We have a 2 year old English springer/lab cross named Chip. He recently presented with a large swelling on top of his left front paw which appeared to be in two pockets. One had an open hole in it and was oozing puss, the other was a more solid lump with no opening. I decided to self refer him for homeopathic treatment presuming that most conventional surgeries would opt straight for antibiotics and cleansing of the wound thereafter. I prefer a non antibiotic solution where possible. Ann Wood our homeopathic vet prescribed Hepar Sulph 6c to be taken twice daily for about 5 days and to clean the open wound with a mild hibiscrub solution. There was a marked improvement on the open pocket and the more solid closed pocket tended to soften and a hole opened up releasing the puss from within. With continued cleansing both pockets healed fully after about 10 days. I do feel I took the right decision in going down the homeopathic route as a first option which proved successful and negated the use of “over prescribed” antibiotics.

We are dairy farmers in Devon and have used complimentary medicine with positive health outcomes for over 10 years. This has resulted in us having very low incidence of mastitits. (7 cases/100/ year). We have excellent fertility with a pregnancy rate of 28-30% for the year. 

Whilst I admit that Homeopathy does not solve all of our herds health problems, it is an extremely valuable tool in our toolbox. What I believe the Veterinary world has to accept is conventional medicine does not hold all the answers. 

The reason I started using complimentary medicine was because I was unhappy with the advice from our vets regarding antibiotics. We found that we were using more and more antibiotics with lower and lower success levels.

Having spoken with many of my neighbours who do not use complimentary medicine on their herds I was alarmed to hear how unsuccessful they are treating mastitis. 3 different antibiotics used in the same treatment to try and cure the case. 

What I have found by stepping away from major antibiotic, is when we choose to use antibiotics they work and quickly. I do not go around trying to make all farmers use homeopathy or herbs or drenches because I believe in choice. 

I believe this motion to try and eradicate the use of homeopathy on farms is a major mistake. Firstly because I know it can be very successful and positive for animal welfare. Secondly I believe that at a time when we are all taking responsibility to reduce our antibiotics use, this is a removing a valuable complimentary medicine choice for those who wish to use it. Thirdly, I know from my travels around farms there are farms out there listening only to conventional vets who are prescribing mainly antibiotics and metacam.

Some of these farms are not the greatest examples of how to reduce antibiotics and improve health outcomes. Some of these farms RCVS would not want shown on national Television. The Veterinary world is targeting welfare on farms using homeopathy and suggesting animals are suffering.

I firmly believe there will be greater welfare problems on some farms not using complimentary medicines.

I accept there are many farms not using complimentary meds and doing an amazing job regarding health and welfare. That is equally the case on many farms using homeopathy and herbs (as well as antibiotics when required), great health and welfare. I believe the type of farmer looking outside the box regarding health and welfare is the type of person who wants better health outcomes. 

We have tried both approaches to look after our herd of dairy cows. Just over ten years ago we listened 100% to our vet and adopted their suggested approach to reduce mastitis. Firstly it cost us a small fortune and secondly the results were negative.

We used more antibiotics and had reduced success rates at curing cases. More tests and samples followed at yet more expense but the results and improvements never came. Hence how we came across complimentary medicines such as homeopathy.

I went on a homeopathy at Wellie level course (HAWL) and have seen major improvements in overall animal health particularly mastitis. 

I do hope this motion is dropped by RCVS. I believe it is divisive and unhelpful. I would also like to know which farms using complimentary medicines have such poor health and welfare? Is this persecution based on fact or fiction? 

I can give examples of animals that conventional medicine has failed but homeopathy has saved. Fact. Does this count for anything?

I wanted to share our great news that Libbe and Iwan’s blood results have come back ‘douteux’ for Lyme Disease, which our vet has confirmed ‘good for Lyme, these results are normal because antibodies still in blood few month after disease. So we can consider that is good.’

As background, we had bloods drawn 29 September 2017, by our French Vet, Mme Audrey Marchand for both boys, Libbe J, Friesian Stallion, and Iwan, Friesian Gelding. Lab results (copies attached) were ‘positif’ for Lyme for both horses, and Libbe was also ‘positif’ for Anaplasmosis. With Libbe having had a severe reaction to Doxycycline in 2014 when we were in East Sussex, I would not risk conventional antibiotic treatment for Lyme.

We agreed to give no antibiotic or other conventional treatment, but opted for a homeopathic approach, using the nosode you created for us 12 October 2017.

We began with the nosode on 20 October, giving 1/day each horse. Anecdotally, both boys reacted similarly after receiving the nosode, as though a light switch had been turned on. The change in attitude and movement was positive and sustained.

