by VIKTORIA from BEST LIFE 4 PETS
1. What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a therapeutic medical system that was founded by a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann in the early 19th century. It uses tiny precise doses of natural substances (mostly plants), selected based on the healing theory of similars, that work by guiding the body’s immune system to address the root of a specific issue. This is unlike most conventional medicines that are typically antipathic (like antihistamines, and anti-inflammatory) that work opposite to the issue to stop the symptoms.
The goal of homeopathy is to safely and gently restore health by stimulating a person’s (or pets’) defense response to shift them towards recovery.
This system of medicine has been adapted by many holistic veterinary specialists in the treatment of pets and has been used with great success. It has treated all kinds of animals with a wide variety of both acute and chronic conditions, including: arthritis, inflammation, skin issues, mouth sores, allergies, diarrhea, and more.
2. What are the benefits of homeopathy for pets?
Homeopathy presents pet owners with effective alternatives to conventional medicine. It can also be used in tandem with more traditional methods to aid in the recovery with its special blend of plants, minerals, and other natural substances.
It works with the body’s natural immune system, treats or prevents a wide variety of issues, and has significantly less side effects than conventional medication. Homeopathy is very effective for people, but is particularly effective for animals because although they can’t easily communicate with us to tell us what is hurting, they can certainly show us when they feel better (and they don’t question whether the medicine will work or not, they just feel it). So if we are able to select the right remedy, the animal will “tell us” by showing improvement.
3. Are homeopathic remedies actually safe for my pet?
Yes, they are safe for your pet. Homeopathy can be a remarkable and effective system of medicine, which is able to treat any type of animal of any age without fear of doing any harm. The remedies are made through a special dilution and succussion process that finds the minimum dose needed to achieve the desired effect. Exposing the body to this very diluted formula that contains similar properties to what ails the pet, enables the animal’s system to naturally bring itself into balance and optimal health.
And because the final product holds only the essence of the original substance, the remedies are safe to use for even the smallest animal. The key to achieving the best result is selecting the right remedy. If the remedy is not the right one, it will quite simply do nothing.
4. How long does it take to see results?
This is a tough one. I wish I could give you a specific time frame for when your fur baby will start feeling great, but just like us, our pets are all different, as is their medical history and constitution, so their results will vary as well. For example, I get migraines so when one of the bad ones comes on it usually takes me a few days or maybe even a week for it to go away. But for my son, who rarely gets a headache, when he does get one it’s usually gone within an hour.
It’s the same for our pets. With the right remedy some pets experience pain relief very quickly – even the same day or with just one dose. For others with more serious issues it make take a few weeks to see a change. So if you don’t see a change in your pet right away, don’t dispair. Results also depend on whether the issue is acute or chronic.
Acute issues are ones that come on suddenly or are fairly recent, like when your cat jumps onto a ledge, hurts their paw and starts limping. Or if your dog suddenly started having constipation.
Chronic issues are those that have been around for a long time such as arthritis, kidney failure or even a weakned immune system that causes your kitty to get frequent colds and sniffles.
If the health issue you are trying to solve came on recently, there is a good chance that with the right remedy you will notice an improvement within a few days. However, when trying to heal a chronic issue, it will take longer to see results and the improvement may be very gradual because the problem has been there for a long time.
Some pet parents don’t even notice a change until they stop the remedy for a bit. For chronic conditions, your pet will most likely have to be on the remedy their whole life so that their body continues to get the support it needs to have a better quality of life.
Remember, the goal of homeopathy is to safely and gently restore health by stimulating a person’s (or pets’) defense response to shift them towards recovery. For pets with multiple or long-term health issues, this process will take time so you just need to be patient and monitor your pet.
5. How are homeopathic remedies different from supplements and do I need both?
You’ve probably seen many different pet supplements on the market and wonder how are they different from homeopathic remedies. Most supplements or herbs provide nutrients that the body is missing. By adding these to your pet’s diet you are supplementing the diet by providing your pet with the missing piece that their body needs and is either not getting from their food or that their body is no longer producing naturally.
Our homeopathic products are not supplements, they work with the animal’s body to help the body absorb and use the nutrients that they are getting in the diet and also to bring the body back to balance.
So for example, if the dog or cat has low levels of iron or iron depletion, we are not going to give you an iron supplement because that is like putting more water in a leaking bucket. Instead, what homeopathy does is help bring your pet’s body back into balance so that they absorb and use the nutrient like iron more efficiently. In other words, the remedies are more about fixing the leaks in the bucket, then putting more water in the bucket.
That is why our remedies are different than most supplements and that is why the healing process is also different.
