Ready? Or Not?
I’m in! I want this for my animals!
Homeopathic medicine can bring downright exciting results to animals treated properly with it. Humans, too, of course, but I mostly deal with animals.
Chronic, grinding, bothersome diseases like the itchy, smelly ears that would never improve. Seizures that necessitate constant drugging to stay at bay. Joint disease that all but cripples a young dog, too young for the arthritis diagnosis.
When these things just let go, after a proper remedy, and the animal comes out of treatment full of enthusiasm again, shiny of coat and gleaming in the eyes, you can’t help but smile. You’ve just seen a miracle.
Miracle?
Well, it sure seems like one. A lot of hard work went into it, of course, searching for symptoms, modalities that make those symptoms better or worse, trying to see the remedy that most closely matches those symptom patterns in the patient, deciding what potency to use, to repeat or not to repeat the dose.
And then evaluating the response or lack thereof. What got better? What didn’t? What’s new? And, what’s next?
But BOOM, when the remedy is well chosen and the dose was correct, and the repetition or its lack was well done, Way Better emerges. Wow! emerges.
“I’d forgotten he used to do that!” “She played like I haven’t seen her play since she was a pup!”
Shout!
And you want to tell everyone. Shout the glories of homeopathy from the rooftops, to your grocer, your office mate, your mother in law! And they might look at you with that “Bless her heart” pity, smile wanly, and move on to their next distraction.
I’ve had a few clients eagerly send people to me. Friends, family, acquaintances. People who should have never come. People who, when they got here, were obviously not expecting to hear what I have to say, to answer the myriad of questions I need to ask about their animals, or to even consider that they could be doing healthier things for their animals that I suggest they might want to consider.
Squirm.
I try to be gentle. I can be very understanding. I don’t push, but suggest, explain, give examples. But I can see in their faces that they wish they weren’t here. That this is not their model of a veterinary visit. That it’s just too much for them to shift gears into.
And so, it goes nowhere. In one instance, after I spelled out the possibilities of what “getting better” could look like, I could see in the sick dog’s owner’s eyes that that wasn’t desirable or even acceptable. Disease + drugs for life was far preferable to the picture I was painting. So I never even prescribed a homeopathic medicine. The dog and his human went home. Never to know the glorious possibility of miracle that could come to be.
After having had a handful of cases like this, where zealous clients have proclaimed, unsolicited, to other animal owners, that they just HAVE TO see Dr. Falconer for this poor animal’s condition, I now quietly ask the client to please send them to my website first. So they can get a taste of who I am, how I see health and disease, how I treat illness.
And prevent the awkwardness of landing in a place where they didn’t want to be.
Patience.
All things need to come when they are ready. Pushing holistic or homeopathic medicine on someone who is not seeking it doesn’t help that person or homeopathic medicine.
Best just to share your miracle with those who are genuinely interested. It’s yours, after all. And your animal’s.
I often have a hard time detaching from those I encounter who explain various tales of woe regarding the ongoing chronic, nagging health issues of their pets… or when I agree to pet-sit for a friend and upon arriving, the stench from the litterbox is on the level of biological warfare, and they have clue zero that it doesn’t have to be that way and that the cat is telling them something. Hearing these doting owners detail the endless conventional vet visits, the litany of steroid, antibiotic, antifungal, invasive, or otherwise suppressive treatments, that though have not helped their pets, they keep continuing to follow and pursue.
Those who know me have witnessed the stunning effects of homeopathy, but they too are often skeptical or afraid of how it works, or what it entails.
So I try to lead by example. If they clearly are not open to homeopathy, I offer nutrition. If not raw, then better than average store-bought. And I know many people who have taken the nutrition advice… that’s good enough for me and a step up from where they were- even if they go no further into holistic solutions.
Anymore, I am very open and clear. I don’t assume everyone wants this path. I know not everyone will accept it. I am very detailed in explaining just how detail-oriented and observational good homeopathic symptom reporting and remedy administering can be. I am blunt. “Are you ok with analyzing the color/texture/odor/frequency of Sparky’s poop?” For example. 🙂 If they don’t shudder at the thought, then I invite them to check out your website. And I tell them to read it all. And that it will take a while. And then, and only then, if it makes sense and sounds like something they are open to trying, to email or give a call. And I tell them it isn’t for everyone, and that is ok.
Thanks for you thoughtful comment, Natalie.
This kind of health care isn’t for everybody, that’s for sure. It really appeals to those who are interesting in proactively managing their animal’s health, and therefore, often their own.
