HOW DID HOMEOPATHY BEGIN?
Homeopathy's roots go back at least as far as the Greeks. It was formalized
by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, in the late 1700s. In 1790, while
translating Cullen's herbal materia medica, he disagreed on the mechanism
of action of Cinchona officinalis, the bark used to treat malaria (quinine).
He proved Cullen's explanation wrong by taking doses of the bark once or
twice daily and developing some symptoms typical of malarial fever. They
would last 2-3 hours, then disappear, not to recur until he again took
the medicine. From this he saw the essence of a new system of medicine.
In 1796 he wrote an essay in which he clearly articulated the fundamental
principle of similia similibus curentur (like cures like; law of similars)
and used the new term, "homeopathy" ("homeo"-like, "pathy" - disease).
By 1810, he had published the first edition of The Organon, which detailed
the practice of homeopathic medicine. The final 6th edition (completed
in 1842) is still the main homeopathic textbook in use today. Additional
understanding has accrued, but no major deletions - what a powerful statement
of its efficacy. If you very carefully study The Organon, and books on
the remedies, you could eventually be a successful practitioner.
He and his colleagues were very successful in the treatment of individuals,
both for acute (often epidemics of fatal diseases like cholera) and long
standing ailments. Many animals were also treated by the original homeopaths,
as patients would ask their physicians to help their animals in the same
way they had been cured. Modern homeopathic veterinarians do successfully
treat epidemics such as Parvovirus, kennel cough, panleukopenia, etc. Most
importantly, we treat the much more prevalent chronic disease that we recognize
in the form of all the many "diseases" such as diabetes, allergies, UTI,
URI ... and so on.
While homeopathy fell out of favor in the United States during the early
20th century, it continued to be used throughout the rest of the world.
According to various studies, 40% of people are referred to homeopathy
at some point by their physicians in most European countries, and in India,
South American and other Asian countries, it is the most common form of
medicine practiced. Now many Americans are requesting homeopathy. Most
practitioners completing the year long training course who can devote themselves
to homeopathic practice have 1 to 2 month waiting lists within 2 years.
The demand is definitely there for homeopathic treatment for animals of
all species.
WHAT IS HOMEOPATHY?
Many people, including some of your clients, confuse homeopathy with
holistic medicine. Holistic medicine is the perspective of looking at the
whole individual as I covered in the first talk. Homeopathy is a system
of medicine that first identifies the underlying energy pattern of an individual
- composed of all the diseases they have ever had, what things make their
ailments and themselves feel better or worse any individual characteristics
and preferences. Medicines are "proved", tested, on healthy people who
take the homeopathic dilution until they are symptomatic. Each medicine,
then, has its energy pattern so we give that medicine that matches most
closely the energy pattern of the individual. The beauty of this system
is that the body is stimulated to heal not just the current ailment, but
the underlying pattern that is responsible for causing all of its ailments,
now and in the future. How is an animal treated homeopathically? A case
is taken (to discover the underlying energy pattern of the individual),
books are used to chose a remedy that has been proven (tested) on healthy
people (Repertories are indexes of symptoms to narrow your selection down
to several remedies and materia medicas are detailed descriptions of the
medicines so you can select the one remedy to give at this time), the best
potency (strength) to match the ill animal is chosen and administered properly,
and most importantly the principles of health and healing are followed
to determine the effect of the medicine on the animal and to indicate what
to do next. Now, in more detail....
WHAT ARE THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHY?
1. The body heals itself (or tries to) by producing "symptoms". How
does a being (person or animal or plant) get ill? There is an essence (vital
force, or chi) with inherent weaknesses. When triggered by viruses, bacteria,
stress (physical, mental, emotional), poor diet, vaccinations, the aging
process, or environmental stressors, the body produces symptoms in an attempt
to recover balance. An analogy is that of a slide projector. When a light
(trigger) shines through the slide (vital force), images (symptoms) appear
on the screen. Merely removing a symptom by surgery or topical treatment
is like cutting a hole in the screen to remove the image. This does not
get rid of the defect on the slide (vital force), and so the symptoms recur
or new, deeper symptoms appear. Symptoms, therefore, are good - they are
evidence that the vital force (energy field of the body) is doing the job
of attempting to re-balance itself.
2. There is first an energetic imbalance, then physical manifestations.
Most beings seem to follow a sequence when getting ill, and need to follow
the reverse to recover permanently. At first, illness is an energetic imbalance
observable only at an intuitive level - "Doc, I know my cat is getting
sick." Second, there is a functional disturbance, seen for example as a
cat going to the litter box frequently, with a normal U/A. Then there is
inflammation, which is easily seen by a fever, or inflammatory cells on
the U/A, or the cat showing pain on urination. Last, there is pathology,
evidenced by a thickening of the bladder wall, stones, and chronicity.
The ideal time to treat is when the imbalance is still at the energetic
or functional level. Once pathology has occurred, we must be very PATIENT
to allow time for the pathology to inflame and then heal at the energetic
level. This can take about a month of healing for every year the vital
force has been ill. This energetic basis of the body was called vital force
by Hahnemann. The Chinese use the term chi. Modern physicists now say that
everything is energy, or changes from matter into energy. It is not surprising
that energy medicines like acupuncture and homeopathy can effect cures
at a more profound level than matter based medicine.
3. There is one on-going "disease", not just separate, acute episodes.
4. To really heal, the totality of symptoms must be addressed, not just
the current problem(s). This treats the underlying imbalance (one disease).
