Homeopathy

[nati85]

Just wondering if you guys here have any experience with homeopathic medicine for your kittys. You or someone close to you that had good results.

Please do let me know your thoughts and experience!

Thanks in advance <3

 

[Daisy6]

Good quesiton. I have a friend who uses colloidal silver instead of medication, but can't remember what it is for. She warns people not to get alkalilne silver instead.

 

[silkenpaw]

I use a 50-50 mix of vinegar and rubbing alcohol to clean kitty ears and prevent yeast (they don’t like the acid). That’s about as homeopathic as I get.

 

[Willowy]

Actual homeopathy (diluting something until no molecules of the original substance remain) cannot work; it would go against all physical properties of the universe.

Natural or herbal medicine is something entirely different. Many people use the terms interchangeably though. What specifically are you interested in?

 

[jcat]

Our last shelter manager dabbled in homeopathic remedies (as opposed to "natural" ones like herbs). None of the staff saw any difference; in other words, it seemed like a complete waste of time.

 

[Daisy6]

Actual homeopathy (diluting something until no molecules of the original substance remain) cannot work. It would go against all physical properties of the universe.

Natural or herbal medicine is something entirely different. Many people use the terms interchangeably though. What specifically are you interested in?

Can you explain this? If it is physically impossible there would be no homeopathy.

 

[nati85]

Can you explain this? If it is physically impossible there would be no homeopathy.

Daisy, the guy that invented homeopathy established that the medicine was to be diluted x amount of times (usually ALOT) for it to work. I read it on Wikipedia. Most skeptics use this argument to back up their theory that is a scam.

I'm having a hard time believing that it could be a scam. I mean... could there be schools that teach this to actual doctors if it was a scam? "The school of scam". This are licensed doctors we are talking about that choose to major in homeopathy. I don't know... sounds funny to me.

It's like saying psychotherapy is a scam because they can't prescribe drugs or counselling.

 

[nati85]

Actual homeopathy (diluting something until no molecules of the original substance remain) cannot work; it would go against all physical properties of the universe.

Natural or herbal medicine is something entirely different. Many people use the terms interchangeably though. What specifically are you interested in?

Oh... I knew this but I did not realise until you said it. I did mean homeopathy, though.

I don't know if there are any vet naturopaths or herborists or similar. Do they exist? I wish they did.

 

[Daisy6]

You made up two words there. Veterinarians who specialize in natural medicine or alternative therapies are called holistic vets.

 

[xcourtney3]

What are you trying to treat/accomplish?

 

[Willowy]

Can you explain this? If it is physically impossible there would be no homeopathy.

Because people are always willing to throw money at snake oil salesmen.

I don't know if there are any vet naturopaths or herborists or similar. Do they exist? I wish they did.

There are. If you live in a big enough city, there's probably one nearby. You can find lists/guides online.

could there be schools that teach this to actual doctors if it was a scam?

Yes.


If it worked, we'd be in trouble. Any water we consume has less-than-a-molecule of every substance on Earth in it.

 

[Willowy]

You made up two words there.

No, just a bit of misspelling. Naturopaths and herbalists are real things.

I agree that searching for the umbrella term "holistic vet" would get the most results, but not all of them will be naturopaths or herbalists.

 

[silkenpaw]

W Willowy Yay for you for knowing exactly what homeopathy is. Just so much nonsense but it promises the world. Real medicine knows it can't promise you a rose garden and gets punished for it. Sigh.

 

[silkenpaw]

This are licensed doctors we are talking about that choose to major in homeopathy. I don't know... sounds funny to me.

Just goes to show that just because you were persistent enough to get a medical degree doesn't mean you are actually smart. I think most people who practice homeopathy are cynically taking advantage of people who don't know any better. That they find suckers is not surprising, considering that most people are scientifically and mathematically illiterate.

 

[nati85]

What are you trying to treat/accomplish?

I just want natural remedies to aid (not cure, aid) CKD. Natrual ways to *make it better*. Overall health with natural remedies as I use myself. Chamomile for my stomch. Thyme for the flu or respiratpry issues. Cranberry juice to flush out UTIs and so on...

 

[xcourtney3]

Have you seen this?
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Holistic Treatments

 

[nati85]

Have you seen this?
Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Holistic Treatments

Yes! Thank you! <3

That's actually how I thought about going to an homeopath. I'm not a vet so I didn't feel comfortable trying those things. When you don't know (like me) or you are not sure... you can actually hurt your kitty. So I thought I'd better see a qualified vet (who actually knows what s/he's is doing) that has a *natural* approach to treatment. And here I am... asking for opinions or testimonials.

 

[Daisy6]

This is a veterinarian directory:

American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association – The Leader, the Voice, the Resource for integrative holistic veterinary medicine

 

[molly92]

Homeopathy is the craziest scam out there! So many people of all education levels buy into it, which drives me nuts. The theory is that if something is causing a problem, like let's say, a poison, the antidote is to take that poison and dilute it down astronomically so that there is no trace of the poison left, but if you shake it really hard (I wish I was making this up), then the water molecules keep a "memory" of the poison and so they can somehow cure it. Also the more dilute it is, the more powerful it's supposed to be. It makes absolutely no sense. Surprise surprise, no reputable studies have ever been able to prove that homeopathic medicines actually work! Homeopathy was invented back when medicine was about balance of the humors and bloodletting and other practices that have not stood the test of time.

A very important caution about homeopathic medicines for pets and people: since they're not technically medicine, they're also not regulated very much, and they don't have to prove that they're safe like actual drugs do.

Moving on, the word "holistic" doesn't strictly mean natural. It means that there is a focus on keeping the entire body healthy in order to treat and prevent health problems rather than addressing problems individually. The theory there is that focusing just on one problem or one body system leads to tunnel vision and can negatively impact other body systems because they are all interconnected, whereas improving overall health has better success. (So diet, for example, plays a huge role in holistic medicine.) I really like this approach personally.

I try to assess treatments objectively, whether they are "natural" or not. There's lots of overlap with those labels too-sometimes a natural ingredient contains the exact same chemicals that a prescribed drug does, which is why they work, and it doesn't mean one is better than the other. Sometimes drugs are over-prescribed or have dangerous side effects. Sometimes natural treatments can be toxic. It all depends.

I'm sure you've read all about a low phosphorus diet for CKD. I don't know of much else out there. I would encourage you to research any ingredient extensively before feeding it, because the job of the kidney is to filter out toxins, so if they're not functioning well, you want to be extra careful to avoid anything that could be toxic.

 

[silkenpaw]

theory there is that focusing just on one problem or one body system leads to tunnel vision and can negatively impact other body systems because they are all interconnected, whereas improving overall health has better success.

Of course, the good doctors know this and are able to juggle all these factors in treating a patient. That's why they are good.