Advice on using homeopathic remedies and treatments for animals
The homeopathic remedy or treatment will have been specifically selected for your animal. To secure maximum benefit, please closely follow the guidelines below.
Never stop any conventional drug prescribed for your animal unless you have been expressly advised to do so.
Do not change anything else during the homeopathic treatment without discussing it with us first. Please do not make major diet changes, start acupuncture, introduce herbal treatment or add a few extra homeopathic remedies that look indicated to you. All these things could inhibit the action of the prescribed remedy. If in doubt please ask.
Keep a short diary during treatment and record all changes, even those that are not lasting. This will prove an invaluable tool when assessing the animal’s response to treatment. Indeed, if you are reading this before your first appointment, start keeping notes of your animal’s symptoms and behaviour now.
If your animal shows an immediate strong reaction to a remedy (this can either be in the form of a clear deterioration, improvement or indeed just a strong change) STOP treatment and contact us for advice. This is a good sign, indicating that a correct remedy has been given, but we may want to change the dosage. This only applies to very strong reactions that happen early in the course of treatment.
Store homeopathic remedies at room temperature, away from strong smelling substances such as essential oils or perfumes. Also store away from direct sunlight and electronic equipment.
Giving the homeopathic remedy to an animal
Remedies are always best given directly into the mouth away from food. This is much easier than it sounds – even for dogs or cats who normally hate pills. The homeopathic pill or tablet has a pleasant sweet flavour and it doesn’t have to be swallowed. Just pop it in. If they spit it out, don’t worry. The active ingredient is a surface coating that dissolves and is absorbed as soon as the pill touches the mucous membrane of the mouth. What happens to the bulk of the sugar pill is not important.
For dogs and cats always administer a remedy away from food. No food should be given for at least 5 minutes before or after the remedy. This means that you should not conceal the remedy in food or use food to entice the animal to you nor as a reward for taking the remedy. The remedy is absorbed from the mucus membrane of the mouth, it is therefore important that nothing interferes with this process.
For horses, if the above is not feasible, you can cut an apple almost in half and tip 3-5 pills into the apple or alternatively, your horse may take the pills directly from the palm of your dry clean hand.
Do not fret about how much to give. In homeopathy “a dose is a dose”. The potency of the remedy and the frequency of administration are very important, the exact amount of drops or pills less so. We generally give 2-3 tablets or a “squirt” of a liquid remedy as a dose.