Tested on People, Used on Animals!

Homeopathy is a system of human medicine founded 200 years ago by a German physician named Hahnemann. It is now practiced by doctors, vets, dentists, nurses and non-medically qualified practitioners the world over. Scientific research has demonstrated the efficacy of the potentised remedies (See Research).

"Let likes cure likes", is the cornerstone of the discipline. When any substance is given to healthy volunteers, a physiological reaction is provoked, be it watering eyes when peeling an onion, stomach ulcers with chronic use of aspirin or becoming thirsty after salt. If a homeopathic remedy is given to healthy (human!) volunteers, symptoms are provoked. This is called a proving of the remedy. The strongest of the symptoms from the proving are then recorded. If the homeopath is then confronted with disease that matches the symptoms recorded, then that remedy can be given therapeutically. This stimulates a healing response in the body which in turn removes symptoms, regardless whether they come from infection, breakdown or reaction to the environment.

Veterinary homeopathy uses the human remedies in exactly the same way. A very full history of the nature of the condition and the nature of the patient is noted. This is analysed by the vet to find the closest possible match. The remedy selected is then administered to the animal in tablet or drops on a mild food stuff.

Research is ongoing in homeopathy. Overall, the results are positive. This is a tribute to workers throughout the world as modern research methods do not lend themselves easily to studying a form of medicine based on individualising prescriptions to suit the patient.

Horses, dogs and cats have been found to respond very well to homeopathic remedies. I have treated hundreds of animals with homeopathy.

Linked to this page is a list of conditions for which I have found homeopathy useful in Horses, Dogs and Cats: Homeopathy in Practice.

Homeopathy in Humans:

Homeopathy -

• Homeopathy works with the natural healing process and has been used successfully for almost 250 years.
• Homeopathy is safe to use, even in pregnancy and the very frail; not one incidence of harm has been recorded.
• Homeopathy can be used alongside conventional medicine.
• Homeopathy is non-toxic, non-addictive and is virtually free from side-effects.
• Homeopathy has been used for almost 250 years and is well established in Europe, India and South America.
• 500M people worldwide use homeopathy.
• Homeopathy has been available on the NHS since its inception in 1948.

Homeopathic medicine –

Homeopathic medicines are not tested on animals. The British Homeopathic Association emphatically does not fund any research that involves experiments on living animals.

Regulation/NHS -

• Five NHS homeopathic hospitals were established after The Faculty of Homeopathy Act in 1950.
• Almost 40% of GP practices now refer NHS patients to complementary therapists, including medical homeopaths.
• Homeopathic medicines are regulated by the Government via the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).
• The legislation supports patient choice and allows patients to choose homeopathy.
• The homeopathic approach is valued by patients.  Evidence-based medicine must take into account what happens in the real world to real patients, not just the results of clinical trials.

Research -

• There is a growing evidence-base to show that homeopathy is effective in a wide range of conditions seen in general practice.
• Research has demonstrated that homeopathy is not the same as placebo.
• Four out of five meta-analyses of homeopathy overall show positive effects for homeopathy in the following conditions: hay fever, post-operative ileus, rheumatoid arthritis, and childhood diarrhoea.
• Randomised controlled trials using homeopathy show a positive outcome for a growing range of conditions – asthma, glue-ear, influenza, pain, anxiety, ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, migraine, osteoarthritis and PMS.
• There is a healthy research culture across Europe – 35 PhD students are investigating homeopathy in this country alone in 2008.

Jazz - An Equine Case History

I have owned my horse Jazz for seven years since she was four years old and during this time she has had numerous health problems………far too many to mention here! When she was six years old she developed a respiratory allergy when at grass in the autumn and winter, her salivary glands swelled up and she became very lethargic and exercise intolerant. After numerous tests and supplements I was advised that the best way to keep her comfortable and able to work was to keep her in for at least six months of the year.

At the beginning of last year she became slightly stiff behind and deteriorated very rapidly to the point that within two weeks she struggled to walk five minutes down the road. After a bone scan and x-rays she was diagnosed with arthritis in her neck and both hocks, on veterinary advice I nearly put her to sleep, her eyes were dull and she seemed very depressed. After having various treatments including steroid injections in her joints she was comfortable enough that I decided to retire her and give her the summer at grass.

Although still looking a little odd behind she did quite well over the summer and seemed fairly happy wandering round getting fat. However as soon as the damp weather came her respiratory allergy started to return and she began to look tired again. As she would go stiff being kept in over the winter without exercise and turnout not being an option I decided that the kindest thing would be to put her to sleep. As a last resort I asked my vet if we could look into alternative treatments. I contacted Nick in September 07 and after coming to see her he felt that her problems were due mainly to a weakened immune system and started treating her with a homeopathic remedy for her allergy and a blood nosode for her immune system. Within weeks she seemed brighter in herself, a lot of people kept commenting on how much happier she seemed.

12 months on amazingly she’s still with us. Her allergy has been managed well enough that she has been turned out for 4 or 5 hours every day over the winter (last year we struggled to turn her out for an hour) even when it’s been very wet and she’s now living out all the time. In herself she is bright and lively, so much so that over the last month or so she’s being playing in the field charging around so much that she’s been making herself stiff from doing too much! Because of this on Nick and her other vets advice I have started to bring her back into very light work, she is now managing 30min walks in hand each day and for the first time last week I rode her for 20 minutes something I never thought I would do again. Nick has made up a second homeopathic remedy for days she looks stiff but at her last trot up the vet said she looks 99% sound. Everyone who saw her this time last year is amazed by how she’s doing, she is defiantly behaving like a different horse. If Nick hadn’t started treating her in October I honestly don’t think she would still be here, I started her homeopathic treatment to try to give her a comfortable retirement the fact that I have even considered doing any exercise with her shows how far she’s come and riding her was a bonus I never thought would be possible.