Page 9 - Summer 22

He started chewing his feet again a week later and it stopped with a further dose of the medicine.
Six months later, the owner orders more medicine. Timmy is still fine but she gives him a dose every so often to be safe.
18 months after the first consultation, he is still fine. He still has some very mild itching symptoms at times, but the owner feels no need for further treatments. She does not use the medicine anymore.
From a technique point of view this case is rather unhelpful. What I wanted to show is that it is not necessary the individual symptoms that show the right way to a medicine: it is often the dynamic of the case. What makes this dog different from other dogs of the same breed living in similar circumstances? It is often a feeling, a sense. Where does this animal put his energy where this does not make sense or is not
needed? What does not make sense in the case? In this case a dog that seemed quite confident but was very clingy. The sense I got was that the clinginess was not a neediness of protection or jealousy or..: it was just a basic very important need, as if needing to be recognised to be there... and it had to be fully fulfilled or it was not good enough.
During a discussion on publishing cases in the MAG, we were told that some colleagues find cases like these unhelpful. They say they learn nothing from them. Others think that their cases are not up to ‘this level’ and therefore feel they should not publish them.
It is true that we all will practice differently. Amongst us are people who consider themselves ‘purists’ (homeopathy only, one remedy, one dose and wait and see, and nothing else) and those who use complex homeopathic medicines possibly alongside
other treatments. Homeopathy is a versatile medicine and can adapt to different needs and preferences in medicine.
The reason why I publish cases with unusual medicines is to encourage others to look beyond. We owe it to the patients to do the best we can: it increases our chances of being very effective. This does not stop me using carbo veg when patients are really near the end or arnica for injuries or a complex of remedies post-surgery. It is not always possible or necessary to find elusive homeopathic medicines.
But every case you have in your drawer is worth publishing. It is not only worth it, but also necessary for veterinary homeopathy.
Publishing cases witnesses to the world how generous homeopathy as a medical technique really is.
Edward de Beukelaer, UK
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