Page 7 - Spring 17

Response to AVMA 2017
by Sara Fox Chapman and Petra Weiermayer
About veterinary homeopathic practice
Homeopathic veterinarians are all conventionally trained veterinarians. We understand disease and health as do our conventional colleagues. We use conventional diagnostics and therapeutics as appropriate. We have added homeopathy as another tool with which to help animals in our care. Homeopathic veterinarians have chosen to study and use homeopathy because we have seen benefits to patients. There is also significant research evidence supporting the effectiveness of veterinary homeopathy.
Please look at the research page of our website, our power point presentation, and our letter to the editor, on the review of Doehring and Sundrum published in the Veterinary Record in December 2016. These summarise the current state of research in veterinary homeopathy. A more detailed version can also be read there (Long Press release IAVH). Please see also a review on a master thesis performed by a human doctor (Melanie Woelk) on research in homeopathy, with the conclusion that homeopathy is an evidence based medicine.
Research of the crucial question whether veterinary homeopathy works according to the rules for evidence-based medicine (EBM) has to be performed. Currently, there are two evidence class 1a reviews, and one evidence class 1a meta-analysis, stating positive outcome for veterinary homeopathy, as well as one out of two evidence class 1b studies stating
positive outcome for veterinary homeopathy, so veterinary homeopathy could be classified as evidence based. More high quality research is certainly needed.
Please have a look at our website – the most recent topics, like research, can be seen here: https://www.iavh.org/en
At our new website the research topic is still under construction.
For FAQ’s on homeopathy we would like to refer to the website of the HRI (Homeopathy Research Institute) we are working together with regard to research: https://www.hri-research.org/resources/homeopathy-faqs For further information on research in homeopathy please see here: https://www.hri-research.org/hri-research
The ECH (European Committee for Homeopathy) and the UK Faculty of Homeopathy: http://homeopathyeurope.org/de/research http://facultyofhomeopathy.org
Certify and examine medical and veterinary professionals in the practice of homeopathy, and their websites also discuss current research efforts.
With regard to standardised education, practice, etc in homeopathy we would like to refer to the CEN standard of our human colleagues from the ECH (European Committee for Homeopathy), with whom we work closely. We are planning to establish a CEN standard for veterinary homeopathy, in the future.
The IAVH provides the IAVH certificate for schools and teachers – for further details please have a look at our website: https://www.iavh.org/en/for-veterinarians/iavh-certification
An epileptic Yorkshire Terrier by Jacques Millemann (France)
One has to understand the symptom to prescribe!
Anamnesis
Once upon a time (nearly 20 years ago) I saw a male Yorkshire terrier about 8 years old coming from Nice with epileptic fits. During the fit he is comatose and urinates. “He is an old grumbler sulking in his corner!”, says his owner. He likes being alone in his corner or in the corridor. His fur is greasy, dirty. He stumbles when walking. His stools are hard and infrequent and difficult to expel. He is overall worse on holidays in the mountains than on a walk in Nice at 6 pm. His mood is now worse, he stumbles more and has more fits.
First repertorisation and prescription
Chosen rubrics:
Bladder; P; URINATION; Involuntary; convulsions, during (16)
Mind; P; UNCONSCIOUSNESS, coma; General; convulsions; during (65) Mind; P; BROODING (81)
Prescription:
Plumbum 30 C, a single dose.
Follow up
On the second morning an angry phone call from the owner: the dog got the remedy at noon and had 7 consecutive epileptic fits.
Reflexions
Such an aggravation let me think that we are very near to the Simillimum, but not quite. How can a dog feel better having a walk in Nice than in the pure mountain air?
There is an enormous difference: in town in the road traffic a Yorkshire terrier has its nose right in the height of the cars’ exhaust pipes! And at the time there was lead in the petrol.
2nd prescription: Plumbum tetraethylicum 30C (found in Boericke)
This time complete success! The little dog didn’t have any more epileptic fits!
5