Every time the energy field is triggered and moves out of balance, it produces
symptoms, but they may be different symptoms and even in different systems
each time. Successful holistic treatment must be based on all the symptoms
and all the idiosyncrasies of THIS animal. There is only one "disease"
to be treated, and it has been there since birth (and maybe before). Different
remedies are often needed at different times because we only see part of
the underlying imbalance. An analogy is to think of an iceberg. There is
a large, unseen portion underneath the water (the deep energy imbalance)
and a few peaks visible (the symptoms we can see and are being asked to
get rid of). The goal is to dissolve the body of the iceberg along with
the peaks, not just blunt the peaks. When there is more stress (bacteria,
environmental, emotional, etc.) the water level drops and we see more peaks
(symptoms). As a homeopath, I am thrilled to see more or new symptoms (along
with overall or deep level improvement). Since the vital force (energy
field) is reacting more strongly and clearly, I can select the next homeopathic
medicine more accurately.
5. Like cures like. Similar replaces similar. Provings. How do we know
what each remedy can be used to treat? Homeopathic remedies are given to
healthy humans, and the symptoms that appear are carefully recorded over
a period of months.
When an ill person shows the same symptoms and characteristics of a
"prover", the medicine will cure the ill person. For instance, when a prover
takes homeopathically prepared Arsenicum album they become restless, anxious,
chilly, have diarrhea and vomiting among many other symptoms. When a person
(or animal) who has started diarrhea and vomiting also reports that they
are chilly, anxious and can't seem to keep still, you would prescribe Arsenicum
album.
The medicinal strength of Ars-alb would be stronger than, and similar
to, the energetic imbalance of the ill person, and so would replace the
illness, causing a cure. Hahnemann states: "the stronger [disease] destroys
the weaker: it has a similar action, and because of its predominance, takes
over precisely those parts of the organism until then affected by the weaker
one, which since it can now no longer act, disappears. In other words,
as soon as the new disease agent (remedy), similar to the first but stronger,
takes over the patient's sensations, the vital principle, because of its
unity, can no longer feel the weaker similar one; it is extinguished, it
exists no more, since it is never something material but only a dynamic
affection." Once the dynamic (energetic) imbalance is corrected, the physical
manifestations disappear - even bony proliferations, cancerous growths,
bladder stones, etc.
6. The goal of homeopathy is cure. Hahnemann says: "Cure, which is the
elimination of all the perceptible signs and symptoms of disease, means
also the removal of the inner modifications of the vital force which underlie
them: in this way the whole disease has been destroyed." The present symptoms
go away and never come back, acute ailments and injuries heal quickly with
little or no treatment, and the animal has glowing health, vitality, energy,
adaptability, and healthy offspring. Baby, a big black cat, came to me
at 9 years of age. She had been receiving Depo Medrol injections for 8
years at an ever increasing frequency, now every 6 weeks, to keep her from
licking her abdomen raw and bloody (diagnosed as Feline Endocrine Alopecia).
I treated her homeopathically for 9 months before her abdomen was free
of lesions. That was 8 years ago. She has never had skin lesions since
then. One year later, she recovered quickly from an upper respiratory infection
for which 2 other cats in the house had to be treated for 2 weeks. A year
after that she again recovered quickly with no treatment from the same
fever of unknown origin that the fourth and fifth cat in the house suffered
with for a week or so. Since then (1991), I have not had to treat any of
the 5 cats. They are on a homemade diet and have not been vaccinated since
I began treating Baby.
WHAT IS IN THOSE LITTLE SUGAR PILLS?
When Hahnemann first started prescribing according to the law of similars,
people would become much more ill before recovering, especially in acute
or epidemic situations, so he experimentally diluted the medicines and
found them to be as efficacious with only slight aggravations. Homeopathic
medicines are carefully prepared by pharmaceutical houses. The higher the
potency (higher number of dilutions and succussions), the stronger the
action (yet often more gentle). How are homeopathic remedies made? Hold
on to your hat, now, or your disbelief will blow it far away. As I said
before, physicists are currently teaching how every thing, all matter,
is really energy, so keep thinking matter=energy as you continue to read.
Herbs, minerals and body substances are diluted significantly beyond Avogadro's
number, which says there are no molecules of the original substance left
in a 6.12 x 10(-23) dilution. The Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United
States gives exact directions for the preparation of the tinctures (different
for every remedy) and the subsequent potentization (the same for every
remedy), that the homeopathic pharmaceutical companies follow to prepare
the medicines. One drop of the tincture is diluted in 99 drops of diluent
(water or alcohol) and shaken (succussed). This makes a 1c potency. One
drop of this is diluted in 99 drops of diluent and shaken to make a 2c.
One drop of the 2c is diluted in 99 drops of diluent and shaken to make
a 3c. Commonly made potencies are 6c, 12c, 30c, 200c, 1M (1,000c), 10M,
50M, CM. A 1M potency of a remedy has a very strong energetic effect on
the body compared to the milder potency of 6c. However, the potency must
match the energetic level of the ill animal to be most effective, and to
be less likely to cause stressful aggravations. Another dilution range
is produced by diluting one drop of the tincture with 9 drops of diluent
(instead of 99) and shaking to make a 1x potency. Then the process continues
producing common potencies of 3x, 6x, 12x, 30x and 200x. A third range
is the Q or LM scale of potencies. These are so different that we will
not address them in this talk. You can read how in The Organon. The liquid
dilution (of any remedy of any potency) is then impregnated onto sugar
granules that come in 5 different sizes. The #10 granules are poppy-seed
sized and need no crushing before putting in the mouth, so I recommend
them for animals when available. The larger granules, #20, #35 and tablets
(triturate and compressed) need to be crushed to a powder before pouring
into the front of the mouth. To repeat, the more a substance has been properly
diluted and succussed, the stronger its action on the body, and the less
frequently it should be given.
WHAT POTENCY DO I GIVE TO MY PATIENTS?
The following guidelines will give you an idea of what potency to choose.
The most important part of choosing a potency is to evaluate the vital
force, or energy level of your patient. Just because they can perform (run
a long time, track all day, produce milk) does not mean their vital force
is strong. They need to be alert, curious, interactive, and not showing
too many of the previously mentioned subtle signs of illness to need the
higher potencies. Much reading and practice is needed to become skilled
at this part of the homeopathic prescription, so the following are merely
brief guidelines.
