Homeopathic Care for Cats & Dogs

Homeopathy is an alternative medicine practice that treats illnesses and conditions through diluted substances administered in pill or liquid form. Homeopathy works under the theory that 'like cures like', so that a dilution that causes illness in a healthy animal will create recovery in a sick animal. Veterinary homeopaths are those that practice homeopathic treatments on animals for a variety of illnesses.

Illnesses and Treatment

• Before administering any kind of homeopathic solution to your pet, consult your veterinarian. Effective homeopathic remedies must correspond exactly with the symptoms and illnesses of your pet, so consult your veterinarian to get a thorough understanding of your pet's condition. According to TheHolisticVet.com, homeopathic treatment can be used to heal colds and other inflammatory conditions, stress and psychological problems (severe behavioral problems such as excessive barking, snapping, and biting should be treated by a behavioral specialist), digestive difficulties and sinus problems.

Using Homeopathy

• Homeopathic remedies require infinitesimal amounts of plant, mineral, and medicinal substances, so it is best to rely on the solutions formulated by a veterinary homeopath. According to the Society of Homeopaths website, the process of creating a homeopathic solution requires exact measurements of various solutions and a machine that can thoroughly mix the solution properly. Homeopathy primarily treats conditions using diluted substances that trigger your pet's immune system and also works as a preventative treatment that seeks to bolster your pet's health to prevent them from developing any illnesses. For example, HolisticVetPetCare.com suggests that long-term sinus infections in dogs are the result of an unclean liver. To clean your pet's liver, the site first suggests you make your dog's food to prevent the chemicals and toxins in store-bought food from entering your animal's digestive system. Secondly, a series of homeopathic formulas (all derived from plant oils, minerals, and other organic sources) are suggested which detoxify the liver and other organs to reduce sinus infections and allergies. See the resources list for a series of places that sell homeopathic remedies that treat various conditions.

Considerations

• Although homeopathic remedies in themselves are safe for you and your pet (due to the high dilution of the solution), there have been a number of criticisms of the practice that you should consider before using this method to treat your pet's illness.

  According to Skeptics.org, homeopathic treatments are ineffective to treat any illness, as the dilution of any solution (herbal or chemical) reduces its effectiveness. Homeopathic practitioners believe that although a product is greatly diluted in water or alcohol, the base solution (water or alcohol) will 'remember' the active ingredient and still create the symptoms needed to trigger your pet's immune system. Skeptic.org cites an investigation of that theory by James Randi, which did not prove that highly diluted substances had any effect other than a placebo effect, a reported improvement in health that is the result of a medically ineffective solution (like a sugar pill or water).

  Using homeopathic care for your pets will not cause them any direct harm, but you should be very careful that your cat or dog's symptoms are not signs of a more severe illness.