Holistic Veterinary Medicine

There follows a selection of the most important so-called Natural Therapies, Complementary Therapies, Alternative Therapies or Holistic Therapies.

Of course, there are many more but they are less well-known and therefore more esoteric.

The scope, power and capability of these natural medicines far exceeds that of conventional drug medicine, especially the capability to stimulate the body's innate endogenous healing capability, a capacity which is quite beyond the reach of conventional drug medicine.

An ancient Chinese therapy, Acupuncture uses fine needles to stimulate particular places 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 restore the natural balance of the body. Other methods of stimulation that may be used include finger pressure (acupressure), 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 and back problems), paralysis, aortic embolism, pain, asthma, long-term digestive problems, vestibular syndrome, incontinence, disc disease, spondylosis, hip dysplasia, OCD, DJD, CDRM and epilepsy. In horses, it has also proved invaluable in cases of moonblindness and laminitis (founder). 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.

Probably the oldest of all medical practices, herbal medicine is used to help the body to fight disease. In its traditional form herbal medicine uses the whole plant or specified portions of it, rather than specific extractions (a modern and undesirable trend). 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 is the brainchild of Samuel Hahnemann, who was born in Saxony in the eighteenth century. 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 an essential part of the science and practice. 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. This is not practical with herbivores. 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).

Aromatherapy employs the volatile components of plants, as a very powerful and rapidly-effective off-shoot 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 (e.g. Bach Flowers or Bush Essences) are diluted preparations, prepared 'energetically' and 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 as in humans. 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 manipulation, as its name suggests, is a hands-on therapy, treating misalignments and distortions of the skeletal system. It is a drugless therapy in which the spinal column and limbs are 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.

Of course, natural feeding depends upon providing 'species-suitable' foods, which are, broadly speaking, those that might be encountered by the nearest wild relative to our domestic species.

The author believes 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. Cats are obligate carnivores and have to eat some meat or meat products. In stark contrast to dogs, they are very prone to food poisoning, necessitating access to fresh food. 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. A similar booklet on cats is in the pipeline.

In the case of horses and ponies, similar principles apply. However, they are archetypal herbivores, requiring long fibre in their diet. It is again important to avoid manufactured feeds and supplements, most of which contain sugar, flavourings (flavorings), preservatives and other unsuitable ingredients. Some even contain animal or fish products, which should never be fed to a herbivore. Grass which has been fertilised using artificial nitrogen fertilisers is very bad for horses and can pre-dispose to laminitis (founder).

I have a website called www.naturalfeeding.co.uk, which gives this philosophy in greater detail (see below under 'Useful links').

Use With Care

Even though complementary medicines are generally extremely safe, they should be used carefully. Your animal deserves nothing less. 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.

There is an immense array of alternative medicine options available for the treatment of animals.

It is suitable for horses, ponies, dogs, and other animals.

There are holistic vets who are able to apply one or more of these for your animal.

Alternative medicine can often provide realistic hope where conventional drug medicne has failed.

The author is independent of commercial interest or sponsorship and cannot endorse any products or advertising material attached to this lens.

For more information, visit AVMC's information website (over 600 pages).

Chris Day - holistic vet - runs the Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre in Oxfordshire (AVMC) in Oxfordshire, UK.