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Veterinary Homeopathy
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by Christopher Day MRCVS
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www.alternativevet.org |
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Veterinary Homeopathy
is based on the same principles as
its human medical counterpart.
Homeopathy is the science of
medicine based on the principle
‘similia similibus curentur’ – ‘let
like be cured by like’, as
discovered by Samuel Hahnemann (1755
- 1843).
As in humans, homeopathy treats the
animal patient as an ‘energetic
whole’, not as a collection of
symptoms or signs with a specific
‘scientific’ disease name. Because
of the individuality of expression
of disease, two different animals
with the same named disease may
require different homeopathic
medicines. Likewise, two animals
suffering different named diseases
may require the same homeopathic
medicine.
For this reason, since we are
treating the animal not the disease,
we need to know a great deal of
information. This often entails
asking seemingly strange questions
that are often unrelated to the
specific problem.
Homeopathy is a force for good in
the animal world since it is able to
treat so many diseases, from simple
to serious, including many that fail
to respond to conventional methods,
without the risk of side effects.
All species respond, from mice to
snakes, cats to horses and birds to
tortoises.
Homeopathy works by stimulating the
body's own powers of healing. The
final outcome depends upon both the
prescriber's skills (ability to
select the correct remedy and to
remove potential obstacles to
recovery) and the response by the
animal. If no mechanism exists in
the body, to heal the disease
effects, then necessarily no cure
can result. Even so, many so called
‘incurable’ diseases, for which no
conventional drug cure exists, can
respond.
In horses and ponies, the diseases
that we are most commonly called
upon to treat are listed below. It
is no accident that a great many of
these prove very difficult to treat
satisfactorily by conventional
methods. Commonly treated diseases
and conditions are; COPD, Head
Shaking (head-shaking, headshaking),
Laminitis, Moonblindness (periodic
ophthalmia, recurrent ophthalmia,
recurrent uveitis), Mud Fever,
Navicular, Ringbone and Sweet Itch.
Because homeopathy is a holistic
science, we must also pay attention
to diet, to lifestyle, to management
and to all factors that may impinge
on a horse’s health, including
shoeing and saddling. A homeopathic
consultation process is therefore
quite extensive. |
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Apart from homeopathy’s great
benefits in serious and chronic disease, it
is also very suitable for home first-aid
treatment of horses. It cannot give rise to
tissue or blood residues and cannot
adversely affect a ‘dope test’. A selection
of valuable medicines with first-aid
indications is given by way of illustration
and for the benefit of the reader:
· Aconitum - This remedy treats shock, both
mental and physical and will also assist in
the treatment of acute febrile conditions,
such as viral or bacterial diseases. Any
sudden-onset disturbance of equilibrium may
be helped by Aconitum.
· Apis - Urticarial swellings, oedema and
fluid in joints will often respond to this
remedy, apart from its benefits for burns
and scalds or for insect bites and stings.
· Arnica - Arnica is homeopathy’s great
injury remedy. Its use will minimise pain
and bruising from injury and will speed
healing.
· Belladonna - High fevers with head, ear,
throat or eye pain are especially helped by
this remedy. Very painful abscesses may also
respond.
· Bryonia - Arthritis, rheumatism, pneumonia
or mastitis, when the horse refuses to move,
are the main areas of use of Bryonia.
· Calendula - Used as a lotion, this remedy
speeds healing of cuts, grazes or open
wounds, in addition to helping the animal to
fight septic infection of such injuries.
· Carbo veg. - This is nick-named the
‘corpse reviver’, on account of its ability
to help patients in collapse. It is also a
valuable remedy for ‘gassy colic’.
· Caulophyllum - The birth process, at all
stages whether before, during or after, is
helped by Caulophyllum.
· Colocynthis - Crampy colic in horses would
be the most common first-aid use of
Colocynthis.
· Euphrasia - With the folk-name
‘eyebright’, this remedy helps many eye
conditions, including conjunctivitis. It
also helps in cases of sneezing and nasal
allergy and can be useful as a first-aid
treatment for eye ulcers.
· Hepar sulph. - This is nick-named the
‘homeopathic antibiotic’, so effective is it
in helping patients to fight septic,
purulent infections.
· Hypericum - Use this remedy whenever there
is a painful graze or damage to tissues rich
in nerve endings (e.g. toes and tail).
