What is Homeopathy?

ho•me•op•a•thy | hōmēˈäpəθē | noun
There are more than 2,000 homeopathic medicines. They are usually presented in pellet form, as tablets, or as a liquid—all prepared in modern scientific laboratories to the highest quality standards. They are prepared from pure, vegetable, animal, or mineral sources that are listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, and are FDA approved.

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Achieving a solution homeopathically, will absolutely depend, in great part, on the patience of the owner, the accuracy of the owner's observations, an open line of communication with the doctor, and above all, a totally positive attitude regarding the process itself. Dr. Arthur Young
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Known to the ancient Greeks, homeopathy is a well established healing system. The modern system of homeopathy was introduced by a German physician, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, in the nineteenth century. It is a holistic therapy that treats the underlying causes of illness and addresses the whole animal on the physical, emotional, and mental levels. The focus is on the totality of symptoms, as exhibited by the patient, rather than on the "name" of any given disease. This therapy promotes health by strengthening the internal defense mechanisms and starts a recovery process that becomes ongoing when the correct remedies are administered.

Every animal is a living, energetic being and is constantly adjusting to the surrounding environment, as well as attempting to stay in a state of equilibrium or balance, known as homeostasis. The vital force is an energy that controls and directs all aspects of life in the body. When this force is in a state of order, health exists; but if it is in a state of disorder, illness develops. Homeopathic remedies stimulate that vital force, enabling it to reverse the damaging effects of disease. These medicines work with the body's natural healing mechanisms (e.g. immune system). When the vital force is strengthened, as the therapeutic process continues, the animal improves its ability to heal itself.

The practice of homeopathy uses extremely diluted natural substances that are derived from mineral, plant, or animal sources. The ratio of these dilutions are, for example, 1:50,000 or many times higher! They control the remedy's therapeutic effectiveness. This methodology releases the intrinsic energy that is inherent in the original substances. The medicine, in turn, initiates the process, whereby healing begins.

The Law of Similars ("like cures like") is the keystone principal of homeopathy. Whatever substance produces adverse symptoms in a healthy animal, will actually cure those same symptoms in a sick individual. Naturally occurring crude substances become extremely effective and safe medicines, and toxic raw materials act curatively in the same manner, due to systematic micro-dilutions.

All individual aspects of the patient need to be identified, no matter how insignificant they seem to be. This is more difficult in animals, since they cannot give us subjective information, which is extremely important in the remedy-selection process. Most chronic cases require more than one remedy over a period of time, depending upon age, vitality, the nature of the disease, the quality of nutrition, and level of daily stress. In acute diseases, relief can occur within a few hours or a day or two. In chronic diseases, improvement is gradual, often taking a few months to several years, subject to the severity and duration of the disease, and the previous use of conventional suppressive treatments. Health problems become chronic if the underlying disturbance of the vital force is not treated. Chronic diseases may recur with the original symptoms, but occasionally appear again in different and more serious forms. The tendency to develop persistent illness may be passed on from generation to generation!