We had bloods drawn again 26 January 2018, and received results 3 February (copies attached). Libbe’s results came back ‘douteux’ for Lyme, and ‘douteux’ for Anaplasmosis, Iwan’s came back ‘douteux’ for Lyme.I have had the privilege of your experience and veterinary treatment for our horses for over 5 years, and have seen the positive results homeopathy has made in our horses’ wellbeing and health.

Eliza is our fourth German Shepherd. Hannah, our third, was put to sleep after three years on steroids for extreme itchiness. As we had been warned, the steroids stopped working after two years. The itchiness became so bad that one night she chewed all the fur off of her tail. I’d never heard a dog cry as she did. She went on to develop epilepsy and the seizures were so frequent the vet advised that she be put to sleep. This was our experience of steroids – a temporary solution but a long-term killer.

Eliza at the age of eight developed a scabby nose and ears which were also very itchy. I had moved vets to save travel time because my husband had become disabled. The first vet I took her to diagnosed pemphigus, asked if we have pet insurance (we do) and recommended a £400 diagnostic exam under general anaesthetic. I refused because it was clear what she had and I didn’t want her to suffer the risks of the aesthetic, including its toxicity. I changed back to our old vets on the other side of town. He confirmed pemphigus and in the face of my anxiety about steroids prescribed a different immune suppressant, acknowledging that her resistance to disease would be compromised but that she would be ‘more comfortable.’

By this point I had had personal experience of auto-immune illness and recovered holistically. Because of my own and Hannah’s experiences, I suspected that Eliza’s immunity had been compromised by over-vaccination, I decided not to give her the immune suppressant but instead to take her to Christopher Day, a well-known veterinarian who uses alternative practices including homeopathy. (He works an hour and a half’s drive from our home or I would always take her to him.) He said he also thought that an immune disturbance was the basis of the problem, from whatever cause. Mr. Day spent about an hour with Eliza and prescribed homeopathic Sulphur. He also wrote a friendly, detailed letter to Eliza’s ‘regular’ vet, explaining what he’d proposed and why.

Eliza has been taking two or three Sulphur tablets every day for four months. Her ears no longer itch, her scabby red nose is mostly healed, her coat gleams again and her zest is back. All thanks to Mr. Day and his skill with diet and homeopathy. In holistic practice Eliza has found a cure to a what is viewed by conventional veterinary medicine as an incurable illness without a known cause. This cure is slow, sure and safe. I am so happy to have my lovely dog safe and well again.

Thank you for this opportunity to help with the cause and share the story of my sweet boy Jack.

We live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Jack is a 4 year old Australian Labradoodle, born June of 2013 through a reputable breeder and was from healthy parents. The breeder’s practice is to immunize the pups at 6 weeks and spay/neuter them at 7 weeks. Therefore, when I adopted him at 8 weeks old, he had already had a set of shots and was neutered. Having not had an animal for close to 20 years, I did not have a vet, so I took him to a local (conventional) vet and, as any well-intended pet parent does, I followed the advice of the veterinarian. I was told that because he got his 1st shots at 6 weeks, he would still need the series of 3 shots (making a total of 4) before 16 weeks. He also received his rabies vaccination shortly thereafter and was started on the flea/tick medication as well as dewormer.

Within a couple of weeks he started developing ear infections. I was told at that time that it was simply because he was a “floppy-eared dog” and that this is to be expected. I was also told that I was partially to blame because I let him roll around at the park (dirt would get in his ears apparently). Thus began what became a never-ending cycle of steroids & antibiotics, ear cleanings and continual drops of one kind or another. Followed by monthly flea/tick treatments and monthly deworming. He never seemed to get better, wasn’t gaining weight, he was needing his anal glands expressed weekly and would almost constantly vomit after eating. His annual booster came around and he was vaccinated again, and again, I was convinced that he also needed the bordetalla vaccine and despite my concerns over how sick he got every time I put the flea/tick poison on him, I was directed to continue.

Fast forward to his 2nd birthday and I was beside myself trying to treat my boy and understand his issues. I started doing my own research and saw that there may be a link to food allergies. I approached the vet and she agreed to try an elimination diet. Not knowing any better (and still trusting the ‘professional’) I did what I was told. He was put on the Purina HA food which he absolutely hated, almost to the point of starving himself. He lost a lot of weight, going down to 33 pounds (he should be closer to 50 pounds) and looking like a sick, emaciated shell of himself. When I questioned the vet about his condition not improving much (ear infections were now less frequent, but horrible flare-ups would occur with even the tiniest amount of any meat protein), she said he was doing great and that his weight was ‘perfect’. This was the final red flag I needed to see to know that this vet and this clinic were doing nothing to help my dog and that I was the only one who truly cared enough to fix him. During this time I had also adopted another labradoodle from that same breeder and was told to start my new puppy on the same food (Purina HA) and continue all the same protocols. I allowed only the 3 sets of shots for her, only dewormed once and only used flea/tick meds once. She remained on the puppy food from the breeder until I switched them both to raw shortly thereafter. (as a side note, she is now 2 and has never been sick one day in her life).