· Ledum - Use this whenever puncture wounds
occur, from whatever injury. There are
reputed anti-tetanus properties in addition
to its ability to help such wounds heal
correctly, from the depths outwards. It is
used when a horse has a punctured sole, for
instance, in conjunction with proper foot
attention for the injury.
· Nux vomica - This remedy may help in cases
of colic, particularly if the cause is
suspected to be concentrate feed (hard
feed).
· Rhus tox. - This suits most cases of
rheumatism and arthritis that are worse for
first movement but limber up.
· Ruta - Ligaments, tendons and other
fibrous tissues are the main areas of
benefit of this remedy.
· Silica - Helps the body to drive out
foreign bodies, e.g. thorns and to resolve
chronic abscesses that refuse to heal.
· Symphytum - Symphytum treats bone injuries
of any type, speeding healing.
· Urtica - This remedy treats nettle rash
(urticaria) and helps the flow of milk from
the mammary gland.
N.B: In the UK, it is illegal for anyone
other than a qualified vet to prescribe or
advise on homeopathic medicines for animals.
About the author: Christopher Day is a
homeopathic vet and holistic vet of
thirty-five years experience. He runs the
Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre, in
Oxfordshire and treats horses all over the
UK |
www.alternativevet.org.
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Veterinary
Homeopathy -
by
Christopher Day MRCVS |
www.alternativevet.org |
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Veterinary acupuncture is
based on the ancient Chinese art of
acupuncture in humans, which possibly began
over 4,000 years ago.
As in humans, acupuncture treats the animal
as an 'energetic whole' rather than as a
body presenting with a specific named
disease. As such, it constitutes more than a
method of pain relief (for which it is
commonly used as it is so effective), being
rather a system of internal medicine.
In the art of acupuncture, disease is
considered to be a result of disordered
energy flow in the body, which the Chinese
have charted as flowing along 12 paired
meridians or channels and two unpaired. When
the energy flow is interrupted or disturbed,
symptoms of disease are seen. By stimulating
certain defined sites on the surface of the
body (acupuncture points), with needles,
heat, LASER or other stimulus, the correct
and harmonious energy flow and balance can
be restored.
The practice of acupuncture should be
accompanied by internal medicine
(traditional Chinese herbs in China) and by
diet, lifestyle and management control.
Chiropractic manipulation is also essential,
if misalignments exist. The proper practice
of acupuncture is truly holistic medicine.
In horses, saddling and shoeing must also be
considered carefully.
Diseases and conditions of horses and
ponies, which we are commonly called upon to
treat with acupuncture are: Back problems,
COPD, DJD, Head Shaking (head-shaking or
headshaking), Lameness, Laminitis,
Moonblindness (periodic ophthalmia,
recurrent ophthalmia, recurrent uveitis),
OCD and Paralysis.
Treatment is generally non-painful and can
last for varying periods, usually from 5 to
30 minutes. Veterinary surgeons have used
acupuncture successfully on most species of
domestic animals, particularly horses,
ponies, dogs, cats, goats and cattle.
N.B: In the UK, it is illegal for anyone
other than a qualified vet to perform
acupuncture on animals. It is even illegal
for a non-veterinary acupuncturist to work
at a veterinary practice.
About the author: Christopher Day is a
holistic vet of thirty-five years
experience, who has used acupuncture for 27
years. He runs the Alternative Veterinary
Medicine Centre, in Oxfordshire and treats
horses all over the UK |
www.alternativevet.org |
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Veterinary Herbal Medicine (Veterinary
Herbalism) -
by
Christopher Day MRCVS |
www.alternativevet.org |
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Herbal medicine is as old as
human civilisation itself. Records go back
as far as the oldest medical text books
known, from both Traditional Chinese
Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.
All cultures have deep traditions of herbal
medicine and a study of those in different
civilisations makes not only for fascinating
reading but also for a wealth of medical
lore. Each continent has its own traditions
and all show understanding of the wisdom of
herbal medicine. They have a rich and
diverse plant medicine culture, deeply
integrated within their societies. It is
hard to imagine anyone in Britain living
more than 100 yards from at least one plant
species with known medical properties, even
in urban centres.
