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| Stories...Stories...Stories... |
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I first noticed something wrong with Jimmy when he wouldn’t come near me and he slept on a shelf in the wardrobe all night. He went out the next morning and tried to sit down in his favourite spot next to the shed, only his front legs were on the floor and his bottom in the air; I couldn’t work out what was wrong! With a friend’s help later that day I managed to check out his tail and found a most definite kink in it. I called Balanced Being and they were as fantastic as usual and I got an appointment straight away. It was confirmed his tail was fractured and out he came with a solid bandage on it. I will always remember him escaping one morning when he was meant to be staying in. He waddled across the road with his tail swinging from side to side in a bright blue bandage! He thought he was king of the neighbourhood but he really looked ridiculous!
A week or so later he seemed very fed up and I took him back for a check-up. The care that was taken was fantastic and Sue, Helen and others were involved in that one appointment, clearly Jimmy could not have had better attention and I could see the decision to amputate his tail was not taken lightly.
When I took him home after the amputation I couldn’t cope on my own, I was terrified I would hurt him or that the wound would get infected, he was very scared (so was I!) and seeing him in a plastic collar too really upset me. I called in to Balanced Being the next day in tears. They suggested Jimmy stayed with them for a few days. Clearly distressed (that’s me!), Helen offered to come with me, to my house, to collect him – and she did. That’s how wonderful they are and I am still deeply touched.
Not only has Jimmy been looked after but they’ve also had so much time for me. All the questions I’ve asked, my tears, my stress, the phone calls. I hear they treat humans as well, I’d book myself in there rather than the doctors, any day!
Thank you so much guys, and I’d say to anyone reading this that hasn’t visited you yet: “don’t hesitate, you will really, really never go anywhere else”.
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Jimmy
is fantastic now, all thanks to everyone at Balanced Being. I just
can’t describe the care and time and understanding you get from
them, and by that I mean everyone I’ve seen there: the vets (Helen
and Sue), the nurses ( Lisa, Katia, Claudia, Becca, Lee) and Janet
and Tiff on reception (forgive me if I’ve missed anyone).|
Ebony was referred to a leading UK veterinary University Hospital for tests. A week later he returned home with no clear diagnosis. My usual vet and the University tried several different approaches to treating Ebony; some of these treatments involved human epilepsy tablets and at one point ten injections of saline into his flank every other day for three sessions.
By March 2001 Ebony had deteriorated; he
had become depressed and would spend hours over the course of a day
spinning in circles and biting himself. He would bite lumps of
flesh off his chest and flanks. Ebony had also become dangerous to
be around as he would lash out without warning. Within four months
my normal 15 year old horse was so bad that my vet had nothing left
to offer me but to have Ebony put to sleep or as a very last resort
try homeopathic medicine. Before Ebony became ill I had never had
anything to do with this form of treatment, but was willing to give
it a go.
I was referred to Sue Armstrong who came to visit Ebony. Sue was the first vet to step back and look at the whole picture and this was our turning point in treating Ebony. Sue went away with a full work up on Ebony and a week later homeopathic remedies were received with instructions for their use. I was asked to keep a daily diary on Ebony and recorded everything. After two months Ebony had started to improve and by July he was slowly bought back into work having put on weight and stopped spinning and biting himself. Over the course of the year Sue worked closely with Ebony which involved visits and weekly telephone calls at one point.
Before Ebony had become ill I had never thought of what homeopathic treatment could do, but a year on I had learnt so much regarding his treatment. I had found out that this form of treatment is non-invasive and affordable (by this time I had no insurance for Ebony). Ebony still had minor set backs with his illness but a phone call to Sue and a tweak of his medication kept Ebony improving. By 2004 he was back to a normal horse with very little medication and two phone calls a year.
In July 2004 while washing Ebony’s
sheath I noticed a growth protruding from the side of his urethra,
again my normal vet was called and confirmed cancer and again I was
given the choice of having him put to sleep or having the tumour
surgically removed which would need repeating as the growth was fast
growing and would not be able to be completely removed. I opted for
the surgery but again called Sue. Now three years on Ebony has had
no further operations and Sue has treated the cancer
homoeopathically and whilst the cancer is still present its growth
has been controlled.
While on holiday in Southern Ireland fate seemed to lend a hand.
