Expert: Laura Murphy - 7/18/2007

Question
Hi Laura:

I found your Skin Tags/Warts article extremely interesting. It never ceases to amaze me there are other, appropriate alternatives at times. I read a great deal on the Net before I found your info. Several commonalities seem to surface regarding warts in older dogs.
* Warts are usually not in a group & occur as a single
* Typically nothing to worry about
* Surgery or Homeopathic approaches seem prevalent

I appreciate your time, efforts and information.

We have three (3) great purebred female labs...Hunny age 10-Yellow/60#,Sonnet age 10-Yellow/75# & Tailor (Sonnet's half-sister)age 8-Black/80#. We have attempted to learn a great deal over the years on the proper care of our canine friends.

We take really good care of our Labs including Wellness Testing as they have advanced in years. We also do ears & dental weekly and nails as required. We groom with the furminator. We utilize a really good, top grade food as well. We use Heartgard Plus and Frontline Plus. Of course, we remain current on all vaccinations. We are aware and desire to continue to learn best practices regarding their care. We will continue with Labradors the rest of our lives.

Our acreage is totally fenced and gated for their safety, protection and containment. They are not with any other animals and we have yet to Kennel/Board them anywhere. They are inside except for running around, on the trail, having fun, playing and exercising, running free as well as being outside with us.

Our Vets, since 2000, continue to reinforce how well we take care of Hunny, Sonnet and Tailor. We strive to provide the best care and Quality of Life we can. I am able to work remotely from home, so they are seldom in their 5' X 10' X 6' high Prefert Kennel in the lower level of the house (except at night or when we are away a short time) or alone.

One of the Yellows (Hunny) developed a wart (started about 8 months ago) on the top of her left front paw. Our Vet verified about 7 months ago it is a wart and Hunny will probably work on it until it is gone. Our Vet indicated it is nothing to worry about. This approach is not working, for this wart continues and now is a little larger.

I just found a wart on the other Yellow lab (Sonnet). It is located on the left side of her head about 3" below her ear flap and towards the bottom/rear of her jaw. There are no warts in/near the mouth or gums or anywhere near those locations. I have not found any other warts on Hunny and Sonnet and zero warts on Tailor (the Black Lab).

I do not want to put them under to have these warts removed. The wart on Hunny's paw continues. Hunny licks this wart constantly and has for a long time now. Maybe it itches or might hurt a little, I would think. This wart is also a little larger the last few months. A wart, on the top of a Yellow Lab's front paw, she is partially white, is really noticeable as well.

Anyway, if the Labs cannot lick the wart area/if it is wrapped, is Compound W a possibility? Probably not because this is for humans?

I looked up www.abchomeopathy.com/Thuja O. and Calcarea C.
I would not mind trying this. I really like the approach of an ingested attempt, as long as it it safe. This prevents licking the area and consuming any topical treatment as well.

* Is potency 6C OK or do you suggest a different potency?
* Is it best to give the pellet dosage inside some Velveeta Cheese like I do Hunny's daily Thyroid treatment?
* Is it best to give the pellet after feeding?
* Anything to be aware of, other than watching the wart?

Also, Laura...Hunny, for years, if we let her off leash to run on her own, will eat & eat grass and then throw up 8~10 hours later. I know the old story...they eat grass due to a lack in their diet/mineral.

We are extremely careful with their diet, no human food and top level dog food. We also give them all a good multi-vitamin daily. The Wellness Testing, lab/blood/urine/feces work-up revealed zero, except Hunny's Thyroid level needs a daily dosage.

I have considered using a muzzle on Hunny when she is outside to prevent the consumption of grass. I dislike "not" letting her run free within our fence/gated property. I have tried to train Hunny out of this gently/firmly, but it has not worked.

Any ideas or guidance? Any suggestions regarding the most friendly (least encroaching) muzzle to use if a muzzle is used? I do not want to dampen/damage her spirit.

Thanks and please advise.

Keith  7/18/07  

Answer
Hi Keith. Thanks for the feedback and the question.

For the warts you describe on the paws I would recommend you try the Thuja. Any potency will do, but the dosing frequency changes. If you get a low potency like 6C or 12X you will want to give it once a day for 10 days then wait for a week or two to see if there is a response. If not, do one more round before trying a different remedy. Alternatively, you can get a higher potency like the 30C and just give two doses spaced 12 hours apart, and then wait 1-2 weeks for a response. I don't know that one is preferable to the other. I usually go the 30C route, because that's the catch-all potency that I use on myself and my family. (I also usually give a couple of pellets because there's just no such thing as an overdose.) The tough part is waiting for it to do something. Normally, you'll see nothing for a week or more and then all of a sudden there will be noticeable shrinking and within a few weeks they'll disappear. Once you see it working, no further dosing is necessary.

You can feed the pellets with food, but it's not the recommended way to take homeopathic medicine. I have to admit that the science of it eludes me. Some people think homeopathics are bogus but I've seen some pretty amazing results (although I've also had some pure busts). What keeps me coming back are the successes and the fact that it's completely natural and safe. So, if you go with the "rules" of homeopathy, you don't want to give the remedy with or even close to food. You don't even want to touch the pellets with your fingers. Ideally, you want to put the pellets in the top of the tube and then "toss" them into her mouth. You can also place them on the floor and she'll probably lick them right up. They're extremely sweet and most dogs (and kids) love the taste. If you're not sure she'll take them, try to find it in liquid form. It's often easier to squeeze a dropper into their mouths than feed the pellets.

If you're ordering the Thuja, you can also order the cream or ointment. I wouldn't put Compound W (or any other Salicylic Acid solution) on a dog where it or any other dog could lick. But the thuja cream is safe. You can apply it twice a day until the warts are gone.

As for the grass eating, the best thing I've found for that is digestive enzymes. My favorite is Prozyme, because it contains four different enzymes - one for fats, one for proteins, one for carbs, and one for cellulose. These are especially helpful for older dogs like yours as the digestive system slows down appreciably as they age. Here's a link to some more information --

http://www.petsbynature.com/Digestive_Blends.htm

I would recommend feeding some sort of digestive enzyme and probiotic mixture to all older dogs. I think you will find that it stops the grass eating, too.

I hope I've been able to help.

Laura Murphy
Pets by Nature
www.petsbynature.com