Flower essences address strength, balance and a range of psychological and emotional issues for animals and people alike. They may be called "metaphysical herbs" or herbs that work on a beyond-the-physical level. In contrast, allopathic medications, from prescription to over-the-counter drugs, work biochemically. Flowers essences, on the other hand, work on the spiritual or psychological state underlying the physical condition; they do not need to pass through the digestive system for absorption. They address the problem at the level of thought or emotion that precedes the physical disharmony. Healing with flowers is not new. Throughout time, fine-tuned survival instincts have...

Conventional medicine, as we know it, uses drugs to target areas where disease has control. Homeopathy looks at the whole patient and treats the individual, not the disease. In homeopathy, the individual’s reaction to the imbalance is the guiding process that determines the course of action. Signs of discomfort and abnormal function as well as emotional considerations are important for proper treatment. The homeopathic practitioner also takes into consideration the cat’s personality, the time of the year, whether the symptoms are getting worse, the time of day when the cat seems uncomfortable, past illnesses, what he eats, how he is...

Healing the Whole Patient Conventional medicine, as we know it, uses drugs to target a part of the body where disease has control. Homeopathy looks at the whole patient and treats the individual, not just the disease. In homeopathy, the individual's reaction to the imbalance is the guiding process that determines the homeopath's course of action. The signs of discomfort and abnormal function as well as any emotional considerations are the most important indicators for a proper treatment. The homeopathic practitioner also takes into consideration the personality of the dog, the time of the year that the symptoms tend to...

Why is real meat, as the first ingredient, so important in pet food? Meat is a basic natural food source for a carnivore, which our canines and felines are. Some may believe that our dogs and cats are omnivores; however, omnivores still utilize meat as their main source of protein. The most digestible, logical food for an animal with sharp teeth is meat. Grains and starches used in an unnatural proportion are indigestible and are a mere filler to keep the animal content, but not necessarily healthy. What is the significance of the word "meal" in pet food ingredients? A...

The Five Elements Each season is assigned an element: Spring is Wood, when Qi is in the liver and gallbladder.Summer is Fire, when Qi is in the heart and small intestine. Fall is Metal, when Qi is in the lungs and large intestine. Winter is Water, when Qi is in the kidneys and bladder. The two weeks between the seasons (solstice/equinox) is designated as the element Earth and Qi is in the stomach and spleen. The Chinese found that when the energy of the prevailing season is residing in its corresponding organ, diseases of those organs are more prevalent. For...

  Once you start to read about the possibilities of homeopathy and its enormous scope in treatment, you feel as if it is the absolute answer to everything that you may encounter with your dog. Don't succumb to this temptation. It takes many years to become proficient at using homeopathy properly. The ideal is to find a veterinarian trained in both traditional, as well as homeopathic medicine. Be sensible, and get the blood and other diagnostic tests done. There may be something going on you have missed that a good diagnostic work-up will reveal. There is no substitute for a...