Ok, so... brief synopsis. Homeopathy is a system of healing where *minute* (literally indetectable) amounts of a substance diluted in distilled water are used to treat symptoms. The substance chosen is one which, if given full strength, would cause the symptoms which you are trying to cure. I'll let those who are interested research how the various remedies are made, as well as the extreme complexity practitioners get into in choosing the correct remedy(s)
Anyway, I've always been hugely skeptical (and honestly, still am), especially when I discovered that certain recommended remedies actually break the rules. Arnica is an herb which is very effective applied topically to bruises and sprain type injuries... yet it is also recommended homeopathically for bruises and sprains. Hmmm.... doesn't make sense.
Anyway, Dixie (our English Shepherd) has always had hormone issues. As I've mentioned before, she develops a false pregnancy after each heat cycle, and while it was cute the time it caused her to adopt and raise an orphan litter of kittens, in general, it's a PITA... she's clingy, whiny, agitated and a miserable bitch for a month or longer every time. I discovered that homeopathic pulsatilla literally ends her symptoms within about 3 days. It sounds nuts, but whatever.
(My "double blind study" on this was when I started giving it to her a couple days after her symptoms started, but didn't mention it to anyone. Hubby came up to me 3 days later and said, "what's with Dixie? She's acting sane again!"... but he had no idea I'd been trying anything. And yes, I know that wasn't close to a true double-blind)
So.... this summer, the dogs have been itching more than usual, but Dixie has been absolutely awful. She's scratching and chewing at herself 20 hours a day... keeping us up at night, and clearly miserable. We tried baths, ivermectin, antihistamines and steroids. Changed food. Nothing helped. She doesn't have fleas (I haven't seen a flea since last July (2019), and that was the first time I'd seen one in 4 years). Her skin, except where she's digging at it, looks fine.
The vet had no answers except more steroids.
So... the other day, I got a wild hair and thought "I wonder if some homeopathic remedy might help?" My first thought was rhus tox... poison ivy. I did some research, and it's way down on the list of remedies to try, but well... it was the only one I had on hand, and my gut DID suggest it. I've learned to listen to my gut!
So, I gave her 3 tiny sugar pillules of homeopathic poison ivy. Honestly, I didn't expect a thing. But that night, I skipped giving her the antihistamine, figuring that when she woke us up scratching, I'd give it to her then.
She slept through the night, for the first time in 4 months!
I repeated the dose 3 days in a row. I haven't seen her scratch once since!
This is obviously a VERY simplified explanation of homeopathy, and I'll admit, if there is something which I can treat with Western medicine (even though I'll use herbs or alternatives preferentially when possible, my philosophy is still a variant of Western medical thought... I DO differ in that I prefer to address, where possible, the root causes of a problem, rather than just- for example- treating high blood pressure), I'll go that route.
But I'm finding it harder and harder to dismiss homeopathy entirely. Even if I can't begin to explain how it works!
Summerthyme
Anyway, I've always been hugely skeptical (and honestly, still am), especially when I discovered that certain recommended remedies actually break the rules. Arnica is an herb which is very effective applied topically to bruises and sprain type injuries... yet it is also recommended homeopathically for bruises and sprains. Hmmm.... doesn't make sense.
Anyway, Dixie (our English Shepherd) has always had hormone issues. As I've mentioned before, she develops a false pregnancy after each heat cycle, and while it was cute the time it caused her to adopt and raise an orphan litter of kittens, in general, it's a PITA... she's clingy, whiny, agitated and a miserable bitch for a month or longer every time. I discovered that homeopathic pulsatilla literally ends her symptoms within about 3 days. It sounds nuts, but whatever.
(My "double blind study" on this was when I started giving it to her a couple days after her symptoms started, but didn't mention it to anyone. Hubby came up to me 3 days later and said, "what's with Dixie? She's acting sane again!"... but he had no idea I'd been trying anything. And yes, I know that wasn't close to a true double-blind)
So.... this summer, the dogs have been itching more than usual, but Dixie has been absolutely awful. She's scratching and chewing at herself 20 hours a day... keeping us up at night, and clearly miserable. We tried baths, ivermectin, antihistamines and steroids. Changed food. Nothing helped. She doesn't have fleas (I haven't seen a flea since last July (2019), and that was the first time I'd seen one in 4 years). Her skin, except where she's digging at it, looks fine.
The vet had no answers except more steroids.
So... the other day, I got a wild hair and thought "I wonder if some homeopathic remedy might help?" My first thought was rhus tox... poison ivy. I did some research, and it's way down on the list of remedies to try, but well... it was the only one I had on hand, and my gut DID suggest it. I've learned to listen to my gut!
So, I gave her 3 tiny sugar pillules of homeopathic poison ivy. Honestly, I didn't expect a thing. But that night, I skipped giving her the antihistamine, figuring that when she woke us up scratching, I'd give it to her then.
She slept through the night, for the first time in 4 months!
I repeated the dose 3 days in a row. I haven't seen her scratch once since!
This is obviously a VERY simplified explanation of homeopathy, and I'll admit, if there is something which I can treat with Western medicine (even though I'll use herbs or alternatives preferentially when possible, my philosophy is still a variant of Western medical thought... I DO differ in that I prefer to address, where possible, the root causes of a problem, rather than just- for example- treating high blood pressure), I'll go that route.
But I'm finding it harder and harder to dismiss homeopathy entirely. Even if I can't begin to explain how it works!
Summerthyme
Like Chicago does ...
