How to Administer Homeopathic Remedies to Animals

When used cautiously and knowledgeably , homeopathic remedies can be an excellent way to treat rescue animals and your pets at home. Generally homeopathic remedies will not create side effects or unnecessary problems if given in the correct potency and dose. The potency is the strength of the remedy and the dose is quantity, both often being confused with one another. In most cases what is most important in avoiding side effects is the size of the dose. When given correctly, homeopathic remedies will gently and rapidly resolve many ailments both mental and physical and do it without aggravations and side effects.

This article will teach you how to care for rescue animals and your own pets at home using homeopathic remedies. Here we will focus on the proper dose and method for administering the remedies. The following suggestions for using homeopathic remedies are for educational purposes.

Most homeopathic remedies are available at local health food stores or online homeopathic pharmacies and come in solid forms called globules, pillules or tablets.

1. Purchase the correct homeopathic remedy for the situation at hand. A homeopathic practitioner or homeopathic reference book will indicate which remedy and what potency to use for various ailments.

2. Fill a 1 ounce glass dropper bottle approximately half full of distilled or high quality bottled water.

3. Dissolve one larger globule or tablet in the water. If using tablets crush first with a spoon between two pieces of wax paper or in a plastic baggie and shake into the water. Do not touch the dry remedy with your hands. Shake the solid remedy into the cap of its container and then place in the water. If you have the poppy seed sized pillules place 3-5 in the water. Use tweezers to transfer dry remedy if necessary. Wait for remedy to dissolve completely.

4. If you need to preserve the homeopathic remedy for future use for more than one day, add some high volume alcohol like Vodka, Everclear or Brandy. The amount will be about ¼ of the glass dropper bottle volume, about ¼ ounce.

5. Cover the homeopathic remedy and keep in a cool, dark cabinet that doesn’t contain any substance with strong odors. Do not refrigerate. This stock remedy is called the medicinal solution.

6. To administer homeopathic remedies to animals, add to a glass about 2-3 ounces of water. This is called a dilution cup. Add 3-5 drops of the homeopathic remedy you made earlier from medicinal solution bottle. Stir lightly. This will remove the taste of alcohol and reduce the size of the dose mitigating aggravations. In an extremely sensitive animal, extra dilution cups may be added on the advice of your practitioner.

7. Using an eyedropper or syringe remove a small quantity of the diluted homeopathic remedy from the glass and dribble a few drops onto your pet’s lips or into his mouth. Do not touch the dropper to the animal’s lips or mouth due to avoid contaminating the remedy.

8. If you are unable to give the homeopathic remedy directly to the animal, place the dose on top of a small portion of food and wait to be sure the animal ingests it.

9. Repeat remedy as required under the supervision of a homeopathic practitioner or other well informed source.

10. If repetition is necessary, before doing so, hold the medicinal dilution bottle in one and firmly slap the bottom of the bottle while giving it a good shake on the palm of the other hand about 5 times. Then follow the steps above to make another repetition. Do this action called succussing in between each dose to slightly alter the potency of the homeopathic remedy making it more effective.

Tips

• If no dropper bottle is available you may mix the dry remedy in a glass cup with 2-3 ounces of water and if preserving, add about ½ ounce of alcohol. Cover and store in a cool, dry cupboard for a few days as long as needed. Administer the same way as mentioned above. For repetitions, stir the medicinal solution mixture in the glass vigorously about 20 times before diluting into the second cup and before giving the dose.
• Buy one or more homeopathic remedy first aid books on veterinary care and general homeopathy to learn more about the remedies and how to use them.
  

Warnings

• Less is best in homeopathy. Do not repeat doses of homeopathic remedies indiscriminately. If you do not have a homeopathic practitioner refer to the suggestions below in the resource section for finding one.
• In a serious, life threatening emergency homeopathic remedies may be used to stabilize an animal, but seek veterinary care immediately.

See my article on general methods for providing homeopathic pet care for rescue animals. The suggestions offered for homeopathic pet care are not meant to be a substitute for good veterinary medical care for rescue cats and dogs, rather adjunct therapies to assist the animal to settle in after being captured. The information offered in this article is for educational and informational purposes only.