A case of Haliaeetus leucocephalus
(Bald eagle) in cats

Dr. Gabriela Ruscica  

Veterinary Medicine Homeopath, Argentina

ABSTRACT

Haliaeetus leucocephalus is a homeopathic medicine recently introduced in Materia Medica (Pathogenesis by Jeremy Sherr, 1997). The objective of this work is to present and stimulate the use of remedies experienced in recent pathogenesis in the homeopathic veterinary clinic.

I present and analyse the clinical history of a feline patient of 11 years who progressed favourably with the medication Haliaeetus leucocephalus, using the classic Hahnemanian unicist (single remedy; Ed) homeopathic method.


KEYWORDS

Haliaeetus leucocephalus - Halia-lc - cat - feline - skin - dermatitis - chronic dermatitis - pruritus - scabby eruptions - pruritic rash - eagle.


INTRODUCTIONToday's Medical Matter is very rich in quantity, almost 3000 remedies, compared to the homeopathic remedies used by Hahnemann that did not reach 100 in numbers. Our remedies have grown in numbers through more than 200 years of homeopathic history and, especially, in recent years where many professionals, including those of our School, have devoted themselves to prove new pathogenesis. However, within veterinary homeopathy there are still very few professionals who use drugs other than the widely known polycrests and therefore they are missing a valuable opportunity to improve their practice. The purpose of this work is to encourage veterinarians to study new homeopathic remedies and introduce them into their daily clinic, in order to be able to take advantage of all the medicinal resources offered by modern homeopathy, always within the framework of a clinic governed by Hahnemanian doctrines.


MATERIALS AND METHODS

TAKING THE CASE (29-01-2016)

PATIENT DATA – UMA, feline, DSH, white, spayed female, 11 years old.


CONSULTATION PURPOSES

  • The neck and part of the face are affected.
  • She scratches with the paws hands and tears off the scabs.

BACKGROUND

  • She was rescued a month ago and then she had to be fed with a dropper.
  • She developed aural haematomas in both ears, first one, then another (the caretaker doesn't remember the order). She was cured with Arnica plussing.
  • She lived with two other pets: Sasha (Golden retriever) and Flip (DSH feline). Sasha died 4 years ago and Flip 2 years ago. "When she was with them she was more present. She was more playful. They ran around the 3 of them. Flip and Uma licked each other.
  • The current lesions were treated with Rescue Remedy without success and with an antibiotic injection along with prednisolone PO.PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
  • Rolled ears (“Cauliflower ears” as a result of aural haematomas)•Itchy crusty rash, mainly on the neck and part of the face and ears
  • Uma has lost weight (has a flap of skin on the belly) 

BIOPATHOGRAPHIC HISTORY 

The owner narrates:

  • She has had skin problems since she was a kitten. She was treated with antibiotics and corticosteroids several times. They always had to be given several times. But she was never like now. She is worse than ever.
  • She is not an easy cat. She is very unfriendly/aggressive. She scratches and she imposes herself a lot, very confident. I'm caressing her and, suddenly, she turns and bites my hard. She is very dangerous. It's the same with everyone. She comes to be caressed, everything is fine and then suddenly, she grabs you like crazy and scratches you. It goes from love to hate in a second. Over the years it has gotten worse. She gets angry about everything.
  • Once I wanted to put her in a cat carrier to take her to the vet and it was impossible. She went crazy. The next day she scratched like a madwoman and hurt herself a lot. I had to go to the vet to give her an injection.
  • When her last companion, Flip, passed away, she seemed to be looking all over the house for him. That's where the ear problem started, first in one ear, then the other. I gave her Arnica drops. They ended up curled.
  • When I leave, she stays with the employee. When I return from work she asks me for attention. If I don't pick her up, she screams at me. At night she screams at me to be caressed. She wants attention for a long time.
  • She likes to drink a lot of water."
  • She loves the heat. She puts herself in front of the electric heater and her skin gets so hot that I think it could do her harm. She likes to sleep in the bed under the sheets and the blanket.
  • She eats catnip and vomits up fur balls.
  • She loves sunbathing. She never gets fed up with it.
  • She loves hard-boiled, scrambled or fried eggs. Mainly fried. She screams at me if I don't give her eggs.
  • She doesn't like sweet things: ice cream, yogurt, cake, nothing like that.

