Printer Friendly Version
Homeopathy for Pets
by Dr. Jean Hofve
Homeopathy is a natural, holistic system for healing that
works by eliminating the underlying imbalance in a pet’s body that is causing
unwanted symptoms. Just a note on terminology: “holistic” is an umbrella term
that includes many alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, herbs,
homeopathy, and flower essences, that take into account the entire patient and
not just the sick or injured part. Homeopathy is a specific type of “holistic”
treatment, but not all holistic treatments are “homeopathic.”
In homeopathy, health is defined as not just the absence of
symptoms, but a feeling of well-being and vitality. The principles of homeopathy
state that there are three possible outcomes of treatment: suppression,
palliation, and cure.
- Suppression gets rid of specific symptoms, but drives the
disease into other channels by denying the body’s expression of the original
disease. Often, even though the most troubling symptom is gone, the patient
feels worse overall.
- Palliation means to alleviate symptoms; this is how aspirin
treats pain. However, in palliation, the medicine needs to be repeated
frequently. By treating only symptoms and not the whole individual, allopathic
medicine tends to be limited to the first two outcomes.
- Cure, the only goal of homeopathy, means that the body
eliminates the whole disease, not just symptoms, and rises to a state of optimum
health.
Modern medicine is highly focused on suppressing the
symptoms of disease, not curing its cause. Yet, symptoms are simply the body’s
way of returning to a state of balance. Suppressing symptoms with medicine or
surgery may drive a disease deeper, resulting in a different, and often more
serious set of symptoms to crop up, while the original underlying imbalance
remains.
A common example of this is seen in treating skin allergy
symptoms with steroid drugs, such as prednisone. Relief from the symptoms such
as itching and hot spots may be swift, but once the course of steroids is
complete, the original problem comes right back. The fact that the skin is one
of the body’s most important organs of detoxification is forgotten in the rush
to stomp out the symptoms. When the body’s efforts to rid itself of toxins
through the skin is suppressed, another route must be found, such as the
respiratory system (chronic upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, or asthma)
or digestive system (vomiting, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, or even
cancer). Meanwhile, the immune system has been suppressed, the liver and kidneys
stressed, and the overall health of the animal diminished.
Homeopathy has been used for more than 200 years. It
follows Aristotle’s theory that “like cures like.” For example, ipecac in large
doses will cause nausea, salivation, and violent vomiting in a healthy person.
In contrast, homeopathic ipecac can cure those same symptoms in a sick patient.
In addition, homeopathy uses the principle of the “minimum
dose.” Homeopathic remedies are made from natural substances such as plants and
minerals that are highly diluted (potentized) and shaken (succussed), which
eliminates any toxic effects of the natural substance. For instance, many
remedies are made from snake venoms, poisonous plants, and toxic substances like
arsenic. Other remedies are made from benign substances like salt and milk. The
homeopathic repertory contains thousands of remedies that have been thoroughly
tested (proven) on healthy individuals.
In homeopathy, symptoms are important tools, both for
determining which remedy is needed in the case, and for monitoring the healing
process. For instance, let’s say that two people both come down with pneumonia,
and are both diagnosed as having the same type of bacteria in their lungs. In
modern medicine, both people would be treated with the same antibiotic, as well
as a cough suppressant. Now, let’s say that one patient has a high fever, and a
severe cough that is worse at night and when he is lying down. The other patient
is mildly feverish, but is coughing up green phlegm, and the cough is better
after he drinks hot tea. A homeopath would consider that each patient’s body is
processing the infection in a different way, and would prescribe different
remedies for each of them. No cough suppressant would be given, since
coughing is the body’s way of eliminating infection by forcing diseased cells
and fluid out of the lungs.
Combination Remedies vs. Classical Homeopathy
Classical homeopaths give only one remedy at a time, usually at long time intervals (often weeks to months). Prescribing must be
extremely accurate, and even then, symptoms may become worse before they
improve; that is, the patient experiences an “aggravation.” In contrast,
combination remedies, such as the
HomeoPet and
Newton Homeopathics remedies sold
by Only Natural Pet Store, are synergistic formulations designed to treat a
broad set of symptoms that commonly occur together. While lower in potency and
less accurate than classical remedies, combination remedies can work very well
for mild to moderate acute conditions (such as infections and trauma), as well
as flare-ups of chronic diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease or
arthritis). Homotoxicology, a branch of homeopathy that specifically uses
combination remedies, takes this process even further, and has a similar success
rate to classical homeopathy, often with fewer aggravations and other problems
along the way. It is always important to remember that “natural” does not
equal “safe.” While homeopathic remedies are often much gentler and safer than
many conventional drugs, severe or chronic diseases should always be treated
under the guidance of a homeopathically-trained veterinarian.
Administering Homeopathic Remedies
Homeopathic remedies are best given at least 20 minutes
before or after a meal. Drop the liquid directly into the animal’s mouth or on
the gums. Liquid remedies are preserved with alcohol and some animals,
especially cats, can be sensitive to the odor or taste. To remove the alcohol
you can drop the dosage into a small vial or shot glass and let it sit out for
15-20 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate. Alternatively, drop the dosage into
a small amount of heated water to speed the evaporation of the alcohol, and then
use a dropper to administer the diluted remedy. Pellets can be crushed and
emptied into the animal’s mouth with a small piece of paper rolled like a funnel
or folded into a small envelope. If necessary, you can give the dose in a small
amount of food, water or milk.
For acute injuries, trauma, and illnesses, the remedy can
be given every 15 minutes for the first hour, reducing to every 30 minutes for
the next hour, then to once in the third hour. This may be all that is needed to
stimulate the healing process and resolve the imbalance. If needed, subsequent
doses can be administered 1 to 3 times daily. In flare-ups of chronic illnesses, administration 3 times
daily is the general recommendation. As the symptoms resolve, reduce the
frequency of the dosage to twice per day and then to once per day. If symptoms
reappear, increase the dosage again and maintain at 2-3 times per day as needed,
and gradually reduce the dosage again. If symptoms reappear again, then the
remedy being used may not be the proper choice, or there may be diet or
environmental issues that have not yet been properly addressed.
Remedies prescribed by a homeopathic veterinarian may be
dosed differently, and instructions should be followed carefully.
Homeopathy is rapidly growing in popularity because of its
safety and effectiveness. At correct potencies, it is gentle enough for use in
small puppies and kittens. Combination remedies can be an economical and
effective way to help our companions heal from periodic injuries or illnesses.
They can also be beneficial in supporting the healing process from more chronic
conditions when used along with any needed changes in diet and lifestyle. You
will find Homeopathy a welcome addition to natural health care for your
companions.
Please Note: To find a holistic veterinarian that
practices homeopathy near you, check the American Holistic Veterinary Medical
Association or Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy referral directories, or search
the directory at www.holisticvetlist.com. |