Homeopathy can be used to help treat or prevent a range of health conditions in pets, including allergic reactions, chronic disease, and anxiety. It is sometimes used in conjunction with acupuncture and chiropractic therapy.
Derived from the Greek words homoios, which means like or similar, and pathos, which means suffering (disease), homeopathy is based on the philosophy that “like cures like.” Homeopathy uses very dilute solutions (extremely small quantities) of medication that, in an undiluted form, can actually cause symptoms of the disease or condition.
This therapeutic method was developed more than 200 years ago, when a German scientist ingested the bark of a cinchona tree, which contains quinine (used to treat malaria at the time). He began to experience the same symptoms as malaria. When he stopped taking the tree bark, his symptoms disappeared. The scientist theorized that if a substance could cause symptoms of a disease, minute amounts of that same substance could cure the disease by stimulating the body’s natural defences.
Homeopathic remedies are prepared from pure, natural substances derived from plants, animals, and minerals. Their preparation may involve diluting the original substance from ten times to millions of times with water or alcohol. Remedies include arsenicum album, belladonna, and chamomilla. Because these remedies are highly diluted, they are generally considered safe and unlikely to cause severe adverse reactions.
Homeopathy is not typically used to replace conventional veterinary treatment. To keep your pet as safe as possible, it is a good idea to have him or her see the same veterinarian for both conventional and alternative treatment.
To discuss the potential use of homeopathy in your pet, please call our clinic to set up an appointment.