Beware Misinformation from “Experts”
It seems Facebook has been all aglow with concerns spread by Jean Dodds that parvo nosodes do not protect puppies from parvovirus.
She cites a paper (out of print) published by none other than Dr. Ron Schultz, PhD, a well known immunologist of the University of Wisconsin and veterinarian Susan Wynn.
Jean, a hematologist, boldly says,
5 out of 7 nosode treated dogs against parvovirus passed away.
Let’s get this clear. Homeopathic nosodes are not effective against parvovirus. Nosodes were tested in a clinical trial where the dogs were literally exposed to parvovirus after receiving nosodes. The majority of dogs died.”
In conclusion, she quotes Susan Wynn: “Until well designed studies are completed…nosodes remain an unknown quantity, and I do not recommend using them…”
The key words here are “well designed studies.”
I’ll show you why this study, causing all the uproar (and even censorship by Jean for those who’ve had only positive experiences with nosodes) clearly does not meet that worthy goal.
The Flawed Study
Every scientific paper has a Materials and Methods section within it.
It tells us exactly how the researchers conducted their study.
As the study Jean Dodds cited was published in 1998, in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and their available database only goes back to 2000, it effectively means we may never see the study.
Which means we may never know exactly:
- Where the parvo nosode originated
- What protocol of administration was used
- WHEN the final nosode dose was given before the live virus was unleashed
That last point turns out to be critical, and, according to my inside source, Dr. Don Hamilton, likely why the nosode failed to protect the animals against the parvovirus they were challenged with.
You see, one of the known limits of nosodes is that they have a short window of protection.
Somewhere along the lines of several days to a week.
Now, I say “known” but you’ll still find people, even so-called homeopaths, who don’t understand this.
A common nosode protocol in the past that apparently originated from an allopathic-minded homeopathic veterinarian, George MacLeod, is still in use today.
So, when Jean Dodds says…
Parvovirus nosodes given orally and in ascending potencies in a manner recommended by veterinary homeopaths…
…what she’s referring to is this old protocol that went something like this:
- A 30C potency of the nosode is given daily for a week, then
- A 200C potency of that nosode is given weekly for a month, then finally
- A higher potency, probably 1M or 10M, is given every few months.
This is very allopathic thinking applied to homeopathic remedy use.
While a high potency of a simillimum (i.e. a person’s constitutional remedy) might have positive effects lasting for months, a nosode is a very dissimilar medicine to the person or pet taking it.
It’s only highly similar to the disease, not the patient.
In other words, its effects are only based on the similarity between the disease organism itself and the nosode made from the disease discharge, in this case parvovirus laden stool.
That similarity is why nosodes work well against infectious diseases, but only when used properly.
Warning! (Ignored by the Chief Researcher)
In Episode 22 of the Vital Animal Podcast, my homeopathic colleague Don Hamilton points out that Susan Wynn, before undertaking this parvo nosode study, discussed it with him.
He was a wise choice for Susan to consult with, as he’s been close to nosode use for years, and had first hand experience with them in a kennel setting. (You can tune into the episode for those interesting details)
As Don recalls, they were planning to vaccinate one group of pups, use nosodes on another, and after a two week waiting period, expose them to live parvovirus.
Don explained in no uncertain terms that this protocol was doomed to fail.
Nosodes don’t work that way, he explained.
Sadly, for the pups who died unnecessarily (and for you, perhaps, being seeded with doubt that nosodes are a sound alternative to vaccines), Susan ignored his warning.
The study, flawed as it was, proceeded in spite of Don’s explanation.
And then, even knowing that, she published and she to this day still tells people that we studied nosodes, and they don’t work. And this study was simply set up incorrectly.” — Don Hamilton, DVM, in Episode 22
Is Truth a Product of Repetition of a Falsehood?
Here we are today, 24 years since the study was published, and Jean Dodds is quoting this same research as “proof” that nosodes don’t work.
Is Jean a homeopath, capable of evaluating this study critically?
Clearly not.
If the study was set up incorrectly, the advice of a homeopathic expert ignored, and the puppies improperly given nosodes died, what conclusion should be drawn?
