A reader queried – Dr, C, I think.my 2 yr old Schnoodle rescue has a yeast problem. He is liking and licking, pads and groin. Groin very red. Tea tree shampoo? Thanks

From a conventional perspective, we think of something (yeast) causing the problem (itchy skin, redness) then look for something to “get rid of the something – yeast” that we say is causing the problem. Many times, as we realize the damage of drugs, we look for a natural substance to “get rid of the something”.

While this can often work when beings are fairly healthy, it clouds our thinking. More important is to build up overall health and understand how our we and our animals actually become ill and become well. Don Hamilton’s book, Homeopathic Care of Cats and Dogs has two great chapters on this (2 & 3). First we have an energetic imbalance, then functional, then inflammatory and finally tissue damage (pathology). Healing often goes in the reverse direction.

Hahnemann, in the Organon, says, “The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.” This means treating the unbalanced energy field that is causing the “problem” with energetic based treatments that will actually rebalance the field so the “something” will never cause the “problem” again. He goes on to say, “t is not conceivable, not can it be proved by any experience in the world, that, after removal of all the symptoms of the disease and of the entire collection of the perceptible phenomena, there should or could remain anything else besides health, or that the morbid alteration in the interior could remain uneradicated.”

In practical terms, we can do energy healing daily (Reiki or others on the whole house at once) to heal at the energetic level where there are no symptoms. We can frequently do a mini-physical (see the journal for directions) using the early warning signs of illness and keep trying different approaches until they are gone.

If we have a new dog, or something happens to allow a weakening of the energy field so that overt symptoms occur, we have 3 choices.

  1. Treat the symptoms. In this case, using a tea tree shampoo (not on cats), or using aloe, herbal topicals, flower essences, plants from your yard, natural oils like coconut may soothe these symptoms long enough for the energy field to rebalance on its own. Rescue Remedy is excellent for some animals. Use the human one (pet is ok, just not necessary). 4 drops in an ounce of water to put in the mouth, on the ears or belly and topically on the skin. See skin article for more. Using anything that can quickly heal the skin, stop itching like drugs (neosporin), steroid creams (panalog), or even some of the above mentioned natural treatments can make the animal more ill at the deeper level.
  2. Treat the underlying energy imbalance with Reiki, homeopathy, TCVM, chiropractic, etc, so the skin clears up on its own and maybe will not get red again.
  3. Do both. Start the deep energetic treatment of your choice while temporarily soothing the red, itchy skin. Pay attention of all other symptoms (obvious or ones in the Early Warning Signs of Internal Imbalance) and general energy and emotional state. If it worsens, stop the topical and seek deeper cures.

So, to specifically answer your question, use the tea tree shampoo AND look at diet, environment, exercise, attention, AND pick one of the energy modalities to rebalance the quantum energy field.