Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a method of treating the sick developed by Samuel Hahnemann (1775-1843), an eminent German physician and professor of Pharmacology. It is practiced by licensed physicians, and a small but growing number of licensed veterinarians.

Hahnemann, through a series of experiments, concluded that manifest symptoms of illness already represent the attempt of the organism to heal itself, and that the similar (homeopathic) remedy acts by reinforcing that effort in some way.

Homeopathic remedies are safe and economical, simple to use, and act very gently as a rule, with notably few side effects. They are natural substances (plants, minerals, etc.) that have been diluted or refined to the point where they show only minute traces of chemical activity.

Homeopathy is recommended for the following situations:

Conditions in which conventional treatments have not worked; where great benefit is possible and little harm can be done.
Chronic conditions for which conventional drugs, with potentially damaging side effects, have to be taken for prolonged periods or indefinitely.
Conditions for which elective surgery has been proposed, as long as surgery can be performed at a later date if necessary.

The curative action of a remedy , when it occurs, can be prompt, thorough, and long lasting. On the other hand, it is an art, requiring years of study and practice to master. A practitioner may have to try several remedies before obvious benefit is attained. In some cases, despite the most conscientious efforts, there may be no benefit at all.

The first homeopathic visit is necessarily detailed, because it looks beyond the pathological diagnosis to the unique set of responses characteristic of the individual animal. First a thorough examination of the animal is done. Then an extensive history is taken, including a complete medical history. Special attention is also given to characteristics that are not useful in a conventional work-up, such as personality, behavior, and individual preferences.

Classical homeopathy can be used as a complementary therapy to conventional medicine. When used in this manner it can greatly enhance our options for healing sick animals.

CASE STUDIES

Chipper is a 9 year old male Sheltie. He first came to our office in June of 1997 for help with recurrent seizures. These seizures began right after his vaccinations and a dose of Advantage. We were able to bring the seizures under control with a series of homeopathic remedies. Chipper lives a long distance from our office, so although we saw him on occasion, much of the time we spoke on the phone to monitor his progress. In February of 1999 he was diagnosed with a mast cell tumour on his hind leg. Angell Memorial Hospital, one of the finest veterinary institutions in the country, recommended amputation and chemotherapy. With that they thought life expectancy to be not more than a year. With homeopathy, the tumour receded, and he has done well for 4 more years.

Novio first came to our office when he was 3 years old. He had a history of severe asthma that had been treated with steroids. He was gasping for breath, and was coughing up a bloody mucousy liquid. We treated Novio with a homeopathic remedy called Belladonna, but we also started a course of antibiotic. We suggested that Novio be taken to a cardiologist, where he was diagnosed with severe heart disease. The prognosis was very poor. It is now 3 years later. He has been treated homeopathically since that time and is doing very well. A remedy is kept available in case of emergency. It has been needed only twice in the last 3 years. It is cases like this that make us so glad to have homeopathy to offer.

Klauss is an 11-year-old dachshund. When he first came to our office he had been to Angell Memorial Animal Hospital where he was diagnosed with chronic disk disease. (Disk disease is due to abnormalities in the cushioning material (disks) between the bones (vertebrae) of the spine). He had been on cage rest for 6 to 8 weeks but was still weak, lame, and falling over. Surgery had been recommended. Klauss also had valvular heart disease (a grade 4 out of 6 murmur), and a chronic infection of the toes. That was 4 years ago. The disk disease has been controlled homeopathically and without surgery. The toes have been free of infection most of the time. Conventional heart medications were continued, and the heart murmur has not increased.

Jowls is a cat who is positive for FIV (feline AIDS). She was brought to us
three years ago when she was becoming anemic (with too few red blood cells), and uremic (unable to filter certain toxins from her blood due to kidney failure). She was weak, pale, and not eating well. A complete medical diagnostic profile and homeopathic workup were performed to learn about the unique qualities of this particular cat. With this information homeopathic remedies were recommended. With regular follow up Jowls has continued to do very well. Her improvement has been both visible and clinical, having also been documented by her improved laboratory test results.

Taffy, a standard poodle, was presented to us at 10 years of age with many problems. She had chronic bloat, a condition that can cause death within hours of onset. Surgery had been done to correct the problem but had been unsuccessful. She also had a mammary tumor. She had a history of arthritis and hip dysplasia. Taffy was treated homeopathically and lived a good life for another 4 years.

Tyke was a rottweiler puppy who had suffered from a severe pneumonia as well as a severe gastrointestinal disease that resembled parvovirus. He came to us after exhausting all that conventional medicine could offer. We are delighted to report that with homeopathic treatment his lung function returned to normal and his GI tract did as well. He grew up to be a strapping, healthy rottweiler.