#22 Don Hamilton, DVM: Do nosodes really work?


What are nosodes and do they deserve the bad rap some vets give them? I asked my old friend and homeopathic vet colleague Dr. Don Hamilton to answer this in light of a Jean Dodds blog post saying they clearly don’t work. Not enough “science,” she said.

Don helps us understand where that opinion comes from: a faulty study done by Susan Wynn and Ron Schultz Ph.D. Don was actually contacted before the trial was set up and he made it clear: the study design was guaranteed to fail. Their knowledge of HOW to use nosodes properly was woefully lacking.

We discuss what a nosode is, why they are safe, and what methods to use to ensure success. Don has a great story from his early days of giving them to a kennel experiencing significant infectious disease problems in their boarders. The nosode brought great success, but new management put a stop to their use.

Whoops, up went the infectious disease! The kennel staff said, “Whoa, we need to start this up again!” and down went the incidence once more.

New management again, and same deal, all over again: stop the nosodes, the boarders got sick, sound the alarm and restart the nosodes, everything gets better. AGAIN!

Not double blind, placebo controlled, published research. But is that supposed “gold standard” necessary before we move forward with safe and effective natural remedies?

Not in my world!

Don’t miss this episode if you want the truth about nosodes from a long time homeopathic vet whose work helped inform how many of us use these remedies effectively.

Links for this episode

Have you found Dr. Hamilton's book yet? Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs

Vital Animal carries nosodes for parvo and distemper. You can order (and download my protocol) from this page: Parvo and Distemper Nosodes Kit

If it's natural immunity you're after, you can make the use of nosodes even more powerful by simultaneously feeding a potent immune booster to your pups. Our sister company, Vital Pet Health offers a "best in class" transfer factor based supplement, Canine Immune Complete. Click that link to learn more and order.

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[fusebox_transcript]
Next week: Dr. Andrea Tasi rejoins me to discuss cats as "canaries in the coal mine." If you're owned by a cat, you won't want to miss a minute of this one.

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27 Comments

  1. Barbara Kerns on February 17, 2024 at 4:16 am

    Do you have a list of veterinarians that use nosodes and could guide me in administering them?

    • Will Falconer, DVM on February 19, 2024 at 11:39 pm

      Great question, Barbara. I don’t have such a list, but I can tell you from experience, vets often use nosodes wrongly. Often with an allopathic mindset, instead of understanding homeopathy properly, an entirely different science.

      I have both a short course called Smart Vaccine Alternatives course available now and it’s deeper diving cousin, Nosodes, Tautodes & Titers, which opens for enrollment periodically. Both deal with nosode use, the 2nd one in great detail.

  2. Joy Oda-Morlang on June 24, 2022 at 11:14 am

    I’ve started using nosodes for parvo, distemper and heartworm. I still worry that my dog has developed immunity from the nosodes. Do I need to do titer tests to make sure he is protected?

    • Esther on July 9, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      Did you listen to the podcast at all?

  3. Joy on March 27, 2022 at 11:48 am

    I’m in Maine where deer ticks are everywhere and Lyme and coinfections are common. I pulled 6 ticks off my dogs head yesterday, temperature just over freezing, so they’re gearing up already.

    In the past I have given Ledum 1M 3x a day for 3 days for a Lyme prevention, following Stephen Tobin’s protocol, but that’s not something I want to do all the time.

    I can get a B. Bergdorforii nosode at 6X potency. How often should I give a lyme nosode, and will this also help the coinfections?

    • Will Falconer, DVM on March 28, 2022 at 8:47 pm

      I’d also not advise giving a Lyme nosode repeatedly to a dog. You’ll want to listen to episode with Dr. Cooney re: Lyme. Unless your dog is unwell, the odds of getting Lyme are quite slim and rarely fatal or even chronic.

  4. Beatrix Knoll on December 31, 2021 at 2:10 am

    Great episode!!!

    So if nosodes aren’t necessarily needed after puppyhood, how would I increase my dog’s antibodies for distemper and Parvo? My pup is now 8 yrs old, has only had her initial shots, is raw fed, and given supplements. Her recent titre test determined low antibodies towards these diseases.

    Thanks

    • Will Falconer, DVM on January 2, 2022 at 8:06 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the episode!