The LOWER potencies (3x, 6x, 6c etc.) are more material, less energized
and less powerful. The higher potencies (200c, 1M, 10M, etc.) work at a
much deeper level. The Q(also called LM) potencies are very gentle and
very powerful.
LOWER potency: Give MORE frequently.
HIGHER potency: Give LESS frequently.
OLDER animal Give LOWER potency LESS frequently.
YOUNGER animal Give HIGHER potency.
HEALTHIER animal with more vitality (even with one serious symptom) - Give
HIGHER potency
DEBILITATED animal, especially with severe tissue changes - Give LOWER
potency.
Animals GETTING DRUGS along with remedies (phenobarb, antibiotics, pred,
etc.) Give LOWER potency MORE frequently.
RULE OF THUMB: START LOW. YOU CAN ALWAYS GO HIGHER.
Q (LM) POTENCIES: Start at every 3-5 days, increase to daily; then go
up to LM2.
REMEDIES ARE NOT TO BE GIVEN CONTINUOUSLY, FOREVER. The owner MUST be
reporting to the homeopath when symptoms return or new ones develop or
when the overall health and vitality are not improving.
SCHEDULE OF CHRONIC TREATMENT
The following chart is a guide to determine which potency to go to next,
no matter where you start on the chart. Also it indicates about (on average)
how long to wait before re-prescribing. WHERE TO START ON THE CHART:
Older, moderate vitality: dog (age 8-12), cat (age 12-18): Often start
at 6C. The time of treatment can vary considerably. Most animals will adhere
to this schedule. Some will need to move much more slowly or more rapidly.
The reaction of the patient is always the guide.
Young to middle-aged, good vitality: dog (age 4-8), cat (age 6-12): Use
the schedule below, but begin at level 12C or 30C.
Young, strong vitality: dog (age 0-4), cat (age 0-6): 200C to 10M to
start. May go up to 50M or CM. (At first, it is best to start at 200c)
Choose a starting point on the chart from the guidelines above. You will
not necessarily go through the whole chart, for the patient may need only
one dose and be cured. You only re-prescribe when the evaluation of the
response to the remedy indicates repetition. Hahnemann felt that above
30c, it is better to repeat each potency no more than twice.
6X, one dose once a day for 2 weeks, or more
6C, one dose 1-3x/day for 2 weeks or more
12C, one dose 1-3x/day for 2 weeks or more
30C, once, repeated as needed, possibly every 10-14 days
200C, once, repeated as needed, possibly every 3-6 weeks
1M, once, repeated as needed, possibly every 4-8 weeks
10M, once, repeated infrequently, if ever
50M, once, repeated infrequently, if ever
CM, once, repeated infrequently, if ever If you have to repeat 30c
every 7 days, or 200c more than every 3 weeks, or 1M more than every 6
weeks, and give more than a few times, you are probably palliating or suppressing.
SCHEDULE OF ACUTE TREATMENT
These are different because the vital force is expressing itself, sometimes
too strongly, so any potency can work, and will need to be given more frequently
than above. Here we match the potency to the strength of the disease (high
fever, explosive diarrhea and vomiting) as well as the inherent vital force
of the patient.
Serious, sudden, life threatening conditions: 30C to 10M, every 2-4 hours
Moderate conditions (URI, cystitis, minor injuries): 30C, 2x/day for 1-4
days
If only low potencies are available 6X, 12X, 6C 4x/day 12C, 30X 3x/day
HOW CAN I TELL IF THE REMEDY IS CURING?
There are three main responses to giving a homeopathic remedy, or any
type of treatment. Nothing, of course, may happen. CURE - The current symptoms,
no matter how long they have been there, go away and stay away forever.
The animal is healthy in all the ways we measure health (or many at least).
The animal's vital force is healthy enough to respond to viruses, etc.
and get sick occasionally. There usually is an aggravation of symptoms
before the final improvement. PALLIATION - The symptoms go away too fast
for the degree of pathology. Then they return, unchanged, or slightly worse.
Treatments have to be continued or at least repeated at frequent intervals.
Even when treating homeopathically, the animal eventually gets worse. SUPPRESSION
- The symptoms go away too fast for the degree of pathology, and the animal
gets sick on a deeper lever (mentals, internal organs, cancer). If you
realize you have palliation or suppression - find a better remedy!! Or
switch to conventional treatment or refer to an experienced homeopath.
Hahnemann says that inability to cure is usually the wrong remedy or
not waiting long enough, so ...WAIT WAIT WAIT
Some indications that a cure is in progress, and you must not retreat
The most important is the animal FEELS BETTER OVERALL and HAS MORE ENERGY
1. MOST SYMPTOMS DISAPPEAR, ONLY A FEW LEFT.
2. IMPROVEMENT - EVEN IF SLOW (potency too low, disease very deep)
3. SYMPTOMS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE. (Especially if changes are
mental, emotional, or physical generals rather than local symptoms or pathology.)
4. FOLLOWS ANY ASPECT OF HERING'S LAW:Improvement is from:1. inside
the body to the outside. 2. the top to the bottom. 3. most important organs
to least important ones. 4. most recent symptoms to the oldest symptoms,
even recurrences of very old problems.
5. DISCHARGES COMING OUT AND CONCURRENTLY MIND IS BETTER - Diarrhea,
vaginitis, skin, eyes, nose
6. NEW SYMPTOMS AND PATIENT FEELS GREAT.
7. IN DOUBT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING.
PRESCRIBE: EITHER A NEW REMEDY OR HIGHER OF THE SAME:
1. New symptoms do not fit the current remedy picture and animal
is not better overall.
2. Symptoms change and the patient feels worse.
3. All symptoms are worse and persist.
4. There is no change and you have waited an appropriate time for that
potency, or longer.