I was mourning the loss of my last beautiful German Shepherd Dog and was still too upset to get another dog. My friend invited me to go to Southern Ireland for a holiday. We travelled by car through Ireland and eventually came to stay on Valencia Island off the west coast. We stayed in a youth hostel and whilst having our meal we were visited by a tiny gold and white puppy. I was told that it had been rescued from a near by village, where the puppies were kept in a hut and fed on scraps from the restaurant. There was another puppy left and may be drowned if no one would take it. I was asked if I would like it, but I declined because I was still mourning my other dog.
It was love at first sight. We brought her back to England; she was so good in the car and on the ferry, everybody fell in love with her. She was only a few weeks old and I did not know what she would grow up like. Her mother was thought to be a pedigree but father unknown. I called her Skellig (Skellie) after the nearby Skellig Island seen from Valencia Island.
She has grown into a beautiful gold and white collie, always been so loving, good and obedient, I could not have wished for a better dog, and on finding an old photograph of my first dog she bares an uncanny likeness, it must have been fate.
She has had many friends including a goat named Snowdrop, a stray cat Timmy and now another German Shepherd Dog Digger, who we rescued after being abandoned by his owner. Her latest friend is a chicken, the only one to hatch in the incubator, it has imprinted on her and myself. We also have some sheep which she is afraid of; she will circle round the field to avoid them. Her brother in Ireland was going to be used as a sheep dog!
She is now eight years old and has had no health problems until last year.
Luckily I had booked an appointment with Sue, who diagnosed her promptly and operated the next day. She had developed the womb disease Pyometra.I hung by the telephone during the operation and was relieved to hear that everything had gone well and the operation was a success, and on my second phone call heard that she had just pulled the nurse across the car park!
I would like to thank Sue so very much for saving her life and also for the follow up treatments for both her and myself. The staff at Balanced Being have always been So kind and helpful. I will be forever grateful.
Biba's 'story' is a remarkable testament to the power of homoeopathy. It is written to give others hope and the courage to trust its efficacy.
Biba, a very beautiful blue and white greyhound, is now 11 years old, she has been in a life and death situation for most of her adult life. Initially, her life became threatened when at the age of 2yrs and 9mths she was no longer of use to the racing industry and was therefore 'retired'. In practice this meant she had about a week to be re-homed. Fortunately, for both of us, her smile outshone the mange and poor bodily condition she found herself in. She came to live with me in North Yorkshire.
I knew I had a special dog from the outset, she appeared to posses an innate sensitivity, grace and gentleness. She had beautiful manners and was a pleasure to re-train.
Her health problems began about a year after retirement with a womb infection that resulted in a hysterectomy. This was followed by a severe and debilitating attack on her body that reduced her from 32 to 22 kilos. 'Conventional' vets did their best to establish the cause and thereby find a cure but were unsuccessful, she continued to loose weight. The vets did not see a future for her.
I had been introduced to homeopathy many years before by a vet who worked for the PDSA, he saved the life of my lurcher with belladonna. This provided me with the impetus to try an alternative route to see if Biba could be saved. Through the British Society of Homoeopaths I was able to locate a homoeopathic vet in the north of England - enter Sue Armstrong.
I was so impressed by the first consultation and remember it vividly; we must have spent an hour together, with Sue developing a picture of the whole dog not simply focussing on the perceived problem. Within a few months, with several remedies and a new diet that excluded wheat, dairy and red meat, Biba was back to her normal weight - phew.
Sue continued to treat Biba for a number of routine injuries that most greyhounds encounter, through running and general wear and tear. In the new year of 2002 Biba began limping on her right back leg. At first this was attributed to cracks and debris in her foot pads. Sadly, as the weeks went on it became apparent that the problem was greater than this. Sue decided to x-ray Biba's leg and discovered a crack to the bone with a shadow around it - indicating bone cancer (osteosarcoma). This is a degenerative physical condition that most vets would say is impossible to treat - successfully. The prognosis would be amputation or death.
Once over the initial shock, Sue told me not to despair yet, that she had had success with a treatment that involved the use of ground up shark's cartilage, homoeopathic remedies and a high protein diet (chicken, brown rice and vegetables. Well nearly four years on the lovely girl is still with us………………..and so is the cancer but it has been 'asleep' for most of the time, the crack in the bone has knitted together. She leads a 'normal' life enjoying exercise including running, chasing and playing with friends.
