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Homeopathy What is Homeopathy? In its simplest definition, homeopathy is based on the premise that like treats like. It is defined as a system of treating disease by administering, in minute quantities, substances that would, in large doses, to a healthy body, produce symptoms similar to those of the disease being treated. Animals treated by homeopathy emerge from illness stronger and fitter, since the disease has been corrected by their body rather than by an external synthetic agent. Therefore, the substance administered triggers a healing response in the body, enabling the body's own immunity to engage, without the pain-masking attributes or undesirable side effects of drugs. Are There Any Disadvantages to Homeopathy? If animals are not treated by a qualified practitioner, results may vary from no improvement, to new symptoms appearing similar to those being treated, altering the results. Qualified homeopathic practitioners should have a diploma from a recognized school of homeopathy. How Can Homeopathy Help My Pet? Because homeopathy treats the individual and not just the disease it resolves everything from behavioral issues, chronic illnesses, auto-immune deficiencies, skin conditions, arthritis, post-operative trauma, grief and bereavement. It can also provide palliative care in terminal diseases such as cancer. What is a homeopathic consultation? A constitutional consultation for chronic illness includes an in-depth case-taking procedure during which all past physical, mental and emotional history will be incorporated into presenting symptoms. This initial consultation takes between an hour and an hour and a half and lays the ground work for continuous research into the individual's case on the part of the homeopath to decide on the right remedy. The last part of the consultation includes a discussion on preventative health care for your pet. A consultation for an acute or post-surgical procedures takes approximately half an hour since the entire picture of the animal has to be found. For example, two dogs with broken legs can respond very differently. After surgery one animal may bounce back, while the other dog may become depressed. For these two separate animals, two different remedies must be found, both to accelerate the healing process and to prevent further complications. In this example, arthritis would be a concern in the first animal, however, in the second animal the emotional aspect also has to be taken into consideration. What to expect from Homeopathic Treatment Homeopathy is a process of enabling the body to heal itself. It helps the body to recognize and respond naturally and effectively to the various symptoms/conditions which may occur. HOMEOPATHY treats the animal's whole system, not just specific symptoms. In Homeopathic treatment we see how EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. Every symptom, behavior and emotion is part of the language of the animal's total being. Every symptom tells us what the body is experiencing, how to deal with it and how to make it stronger. That is why our first appointment with you focuses on getting as complete a picture of your animal as we can. This helps us to see how the animal's symptoms are related to its overall condition or disease, and this is how we determine the most effective health plan. During the process of treatment, we add to the picture and adjust the treatment as your animal's symptoms and conditions change. That is why we need you to pay attention to how your animal is doing and to give the clinic regular and detailed UPDATES on any changes that occur. It is important to monitor and record the changes in the symptoms of the main complaint. If your animal has a chronic disease, it is important for you to come in for regular appointments. Following are points to remember as we continue with the homeopathic treatment of your animal: Our Main Objective With homeopathy, our main objective is to remove disease and not just suppress the symptoms with drugs as this can result in the disease expressing itself in another part of the body. In non-curative diseases our goal is: to enhance your companion's well being and over-all energy, and to palliate (remove discomfort) without the negative side-effects from drugs. In the case of a condition like hip-dysplasia, the hips will look no different on an x-ray. However, your animals pain symptoms will be alleviated. One Thing at a Time It is important to give the prescribed remedy a chance to work. How long this will take depends on the animal's overall condition and history (including prior medications), and the nature of the problem we are treating. In some cases, a single remedy will restore the balance of the animal's body in a few days. In acute cases, there must be results in a few hours. If not, the remedy will quickly be changed. However, in most cases of chronic disease, the animal's problems are more complicated. Several remedies may be prescribed during the course of treatment. This would depend on the length of time your animal has had the illness. The changes that occur during that time will guide us in choosing the next steps to take. We focus on one treatment at a time. In this way, we are clear about how the treatment is working. We can also avoid confusing the animal's system. This applies to homeopathic remedies. If you are given a RESERVE remedy, DO NOT GIVE IT TO YOUR ANIMAL UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. This also applies to additional treatments - from other Veterinarians or chiropractors, and to drugs, drops, nutritional supplements or creams. Trying different treatments all at once will make it very difficult to see clearly what is helping your animal and what is causing problems. Please talk to us before you make changes or try additional treatments of any kind. Watch... But Don't Worry Homeopathy depends on observation. You play a crucial role in this. As the animal's guardian, you can see changes that tell us what's happening in the animal's body. Some things are obvious: "her ear infection is much better - no redness or itchiness." Or, "my cat began vomiting at midnight - a frothy and white liquid - and again at 3 a.m." Other changes may not be physical, but more about the animal's energy. "My dog still limps, but he seems more eager to greet people who come to visit - he's also more playful." We need you to tell us about changes in your animal's energy and behavior, as well as any changes in symptoms. It is important for us to know if your dog is "acting like her old self again," or if your cat is jumping up on the bookshelf now after weeks or years of not being able to do so. The animal may still have "hot spots" on its skin, but if the overall energy is better, that is important information for prescribing the next remedy. It is also important to tell us if symptoms from years ago come back during treatment. These are all valuable clues in assessing how to help strengthen your animal's system, and how the remedy is working in your pet. Be Patient with the Process Many people these days are used to taking a pill or trying something new whenever they have a pain or problem. They want to do something fast. Homeopathy requires a shift in this kind of thinking. It requires RESPECTING THE BODY'S OWN PROCESSES of dealing with its symptoms and disease even if it's a slow process because that's how the body learns to be effective in healing itself. We can help, but we must do so carefully and not rush to intervene. Homeopathy requires patience. In many cases, the symptoms an animal has are not indications of an actual disease, but instead they are signs of the body discharging the effects of drugs or surgeries the animal has had in the past. If your animal has often been treated with antibiotics, steroids or anti-inflammatory medications, it may take months of Homeopathic treatment for the animal's body to clear out DRUG-RELATED SYMPTOMS. Only then will it be possible to see through the layering effects of the drugs and to treat the organic disease beneath them. As the animal's body becomes healthier and better able to throw off the effects of the drugs, NEW SYMPTOMS MAY ARISE. A dog that's never had an ear infection may suddenly get one. A cat being treated for chronic skin problems may have bouts of diarrhea. Old symptoms may recur - often the ones the drugs were supposed to treat. This process is all part of the body discharging the toxicity of the drugs. It's a positive sign: things getting worse before they get better. Each change gives us more of an indication of what your animal's body needs to get stronger. We can treat each of these symptoms as they are expressed. However, it is a natural process and it takes patience. How to Help Homeopathic remedies boost the animal's immune system so it can heal itself, rather than relying on a synthetic drug which only suppresses the symptoms and will likely become ineffective over time. Each remedy is chosen because it can help the animal's system to recognize the problem that it needs to correct. It's like giving the animal's body a mirror to look in, to get perspective on its problem and see how to respond. Remedies work in conjunction with the animal's system. In addition to the remedies we prescribe, there are safe supplements that can help as the body deals with its symptoms that won't interfere with the remedy or make the process more difficult for the animal. For example, Rescue Remedy can help to calm a nervous or distressed animal. Oatmeal shampoo and Calendula cream can ease itchy, dry skin. McKillip's Ear Solution can help ease the irritation of ear infections. All are non-suppressive and completely natural. There are many things that may give temporary relief but will make it harder for the homeopathic remedies to work. Overloading your animal with too many treatments may drive the problems further into the body to cause more serious problems later. These are called suppressives; for example, antibiotics, anti-bacterial creams and lotions, steroids, anti-inflammatory medications. "Anti" means "opposed to". These are substances that work against the body's attempt to flush out or rid itself of a problem or toxicity. We want to work with the body to help it deal with its problems naturally, on its own. Some over-the-counter medications we consider harmless contain suppressives like zinc oxide. For example, zinc oxide is found in Penaten cream and many other products. Calamine lotion also contains a suppressive. In addition, some strong-smelling substances can counteract homeopathic remedies or reduce their effectiveness. Avoid any items that contain tea tree oil, camphor, menthol, eucalyptus or mint. Remedies should be kept in sealed containers away from such substances - including your toothpaste! Also, keep them away from direct sunlight, heat, microwaves and other household appliances that generate magnetic fields. The Aim of Homeopathy Our aim in homeopathic treatment is to help your animal to have a stronger constitution that can function effectively for the rest of its life, no matter what difficulties it faces. Recommended Reading For more insight into homeopathy we highly recommend Dr. Timothy R. Dooley's, Homeopathy: Beyond Flat Earth Medicine: An Essential Guide for the Homeopathic Patient. At 100 pages it is a brief and concise introduction to homeopathy. A must-read for those who are just beginning to introduce homeopathy to their family. Dr. Don Hamilton's, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs: Small Doses for Small Animals, offers a clear, comprehensive, solid foundation in veterinary homeopathy that allows it to be accessible to animal guardians. It also has an excellent chapter on the controversy over vaccinating. Dr. Kymythy R. Schultze's, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet, shows you how a species-appropriate diet of raw, natural foods can lead to an enhanced quality of life for your companion. Catherine O'Driscoll's, What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines, explains, in layman's terms, how unhealthy and unsafe it can be to vaccinate animals yearly.  |
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