How long should you wait? Each situation will be different. If the cat
with an abscess is eating and feels OK - you may wait 2 or 3 days to see
if there are any changes in the abscess. If the bitch has not resumed her
contractions in 30 minutes, you will need to give another remedy or an
injection of pitocin.
Dr. Hahnemann's The Organon, beautifully covers all areas of homeopathic
prescribing as well as Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy, and many
more.
WARNING If the animal is better for a few days then worse, then better
after the next remedy, then worse - be sure to get clinical evaluation
(x-rays, blood, physicals). If, for example, a vomiting animal is better,
worse, better, worse, etc., with the remedies, there may be a blocked digestive
tract.
DETAILED STEPS HOW TO GET READY AND START TREATING
First, buy as many books as you can afford. A Repertory (Kent or better)
and a Materia Medica and The Organon will be essential. You will need many
books.
1. Decide what category(ies) you will be treating and study ahead of time.
a. Choose what conditions you want to treat, write out all the symptoms
you have seen in many animals, choose
2-10 remedies that are likely to fit this picture, and learn some of the
characteristics of these remedies. or b. Choose which remedies you want
to start prescribing, and study them, so you will recognize a patient needing
that remedy, regardless of the illness. or c. Continue to study so you
can repertorize and select remedies for any patient. 2. Using the above
potency guidelines, decide which you want to order.
3. Order remedies. If you are already sure you will be practicing homeopathy
for many years, you may want to save money and order a kit or two. Jim
Klemmer, Washington Homeopathic, and others have good kits. See the Sources
list. Store away from sharp heat/cold changes and away from odoriferous
substances. I feel that #10 granules are the best size for animals. Some
practitioners prefer dispensing liquid 20% dilutions.
4. To administer, pour 2 to 10 of the #10 granules in a folded piece of
paper, or syringe cap, and pour into the FRONT of the animals mouth to
dissolve on the tongue and gums. If some comes out it does not matter.
If the potency is 12c or above, the quantity is immaterial - you could
give 1 of these poppy-seed sized granules, or give the whole bottle. The
analogy for quantity of homeopathic remedy to be given is electricity.
If you touch an uninsulated wire with your tiny finger you will get the
same charge as grabbing with your whole hand. Remedies are energy based,
so the effects are not quantity related. Frequency and potency are important,
not quantity. Again, the size of the animal does not matter - a shrew and
a rhino need the same amount -"some" dissolved in the mouth. It is usually
all right to touch the remedy, though not with a hand that's rubbing liniment
or other odoriferous substance. The remedy can be given in mild or ice
cream since the carrier is milk sugar. Even food will usually not inactivate
a remedy, though if there is poor response to the remedy, you won't be
sure if it was your poor prescribing or antidoting by food.
5. Learn how to evaluate response to treatment so you know what to do on
follow up. One possibility is always to go back to conventional medicine.
6. Learn obstacles to being able to cure. Most homeopathic veterinarians
quickly see the biggest obstacle - vaccinations too often and too many.
You should not vaccinate while an animal is under treatment. Remember,
the package insert says to vaccinate only healthy animals. If an animal
is getting poor quality nutrients, she will not be able to respond as quickly,
if at all, to homeopathic treatment. A raw meat, vegetable and maybe over-cooked
carbohydrate diet is ideal. Environmental and emotional factors can also
hinder cure, as can a client who demands symptoms go away fast and cannot
be patient.
TREATING YOUR FIRST CASE
If you have decided to treat cat fight wounds or abscesses homeopathically
you would have learned four or five of the remedies that are good for this
(see following, and materia medicas and repertories). When an injured cat
is presented, you would ask a few questions to determine if the cat fits
the characteristics you learned for one of those remedies. If it did fit,
you could suggest homeopathic treatment. If not, you would proceed with
your conventional treatment. Even from the beginning, train yourself to
look at the whole animal, not just the presenting complaint.
1. How is the animal acting now? Ask the owner how she normally
acts when not sick.
2. Notice any odors, discharges, temperature of the skin on torso and
extremities.
3. Perform a complete physical exam.
4. Especially important are characteristic symptoms. These can often
be noted quickly once you learn to look for them. A characteristic symptom
is one that makes you hesitate, that does not fit the picture, that is
contrary to what you would expect. Examples include gastritis that is better
from eating a large meal, itching eruption that gets better with scratching,
a lameness that is better with exercise or better from cold damp weather,
or symptoms that occur periodically (every 7th day, every 4PM, annually),
etc.
5. General characteristics (traits) of the patient include: temperature
preferences, moods and personalities, affected by seasons or weather conditions,
mental aberrations, tendency to discharges, swellings, suppurations, appetite
tendencies. Characteristic and general symptoms are those that characterize
this individual animal.
6. Common symptoms that will not be as helpful in the remedy search
would be itching red skin, vomiting hairballs or food or clear froth, being
a "nice" animal, blood tests, stiffness, liking a certain brand of food,
description of the tissue pathology, etc.
7. List all the symptoms with their quantification. This is very important
for your follow up evaluation. "Itching less" will not help your evaluation
as much as "itching was 10 on a scale of 1-10 and now is 3, after a flare
up to 12 occurring 4 days after giving the remedy"
8. Use the abbreviated homeopathic veterinary books, my remedy and disease
notes that follow, and/or the repertory (index of symptoms with the remedies
that can cause those symptoms) to select 3-5 possible remedies.
9. Then read about these in the materia medicas (descriptions of the
remedies) and choose the one that fits the most characteristic symptoms
of this animal.
10. Decide on the vitality of the animal, the pathology of the disease,
the harm that could happen with inflammation and choose the best potency.
(Might be what you have on hand, so you refer to the schedule of treatment
for frequency of administration.)
