Poppy’s story : Natural treatment for Beagle Pain Syndrome

beagle pain syndrome treatment remedyIn July 2010 my 2 year old beagle Poppy was diagnosed with Beagle Pain Syndrome (Also known as Necrotizing Vasculitis & Steroid Responsive Meningitis).

A Brief rundown of symptoms Pop had include….

Episodes of – Shaking, hunched back not able to lift her head, fever, lack of appetite, stiff neck, muscle spasms in the front legs and neck, lethargy and crying out in pain with the slightest attempt of movement. Episodes lasting on average 2 hours. Unless you’ve witnessed this disease first hand I can’t begin to describe just how cruel it is, it breaks your heart to see something you love so much be in such pain and distress.

The vet started her on an aggressive dose of Prednisone and the symptoms stopped almost immediately, I continued her on the drug for 3 months with a view to slowly weaning her off it. Unfortunately I was never able to get her off completely before the symptoms started returning again. I had many “second opinions” from vets (and many hours of researching on the net!), but they all had the same outcome – keeping her on Pred. This was not something I wanted to do because of the terrible long term side effects and the enormous amount of weight she was gaining. It was at this point I thought ‘I need another alternative’, so I jumped on the net and luckily came across the Healthy Pets Naturally website. It was November, 2010 when I emailed Patty with the whole run down of my situation, and basically pleaded for help! Thank god she responded.

So begins the interesting journey of finding something that would work! Patty almost immediately started Pops on a special herbal mixture as well as a fabulous immune support formula called Transfer Factor. This remains a key part of her treatment as the Prednisone weakens the immune system. The next step was changing her diet to try and get her weight back into some kind of order. Bickies became a big no-no because of their additives and preservatives and I started including fresh pureed fruit and veges into her food.

Patty’s also suggested a drug called Gabapentin, used to relieve neuropathic pain. We started this in conjunction with the Pred, herbs and Transfer Factor and finally some promising news! For the first time in months Pop was able to go 2 whole days without an episode! It was a happy day for us! Over the course of the next few weeks her episodes came and went, but were now much less frequent than before. Patty then started her on Serapeptase, an all natural anti-inflammatory.

So now here we are. Almost one month into using the Serapeptase with the Transfer Factor, Herbs and Gabapentin, and only 4 months down the track since asking Patty for help and I couldn’t be happier, and neither could Pops! For the first time since she became sick she has started running again, actually lifting her head rather than walking around with it almost dragging on the ground and most importantly rolling on her back barking at absolutely nothing! She used to love doing that and it’s so good to see her finally look happy and pain free again. In the space of one month she has had three, very minor episodes.

Patty, I cannot thankyou enough for all your time, research, emails and phone calls you make! You are a saint and you have saved my Poppy’s life – we will be forever grateful.

Emma & Poppy


pet naturopath

Pet Naturopath Australia. Cat and Dog Natural Remedies.

Healthy Pets Naturally was established by Patty Walcott in 2010.  Patty, a pet naturopath, specialises in treating cats and dogs with natural remedies and is a recognised practitioner in NSW of the Small Animal and Equine Natural Therapy Association.

Patty’s unique background in the pharmaceutical industry, coupled with her qualifications as a biochemist, Reconnective healer and small animal naturopath, means that pet owners can receive the care of their vet for acute conditions along with Patty’s guidance regarding alternative pet remedies to achieve a healthy, balanced natural diet, herbs and homeopathy for all conditions.

Natural pet treatments also cover physical therapies for rehabilitative care such as cat and dog massage (Equissage & CMT), underwater dog treadmillPhotonic Therapy (acupuncture), and animal reconnective healing.

Be sure to visit the case studies section of our website to read about our pet natural treatments and therapies used to successfully treat a broad range of dog and cat health issues.

In 2021, Patty closed her clinic on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and moved to the Sapphire Coast (South Coast, NSW).

Update:  At the end of 2022, Patty closed her books and is not offering consultations with new clients. This may change in the future and we apologise for any inconvenience. Patty is still working with existing clients.