During these last four years we have had various injuries and problems: a ruptured Achilles tendon; an injury due to a rodent bite on her leg; swollen joints; 2 corneal ulcers that each took 6 months to disappear; not to mention typical greyhound dental problems; the odd swollen gland and kidney problems resulting in peeing in the house. Good job she's insured!
Throughout this time Sue has treated Biba from a homeopathic perspective using conventional treatment such as antibiotics, wormers and pain killers when necessary. It is vital to understand that both systems of medicine can work in harmony, we need both.
Biba does not complain when she is treated she has a curious ability to allow even the most invasive of treatments to take place, sensing that we are trying to help.
I have only provided a snapshot of what has been a remarkable journey for all who have been associated with this extraordinary dog, but I hope it gives readers an insight into what can be achieved.
Currently Biba is experiencing problems that are associated with growing older, there may even be more sinister problems lurking we just don't know. and in a way don't need to know.
As we approach the end of her life, which in itself is sad, I am comforted that through Sue's skill as a homoeopath, Biba has defied premature death at least three times. It is my real hope that she will be able to experience a natural death; that her life will provide inspiration and confidence to current and future practitioners and owners.
Addendum: On September 7th 2006, Biba's peaceful, loving and dignified death took place at home with Sue and I. Biba had been taken ill in the night, it could have been her heart or her kidneys that gave up, we are not certain, but we do know it was not the cancer.
It was an extraordinary event surrounded by a wonderful series of coincidences; unusually when I rang Sue at 7.30 am she was on her way to attend some horses in a village just a mile or so away from us, (I live in rural North Yorkshire) also she was due to fly to Dublin early that afternoon, so had Biba delayed even by a few hours, Sue would not have been able to be with us and to help Biba on her way. We have said goodbye and thank you to a noble dog who will never be forgotten, I know she will continue to inspire and give hope to others.
Stella Murrell
November 05...and what a start to the
month. I have just arrived back from the
Members of the Academy come from all points of the compass and each bring their own dimension to this vital annual event which is highly informative as well as an opportunity for like-minded people to further cement the ever growing worldwide network of Homeopathic practitioners.
I unreservedly thank the Academy for inviting me to speak at their event and while there are simply too many people to mention here I particularly want to extend thanks to Shelly Epstein VMD (right of photograph) who did such a wonderful job organising this years conference, her e-mails are legendary!
For over 21 years, Pets as Therapy (PAT) volunteers and their temperament-assessed dogs (and more recently, cats) have been visiting hospitals, hospices, care homes, special needs schools, etc., bringing life-enhancing benefits to everyone they visit. The positive effects of these wonderful animals are accepted by leading medical experts.
Cassie was a 6 year
old abandoned stray when we adopted her from the Dogs’ Trust, Leeds
and her gentle and friendly temperament was obvious from day one.
She passed her assessment test to work as a PAT dog; work she has
thoroughly enjoyed for three
We are very proud of Cassie and grateful to Sue Armstrong and her staff at Balanced Being for the wonderful care they always show to Cassie (and her owner!)