11. Give the remedy and decide when to re-evaluate.
12. Evaluate the response to the remedy and decide what to do next..
YOUR FIRST PATIENT of the night has been hit by a car and is lying on the
table. The first thing you notice is that as you approach, the dog looks
in a friendly way towards you, but as you draw near, he growls, or shrieks,
or withdraws - clearly indicating an aversion to being touched. When you
see this characteristic symptom and there is history of trauma, give a
dose of Arnica. Then proceed with your examination and treatment. When
you walk into the next room, this dog is cowering and seems terrified of
you, and the owner says that ever since being left in the basement accidentally,
she has been that way. There you might start with a dose of Aconite. The
next 3 patients are cats with bite wound abscesses. The first is timid
and does not mind you palpating the area which seems to be painless and
has been oozing serum. You would start with Silica. The second cat seems
fine until you touch the abscess, when he freaks out with the pain, so
you give Hepar sulph. The third cat is drooling, and has red gums. The
abscess is painful to the touch and has a foul odor. This cat might respond
well to treatment with Mercurius vivus. Interspersed with these "clear
cut symptom" patients, who have characteristics and generalities that seem
to match one remedy, are many animals where you cannot select a remedy
that you have confidence in, or where you realize immediately that there
is not a clear cut picture, with no characteristic symptoms and indistinct
generalities ("well, she is sort of nice, occasionally mean and no temperature
preferences and sometimes thirsty and sometimes not"). Until you have further
training, do not treat these homeopathically unless the owner requests
and then you may want to work with a trained homeopath.
WHAT COULD I START TREATING HOMEOPATHICALLY?
ABSCESSES:
1. Painless abscesses, especially ones that have been draining already,
or ones that are not healing or are recurring. The patient is usually chilly
(wants to be warm), nice to shy or timid, and may be more thirsty than
usual: Silica
2. Very painful abscesses, often not draining, the cat is irritable, nasty
and maybe has always had a tendency to be that way, is very, very, very
chilly, especially when sick: Hepar sulphur
3. Ulcerating, smelly, discharging abscesses, painful, tendency to lots
of saliva, gum problems, red gums, bad odor to breath, slightly aggressive
to angry, sensitive to both heat and cold: Mercurius vivus (sol)
BLEEDING:
A very good Chinese Herb to give to stop bleeding or prevent bleeding
in susceptible animals is Yunnan Paiyo. Homeopathic remedies include: Arnica:
Oozing, passive hemorrhage Hamamelis: Dark, oozing, passive. Aconite, Phos:
Bright red from superficial vessels. Ipecac: Profuse, gushing, bright red
BREEDING PROBLEMS:
Not accepting puppies - "I'll take care of them but I really do not
want to" up to "I'll eat them" - Sepia Either not drying up, or not producing
enough milk - Pulsatilla LABOR: The contractions stop, and you would be
ready to give an Pit injection to restart them: try Caulophyllum first.
She seems to stop labor because she is tired and sore: Arnica She is acting
wimpy and sensitive to the pain and really wants someone to sit with her:
Pulsatilla
Remember, these are only very brief guidelines and you need to read
up on each case to find the remedy that best fits the whole animal.
DIARRHEA:
Restless, thirsty, fearful, chilly animals that have been "poisoned" by
what they ate: Arsenicum album.
Nice animals who are either hiding or nasty when sick, who have been "overeating"
or getting into the garbage: Nux vomica.
More chronic diarrheas, often very smelly, and other smelly problems (ears,
skin), in very hot animals that are laid back: Sulphur.
Very friendly, thirsty, slightly chilly, startles easily, blood in the
stool or history of bleeding problems: Phosphorus
FEAR or TERROR or SHOCK:
When animals come into your waiting room petrified. Stray cats who won't
come out of the bushes and seem terrified, not just street smart. Never
well since that horribly loud thunderstorm. Anxious and agitated about
any physical condition (cystitis cat whose owner says is going to the box
frequently and seems scared of everything). Injured animals who are in
shock, or just dilated pupils and acting scared. Terror of going into the
ring, especially suddenly fearful. Try Aconite.
FRACTURES:
To speed healing give Symphytum 30c once a week for 3 - 4 until healed.
This remedy is especially helpful in non-unions. Calcarea phosphorica is
also good. the best help, of course, is the constitutional remedy, if recognized.
HERNIAS: Try a dose or 2 of either Nux vomica or Sulphur for
inguinal or umbilical hernias when not much else is happening.
IVD (INTERVERTEBRAL DISC PROBLEMS/PARALYSIS):
If there are any general indications for Nux vomica (irritable,
nasty, normally friendly, now not; chilly now;) give Nux first. Otherwise
try Hypericum. When the lesion has been present for weeks, Arnica can possibly
help.
PROLAPSED ANYTHING:
A prolapsed uterus (even in a cow!!), or rectum in a young animal may
respond to Nux vomica or Sepia.
REVERSE SNEEZING:
This can be a sequela to rabies vaccine, so you could try Lachesis or
Lyssin (warning: do not repeat either of these remedies more that twice
unless well indicated) Lachesis may have a history of jealousy, aggression,
skin problems especially the thickened, blackened skin, aversion to wearing
a collar, talkative, and a preference for the cold. Lyssin may have a fear
of bright objects, desire to roam, allergic skin problems of many types,
sensitive to stimuli.
STATUS EPILEPTICUS:
The two remedies to try are Aconite and Belladona. I would give a 1M
of the one that fit the closest and wait 5 minutes. If there is no improvement,
I would give the other, and wait 5 minutes. ALWAYS GIVE RESCUE REMEDY or
GREEN HOPE FARM'S ANIMAL EMERGENCY TRAUMA SOLUTION to the animal IN the
seizure, AND to the owner.
STIFFNESS:
From whatever the source, when an animal is very stiff when they first
get up, then improve as they move around and loosen up, the remedy to try
is Rhus toxicodendren. The "rusty -gate" remedy, it is very similar to
many of these older, stiff, cats and dogs. When an animal can not or will
not move because the pain is worse from motion, and maybe they are thirstier
than before, and the animal is grumpy and avoiding company, try Bryonia.
UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CATS:
These common symptoms are easily curable when acute. (They are very
hard to cure when chronic.) This would be a good "homeopathic disease"
to start on. Many remedies possible: Pulsatilla will have bland, often
creamy discharges, is very very sweet, timid, thirstless and craves open
air and coolness. Arsenicum album is the opposite with excoriating, acrid
discharges, a strong craving for heat, maybe fearful (or history of fears).
Mercurius solubis is intolerant of heat and cold, may have bad odors of
breath and body, diarrhea and increased salivation.
TRAUMA WITH AVERSION TO BEING TOUCHED:
Arnica is excellent for bruising, extravasations, blunt injuries of
any kind, especially when the animal does not want to be touched, maybe
does not even want you or the owner to come near them at all. This would
be good for the post-operative patient who
was not recovering their mobility, or walked very wide legged after abdominal
procedures, or suddenly did not want petting and cuddling.
VACCINOSIS:
This is the name for any kind of an ailment, vital force or energy imbalance
that appears to result from the animals reaction to vaccines. Symptoms
that may indicate this are: not very affectionate personality, anxiety,
eyes that tear or have clinkers, bladder problems, dull dry hair coat with
excess shedding, otitis, showing summer periodicity and many more symptoms.
There is a rubric (in the Repertory under Generalities) that lists many
useful remedies for vaccinosis. If none seem to be a close fit, start with
Thuja.
Routine
Vaccination: Is it really safe and effective? Dr. Richard Pitcairn
D.V.M. Ph.D - "In this article we begin to address the subject of vaccinosis,
the general name for chronic dis-ease caused by vaccines. For some readers
the very idea that vaccines are anything but wonderful and life-saving
may come as a surprise, and it's not a very pleasant one. After all, the
general population pictures vaccines as one of modern medicine's best and
brightest moments, saving literally millions from the scourge of diseases
like poliomyelitis and smallpox. "
Dr. McCluggage DVM - covered
the holistic perspective on vaccinations. He stated that "...we must stop
advocating yearly vaccines because of the harm we are doing to the animals
we vaccinate. He covered the homeopathic concept of "vaccinosis". Vaccinosis
is a disease entity that may be introduced through vaccinating animals
or people. Once vaccinosis develops, there is a disturbance in the bodies
vital forces that leads to symptoms of chronic disease that can be very
difficult (and often impossible) to cure. Dr. McCluggage also stated that
there are no good reasons to recommend annual vaccinations for our companion
animals. "
Donna Starita Mehan DVM
-"Routine" vaccination has adverse side-effects, either short or long
term. With vaccines that are repeated year after year, the frequency and
severity of these side-effects in our pets has increased dramatically.
Most of the problems involve the immune system. After all, the immune system
is what vaccines are designed to stimulate. But they do so in a very unnatural
way that can overwhelm and confuse the immune system and can result in
increased susceptibility to acute infections (such as ear infections in
dogs, bladder infections in cats), chronic tapeworm problems, or in more
degenerative cases, cancer."
Read about the comments
of other
vets who believe that vaccines
are damaging our pets. Read the above quotes in their
entirety Please get informed!
Correctly prescribed homeopathic
remedies can often undue the damage caused by vaccines.
Homeopathy
is
noted for its success to antidote or remove the toxic effects of vaccines
and to re-establish balance in the organism and restore health. Certain
homeopathic remedies taken after vaccination can minimize
vaccine damage. A professional homeopathic vet should
be consulted for more information.
Animals aren't the only
ones at risk! What Every Parent Should Know BEFORE Their Childen Are Vaccinated!
Vaccines:
are they really safe and effective? Why
are a growing number of parents and health care professionals around the
world questioning vaccination? The controversy stems from the thousands
of deaths and permanent disabilities attributed to vaccination annually,
as well as the many published medical studies, government statistics, congressional
testimonies, and other credible sources that directly contradict commonly
held assumptions about vaccine safety and effectiveness.
More pictures of vaccine damage available
to view at the
CDC
website
Congressman
is calling for criminal penalties for any government agency that knew about
the dangers of thimerosal in vaccines and did nothing to protect American
children.
Congressman Dan Burton (R-Indiana) during Congressional
Hearing: "You mean to tell me that since 1929, we've been using Thimerosal,
and the only test that you know of is from 1929, and every one of
those people had mennigitis, and they all died?" For nearly an hour, Burton
repeatedly asked FDA and CDC officials what they knew and when they knew
it. (Thimerosal contains a related mercury compound called ethyl mercury.
Mercury is a toxic metal that can cause immune, sensory, neurological,
motor, and behavioral dysfunctions.)
"Bart Classen, a Maryland
physician, published data showing that diabetes rates rose significantly
in New Zealand following a massive hepatitis B vaccine campaign in young
children, and that diabetes rates also went up sharply in Finland after
three new childhood vaccines were introduced." Nicholas Regush ABCNEWS.com
In
fall 1997, two influential professional magazines featured articles asking
the question: Has the decrease of infectious diseases in childhood through
the mass use of vaccines been replaced with an increase in chronic diseases
such as diabetes and asthma? The Economist, a prestigious international
magazine read by world leaders in government, business and public policy,
and Science News, a magazine read by both health care professionals and
the general public, explored the reported links between vaccines and chronic
diseases in their November 22, 1997 issues. Learn
more about vaccine and diabetes connection --- asthma and
vaccine connection --- SIDS and autism and vaccine connection
--- "Shaken Baby Syndrome": the vaccination link.
Please get informed!
Enter the vaccine information site
I know, there is a lot to learn - 4 years of a medical school, in fact.
I do recommend much further study.
SIMPLE VERSUS MORE DEEP SEATED PROBLEMS
You can not always tell until the animal responds to treatment if the
problem is acute or represents an underlying energy imbalance. For example,
I had two cats present the same week with abscesses. One cat responded
after one dose of Hepar sulphur and was completely well after a dose of
Silica. The other cat did not respond completely to three well chosen remedies
- did better, but the abscess did not resolve. I then took a complete case
history of the entire life of the cat, gave a remedy that fit this cat
at the deepest possible level, including his historical problems and tendencies.