It is not surprising that our forefathers
mingled religion, mystique, folklore and
superstition with their medicine. Shamanism
and its counterparts were very much linked
with reputed medical knowledge and witch
doctors, druids, tribal medicine men and,
later, in mediaeval Europe, the Christian
church, took on the role of traditional
medical continuity.
Astrology also became entangled with herbal
medicine, a tradition epitomised by Nicholas
Culpeper in the mid-17th century. Herbal
medicine, however, still holds its validity,
even without signing up to the strong
mystical and religious connotations handed
down to us from ancient works. Sadly,
however, many traditions of herbal medicine
were unwritten and many formulae, which were
enshrined in oral tradition, will have been
lost over the centuries, as a result of the
conquest of civilisations and the
destruction of cultures.
Even in modern times, systematic efforts at
eliminating herbal competitors to the modern
drug industry have been seen. The massive
profits to be obtained from drugs, so often
directly derived from the very plant
medicine that the industry professes to
despise, are a powerful magnet and
anaesthetic to conscience.
Our western herbal medicine culture dates
back to Greek and Roman traditions, oversown
with lore from Saxon and mediaeval scholars
from all over Europe and from the Arab
culture. Names such as Asclepius,
Hippocrates, Pliny, Dioscorides, Celsus,
Galen, Avicenna, Paracelsus, Gerard and
Culpeper crop up again and again in
writings.
The rationale behind herbal medicine has
changed and evolved through these times,
astrological and religious beliefs being
intertwined with medical experience.
Nowadays, however, herbal medicines are
selected more according to their known
medical action, which is mediated via their
analysed ingredients. Active chemicals in
plants, in unique combinations, have known
medical effects which are supported by
modern science e.g.: Alkaloids, Glycosides,
Saponins and Flavones. Herbs can also be
grouped according to their general action
e.g.: Alteratives, Aperients, Astringents,
Bitters, Demulcents, Diuretics,
Expectorants, Nervines and Vulneraries.
A surprisingly large proportion of modern
conventional drug medicines either owe their
origins to herbs or were originally derived
from herbal material. For example
Vincristine started from the Madagascar
periwinkle, Aspirin (Salicylic Acid) from
Willow or Meadowsweet, Digoxin from the
Foxglove, Morphine derivatives from the
Opium Poppy and so on. Many other drugs have
originated from fungi, for example
Penicillin from moulds, Ivermectin (a
powerful modern anthelmintic and
parasiticide) from a Japanese soil fungus.
One major difference between modern chemical
medicine and properly applied traditional
herbalism, however, is the holistic
principle. This is applied both to the
patient (i.e. treating the patient as a
whole rather than just trying to counteract
the symptoms) and to the medicine (using the
whole plant with all its ‘active
ingredients’ and many essential natural
synergists, as opposed to extracting a
single supposed ‘active ingredient’). Also,
herbs can be combined in a formula, which is
tailored to the individual, in order to
achieve a balancing effect within the body.
It is these properties which render herbal
medicine so safe, when properly applied by
adequately qualified people, avoiding
harmful side-effects.
Herbal medicine is well-suited to animals
too. Horses and ponies in particular are
often justifiably credited with the
instinctive ability to select their own
natural medicine from the surrounding flora,
when given free access to a natural grazing
environment. However, all species of animals
respond to this most natural of therapies.
Herbal remedies have proven useful for the
majority of disease conditions from which
animals suffer, either on their own or
coordinated and integrated with other
therapies such as homeopathy or acupuncture.
Nutrition is also vital. Arthritis, COPD,
Digestive problems, Laminitis, Skin problems
and many others respond well. Treatment with
herbs is without side-effects, as long as it
is used carefully, with due regard to
formulae and doses. It can be given in fresh
form, chopped leaves, dried form, capsules,
powders, tablets, tinctures, infusions,
oils, creams, ointments, etc. but
instructions must always be carefully
followed. Herbal medicines can counteract or
dangerously summate with conventional drugs.
They can also give rise to residues in
sporting animals, with risks of affecting
the result of any ‘dope test’.
N.B.: In the UK, it is illegal for anyone
other than a qualified vet to prescribe or
advise on herbal medicines for animals.
About the author: Christopher Day is a
herbal vet and holistic vet of thirty-five
years experience. He runs the Alternative
Veterinary Medicine Centre, in Oxfordshire
and treats horses all over the UK |
http://www.alternativevet.org |
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