6. What if it doesn’t work for my pet?
As much as we try to formulate remedies that will help your fur baby feel better, sometimes we don’t always get it on the first try. Remember, your pet plays a big part in how the remedy will affect them because it is their own body that needs to come into balance to achieve optimal health. Whether that’s reducing inflammation, relieving pain, or fixing the gut, your pet’s unique makeup plays a big role in the results their experience. So if the remedy doesn’t seem to work, or your pet is not feeling any better, it’s usually one of two reasons: a) this is not the right remedy, b) the remedy is right but the dose needs to be adjusted or the remedy needs more time to work.
A) This is not the right remedy – as we mentioned last time, our pets can’t always tell us exactly what is hurting them or what is making them feel better. Only by working directly with a Homeopathic or Holistic vet that can try each remedy individually and monitor the results, can one determine the exact remedy that will work best for your pet. For this reason, and as an online pet health company, we formulate our remedies based on the most common issues and symptoms that are experienced by pets with a specific condition. And this works for 95% of our customers. However, if an animal is not showing any improvement, it is possible that the remedy selected is just not the right one for them.
In this case, we will gladly work with you to try and help you find a solution that may involve adding another remedy, changing the remedy or even suggesting an alternate solution.
B) The remedy is correct but the dose needs to be adjusted – This occurs when the animal is starting to show improvement but is still experiencing some symptoms or pain. The unique thing about homeopathy is that it works best from frequency of dosing over quantity.
We typically recommend that the remedy be given once, twice or three times a day depending on your pet and their condition, but if your fur baby is still in pain and not getting the relief they need then before increasing the dose, try to increase the number of times that you give the remedy.
So for eg. if the regular dose is 3 pills 2 times a day, try giving 2 pills 3 or even 4 times a day. You can even just dissolve some pills in their water bowl so they get a bit of the remedy throughout the day. You are still giving the same number, or just a few more pills, but your pet is getting them more often, which should increase effectiveness.
The other issue is that the animal just needs more time to absorb the treatment and adjust to a healthier state. Most chronic issues didn’t just happen overnight, for example if your pet is overweight, they didn’t get that way by eating an extra treat last night. It took time for the pounds to come on, and so it will take time for their metabolism to work more efficiently to burn calories and reduce the weight.
If you’ve only been giving the remedy a short time, it may be just a matter of continuing with it and watching your pet. Sometimes the improvement is subtle and some pet parents don’t even notice it until they take a small break from the remedy and then they see the difference.
One last point: It sometimes occurs that the animal appears to be feeling worse or displaying new symptoms. Although it may seem counterintuitive, this is actually a good sign. Though rare, there are some animals that are very sensitive to homeopathic remedies and may appear to be worse when first given a dose. The fact that they had a reaction means that the remedy is the right one as it touched on a weakness in the body, but if the reaction is negative, then it is most likely that the dose is too strong.
In this case, we recommend to reduce the dose and monitor your pet for any changes. You can even have a rest day between doses until your pet’s body adjusts.
As we mentioned in the previous email, these remedies are very safe and any possible new symptoms, if they are a result of the remedy, will go away as soon as the remedy is stopped.
Dogs and cats may not be able to “tell us” that they are feeling better, but they will certainly show us by their playfulness that they are.
DOSING
1 pill 1-2 times/day
30C STRENGTH
NOTE: DO NOT TOUCH PILL WITH BARE HANDS AS OILS IN OUR FINGERS DEACTIVATE THE EFFECT OF MEDS. USE DISPOSABLE GLOVES WHICH YOU CAN WASH, DRY & REUSE
ADMINISTERED UNDER TONGUE OR IN MOUTH
30 MIN BEFORE OR AFTER FOOD OR WATER
HOMEOPATHY PILLS DO NOT HAVE ANY SIDE EFFECTS, DO NOT HARM PETS’ OR HUMANS’ HEALTH & DO NOT INTERFERE WITH CONVENTIONAL MEDS
EXAMPLE OF 30C vs 30X
Both arnica montana 30X and arnica montana 30C are appropriate for at-home first aid. The higher potency, 30C, is appropriate for immediate and acute conditions, while the lower potency, 30X, is appropriate for acute or chronic conditions, explains Dr. Steven Kayne in the summer 2001 edition of the British Homeopathic Association’s “Health and Homeopathy” magazine.
For example, if you bang your leg into a coffee table you might take a dose of arnica montana 30C immediately to minimize bruising and swelling. If you weren’t able to take a dose immediately you might take 30C or 30X a day or two later when you had developed a large purple bruise. If you didn’t take any arnica at the time of or shortly after your injury and several weeks later you still had a bruise, you might take Arnica Montana 30X to help resolve the discoloration.
Tiny pills need about a few minutes to dissolve, however animals tend to spit them out. So it is best to administer if crushed. I found only one pill crusher on the market that will work well on all sizes of these tiny homeopathic pills called pallets.
Walmart now sells Equate Easy Grip Pill Crusher
OR YOU CAN GET IT FROM AMAZON