And more often than I’d like, I end up being the DVM, DLR (Doctor of Last Resort!). And that’s okay, too. I do what I can for those I can help, but in the end, the folks who care for the animals have to step up significantly for this medicine to work. If you’re used to handing over your animal’s health to Dr. WhiteCoat, it probably isn’t going to be a fit, this homeopathic, natural care approach. It is, as you point out and can attest to, more work. But the rewards are greater as well, so you get out what you are willing to put in.
It frustrates me to think of anyone sitting in your office not wanting to be there! Had I had the income necessary I would have applied to come see you in a heartbeat, and I also would never think to send someone to you without first knowing where they stand on their companion’s health. I recently moved back to Saint Louis, MO…..from Austin. (was there 2 years) While in Austin I had a hard time finding a Vet I could see eye-to-eye with regarding some seemingly simple issues. I never did settle down with one. I found one practicioner at Premier Animal Hospital that I felt (although not holistic) was not pushy with the medications, and he also had at least a basic understanding of a raw diet. Unfortunately, it was not my dog, Duke, that ever needed to be seen by him! I also switched my dog over to an all raw diet a year ago (S.A.D. Dog Sushi)….once I made this decision I knew it would be even harder to find someone! I was referred to a practice in South Austin where the treatment is mostly holistic…but again just did not get that great vibe from the vet I saw…and I knew they probably could not comapare to your practice. Alas, I do regret that I could never come in. 🙂 Duke has been vet-free for the past year! I took the raw food route to attempt to address Duke’s allergy/skin issues….I was not willing to pay for all kinds of tests when changing what he ate could possibly work. Thankful that I chose to do so …Duke has not been into the vet in the past year. A simple matter of giving him porbiotics has helped control his tendency towards “Yeastie Infections” … hard to understand the masses of people who prefer to go straight to antibiotics and harsh medicines…save those for if it’s necessary! 🙂 I know I need to bring him in to get some bloodwork done, but I just don’t know what to ask for. Anywho — I am glad you have gotten to see the miracles of healing with your clients. I hope in the future every practice will be mostly holistic, but until then…. thank you for your webpage!!
It’s sounds like you’re doing fine, Gretchen, and thanks for your kind thoughts. You can’t go wrong with balanced raw food and probiotics.
In general, blood tests are secondary to symptoms in the hierarchy of importance. In fact, I’ll be in the November issue of Dogs Naturally (a great holistic dog mag, btw, if you haven’t seen it yet) discussing just this: Treating the animal, not the numbers!
So, symptoms are a good indication there’s something going on. I’ve got a page about this here. My clients log symptoms and learn what the patterns are in them (this one is worse at night, that one after eating, etc.). You could do this also, and when you’re ready to call in a homeopathic vet, you’ll be way ahead of the game!
I think I wish you had a clone and a practice in Boston,MA!! 🙂 Elizabeth
That’s kind of you, Elizabeth. Check my Resources page and see if you might have someone there. If not, I work by telephone as well as seeing patients locally.
Dr. Will, I can certainly empathize with the position you’ve been put in by clients’ enthusiasm…faced same thing working for an indie Health Store, helping my bosses educate the friends of our customers, in how to use nutritional supplements. They were not prepared for having to take charge of their own health, as the bewildered friends of your clients were not prepared for instruction in how to give homeopathics, or the results they should look for. Or the need to call you back, I’m sure, with detailed reports on their pets’ progress. Excellent idea, having them referred first to your website. Prevents a lot of glazed eyes looking back at you, and a lot of frustration for you! Gives them a good baseline of understanding about the territory they are about to enter! In this country, Homeopathy is quite a Brave New World for most pet owners!
Very true, Doria. And the “taking responsibility for health” is a big part of its success. You’ve got to be very involved, tracking symptoms, seeing trends, etc. Much more hands on than just dropping an animal off to Dr. Whitecoat and picking her up again later that day. Homeopathy wouldn’t work well without lots of owner feedback to guide the prescriber. We need to work as a team: animal, caregiver, homeopath.
Not everyone wants to step up to such a big responsibility.
Thanks, Dr. Falconer, for this thoughtful post. You mention itchy ears that persist even after careful cleaning in cats. Is there a general homeopathic remedy, or must it be tailored for each particular cat?
Thanks, Joyce
Hi Joyce,
I wish it were easier, but any time there’s a chronic symptom, like itchy ears, skin allergies, achy joints, etc. homeopathy will only work when we treat the Whole Animal who has that chronic illness. It takes appointment time and digging deeply into who this cat is, attached to these itchy ears.
In acute illness, like an injury, sudden vomiting because of eating something foul, a bee sting, etc. it’s much simpler, and more “one size fits all.”
Make sense?