      Why do you feel the need to increase antibodies? Sounds like your understanding of titers needs some buffing up. Here’s a good article and here’s a good interview that should bring some light to this and let you relax, knowing your 8 year old dog’s immunity is just fine.

  5. Shelley on September 11, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    Dr. Falconer, Can Rabies Nosode cause the third eye lid in my dog to become pink/red and cover 1/4 to 1/2 of his eyeball? Thats the only thing that I can think of that has caused this. I was giving him the drops orally. Last year I gave it to him topically. I took him to the vet about a month ago and she diagnosed him with conjunctivitis. Gave me this cream to put in every 12 hours for 7 days. 7 days came and went and the eye lid is still out but not as red It is taking a long time to go back and look normal.

    • Will Falconer, DVM on September 19, 2021 at 10:36 am

      While I don’t advise a rabies nosode, no, it shouldn’t cause physical symptoms. If any remedy is dis-similar to the patient and is given long term, however, you can prompt the animal’s underlying chronic disease to start to show physically.

      Best bet is to hire a qualified homeopathic vet to guide you. I explain how to choose a good one on my Recommended Resources page.

  6. Debra H. on June 9, 2021 at 6:45 pm

    Dr. Falconer, I just happened to find your 2021 podcast with Don, and I’m thrilled to know he’s still around (somewhere)! I was a client (and friend) of his for several years in the 2000’s, and we had talked about that same animal shelter story. Also, for one of his extended trips, he gave me YOUR contact info should I need help while he was away. However, we lost touch when I had no more cats, but I am now in need of him once again and I can’t find him listed anywhere these days, plus the last email address I had for him seems to no longer work. Could you please, please let me know if you have his current contact info and if so, email it to me privately, or alternatively, could you ask him to contact me at my same email address (as provided for this comment section)?

    • Will Falconer, DVM on June 10, 2021 at 9:40 pm

      Hey Debra,
      I sent your email address to Don. I’ll let you two take it from there.

      • Debra H. on June 11, 2021 at 10:05 am

        Thank you so very much, Dr. Falconer! <3

  7. Vera Smith on April 13, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    I am about to take the “Covid” nosode for the first time and wanted some more information on nosodes. (I have never taken one before.) My homeopath gave me some information about them, but it was good to hear the animal experience.

  8. Korol Alvarado on March 23, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    Hi, Are there nosodes for cats for panleuk and fip?

    • Will Falconer, DVM on March 28, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      Definitely for panleuk, and I think for FIP as well. Ask your homeopathic vet if you’d like to get these.

  9. Lucia on January 28, 2021 at 11:30 am

    I am planning to get a standard poodle puppy from a breeder who is also a friend. I know she vaccinates the puppies at 6 and 9 weeks. I will ask her not to vaccinate my puppy, and I think she would comply, but will that put my puppy at risk, or the other puppies?

    I listened to the podcast on nosodes; my understanding is that my puppy could get parvo from the other puppies after they are vaccinated. If my puppy were to get the nosodes according to the protocol would that protect her?

    • Will Falconer, DVM on January 28, 2021 at 11:40 pm

      Dr. Hamilton mentions this “shedding” of virus possibly causing illness. I’ve never found that to be the case, but to be ultra-cautious, you can send the parvo nosode to your breeder and ask her to give it before the vaccine is given and weekly until your pup comes to you. Our kit includes both parvo and distemper nosodes for pups. They can be started at any age.

  10. Cindy Riley on January 26, 2021 at 7:48 pm

    This is great info! I just started my 4.5mo old pup on Parvo and Distemper nosodes. If we dose weekly (2x per week), can we give both on alternate days? This is different from the every other week dosage schedule but sounds more preventative. Thank you

    • Will Falconer, DVM on January 26, 2021 at 10:09 pm

      I wouldn’t, as parvo is the far greater risk, and we’d like the vital force of the pup to have a clear “message” at a time, not a mixed message.

      Distemper is much more rare, though equally deadly. You’d hear about it if it was in your community.

      Don’s protocol is parvo once a week, so you’d likely have as good a result as mine with twice a week.

