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Homeopathy involves treating conditions by administering substances that would produce symptoms in healthy animals similar to those of the disease being treated. For instance, if a dog is vomiting and has diarrhea, a homeopathic veterinarian would prescribe a drug that in a larger dose would produce vomiting and diarrhea. The homeopathic drug is made up of an infinitesimally small dose of the appropriate substance.
The key phrase in homeopathy is "like cures like," meaning that what a homeopathic drug causes in a healthy person will stimulate correction in an ill person. It's important in homeopathy to match the substance to the dog's symptoms. For instance, the homeopathic remedy for 12 puppies brought into a clinic with parvovirus would be based on each puppy's symptoms and could be different for each puppy.
Homeopathic drugs are created in FDA-regulated laboratories and registered with the FDA, just as conventional drugs are, and there are well-established ways of applying the remedies. Research in veterinary homeopathy is limited, but clinical and anecdotal evidence indicate that it may be beneficial.
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Reprinted from The Original Dog Bible © 2005. Permission granted by BowTie Press.