Homeopathy for Pets

Many veterinarians today are turning to a variety of complimentary therapies due to frustration with conventional medicine failing to adequately address disease. One such modality, which is quickly gaining traction in veterinary health care, is a return to an ancient branch of medicine—Classical Homeopathy.

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that was known to the ancient Greeks and later refined by German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, in the late 18th century. Based on the philosophy of ‘like cures like,’ homeopathy also subscribes to the belief that less is more. To translate, this means that if a medicinal preparation should cause a certain set of symptoms in a healthy subject, then that same preparation may be used to cure another suffering from similar symptoms. In addition, homeopathic preparations are diluted in stages to arrive at ‘potencies’ to produce the desired benefit without risking toxicity.

The goal of homeopathy is to discover and isolate any disruptions of energy patterns in the body or emotional blockages that are causing illness to manifest, and then to restore balance (homeostasis), not only to relieve symptoms but also to cure the underlying cause.

The Basic Principles of Homeopathy

The fundamental principles of homeopathy can be broken down into several basic doctrines:

• Law of Similars and Law of Opposites
• Law of Simplex (remedies are never combined)
• Law of Minimum (or the Principle of Dilution)
• Doctrine of Drug Proving (preparation testing)
• Theory of Chronic Disease (totality of symptoms must be addressed)
• Theory of Vital Force (the interdependence of energy fields)
• Doctrine of Drug-Dynamization (system of potentizing)

The most significant principle of homeopathy is that of similia similibus curentur¸ or the natural law of similars, discovered by Hahnemann when he took doses of the popular malaria remedy of the time—quinine. Hahnemann, who was not infected with the disease, temporarily developed symptoms similar to those found in malaria patients. Based on this finding, he then worked out a system of ‘proving’ to compile a drug and symptom ‘picture’ of each preparation, as well as a system of dilution to enhance the efficacy of each. Regarding the latter, this is also a significant principle. Although it may seem contradictory to logic, the fact remains that the more diluted a homeopathic substance is, the greater its potency.

Why Use Homoeopathy to Treat Pets and Animals?

Homeopathy has been practiced in Europe for decades, but has only become accepted in the US in recent years. In veterinary medicine, homeopathy is quickly gaining ground in the US, with more than 200 veterinarians currently accredited in homeopathy.

Scores of studies on the many beneficial effects of homeopathy in humans have been published worldwide with impressive results. The applications of homeopathy are just as far-reaching.

There are equally compelling reasons to consider homeopathy as a potent and effective holistic therapy for pets, such as dogs and cats. These reasons include:

• Treatment relies on symptom observation
• Treatment is based on individual response
• Homeopathy promotes self-healing and is non-intrusive
• Homeopathy produces no side effects
• When successful, symptoms do not reoccur

How Does Homeopathy Work?

Each time an energy field is disrupted, symptoms appear. However, the range and severity of symptoms may change from time to time and appear differently from animal to animal. However, homeopathy strives to address the totality of symptoms, even those that may not be readily apparent. In doing so, the vital force of the entire animal will eventually reach a state of homeostasis, wherein all the energy fields of the animal will be realigned back into balance. Therefore, symptoms will fade and, more importantly, the root cause of them will be eliminated. On some level, this is akin to reprogramming the body to use its own defense system to rid itself of disease.

What Can Be Treated with Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is used in holistic veterinary medicine to treat a large variety of conditions. However, there cannot be a foregone conclusion that every homeopathic remedy—and there are more than 2,000 in use--will work the same way in every animal or be guaranteed effective against any particular illness. Still, there is a vast amount of anecdotal and clinical evidence that illustrates the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments in checking many common ailments. Some of the more common include:

• Chronic diseases
• Inflammation
• Allergies
• Skin conditions
• Stress
• Poisoning
• Infections (respiratory, urinary, etc.)

What Are Homeopathic Remedies Made Of?

Homeopathic preparations may be derived from animal, vegetable or mineral sources. Some materials that go into making homeopathic remedies would be quite toxic—even lethal—if ingested without undergoing the dilution process. In fact, many poisonous herbs and plants are common homeopathic ingredients. This information is not presented to raise an alarm; it is merely conveyed to underscore one of the basic tenets of homeopathy—less is more. When prepared and used properly, homeopathic remedies are completely nontoxic.

While there are 2,000 standard homeopathic remedies currently in use, the following represents some common remedies frequently used in holistic pet care.

Aconite

Aconitum napellus obtains its generic name from the Latin to mean ‘dart’ and has been used throughout history to poison the tips of arrows and spears during periods of war or hunting. Also known by the common names of wolfsbane, Friar’s cap and monkshood, Aconite possesses many therapeutic actions when prepared as a homeopathic remedy. Specifically, in holistic veterinary medicine, homeopathic aconite is used to treat:

• Canine distemper
• Shock
• Snake bite
• Anxiety and stress
• Infections
• Eye injuries
• Wing injuries (in birds)

Belladonna

Atropa belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, lives up to its common name in terms of toxicity. Yet, this relative of the common garden tomato has a variety of homeopathic applications in veterinary medicine, including:

• Fever
• Liver disease
• Eclampsia
• Canine distemper
• Boils
• Abscesses (especially in birds)
• Heat stroke

Nux Vomica

Strychnos nux vomica is not an herb but a seed commonly called Quaker buttons that are obtained from an evergreen native to Asia. As its generic name implies, these seeds are a source of strychnine, a highly poisonous substance that was once used in a preparation to treat bubonic plaque during the Middle Ages. Today, in homeopathic veterinary medicine, nux vomica is used to treat:

• Digestive disorders
• Bladder infections (in cats)
• Bloating (in dogs)
• Feline leukemia
• Pancreatitis (in dogs)
• Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR)

Decoding the Homeopathic Remedy

The dilution process of homeopathic remedies produces potencies that are measured against either the centesimal (‘c’) or the decimal (‘x’) scale. From the parent batch of preparation (called the mother tincture), a preparation is diluted several times in succession, each time being shaken vigorously, or succussed.

Using the centesimal method of dilution, if one drop of the mother tincture is diluted in 99 drops of water, the resulting potency would be 1c (1 in 100). Using the decimal system, the preparation is diluted by 10; therefore a remedy with a potency of 3x would represent a dilution of 1 in 1,000.

The most commonly found potencies of homeopathic remedies available are:

• 6x
• 3c
• 6c
• 12c
• 30c
• 1M (equivalent to 1,000c and requires a written prescription)