I have been using various homeopathic remedies every now and then on myself for many years now, but haven’t really studied the subject. Some were recommended to us by my husband’s acupuncturist, some I happened to come across on my own and found that they worked really well for me.
We also used a few homeopathic remedies with Sadie that her vet gave us, and it was pretty remarkable how efficient they were. Arnica took care of a sprained toe overnight, and we were especially intrigued by how energetic she was after taking Thuja – full of spunk, and very upbeat in general.
I was reminded again of homeopathy at the Conference on Complementary Animal Healing a few weeks ago, when Shirley Moore spoke on the subject, and I took the opportunity to pick up her book “A Healer In Every Home – Dog And Cat Edition”, which she co-authored with Dr. Margo Roman, a holistic veterinarian in Hopkinton, MA, and Begabati Lennihan, RN and Certified Classical Homeopath.
It is not a huge book, but it is packed with information. The guiding principles of the book are:
- Always try natural remedies first
- Limit vaccinations
- Feed a raw food diet
- Find an integrative vet
- Respect animals as conscious beings, and learn to listen to them
Shirley is a professional homeopath (don’t miss my interview with her) and the founder of Save A Dog, a rescue in Sudbury, MA, and sees her fair share of mentally and physically abused as well as sick dogs. She has found that homeopathic remedies can really work miracles, have no side effects, AND cost a lot less than allopathic (Western) medicine. There are numerous amazing case studies throughout the book, and it makes a very convincing case for giving homeopathy a try.
The book starts out with a suggestion of homeopathic remedies to keep in your first aid kit for issues such as insect bites, accidents, joint problems, surgery, emotional problems, etc. There are also lengthier chapters on some specific conditions such as stomach and ear problems, Lyme disease, etc., and which remedies to try with each (also see Shirley’s article on how to treat Lyme disease with homeopathic remedies) as well as advice on non-toxic ways to deal with fleas, ticks and parasites, tons of resource links, a great “quick list” of homeopathic remedies and what they do, tips for how to administer the remedies, and lots of other informative tidbits.
It also covers some other important subjects – the dangers of over-vaccinating, the importance of the right (raw) diet, communicating with animals, nutritional supplements, etc. – and has a great “new dog instructions” section which talks about things to keep in mind when bringing a new dog home, and how to keep him/her healthy the natural way.
I learned many things I didn’t know – for example that spaying and neutering too early can affect bone growth in puppies; there is a homeopathic version of Calendula which is different from the herbal one, and that Collies and Australian shepherds in particular are very sensitive to Ivermectin.
A Healer in Every Home is a great, easy to read overview of and layman’s guide to using homeopathy with your pets, as well as how to restore their health and keep them healthy naturally, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. The tone is very friendly and personal, and I loved the short stories about each of the authors at the end of the book. It will definitely get a permanent home in my “animal health library” and I know I will be using it as a reference often.
Cattie Coyle says
What a wonderful way to welcome new patients! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Meaghan Caveney says
Our girls are patients at M.A.S.H in Hopkington and we were given this book as part of their first appointment package – it has wonderful resources!