Doctor Faces Controversy For Treating ‘Aggressive’ Child With Rabid Dog Saliva

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A naturopath in British Columbia is under the spotlight, after she treated a 4-year-old boy with rabid dog saliva.

The child was having issues with aggression, and his parents sought the help of Dr. Anke Zimmermann.

Zimmermann is licensed naturopathic medicine in British Columbia, according to the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia. And it seems that rabid dog saliva is actually on the approved list of naturopathic medicines allowable for use in B.C.

The entire story is just bizarre really.

Zimmermann published an article about the case and shared it on Facebook, and the situation has just snowballed from there.

People are surprised that this treatment exists and was used on a child.

And Zimmermann’s reasons and “diagnosis” seem a bit sketchy.

She says that a dog bite the boy suffered when he was two put him into a “slightly-rabies flavored dog state”. Yes, that’s right. This naturopath believes that being bitten by a dog sort of turned the boy … into a dog.

The boy also suffered from aggression and behavioral issues and Zimmermann says the boy, identified as Jonah, would “hide under tables and growl at people” at school. He was also afraid of a wolf puppet in her office. But wait!

But wait, there’s more!

Jonah also apparently “breathed loud” and, according to his mother, “he likes meat, especially hamburgers, hot dogs, red meat and meatballs.” He also didn’t like to cuddle, preferring instead to sniff, nuzzle, and lick his mom.

The Diagnosis: he’s a dog!

She doesn’t explain how a toddler bitten by a rabid dog wouldn’t have gotten rabies.

Rabies is nearly 100% fatal in unvaccinated humans (A vaccine has to be administered within six days of exposure, before neurological symptoms appear.

May God help us all. What’s next, injecting with tuberculosis for anorexia, leprosy for eczema?
— Andrej Spec, MD, MSCI (@DocFungal) April 12, 2018

Jonah was given 2 pellets of Lyssinum 200CH, and then was treated again three weeks later, and once again a few months after that.

Zimmermann says that the boy improved significantly after his first treatment; he was no longer hiding under tables or growling at people, and was sleeping better having gotten over his fear of werewolves.

Lyssinum is considered a legitimate naturopathic remedy, but isn’t used very often. Regardless of whether it’s “legitimate” is sort of besides the point. People were very concerned that this boy was treated with rabid dog saliva, and rightly so.

@cnp_bc how is giving rabid dog saliva to a child safe, ethical or competent? pic.twitter.com/3p1PXCmVBm
— Carrie Kollias MD (@carrie_kollias) April 12, 2018

My favourite response. pic.twitter.com/QqiHkv7c2Z
— Karen I Halabura
(@AutistasAngeles) April 14, 2018

We are just glad that Jonah is OK, rabies is nothing to mess with.