General Guidelines for Homeopathic Treatment
Homeopathy is a unique form of medicine, and homeopathic remedies are very different from herbs, vitamins, or drugs. So, when you are giving homeopathic remedies to your dog or cat, there are certain guidelines that must be followed carefully.
Administration
How much to give: Each time you treat your pet, give approximately 10-20 of the tiny (#10) pellets in the small paper envelope (high potencies) or amber glass vial (low potencies). You don't need to count the pellets. In fact, the number of pellets given per treatment makes no difference whatsoever. It is the frequency of treatment and the potency of the remedy that is important. Giving more pellets per treatment does not in any way affect the body's response. The pellets need not be swallowed, and it doesn't matter if a few of them are spit out. Just get a few pellets on the tongue, then hold the mouth shut for 3 seconds.
Do not touch the remedy. This may alter or neutralize the remedy, and could possibly affect you as if you had taken it yourself. In the case of the envelope, you may want to use a stainless steel spoon (cleared with hot water and allowed to cool) into which to dispense the pellets from the envelope. This will give you better control in administering the remedy, and the ability to save some of the pellets in the envelope in case a repeat dose is needed. In the case of the amber glass vial, use the cap of the vial to drop the pellets onto your pet's tongue. (*See alternate method below.)
Be careful not to expose the remedy to any strong odors, such as perfumes, scented hand lotions, incense, cigarette smoke, and especially any form of camphor (tiger balm, Vick's, White Flower, Ben-Gay, etc.). Do not expose your pet to any form of camphor while on homeopathic treatment.
Give the remedy away from meals (at least 20 minutes before or after a meal).
Be careful not to spill the remedy. The pellets tend to go flying, and cannot be used afterward.
[*Alternate method of administration: Rinse a clean glass bowl in very hot water. Let cool. Put 1/2 teaspoon of whole cows milk or distilled water in the bowl, and then add a few pellets of the remedy. Swirl gently for 1 minute, and let your pet lap up the milk, or give the water with a cleared spoon. This method may be used if you find it difficult to administer the remedy by the first method.]
Storage
It is important to store homeopathic remedies in an appropriate location where they will not be neutralized.
Do not store remedies in the kitchen or in a medicine cabinet. A good place to keep remedies is in a dresser drawer or linen closet.
Keep away from strong electromagnetic fields at all times. These would include electrical appliances, stereo components, fluorescent light fixtures, televisions, microwave ovens, refrigerators, major power lines, fuse boxes, and magnets. The stronger the field, the farther away the remedy should be kept. Six feet is far enough from a refrigerator or microwave, 2-4 feet from smaller appliances, and perhaps a foot from a clock radio.
Keep away from extremely high temperatures (over 120°F) and direct sunlight.
Close the amber glass vial tightly between treatments. Keep the paper envelope in a sealed plastic bag to protect it from humidity.
Response to Treatment
What to Look For
It is crucial that you carefully observe any changes in (1) the symptoms or their patterns of occurrence, and (2) the general behavior of your pet. The success of the treatment depends heavily on the accuracy and detail of your observations so that I can correctly interpret your pet's response to the remedy. I recommend that you keep a written record of when and how often the remedy was actually given, and your observations of your pet's response. In particular, please take note of:
general energy and level of activity, attitude; for example, lethargy, irritability, restlessness;
changes in any specific symptoms; for example, vomiting, discharges, pain, stiffness, etc.;
whether a symptom seems to be better or worse at a particular time of day, in certain types of weather, or from rest/exercise, warmth/coolness, eating, drinking, touch, pressure, etc.;
any general change in temperature preference, water consumption, appetite, bowel movements, urination, or other behavior.
Since homeopathic prescribing is based on actual observable symptoms, try to be as clear as possible in your observations. For example, if your cat has a 'cold', note whether there is a discharge from the nose, and/or from the eyes; whether it is on both sides or only on one side; the color and consistency of the discharge; whether there is sneezing, and so forth.
How Long to Give the Remedy:
Low potencies: 6X - 18C
I'll instruct you to give a remedy, usually once daily, for an approximate length of time before we should have a follow-up appointment. This is an approximate time frame, and may vary depending on the response of your pet to the remedy I've prescribed.
The response to a remedy generally falls into one of three main categories:
Better: If there is general improvement, you can continue giving the remedy daily until there is no further improvement ('plateau' stage), and then call me. There is usually little benefit in continuing daily treatment with a low potency daily beyond three weeks.
No change: If you see no apparent change, give the remedy for at least 7 days before calling me to report. That is, of course, unless the symptoms are so severe as to require more immediate measures. We must give the remedy a chance to work, and it sometimes takes this long for a remedy to produce visible improvement.
Worse: If there appears to be an adverse reaction or 'aggravation' (worsening of an existing symptom, or the development of a new symptom) stop giving the remedy and call me for clarification. (Don't worry- this doesn't happen very often, and is usually mild.)
High potencies: 30C to 10M
These are given in single doses, and only repeated when circumstances warrant. High potencies stimulate a deeper and more prolonged response by the body, and time must be allowed for the vital force to complete its response. Generally speaking, the duration of response in chronic problems should be at least 3 weeks for 30C, 6 weeks for 200C, 2-1/2 months for 1M, and 3 months for 10M. This is, of course, quite variable, depending on the particular circumstances. Unless I have instructed you to repeat a remedy at a particular time, you should consult with me before repeating a high potency.
Of course, these are all general instructions and would be superseded by any specific instructions I give you.
Instructions for Homeopathic Treatment by the 50 Millesimel (LM) System
With each treatment, follow procedure below:
Preparing the glass or bowl, and spoon, for use:
Before each treatment, the glass or stainless steel bowl, stainless steel spoon, and dropper (if you're using one) need to be cleared by getting them very hot for a few minutes. [Note: This should not be the dropper from the remedy bottle, but a separate clean glass dropper.]
Pour very hot water into the glass or bowl containing the spoon.
After a minute or two, empty the glass and turn it upside down to drain on a clean cloth or paper towel, along with the spoon, and wait for them to cool. Now you are ready to prepare the dose.
Succuss (shake) the dropper bottle the specified number of times by hitting it sharply against a firm object: the heel of your hand, a wooden counter, etc. The liquid in the bottle should foam up for a moment. With the bottle closed, squeeze the dropper bulb a few times to flush out the contents of the dropper itself into the rest of the medicine in the bottle.
The usual protocol for a given potency is to start with 6 succussions for 7 days, then do 12 succussions for another 7 days, and finally 18 succussions for the final 7 days. I will advise you as to specifics in your pets case.
Add 2-3 drops of the medicine in the dropper bottle to 1/4 - 1/2 cup of distilled water in the glass or bowl that you have already cleared.
Swirl or stir vigorously with the cleared spoon for about 30 seconds.
Give a few drops of this dilution,to your pet on his/her tongue, using the spoon or a dropper.
No food is to be given for 20 minutes before or after the treatment. If you have a lot of difficulty giving the liquid medicine by teaspoon or dropper, an alternative method is to add the dose to a small amount of milk. This can then be offered in a cleared bowl.
Discard the remaining contents of the glass or bowl. You will be making a fresh dilution for each treatment.
If, at any time, you are not confident that your pet is responding favorably to the treatment, please call for clarification.