CONVENTIONAL DIAGNOSIS​

Chronic Dermatitis


REPERTORISATION (see mag article – Winter 18/19)


PRESCRIPTION

Sulphur 1M in drops


RESULTS

FOLLOW-UP 15-02-2016:

No change. "It's the same or worse" says the caretaker.I decide to retake the case to try to get a deeper understanding of the patient:"I find myself presented with a patient with chronic skin problems, very irritable, aggressive, very dangerous, who demands attention but then gets angry for no apparent reason, who likes to express herself by shouting and who was greatly affected by the loss of her cat companion.


Making an analysis by kingdoms it becomes clear to me that the patient belongs to the Animal Kingdom. Its essence does not fit with structure (Mineral Kingdom) nor with affection (Plant Kingdom), but it fits with the "I" and the others (Animal Kingdom). Returning to the repertorisation I discover that a single animal medicine covers all the symptoms.


PRESCRIPTION

Haliaeetus leucocephalus 1M, in drops


16-03-2016: "Uma’s face is much better. Her irritations were cured by the remedy. Her neck is still badly affected, under her chin, on the throat area. It's still very ugly there. But she hardly scratches any more. Her character is better, calmer. It wasn't easy to give her the medication. Now it is OK, but it was quite difficult. I'll send you pictures" (see main article). 


20-04-2016: "Hello Gabriela. I send you photos to let you see how Uma is. The skin is getting better. A smaller area is affected. Notice that her fur is re-growing" (see pictures in the main article).


05-05-2016: "Hi Gabriela. Uma has improved her coat noticeably, much healthier and now it has sheen. Her character is still a little better. The affected area is still smaller. On the edges the area is rough with crusts" (see pictures in the main article).


19-05-2016: "Hi. I'm sending you pictures. That's Uma. Much better!" (see pictures in the main article).


07-06-2016: "Good morning, Gabriela. This is Uma with very small areas left compared to some time ago. Thank you for everything!" (see pictures in the main article).


22-06-2016: "Uma is much better on her neck. Almost completely healed. She has some itchy attacks, but She doesn't damage the skin." (see pictures in mag article).


10-07-2016 to present: No injuries.



DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION


REMEDY STUDY

The pathogenesis of Haliaeetus leucocephalus was prepared from a blood sample taken from an American bald eagle. This is what Jeremy Sherr, author of the pathogenesis, says about the source: "A year earlier, when I was walking the streets of a fair, I came across this eagle. The right wing had a heeling wound from a weapon, so it was limited to live its life in captivity and being used for educational purposes. Caged, he had not lost the dominant air of a king but had acquired the deep sadness born of hopelessness of captivity. Naturally, it is quite difficult (and illegal) to obtain samples of a free and healthy eagle. Haliaeetus reflects the situation of this specific eagle. Its pathogenesis contains aspects of the animal and its tragic personal history".


Haliaeetus leucocephalus is a complex remedy, which contains many diverse aspects. It has the themes of homeopathic bird remedies: freedom (which it desires with longingly), lightness, speed and transformation. Bird remedies, since their first introduction into our Materia Medica in 1995, are increasingly used and have become a very useful clinical tool. However, in this case, by the captive nature of the bird, we can affirm that the essence of Haliaeetus is the inability and longing to fly: the loss of freedom in the most intimate and personal sense. Emotionally, this remedy is characterised by extreme emotions, ranging from euphoria to despair, reflecting the sad situation of our eagle as a prisoner for life.


As a result of this intense and hopeless discouragement, the Haliaeetus patient may deteriorate into self-destruction. There is a desire to disintegrate, avoid exercise or eat unhealthy food. Food is an important part of this remedy. Like some other bird remedies, the Haliaeetus patient may have an intense desire or aversion to eggs. Other food symptoms may be a craving for fish, especially salmon and an aversion to sweets, chocolate and cooked foods.