At Jack’s 3 year check up, he was still not fully on the mend, but had been doing much better, as long as I was diligent about his food – at this time he was able to eat only 3 proteins (elk, llama and salmon) but was definitely progressing. Unfortunately he had a flare up in his ears just before this visit and I told the receptionist when I booked the check-up that he would not be getting vaccinated anymore and that I only wanted the health check portion of the visit and for the vet to once again, look at his ears. After being lectured about the evils of raw food, how irresponsible I was for not vaccinating him (she still wanted to talk me into it that day – despite the fact that he was sick), how irresponsible I had been for discontinuing all deworming and flea/tick medication, I asked about getting him titre tested. She seemed genuinely confused and insulted as to why I would want to do something so ridiculous, but begrudgingly agreed to give me a quote for a titre test. $600 per dog was the quote and it came with a lecture about why it doesn’t actually prove anything. We started a long, unfriendly discussion about why humans don’t receive repeated/yearly vaccinations (other than flu) and why vets titre themselves and why humans don’t get vaccinated when sick, etc. She told me there was no research on animals about length of protection from vaccines. I immediately fired her and walked out with my dogs.

I continued with my self-research, learning everything I could about leaky-gut, raw feeding, vaccines, etc. and managed to find a holistic vet that I simply cannot say enough about. She helped me understand even better, all that his poor body had been going through, she ensured that I was doing all the right things with his diet (a huge raw-feeding proponent). She started him on Thuja to detox him and began a course of Si Miao San (Chinese herbs).

Jack is now a little over 4 years old. He has been titre tested (with the help of Dr. John Robb) and is fully immune to rabies, parvo, adenovirus and distemper. He has not had his anal glands expressed in close to a year and is no longer itchy there. He has not has an ear infection since that last visit at 3 years old, never vomits his food and is a gloriously healthy 50 pounds with a beautiful shiny coat, clear eyes, the energy of a puppy and is the happiest he’s been in years! His diet has now expanded to many of the things that would previously have caused a flare-up, such as beef (his worst allergen), rabbit, pork, kangaroo, banana, coconut oil, venison and we are discovering more all the time; cautiously, and little bit by little bit.

I can honestly say, that without the help of groups like “Canine Allergies – the Natural Way’, ‘Raw & Holistic Dog & Cat Support group’, Dr. Robb, Dr. Corinne Chapman (our vet), and many others along the way, I really don’t know where my poor Jack would be today. I absolutely believe that taking a holistic approach to his problems not only made him so much more comfortable, happy, healthy and free, but may very well have saved his very life. I cannot say enough about people like yourself who take on these causes and become the voice of pet parents like me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

This is Banshee, my Irish Water Spaniel, she is 8 years old. I use homeopathic and flower remedies as one of my first healing agents whenever anything is needed. 

Two years ago we had just finished our round of tests in a gundog competition. As we sat waiting for our team members to go through their final tests Banshee began to shuffle around and nibble at her foot. An inspection revealed nothing. 5 minutes later she was sick, bringing up yellow, frothy slime. This was unusual for her. Another 5 minutes later and she refused to run out for a fun retrieve each dog was doing as a finale to the tests. Again, totally out of character.

I decided to put her into the back of my van to rest but it was obvious she was declining and beginning to shut down. She was becoming very listless and her gums began to pale. I began to panic! I got out my homeopathic first aid kit (which I always carry in my van) and dosed her with several remedies including the SOS emergency, arnica, injury mix and a coupe of others as I had no idea what had happened to her.

I set off for home, a 2 hour trip, constantly looking over my shoulder to see if she was still conscious and deciding what I would do if she collapsed completely. Half way home she suddenly stood up and shook herself. When we arrived home she jumped out of the van as if nothing had happened! She continued to be fine with no other symptoms.

A homeopathic practitioner I met soon after, and described to her what had happened, told me that she had shown all the symptoms of a snake bite. But we had seen no puncture wounds or any marks of any description. It remains a complete mystery, but I have no doubt that the remedies that I gave her brought her round, and, who knows, may have saved her life.

I now have a snake bite remedy in my kit just in case, and, of course, the SOS emergency remedy.