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Medicine chest |
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Medicine Cupboards (version 1.8)Each one of us has various things that we keep in the cupboard to deal with the problems of having cats. They range from prescription drugs, to the proverbial drop of medicinal whisky to much loved remedies that we’ve picked up from friends and other owners. I thought that it might be useful to see what the well-fitted first aid cabinet should hold. Many of the items are homeopathic, some born from the desperate need to keep a kitten alive, if you have any other items or suggestions to add, please let me know! (NB non of these have been checked by a vet – only by breeders)
Basic tools:Cotton bandage Cotton wool (sterilised, ordinary and double-faced pads Blunt ended scissors Forceps (for tending to the cord if mum doesn't want to know) Lint free gauze Round ended scissors Self-sticking bandage Stethoscope Syringes Tweezers
Potions & LotionsFor homeopathic remedies (generally speaking) the dose for acute conditions is one dose every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours then 1 hourly for the remainder of that day, then 1-3 times a day for 3 days. For chronic conditions, 1dose 3 times daily for a week, followed by 1 dose twice daily for 3 weeks.
1 tablet = 1 powder = 12 granules = 3 drops of liquid. Note that powders for some reason don't have the same shelf life as the other remedies.
Acid Nit (for red eyes) Aloe vera (for absolutely everything, from tummies to stress by way of skin problems: supposedly also can be helpful for hair- pulling caused by hormones) Arnica (for bruising or swelling) also as a can help after delivery if trauma Arse Alb 30c (for the scoots - the name says it all) Dose every 15 minutes for a few doses then 3 times a day till it clears Vitamin B12:(appetite stimulant) marketed in most pharmacies as "Cytacon", feed them at frequent intervals. Belladonna 30c (for mastitis) Black Cohosh (for spraying, contains some natural female oestrogen, can also be used to bring a female cat into call) Dose varies from cat to cat – try one capsule a day for three days and then a break for 4 or 5 days, repeat one a day for three days and then repeat if necessary. Most cats respond quickly and then only require an occasional dose to keep the spraying under control.. Blue Cohosh (to regulate menstrual flow, particularly for suppressed menstruation. The Native American Indians used it to induce labour also for children's colic and for cramps. Normally it should be given with other herbs for the condition involved when prescribed. Blue Cohosh can be very irritating to mucous surfaces and can cause dermatitis on contact. Do not confuse with Black Cohosh Boric Acid Powder (for ear infections and mites) Boric Acid dries out the ears thus with the moisture eliminated the mites die. Boric Acid is a healing agent as well, for infected ears. Can be used after baths, as part of general hygiene routine. Caulophyllum 30c (for toning the uterus and preventing uterine debility which can cause early abortion) It also is great for cats who have difficulty in kittening because it stimulates the contractions once they have started and helps ease labour pains. For pregnancies and during labour, start queens at 4 weeks of pregnancy with 1 per week, increasing to daily in the last few days.Cantharis 30c (for cystitis in humans and cats!) Caraway Seed: (Good for heartburn or indigestion. Boil Caraway Seed in water, put through strainer (you keep the water and dump the seed), cool (for animals) or drink like tea (for humans). Give 1cc in mouth for cat or kitten (more for larger animals).Caraway seed - plus Anise Seed (Good for Stomach aches or upset stomach, throwing up, flu like symptoms. Boil Caraway seed and Anise Seed in water in a pan, drain through a strainer (you keep the water and dump the seed). Wait until cool (for animals) or drink like tea (for humans), give 1cc to cat or kitten in the mouth (more for larger animals).Carbo Veg (for cold and sluggish or fading babies – known as one breeder’s crash starter for newly born kittens)Coffee Finely Ground - Yumen Coffee is best, Brazilian Coffee is next best (For wounds, cuts, bites, it draws out the poison and heals the wound quickly; Put fine powder on the wound or cut or bite site.)Colloidal Silver 22 PPM (for eye problems) Cantharis (for cystitis) Chlorophyhill liquid (for their water bowls) Echinacea (helps in immune building)Eurphrasia (for eyes)Folliculinum (for bringing queens into season) 1 a day for 6 days and normally on the 7th they are screaming their heads off if not rest her for 5 days then repeat 1 a day for 6 days Folliculinum 200 (for keeping at queen off heat)Ginko tablets or capsules (for any problem that causes neurological symptoms)Hops pellets (from a brewers shop to take a female out of season)Hpericum and Calendula Cream: is a homeopathic cream, use it on a sore places or even an abscess. It heals the wound and closes up the hole from an abscess in record time and even if they lick it, it has no ill effect.Hypercal (in lotion and cream for cuts and grazes or raw skin) Iodine (for the end of the cord to prevent infections) Kali Carb 30c (for general weakness of mother and kittens) Kali Bich (sinus type problems) KY Jelly (for ease of deliverery) Lavender oil (on cat's blankets and in their travelling boxes, it seems to have a calming effect and they do smell beautiful when they get into their show pens) Liquorice Root (Good to clean out lungs or throat if you have Bronchitis; Boil Liquorice Root in water and make a strong brew. Use a strainer to keep the water and throw away the liquorice root, drink like tea (but don't use anything else with it). Good for those humans who have stopped smoking Marshmallow for lactation Merc Cor 30c (for ear mites) Mimulus – flower remedy is specified for bullied cats Nux Vom 30c (for vomiting and hairballs) Peridale (for diarrhoea) capsules obtainable from the vet (also comes in granules) It is a bulking agent and giving one capsule a day for three to four days should stop the symptoms. Phytolacca 30c ( for Mastitis when nipples inflamed and swelling) 3x day, 3 days or as needed Pomegranate Skin (Good for clearing up Diarrhoea). Dry pomegranate skin in