Homeopathy, naturopathy, and your pet

Many years ago while vacationing in Europe, I went to a pharmacy to buy something for a headache. While I was browsing the shelves, I noticed that many of the medication were homeopathics. Europeans are as likely to use these preparations as to pop antibiotics. Alternative medicine, however, is still controversial in the United States. There are people who are horrified at any departure from traditional medicine, considering homeopathy and naturopathy as species of dangerous quackery. Holistic treatments do not always provide a quick fix. Maybe that is why some are suspicious of their efficacy.

            Yet, alternative medicine is a growing field throughout the world. More and more people are turning to holistic doctors for the human and animal members of their families. There are several reasons for this shift. As one alternative practitioner explains, high-tech surgery and super drugs can save lives in emergency situations. Conventional medicine may be less successful at maintaining bodily health over the long run because of side effects and treatment failure, not to mention the cynicism of pharmaceutical companies, which sometimes fiddle data to make products more marketable.

Alternative treatments tend to focus on improving the biological terrain so that it becomes stronger and more resistant to inflammation and infection. Homeopathy works by introducing into the body tiny amounts of substances that would produce symptoms of illness in a healthy organism. In the sick, these highly diluted medicines encourage the body to fight the illness. Naturopathy involves the use of foods, supplements, and herbs to maintain health and fight infection and other imbalances. Naturopathic treatments can be used on their own-- with professional supervision-- or as adjuncts to conventional medicine. I am a great believer in complementary medicine, on drawing on those treatment modalities that have demonstrated success.    

If you look online you will most likely find several holistically-inclined vets in your area. You can also find some vets who offer phone consultations. If you choose to take this route, first have your pet examined by a local practitioner to make sure you’ve obtained an accurate diagnosis of the animal’s health issues. Then you can explore both conventional and alternative treatments. Always tell all the professionals involved in your pet’s treatment plan exactly what you are using – you don’t want to risk your animal’s health by doing too many therapies at once, as drug interactions are always possible, even when using herbs.   

            Remember, long before there were antibiotics and super drugs, people and animals had recourse to natural healing in the forms of diet, teas, poultices, and purges. Animals have always instinctively looked for ways to self-heal. When your cat eats grass and vomits to cleanse its system, this is a naturopathic treatment—and no one had to tell the animal what to do.