His abscess cleared up and so did his tendency to vomit, to be constipated,
to be nasty yet fearful and to be thirsty. It was only after the cat had
successfully responded to the final treatment that I could say that the
abscess reflected a deeper energy imbalance. If your remedies do not stop
the problem, and leave a healthier, happier animal, do not feel it is your
incorrect selection of a remedy or that homeopathy does not work, but rather
that a different perspective is needed, one that you may not be able to
have at this stage in your homeopathic training.
The following remedies are the ones most homeopathic practitioners use
for treating animals. At first, if you are trying to cure an animal with
deep underlying energy imbalances, limit your repertory searches to one
of these remedies.
COMMON ANIMAL REMEDIES TO STUDY FIRST FOR DEEP SEATED PROBLEMS:
Apis, Ars-alb, Arn, Bar carb, Bell, Bry, Calc-carb, Calc-phos, Carbo
veg, Caust, China, Cuprum met, Graph, Hep-sulph, Hyper, Ign, Iod, Ipec,
Kali carb, Lach, Lyc, Lyssin, Merc, Mez, Nat-mur, Nit-ac, Nux-vom, Phos,
Psor, Puls, Rhus-tox, Sabad, Sars, Sel, Sep, Sil, Sul, Thu, Ver-alb, Zinc.
These will cure (or help) at least 80% of your cases.
HOW DO I LEARN MORE HOMEOPATHY?
Read and study all you can, whether applied to people or animals. See
links below:
Dr. Christina Chambreau D.V.M. is the founder of the Academy of Veterinary
Homeopathy and and is on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy
Summer School. She teaches and lectures at conventions, schools, clubs
and to anyone who is concerned about improving the health of animals. She
graduated from the University of Georgia Veterinary College in 1980 and
has practiced veterinary homeopathy since 1983. She teaches courses on
holistic health and homoepathy for animals around the country.
JOURNAL
Often holistic veterinarians will ask you questions about your animal's
past problems, even little ones. (Good holistic veterinarians should always
focus on the total individual, not just the current problem.) But wait
– you have forgotten what happened when. The best way to keep track of
the health of your animals, and your own health, is to keep a journal.
This could be on a calendar, file folder, computer, spiral notebook, daytimer
– or come up with your own creative idea. When my daughter was little,
I kept notes about her in the margin of my daily crossword puzzle. Then
I had a job to copy them before I went to the homeopathic doctor.
KEEPING A JOURNAL ON YOUR ANIMALS
by Christina Chambreau, D.V.M.
Keeping a journal is one of the most important steps you can take to
have your animals live their longest, be the healthiest and even to produce
the healthiest offspring. There are an infinite number of ways to keep
a journal – be creative. I’ll share a few tips with you about the key elements
of a properly configured Pet Health Journal...
KEYS PARTS OF A JOURNAL
1. Journal: You can use calendars, spiral notebooks, 3-ring binders,
computers and scraps of paper to keep the journals. Most people choose
a computer or 3-ring binder.
2. Beginning: Note where you got the animal from and when. Any history
you can glean about the animal’s early environment and handling will be
helpful. Note how the new addition to your life reacted when first with
you.
3. Illnesses:
a. For each illness, record anything your veterinarian tells and shows
you. Be specific about how things looked, not just the diagnosis. (“Gingivitis”,
says the veterinarian. “Why do you say that?” you ask. “You see the red
line above 4 of the teeth, the pus coming out behind one tooth...” etc.)
b. Ask yourself and others in the family what could have caused this illness
– were emotional things happening in the family, had the animal just been
to the groomer, or vaccinated, or...? Did you just get another animal?
c. Record every current symptom observed by you and your family and your
veterinarian, and give the intensity of the symptom a numerical value...
one being slightly noticeable and five being intensely noticeable.
d. Record and date every treatment given and if the animal resisted the
treatment, loved it, or was indifferent.
e. Observe and record each symptom you originally listed, and add any new
ones to the list and continue to track them all.
f. When the animal has recovered from this current problem, schedule times
for you to review the symptom list periodically to see if they are slowly
returning.
g. Always focus your attention (put the greatest emphasis) on the energy,
happiness, interactions, appetite and general well being of the animal.
4. Regular Check-ups:
a. If your animal is a puppy or kitten, do your own physical exam once
a week until 4 or 5 months old, then shift to monthly exams. At one year,
start doing the checks every 6 months. When the animal has been ill, do
them weekly, and then taper off as they regain their health. When they
are approaching “senior status”, do them monthly again.
b. Have your veterinarian show you how to look in the eyes, ears, mouth,
etc. You will notice, after doing these exams for a while, whatever is
important to note. Yes... write everything down in your journal!
c. Once a year, or more often if needed, have a veterinarian do a physical
exam to see if there is anything you are missing.
Homeopathy
Today includes inspiring articles and testimonials from
veterinarians and others who have improved their animal's health or saved
their lives with homeopathy. If you're interested in homeopathy, this is
one magazine to get. Homeopathic remedies may be bought over the counter
in all countries, and are being used to treat both human beings and animals.
Each month it features articles and information from todays leading homeopaths.
I wait for mine to arrive each month and then read it cover-to-cover! Published
six times a year, each issue features articles by some of the world's best
homeopaths on self-treatment for common ailments (e.g., hay fever, ear
infections, and the flu); on the homeopathic treatment process and the
philosophical underpinnings of homeopathy; and on specific remedies or
diseases. Readers are kept up to date on the latest topics in homeopathic
education, legislation that impacts homeopathic practice, conferences and
workshops, reviews of new books, and much more. And each issue also contains
at least one or two cure stories -- contributed by both practtioners and
patients -- of their successful experiences with homeopathic treatment.