oven -this will make this keep for a very long time to use whenever you need it. When cool, store in either a baggy or airtight container. Pull out enough to boil, cool it and give 1 cc in mouth for cats and kittens (use more for larger animals), use until stools are back to being hard. This will not keep very long in the refrigerator. Potassium permanganatePropolis tincture (aids healing and has antiseptical properties) Pulex 30c (for flea allergy) Pulsatilla (for insecurity) one pill three times daily Rescue Remedy (Bach flower receipt for anything from shock - from post operative stress to problems with settling at shows, for bathing wounds and scratches)! Be careful with the flower remedies as they're very alcoholic, so they're better given on the skin than in the mouth though cats/humans may be happier drunk! e.g. to the bare skin patches near the cat's ears - they are very easily absorbed from these areas as they are almost hairless and very warm! Red Raspberry (to strengthen the uterus and aid in delivery) Raspberry leaf tea can be a good toner ahead of time too; make it very strong with honey for giving during delivery. Ruta Grav 30c (wonderful for sprains if a cat lands awkwardly and sprains a leg) Sepia 30c (if rejecting kittens) Sepia 200c (for bonding and maybe helping to call) Slippery Elm powder (for the treatment of loose bowels in animals and humans) Mix a teaspoonful each in as little water as possible and spoon into the animals. The water makes it swell but is soft and edible, alternatively sprinkle on or mash into some wet tinned food. Star of Bethlehem flower remedy for very frightened and traumatised cats, also very useful for trauma of lost for you and the cats – a major ingredient of the Rescue Remedy Sulphur drops or a dissolved tablet in the drinking water to repel fleas
Tea -
Black (Good
for swollen eyes or when infection in eyes; Put tea bag in hot water and
squeeze out a little bit (not fully) and Tea Tree cream (very good for cat 'acne' and stud tail) Tea Tree Oil (antiseptic, fungicidal properties and aids healing and as a flea deterrent Ustilligo maydis (to stop a cat spraying) 1 pill three times daily Uritca 3c (to disperse or scatter milk) Uritca 30c (to help milk production, give every 15 minutes for 3-4 doses the 3 times daily) use the 3c if the queen gets mastitis to get rid of the milk and then bring it back with the 30c a few hours later. It works very quickly. Valerian (for a sedative effect for shows or with hops to ease calling to a low slow urge. Dorwest Herbs sell a skullcap and valerian tablets especially good when a mum decides she's going to move kittens) X-A (sold by Natures Sunshine, an American company, to bring into season or put a tiger in a boy's tank. Find a herbalist or a herbal dispenser to make up some for you. The herbs involved are:- Siberian ginseng root, parthenium root, saw palmetto berries, gotu kola herb, damiana leaves, sarsapirilla root, zinc gluconate, garlic bulb, capsicum fruit and chickweed herb.
Labour HelpA mix of Arnica, Canllophyllum, Chamomilla, Calc Phos, Ferr Phos Kali Phos and Mag Phos which eases labour pains, makes birth process easier, reduces bruising, shock and stress and helps reduce the likelihood of ehampasima. Magic tummy mixtureMix together slippery elm powder, powdered Acidophilous, digestive enzymes and probiotics (the last two come in a tub from the vet called Prozyme). This is a wonderfully soothing mixture, particularly if you get a litter of kittens who get a wobbly tummy: mix a lot in with the food and they don't mind the taste at all. It is also ideal for post-antibiotic tummies to repopulate the gut. Dorwest Herbs sells a product called "tree barks powder" which is 90% slippery elm and 10% white poplar bark and a few extra added ingredients, the slippery elm in the tree-barks powder to be superior to that sold in the herbalist: it's much finer and easier to mix into food.
Kitten ‘glop’ There are times when your cat or very young kitten may need a special food that is easily digestible, very nourishing, high in calories and extremely palatable to encourage appetite. These special instances may include: 1. A cat that is ill, weak or won't eat --also for syringe force-feeding 2. Orphaned kittens 3. A large litter that needs supplementing 4. A cat of any age that needs extra energy and calories for any reason The following is a very old Kitten Milk Replacer formula that has been around for years and years, known as ‘glop’, to make this you will need: Unflavoured Knox Gelatine Eggs Plain Yoghurt(not low fat) Mayonnaise(not low fat) Light Syrup (light meaning in colour-not the dark Karo syrup) Evaporated milk (not condensed milk)
1. Mix together
and set aside:
After mixing, add the Knox Gelatine you had set aside - you can add liquid vitamins (such as Petinic) This will keep in your refrigerator for 7 days.... when you open the refrigerator and find you have "gelatine milk”. Take out what is needed, warm back to its liquid state and serve to the babies.
Nosodes (homeopathic VACCINE replacements) For pre-vaccination or to replace normal vaccinations for non show cats. Ainsworths do a Cat Combination and Combination Plus which can be used in tablet form from 4 weeks of age. It contains various viruses to build up immunity including calici Virus, rhinotraceitis, enteritis, FeLV, leukaemia, FIP, herpes virus and chlamydia. You crush the tablets in a couple of clean teaspoons of in a clean piece of paper and just pop them in the mouth. They don't actually have to be swallowed as the remedy is absorbed through the mucus membranes. Chlamydia nosodes - put into the cats' water each week
Nosodes (or any
homeopathic remedies) in coarse granule form which is tiny, tiny little
balls (they're not actually coarse so the term is slightly misleading) ideal
for kittens or awkward cats as you only need them to get a very few granules
to do the trick. Suppliers Charles Barrett, in Ireland, http://www.betic.com has written various articles in cat magazines in the past. He has a wealth of knowledge of alternative treatments a new website where you can order remedies online, for humans, cats, dogs and horses.
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date site last updated
17 November, 2002
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