Holistic Medicine

Health is influenced by physical, mental and emotional factors. Holistic Medicine takes all these factors into consideration, giving due importance to environment, lifestyle and dietary influence on health and disease. It also considers the body as a functional whole, including the mind, working as a harmonious continuum rather than as a mass of separate components. Herbalism (herbal medicine), homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic and Bach Flowers are all methodologies that work on holistic principles, when properly applied. The true holistic practitioner will also consider modern conventional medicine and diagnostics, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, should they prove necessary, thereby offering your animal the very best treatment available, under all circumstances.

Herbalism

Probably the oldest of all medicines, herbal medicine is used to stimulate the body to fight disease. In its traditional form herbal medicine uses the whole plant or specified portions of it, rather than specific extractions. Always consult a suitably experienced vet before using any remedies; if used the wrong way herbs can and do produce unwanted side effects. If given concurrently with conventional drug therapy or aromatherapy, there is a potential for dangerous summation of action, effectively leading to toxic overdoses. Home-grown or freshly-bought fresh herbs should be used. Out of season, herb powders can be bought. To disguise the taste, chop the herbs up finely and mix in with your animal's food, or they can be made into infusions, dips and tonics.

Homeopathy

The underlying principle of homeopathy is that like can cure like – i.e. a substance able to provoke signs or symptoms in a healthy body is able to cure those similar signs or symptoms in an ill patient. It is usual for homeopathic medicines to be given in extreme dilutions, although this is not always the case. The remedies used are derived from plants, minerals or animal products. They are carefully diluted and 'succussed' (that is, violently shaken) to specific potencies and can be bought in the recommended  potency,  to be given according to specific guidelines. They can be given as pellets or crushed to powder or given as a drop on the nose that is then simply licked off. The patient should preferably not eat any food for thirty minutes before or after taking any remedy, in order to allow the pure and subtle stimulus to work undistracted. Avoid concurrent exposure to strong-smelling substances, e.g. perfumes, aromatherapy oils, and pungent herbs. Always seek the advice of a qualified veterinary homeopath (homeopathist).

Acupuncture

An ancient Chinese therapy, Acupuncture uses fine needles to stimulate certain sites on the body, called ‘acupuncture points’, to bring about rebalancing of the body’s energy function. Doing this enables the patient's immune system and healing capability to heal itself and restore the natural balance of the body. Other methods of stimulation include finger pressure, LASER, electric stimulation and heat (moxibustion). Because needling acupuncture points also stimulates the release of the body's natural painkillers, the ‘endorphins’, Acupuncture can offer very effective pain control. Acupuncture is used on animals for painful skeletal problems (e.g. arthritis), paralysis, aortic embolism, pain, asthma, long-term digestive problems, vestibular syndrome, incontinence, disc disease, spondylosis, hip dysplasia, OCD, DJD, CDRM and epilepsy. It generally works better with concurrent Chiropractic manipulation. An initial course of 3-4 sessions will usually be necessary to start treatment. Clinical improvement may be permanent, or may need 'top-up' sessions weekly, monthly or even annually.

Aromatherapy (Essential Oils)

Aromatherapy uses the volatile components of plants, as a very powerful and rapidly-effective branch of herbal medicine. Although the remedies are, of course, related to their parent plants, they have differences because only the volatile ingredients (obtained by distillation) are used. The remedies are absorbed into the body via the olfaction system (nose) or the skin. Remedies include all the activities attributed to herbal medicines, e.g. stimulants, relaxants, anaesthetics, rubefacients, antiseptics etc. Caution should accompany the use of these powerful medicines, in that they can produce harmful and unwanted side-effects (e.g. abortion in pregnant animals).

Flower Essences

Flower Essences (e.g. Bach Flowers or Bush Essences) are diluted preparations used to treat disease via the emotional background or cause of the illness. Animals can be prey to emotional disturbances and these have the power not only to create unhappiness but also, in more extreme cases, to give rise to physical disease. Flower Essences are able to tackle the problem through this channel. Flower Essences can also be used to treat behavioural problems such as fears and other psychological disturbances, especially those associated with stress. In general, they help to rebalance mental and emotional well-being, leading to a happier and healthier animal.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic manipulation is a hands-on therapy, treating misalignments and distortions of the skeletal system. It is a drugless therapy in which the spinal column is manipulated or realigned to relieve pain and to restore movement after an accident or broken limb. Many animals have chiropractic problems, without observed accidents or incidents to explain them. For instance, pelvic misalignment is very common and can give rise to general, non-specific reduction of agility and activity, the cause of which may be difficult to identify. Correction of such problems, if present, usually gives rise to resumption of the energy and activity of a younger animal. Chiropractic manipulation can be used with acupuncture, herbal and homeopathic remedies. If we consider how many of us have back and skeletal problems, we must conclude that our animals get bad backs and muscle spasm just like us.

Use With Care

Even though complementary medicines are generally safe, they should be used carefully. Always seek advice from your local veterinary surgeon before giving any medication to your animal. This is to ensure that the condition has been properly assessed and diagnosed and that the best course of treatment has been chosen. There are many vets practising complementary therapies now, so an informed opinion can be gained on these alternative therapies.

Some very common herbs can have adverse side effects when mixed with other herbs or other medicines, so be very careful. Homeopathic remedies should never be used with some pungent herbal tinctures. The best results are obtained from working as part of a team, you, your animal, your vet and your local complementary, alternative or holistic vet.

Always seek alternative treatment from vets who are suitably experienced in the field of alternative veterinary medicine. The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 precludes the use of homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and flower essences by any other than a qualified veterinary surgeon.
 

Natural Feeding 

It is believed by many (including the author) that fresh, wholesome food is best for dogs, as long as sensible balance is achieved through the principles of ‘variety is the spice of life’ and ‘moderation in all things’. Manufactured food brings many risks and it is as unhealthy for dogs to be fed manufactured and processed food as it would be for us to eat in that way. Dogs are natural scavengers and omnivores, who are well-adapted to eating meat, eating raw, chunky meat, catching meat ‘on the hoof’ and even to eating ‘old’ flesh. They also are well-adapted to and derive great benefit from eating fresh bones (especially the ‘joint’ portion and especially if brought up on bones from puppyhood). There are dangers introducing an older dog to bones, when inexperienced. Generally speaking, dogs have no requirement for and derive little benefit from eating grain starch e.g. wheat, although extra energy can be provided, if necessary, from porage, pasta, rice etc. Another good source of ready energy is a lump of raw lamb fat or beef fat. This is necessarily an over-brief handling of this complex and important topic but Christopher Day has written a booklet: ‘Feed Your Dog the Natural Way’, which explains in greater detail.

 

Copyright © Christopher Day MRCVS (Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre, Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire – website: www.alternativevet.org )

August 2007