Ruth Boyes
For further information visit the websitewww.petsastherapy.org or ring Ruth on 01924 456890
Photo courtesy of Perfect Day Photography Shadow’s Story by Amanda Caunt
On Tuesday 8th
February a client brought a stray dog into the surgery in very bad
condition. He was found looking lost and frightened. As the client
approached him he urinated with fear but showed no sign of aggression. At the surgery he was quiet and nervous but happy to be stroked. He’s a black German Shepherd Cross, extremely underweight with bald, sore and flaky skin. Sarah offered him some food which he ate with extreme enthusiasm as if he hadn’t eaten for days. After a full examination he was treated for fleas and worms as a massive flea reaction seemed to be the cause of his problem. Within a few hours we had gained his trust, he seemed comfortable with us and it was obvious he had a very good temperament. There was an almost immediate bond between him and myself. For the rest of the day and the following morning he followed me around the surgery, so it seemed appropriate to call him Shadow. However, Balanced Being is not a dog's home and on Wednesday lunchtime Shadow was collected from us by the dog warden and taken to kennels in Wakefield. By law all stray dogs must spend 7 days in the care of the council in order to give the owner a chance to claim them. Unfortunately this had to happen before he could be officially be re-homed. We were worried what his fate would be if he was not claimed after 7 days, therefore we decided we would have him back. When I phoned the kennels to arrange collection of him I was told I would have to pay £55. I tried to explain it was no different to a charity taking him on and that we just wanted to find him a good home but it made no difference. We were trying to do a good deed and found it appalling that we would have to pay the council/dog wardens £55 for the privilege. With a little help from my dad and Angela Lowrie (Owner of Tailwaggers Dog Training Club) we managed to raise the money to get Shadow out of 'jail' and Sue at Balanced Being agreed that the practice would cover the cost of worming, treatment against fleas, vaccination and homeopathic treatment to help him adjust to all the changes. When I collected Shadow from the kennels he was frightened, wet and smelling of urine. Within 15 minutes he had stopped shaking and became my shadow again. With further care his skin problem improved and his fur started to grow back. He spent the following 5 days at the surgery with several prospective owners coming to see him. But Shadow was making the choice! He truly won the hearts of the Scaife family from Harrogate who decided to make him part of their family. He settled in to his new home without any problems. After everything he has been through he is happy at last. Our heartfelt thanks go out to those who helped Shadow but in particular to the Scaife family for giving this wonderful dog a a wonderful new life.
Finding a Tawny owl at the bottom of a tree in the garden of her home in Harrogate a client recognised, that unable to fly, this bird would not last long left to his own devices.
Keeping the bird in a garden shed she tried to get the owl to feed on raw meat wrapped in hair. Refusing to eat the bird grew weaker and without expert help it was clear he would not last long. Unable to locate a rescue centre the lady brought the owl to Balanced Being.
Sue gave the owl a full health check and with no sign of injury and
along with advice from a wild bird sanctuary a plan was made to help the
owl to get well and hopefully strong enough to be return to the wild.
The Balanced Being team used a collapsible kennel, adding some
'branches' for a perch and a box for somewhere for the owl to get cover.
By this time the owl had been given a name 'Hoot' and had been adopted as a rescue mission by all at Balanced Being. Initially the staff had to force feed Hoot with raw meat mixed with dog hair (as with a lot of wild birds hair and feathers help to break down food). Quickly hoot showed signs of recovery, he gained weight, became less keen to be handled and regained his power of flight.
The decision was taken to release Hoot back into the wild and the client who had brought him to us volunteered to release him where he was found. The best time to release owl's is at dusk and at 8.00pm Hoot was persuaded out of his box, he glided through the air and perched high up in a tree.
While nobody knows how Hoot managed to find himself unwell and in need of help he certainly owes his life to the lady who had the presence of mind to rescue him and the Balanced Being team who took him to their hearts. We all hope that Hoot has a long and happy life. |
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When we were spending so much time and money investing in the very latest equipment for our practice I didn't envisage that I would be testing it out so soon on my own dog! Late one evening Kai was off his food
and looking not his chipper self. Enough to cause The staff at Balanced Being have shown why they are the best, as with all of our patients, the team have helped Kai to a quick recovery and he has responded tremendously. |
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On my
flying visit to lecture at the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy Conference
in Miami last week I was taken to the Pelican Harbour Seabird Station.
What a privilege it was to meet Yorkshire woman Wendy Fox who helps run
the station which rescues and rehabilitates
Pelicans are magnificent birds that have immense grace and are full of character. It was wonderful to be able to introduce the centre to homeopathy, not least because the centre relies on donations to fund its work and homeopathic treatment would be one way to help them keep treatment costs down. Keep up the good work Wendy! Sue Armstrong |
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Sunday August 3rd dawned a normal day, but little did I know what was in store…”Judith, can you possibly help out?” I knew Sally must be desperate to ask me to foster – my track record is pretty awful – I tend to end up keeping them! Although I am getting better at giving them up to their new owners. A kitten with a bad leg was found in Pateley Bridge. He was with his mum and his brother. Someone was feeding them, but the situation was pretty dire. Mum was also trapped and will be spayed and released back to her familiar environment. The other kitten as yet has evaded trapping.