      • Cindy Riley on January 27, 2021 at 8:24 am

        Thank you Dr Falconer – and I’m still a bit confused. Your protocol (unless I’m misunderstanding) is 2x per week of the Parvo nosodes, then the following week 2x per week of the Distemper, then back to Parvo, etc. Since parvo is the worst, is the puppy protected on the “off” weeks? Again – thank you so much…I would much rather support your efforts.

        • Will Falconer, DVM on January 27, 2021 at 9:26 pm

          Yes, I’ve never found that to be an issue, Cindy.

          I’d make an exception if there were recent parvo outbreaks (sick dogs with diarrhea on the premises) and a new pup was about to join the household. Then, I’d likely hold off on distemper and give the parvo nosode every week. I think once or twice wouldn’t matter much in that case, but I’d probably recommend twice a week until the dog is a good six months old.

  11. Jan Delsasso on January 26, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    Hi Dr. Will,

    Fantastic interview!
    Orion my Cavalier KCS was 1 year old on 11 Dec. 2020. I began G. McLeod’s schedule for parvo & distemper at 13 weeks. He eats Raw Wild and Vital Animal at your suggestion and is truly a Vital pup. His last monthly dose was in October. From what I understand form this discussion he has had all these nosodes he needs…correct?
    Many thanks for all your help.

    Best regards,
    Jan D

    • Will Falconer, DVM on January 26, 2021 at 10:07 pm

      Correct, Jan, time to stop. Unless there’s a distemper outbreak in your locale, in which case you could resume that one.

  12. Gail Dunsbee on January 26, 2021 at 11:59 am

    Excellent info, I have followed George Mcleod way, luckily I havent had any probs with my horses or dogs, however this certainly makes far more sense to me on a weekly or so basis. Mainly i have had rescue dogs so I end up giving them homeopathy to try and negate the damage done.
    Keep up the great info

    • Carrie on May 19, 2021 at 3:09 pm

      Hello, i love these podcasts. I live in N California where heartworm is really bad. Is there any way to detox the heartguard after you dose the dog? My dog has always had vomiting little bits of food and throwing up water (choking on water) worse after heartguard but when he was a pup he had heartworm. He was treated and cured but wow i never want to have him go through that again. Its just that last October after he had been having systemic yeast from compremised immune system the vet kept giving him antibiotics for a sore that hadn’t healed for over 4 yrs. Then as a senior dog with inflammation showing in the pathology from the sore they forced a rabies vax on him. First he had a episode where he couldn’t walk then extreme arthritis set in. He’s had 2 seizures since then when he shook his head hard probably from his ears, tremors in his rear legs usually while sleeping. The vet gave him yeast rx drops for his ears then he went completely def over night and lost half his vision. Hes still full of life but gets depressed because he used to know every word i said. The first thing i did after the forced rabies was i ordered anti-vaccinosis attemping to clear any damage it had done. Ive tried a couple homeopathic pellets for liver detox recently. Is there anyway to help him? Hes my companion dog beings we bonded so strongly when he had his heartworm disease treatments when he was less than a yr old and i was on a picc line for 3 yrs for lyme and babesiosis. His recent labs show he has antibodies to Ehrlicia (100-150) which i believe is low from a tick he had in his ear over 8 yrs ago. He was treated with doxy immediately but i know these tick born illnesses seem to lay dormant until stress, a vaccine, allergies etc trigger them out of hiding.
      I appropriate your knowledge and hope more vets learn your knowledge.
      Sincerely
      Carrie

      • Will Falconer, DVM on May 19, 2021 at 9:27 pm

        Hi Carrie,

        What you describe is a chronically ill dog, one who’s not only immune compromised but likely suffering from dysbiosis for years from all the antibiotics he’s been given. Is chronic disease DIY to fix? No. It takes a professional to help, ideally a qualified homeopathic vet. Is it a quick fix? No, again. He’s had years of illness and it can take 1/2 the amount of time he’s been ill to truly cure him.

        I’d recommend hiring a homeopathic vet. I outline how on my Recommended Resources page, at the AVH link (I put a video there to make it easier).

        HW detox is the least of your worries, but if you want to use an excellent detox, use Vital Animal Detox. Daily is best, as toxins are now pretty much in the air, rain, and soils, thanks to Monsanto’s efforts.

        Better yet, get off the HW monthly pesticides altogether. Join the hundreds who live where HW is endemic but test negative year after year by using my drug-free heartworm prevention protocol.

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