Classical homeopathy is a medical treatment that aims to restore balance to the body through the use of non-toxic medicine (homeopathic remedies). The idea is to treat the patient as a whole, rather than treating just the disease. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, developed homeopathy about 200 years ago. He worked with the idea that “like cures like”. Each homeopathic remedy covers a variety of symptoms. The physician matches the symptoms covered by the remedy with the symptoms the patient is experiencing. This includes all symptoms, physical as well as mental. You do not chose the remedy for the disease that the patient has but rather for the specific symptoms the individual patient experiences.

What is a remedy? Homeopathic remedies are dilutions made from common (and not so common) substances that would often be toxic or distasteful in an undiluted form. The substance (such as an herb, a plant, a mineral, etc.) is put into a solution of an established chemical strength and then is diluted in a standardized procedure to produce a potentized, not-toxic medicine. For example, the remedy Apis 30C is made from bee venom that is serially diluted 1 part venom to 99 parts diluent (water or alcohol) 30 times. Apis 200C is serially diluted 200 times.

What happens after an animal takes a remedy? Often the first change is an improvement in attitude and energy because homeopathic healing works from the inside out. Over time, with a correctly chosen remedy, the body will begin to resolve its symptoms. In chronic disease it may take 3-4 weeks to fully notice and evaluate the change. Homeopathic follow-ups are generally scheduled every 4 weeks. Follow-ups involve evaluating the response to the remedy and deciding if the remedy should be repeated, if the remedy should be changed or if nothing should be done because healing is still occurring.

Would you like to know more? Refer to the following books:

• Homeopathy. Beyond Flat Earth Medicine. Timothy R. Dooley, N.D., M.D.
• Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., PhD & Susan Hubble Pitcairn.