The slightest disturbance results in irritability and impatience. This impatience is especially aggravated by any impediment of flow. Haliaeetus' anger is intense. He is easily offended without patience with others. He is annoyed in front of people talking, averse to company and conversation. Blaming others, critical, shouting. A feeling of being right and the desire to assert his ideas without taking into account the opinions of others. In its most extreme state, this anger can turn into violence and a desire to kill. There is no guilt or morality that accompanies these impulses, only an indifferent attitude and no remorse. The Haliaeetus patient can enjoy violence and could fit the profile of a serial killer.


Relationships are broken and disintegrated, often due to self-destruction or an impulse to destroy. Fighting in couples between husbands and wives. The feeling of a glass wall separating mother and child. However, the Haliaeetus patient is also able to feel an intense sympathy.


DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

The sun is an important feature in Haliaeetus. Provers felt very lost when the sun was hidden. The affections of Haliaeetus present ardent and radiating heat. In this context it is interesting to compare Haliaeetus with Helium. In addition to the similarity of name, Helium is the symbol of the sun and the result of nuclear fusion. The pathogenesis of Helium has interesting similarities to that of Haliaeetus, such as clarity, a desire to be alone in the mountains and flotation sensations. Even more remarkable in Helium is the peculiar delusion of being an eagle. Just as Helium is a noble gas floating in the upper atmosphere as is the noble eagle king of the heavens.


There is an ancient mythological triad consisting of the scorpion (Scorpio), Pluto and the eagle (Aquila). Haliaeetus has many similarities with Androctonus, sharing the intense focus of the scorpion, as well as its cruel, indifferent and violent tendency. The ability of the eagle to observe from above corresponds to Plutonium. If we combine the remorseless aggression of Androctonus with the "observer from above" of Plutonium, we approach some of the attributes of Haliaeetus.


Haliaeetus presents all kinds of conflicts and disorders in relationships of all kinds, as well as affections as a result of these experiences. He doubts the veracity of his partner, his relationships. He despises human relationships (Platina, Secale, Uranium). The remedy is the main remedy in disorders related to divorce (together with Mag-c, Mag-m, Nat-m, Staphysagria and Sulphur), aversion to marriage; on the other hand, he wants to have a partner and live with her.


These patients, because of all the above, are very susceptible to attacks from the outside, especially those who have to do with their image and distinction. Together with Staphysagria, it is the medicine with the most value in the " wounded honour" rubric. It also possesses many features of Nux vomica: it is ambitious and competitive, excitable and reactive, as well as very violent, easily presenting homicidal impulses: the desire to kill animals, their own children and loved ones.


Impatient, very angry and indignant, he explodes very easily and loses control. He presents anger, violent anger which he later repents, cannot control his emotions. It is found in the Repertory in the rubric of anger while driving his car (together with Lac equinum), he gets angry if he feels obliged to respond and, above all, if he feels that he is not understood (Bufo, Calcarea sulphurica).


BIBLIOGRAPHY

BLACK C (ed). The American Eagle. Hillsboro OR: Beyond Words Publishing; 1994. CANDEGABE, E. Comparative Medical Matter - UCH Ed.HAHNEMANN, S. Chronic diseases. Their peculiar nature and their homeopathic healing.LAINZ, M. Birds and other new homeopathic medicines from the animal kingdom - Ed. UCHNASH, E.B. Fundamentals of Homeopathic Therapeutics. - The Athenaeum. 1989.PASCHERO, T.P. Homeopathy - Ed. Kier.PIRRA, G. Organ of the Art of Healing by Samuel Hahnemann, Buenos Aires, 2008. SHERR J. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. In: Dynamic Provings, Volume I. Dynamis Books; 1997.VIJNOVSJKY, B. Treaty on Homeopathic Medical Matter. Buenos Aires.1980.REPERTOIREComplete Repertory 2018, Roger van Zandvoort

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