So, this pathetic, but
purring scrap of black and white, covered in fleas and ticks arrived – he
looked about six weeks old but was supposed to be nine weeks. He
immediately tucked into
He is a very good natured, playful lad and he travels with me daily to work in Wetherby, as he is too little to leave on his own all day. Bobbit loves travelling, he lies on his back in his bed inside the cat carrier with his eyes closed, purring and ‘kneading’ the air. He also has taken a liking to a terrier called Cody who worships the ground Bobbit hops over . According to folklore, everyone has their fifteen minutes of fame, or five minutes in Bobbit’s case. In early August, Sue and Balanced Being was featured on BBC’s Look North and Bobbit had his story related on camera as the presenter was cuddling him and he looked very sweet in close up. The cameraman was very smitten, cradling him in the crook of his arm whilst tickling him tummy and regaling us with tales of his own cat. Our kitten was basking in all the attention and is a natural show off. It will be some time before he is ready to be re-homed however, as he will need to have his operation first. He is getting stronger every day having overcome anaemia, fleas, ticks, lice, a heavy infestation of roundworms, conjunctivitis and cat flu with a temperature of 104.2F! As you would expect from such an amazing animal, his disability does not slow him down much, and he enjoys his ‘mad half hour’ just as much as any four legged cat. This sweet natured kitten deserves our help despite the costs involved. From what I know about him already, he will recover very quickly and will make an excellent lifelong companion. He is a special little fellow – after all – how many kittens are re-homed with videos of themselves on T.V.? Judith Williams ***Update on Bobbit***He is growing rapidly and has a great zest for life, enjoying everything, and loving everyone. Unfortunately, a routine blood test has revealed that he has FELV or Feline Leukaemia. This means that he will have to have a very special home, as he cannot mix with other cats, and he must be an indoor cat. Leukaemia means that he has a very weakened immune system and is vulnerable to chronic infections and tumours/cancers. His prognosis is not good. Had he been a sickly kitten then for his sake, he would have been euthanased. However, he is such a little fighter and is so bright at the moment, we ( Cats Protection and Sue, the vet who is looking after him), have decided that we will monitor him very closely, and give him the chance to have a happy life, no matter how long or short that might be. He still travels daily to work with me and enjoys life at the practice. His media career is flourishing – and his latest appearance is in a feature in the Wetherby News- watch this space for details of his next foray into the world of show business! He hasn’t let fame go to his head though – although I don’t think it will be too long before he starts charging for photographs!!
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The
next day after returning from a trip round the island, the puppy was
there, bathed and de-flea'd, the twin of her brother and full of
life! 
years. She visits Manorcroft Nursing Home, Dewsbury, wards at
Dewsbury and District Hospital (elderly, stroke re-habilitation and
terminal care) every week and once a fortnight we visit a home for
Altzheimer’s patients. Cassie always seems to know who needs her
most and sits quietly next to them waiting to be patted and stroked.
One ward sister said of her ‘Cassie reaches parts of our patients
that we (the medics) can’t. She brings calm to aggressive and
distressed patients and a feeling of normality to those who can
longer have dogs.’ Her sterling work was rewarded by being voted
runner-up in the 2005 national, ‘PAT Dog of the Year’competition
when she was presented with her prizes by Roy Barraclough (aka Alec
Gilroy of Coronation Street).
serious concern so I
took him to the practice. Having called Amanda (one of our brilliant
nurses who didn't balk at being called out in the night), she was there
and ready to roll. On further examination I decided to operate during
which it was clear that one
of his testes had twisted cutting off the flow of blood. Toxaemia can
quickly lead to a life threatening situation and in cases like this,
thankfully quite rare, speed is of the essence.
injured and sick Pelicans. By far the majority of the birds come in with
hooks caught in the crop, fishing line caught around limbs or injuries to
wings. The station does wonderful work and manages to rehabilitate 86% of
the birds it rescues. 
a
bowl of food and has hardly stopped eating since! One of his hind legs is
deformed, so he bobs along on 3½ legs – hence his name Bobbit. He was
taken to Balanced Being and Vet Sue Armstrong for a full MOT (Sue may be
my boss but Bobbit could not be in better hands) , and once he is bigger
and stronger, he will have his leg amputated as otherwise he will have
problems when he grows up. Thankfully, X-rays have confirmed that his
other leg, pelvis, hips and spine are quite normal.|
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