Poor Zsa Zsa. About three weeks ago, I saw her running around the property with a bleeding nose. She always has her nose stuck in the hay barn, so I thought that her nose had been pricked by what can often be sharpish bits of hay. I kept an eye on it but I thought it was getting bigger, growing.
So off she went to the vet who considered it to be an infection. Something lodged in her nose with inflammation in the area. She spent 10 days on canine antibiotics but I saw no change or improvement. The lump wasn’t getting larger but it wasn’t disappearing either.
I spent time researching and concluded that it could be a wart or cutaneous papillomas, which is the result of a virus and a weakened immune system. What can cause a suppressed immune system I wondered? More research. And it seems that the vaccinations that are given to dogs may be linked to canine warts as the dog reacts to the vaccination (called Vaccinosis). Zsa Zsa was vaccinated in April of this year. The virus itself is also quite contagious and can be passed on through pets sharing dog toys, greeting each other and so on. So she could have caught it at doggy day care. Young dogs are susceptible to dog warts due to their immature immune systems and Zsa Zsa is three years old.
The vet told us that if the antibiotics didn’t work, then it would need further investigation. I had visions of Zsa Zsa having some sort of biopsy that might only make things worse in the vet’s enthusiasm to diagnose. So I decided to try a combination of natural remediesĀ – Thuja Oil and boosting Zsa Zsa’s immune system. I dispensed 5 drops into her food (breakfast and dinner) for one week, then dropped this back to once a day in the second week. I also ground up about a tablespoon of golden flaxseed (linseed) and chucked that in her food. Flaxseed contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which boosts the immune system. Twice a day, I rubbed Thuja Oil or Vitamin E oil on the spot. I bought Vitamin capsules that you can cut open and get the oil.
During the first week, I saw a change: the lump itself was not as raised as it had been the previous week. By the second week, the lump was flat and decreasing a bit in size. Hair is now growing over the spot and I am hoping that it is a wart I’ve managed to treat with alternative remedies. Zsa Zsa will keep you updated š
The spot on the day Zsa Zsa went to the vet. You can see what seems to be a hole in the middle of the spot.
Just as she finished her 10-day course of antibiotics – the lump looked to be raised and about the same size.
Ten days into treatment with Thuja Oil, Vit E and flaxseed. The lump is no longer raised or rounded. And hair seems to be starting to grow back.
Up North 