In sum, there is material in each issue of Homeopathy
Today that will interest everyone -- from patients to experienced practitioners.
Highly recommended for laypeople, students, and professionals alike.
more
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHY
By Christina Chambreau, D.V.M.
A true understanding of homeopathy comes from understanding how an individual
becomes sick and how that individual relates to its environment.
SYMPTOMS
Homeopathy maintains that the "vital forces" of the body may be afflicted
with inherent weaknesses. Triggers, such as viruses, stress, bacteria,
and poor diet, produce in the body certain recognizable symptoms. Symptoms
are signs that the body is trying to heal itself. Treating symptoms of
an illness only hides those signs of illness for a short time; eventually,
if the illness is still present, those symptoms will reoccur. Homeopathy
endeavors to treat the entire patient, using the symptoms as clues, and
to recognize the whole patient in the context of its environment.
CHAIN OF EVENTS
When energy fields are upset, illness results and usually the
illness follows a pattern of progression. Recovery requires following that
pattern in reverse. Normal function of an individual may be impaired, inflammation
occurs, pain is sensed, and actual anatomical or physical changes take
place. Examples of these changes are bladder stones, arthritic joint changes
or thickening of organs with scar tissue.
TIME TO TREAT
The best time to intervene with remedies is when the illness is in
the energetic, functional phase. Once pathology has occurred, the holistic
practitioner must be very patient and allow time for the pathology to inflame
and then heal at the energetic level. Healing may take a time equal to
the presence of the illness.
VITAL FORCE
In the early 1800s, a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann described
what is termed the "Vital Force" of the body (called CHI by the Chinese).
Many modern physicists say that everything is energy or that everything
changes from matter to energy. Is it any wonder that energy changing medicines
such as acupuncture and homeopathy can affect cures at a more profound
level than matter-based medicine? Move that Vital Force out of balance
and diseases ensue. Different symptoms may appear in different parts of
the body. The goal of homeopathy is to treat the WHOLE individual, not
just individual symptoms.
REMEDIES
Detailed study is required to understand the interaction of specific
remedies and how they interact with each individual symptom in that particular
patient. More stress will result in more symptoms, so remedies may need
to be modified throughout recovery from an illness. Through the years remedies
have been proven to be efficacious in treating diseases that cause symptoms
that would occur if that same remedy were given to a healthy individual.
This gives rise to the saying "Like treats like". Remedies that create
certain symptoms can successfully be used to treat those symptoms that
occur due to abnormalities in the vital force.
Medicinal substances will restore the ill individual's energy balance,
causing a cure. Dr Hahnemann states: "…the stronger disease destroys the
weaker: It has a similar action, and because of its predominance, takes
over precisely those parts of the organism until then affected by the weaker
one, which since it can now no longer act, disappears".
HOMEOPATHY'S GOAL
The goal is to cure - to completely rid the body of disease such
that no symptoms of the disease ever come back, to achieve a level of wellness
such that acute injuries heal quickly with no intervention, and to acquire
and maintain a level of vitality, health, and wellness complementary to
the whole being. As Dr. Hahnemann stated "Cure, which is the elimination
of all the perceptible signs and symptoms of disease, means also the removal
of the inner modifications of the vital force which underlie them: In this
way the whole disease has been destroyed."
IN THE NEAR FUTURE CASE STUDIES WILL BE PRESENTED
Case studies based upon Dr. Chambreau's practice experience will be
displayed to show how the homeopathic approach to treating disease can
be beneficial to animal patients.
Directory of classical homeopaths in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland
Referrals to Classical
Homeopaths in the United States and Canada (scroll down that page)
Directory
of North American Society of Homeoapths
National
Center for Homeopathy: directory of Practitioners (USA)
The Society of Homeopaths (UK)
The Institute of Homeopathy
(UK)
Irish Society of Homeopaths
Finding
Professional Homeopathic Care
How Do I Find a Homeopath? - How Can You Know That a Homeopath is Good?
- How Much Does Homeopathic Care Cost? - Does Insurance Cover Homeopathic
Care? A Modern Understanding of Homeopathic Medicine
Homeopathy on the Internet - An In-depth
Guide to the Best Sites
Dr. Christina Chambreau D.V.M. is the founder of the Academy of Veterinary
Homeopathy and and is on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy
Summer School. She teaches and lectures at conventions, schools, clubs
and to anyone who is concerned about improving the health of animals. She
graduated from the University of Georgia Veterinary College in 1980 and
has practiced veterinary homeopathy since 1983.
Improving Your Animal's
Immune System and Overall Health with Nutritional Support
A groundswell of nutrition conscious veterinarians are
beginning to recommend to their clients that they supplement their animals
diet with a daily dose of flaxseed oil and other important nutrients.When
the diets of animals were fortified with flax, within three weeks their
coats developed a beautiful sheen, and dandruff was greatly diminished.
There are amazing testimonials about animals recovering from cancer, diabetes
and other severe degenerative illnesses with a nutritional product called
Transfer Factor.
"My
colleagues and I have found this product (transfer factor) to be very effective
in modulating the immune system. Transfer factor is a "soup" of immune-modulating
factors, which contains a leukocyte-type molecule that can passively transfer
immunity from one mammal to another by stimulating cell-mediated immunity
and is antigen specific. Richard Bennett, Ph.D., an Infectious Disease
Microbiologist and Immunologist from the University of California, Davis
School of Veterinary Medicine, believes this could be the most significant
development in animal health care in decades. We have a great number of
veterinarians and clients who are experiencing very positive results in
a broad area of disorders, including periodontal. "Charles W.
Brown, DVM more
Dr
Chambreau: Veterinary Homeopathy
Optimum
Nutrition and Natural Health for Animals:
Holistic
Health for Horses,
for
dogs,
for Pet Birds,
for 
Ferrets
and for Cats
Natural
Health for Women:
Natural
Health for Children:
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