Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of medicine which treats the individual with highly diluted substances to trigger the body’s natural healing system. Rather than give a standard remedy for a specific illness, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to the patient.
Homeopathy has been widely used throughout the world for more than 200 years. It can be used safely alongside conventional drugs and will not interfere with them. Homeopathic remedies are non-toxic.
When you first visit a homeopathic vet, he or she will spend around an hour asking detailed questions about the dog’s health, veterinary history, and lifestyle. The homeopath is looking to treat the whole dog based his personality, environment, and his physical condition.
Subsequent (usually shorter) appointments will involve discussing the changes that have occurred so that the homeopath can understand how the dog has responded and what the next step should be.
Homeopathy can help patients with a wide range of conditions.
If you wish to take your dog to see a homeopathic vet, you should initially ask your conventional vet to refer you to one nearby. If your vet is closed to alternative treatments he may refuse to refer you. You are at liberty to change to a conventional vet who will refer you. You, after all, are the person who is paying the bills.
You can also consult the following websites to find a homeopathic vet or alternative pratcitioner near you:
UK:
http://www.bahvs.com/
http://www.britishhomeopathic.org
http://www.petwelfarealliance.org
Training: http://www.the-hma.org
See also Pet Coaching: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088316560740
US:
http://www.ahvma.org/
http://theavh.org/
http://www.animalnaturopathy.org/
Training:
http://www.bihusa.com/
http://www.drpitcairn.com/
Netherlands
Irma Janssen, Klassiek Homeopate: http://www.homeopathiekindendier.nl/joomla/
There’s a lot of controversy surrounding homeopathy, especially in the UK it seems. There are some who believe, with a religious fervour, that homeopathy is unscientific and doesn’t work. Even homeopaths have difficulty explaining why it seems to work.
All I can say is that a dog is unlikely to have a psychosomatic reaction to a drug or a homeopathic remedy, and I’ve seen some miraculous improvements in dogs who I’ve treated homeopathically.
Chappie suffered from thyroid disease. His blood was measured and thyroid levels were seen to be very low. After one month on a homeopathic remedy, his blood was tested again, and it was exactly where it needed to be.
Another example was when Sophie had severe arthritis. It was so bad that she was miserable and didn’t want to get out of bed. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) prescribed by my conventional vet didn’t help her at all. After one dose of an appropriate homeopathic remedy, Sophie got out of bed and started dancing. It was a miraculous transformation. Nevertheless, my conventional vet read me the riot act and refused to have anything to do with ‘unscientific’ homeopathy.
Many people take their dogs to a homeopathic vet as a last resort when conventional medicine has failed. These days I do it the other way round – I only see a conventional vet if I need a diagnosis. Then I treat my own dogs using homeopathy and herbs. Only as a last resort would I resort to steroids, NSAIDs or antibiotics.
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