before I put her in the crate, at the beginning and end of the exam, and when we get home. She is fine minutes later. Not drugged, not tranquilized, just back to normal.
(I use 30C, 3 or 4 pellets dissolved in a halfpint of bottled water with half of the water previously discarded so I can shake it. Then I administer it with an eyedropper, but shake the bottle vigorously before each time. Monkshood is poisonous, but the dilution factor of 30C indicates that, statistically, there isn't any active incredient in the solution any more.)
More remarkably she recovered just as quickly after the last dental procedure. When I brought her home she was very withdrawn, cowering, and drooling excessively. Previously she had spent most of the next week under the bed in a stupor. Within 2 minutes of the aconite she had completely stopped drooling and was exploring the house, socializing and eating.
My other cat is merely very apprehensive of the vet visits so aconite wouldn't be right for her. Wrong symptoms so the remedy isn't a match. I might try something milder like Rescue Remedy to make the experience easier on her.
Her trauma approaches primal terror. Extreme nausea leading to extreme salivation and a very despondent, withdrawn kitty. The quick visit meant about a day's downtime, and the dental procedure up to a week. It was so bad 2 days after one of the procedures I thought she had come down with a nasty respiratory virus. But she wasn't sick, just extremely upset. The vet shot her up with pepcid, and I continued dosing her for a few days, but it was still several days before she was mostly back to normal.
It was after that episode I explored homeopathic options. The extreme terror suggested aconite (monkshood). I have been using it since then with outstanding success. Aconite is VERY short acting, so for the quick visits I dose her before I put her in the crate, at the beginning and end of the exam, and when we get home. She is fine minutes later. Not drugged, not tranquilized, just back to normal.
(I use 30C, 3 or 4 pellets dissolved in a halfpint of bottled water with half of the water previously discarded so I can shake it. Then I administer it with an eyedropper, but shake the bottle vigorously before each time. Monkshood is poisonous, but the dilution factor of 30C indicates that, statistically, there isn't any active incredient in the solution any more.)
More remarkably she recovered just as quickly after the last dental procedure. When I brought her home she was very withdrawn, cowering, and drooling excessively. Previously she had spent most of the next week under the bed in a stupor. Within 2 minutes of the aconite she had completely stopped drooling and was exploring the house, socializing and eating.
My other cat is merely very apprehensive of the vet visits so aconite wouldn't be right for her. Wrong symptoms so the remedy isn't a match. I might try something milder like Rescue Remedy to make the experience easier on her.