Only one, in my mind: the research proved clearly that nosodes do not provide long term protection.
But we who’ve studied nosodes and used them in practice, already know that and have for decades.
MacLeod was wrong, assuming monthly or semi-yearly nosode administration would protect against infectious disease long term.
Does Jean Dodds think she’s doing a service to animal owners by trotting out this poorly designed study over and over again?
In repetition, does misinformation somehow become true?
What would you call this if not misinformation?
Hey Facebook censors, where are you now?
An Age of Caution
We live in an age where anyone can state anything as fact.
We’ve seen the gross manipulation of the media recently assuring the world that the COVID-19 “vaccine” was both safe and effective, while neither has been borne out in the real world.
Like the main stream media, “influencers” and “experts” can spread misinformation widely and a certain segment of the populace will take it as truth.
Now, probably as never before in our history, information has to be looked at very carefully, from more than one source, and judged critically before you act upon it.
If your choice is to vaccinate, that’s fine, but do so intelligently, knowing there are very real safety concerns.
Know also, without a doubt, that there’s zero logic to repeatedly vaccinating your animals throughout their adult lives.
That just plain doesn’t even work, according to veterinary immunologists, chief among them, Dr. Ron Schultz.
And if you choose to use nosodes as an alternative, use them with a clear understanding of their limits as well as their potential to help keep your youngsters safe.
The protocol I advise was arrived at by a “think tank” of homeopathic vets back in the mid-90’s, hosted by Don Hamilton.
Relying on flawed studies by “experts” will get you nothing but trouble for those animals you seek to keep safe.
Let us know in the comments: have you used nosodes? Properly? To good effect? Or have you been scared away from them, perhaps, by false warning flags like the Wynn study?
I was at a seminar that Dr. Schultz gave many years ago. He spoke about the rabies challenge work he was doing to prove that immunity lasted at least 7 years from the vaccine if that’s the way people went. Most do go the vaccine route. I have to wonder if he is out there pushing for the 7 year plan. It has been a long time. I also asked him about nosodes and he emphatically stated that they didn’t work and didn’t want to be questioned about the protocol. Makes me wonder if he is just another doctor working for big Pharma. Fortunately, I think the tide is turning and people are becoming aware of the dangers of these injections for people and our pets.
Thanks for this blog.
I am left wondering how would you have done the study differently? how would you have designed the nosode part of the trial?
The flaw in the study was the lag time from nosode to challenge. I’d have given the nosodes at a maximum 5-7 days before the challenge with the live virus. Odds are high, none of these pups would have died of parvo.
Dr. Falconer, so if you suggest the flaw in the study was the dogs needed to have received the Nosode 5-7 days before exposure, why do you (based on Dr. Hamilton’s experience and advice) recommend the Parvo Nosode 2x per week one week, then the Distemper Nosode 2x per week and so on? Won’t this mean that the puppy won’t be receiving each nosodes every 7 days (at a minimum)?
How do you recommend the 2x per week part of the protocol? I am guessing you could do:
(1) both nosodes on Sunday
(2) only Parvo on Wednesday
(3) both Nosodes the next Sunday
(4) only Distemper the next Wednesday
…. And so on?
I am trying to make sure I understand how to use these right.
So Dr. Falconer, since you are mentioning Jean Dodds and her Nutriscan test (which I did for my dog)… are you saying we should take the results of this test with a grain of salt? My dog had “sensitivities” to 3 proteins, two of which I know for certain he never had (rabbit and venison). Is it even possible to be sensitive to something he’s never had?
A big grain of salt, yes, but more importantly, why spend money to find out what long list of allergens your dog supposedly is reactive to? More often than not, it’d be impossible to avoid them all, as many are environmental.
More to the point: does this test get you any closer to curing the allergies?
Clearly not.
But a qualified homeopathic vet CAN cure that state. I describe how to choose one on my Recommended Resources page, even if none are near you.
Do you ever recommend giving a parvo shot to animals, beyond their first puppy shots? If not, what do you recommend?
I don’t even recommend the puppy shots, so no. Nosodes for distemper and parvo, and evaluate your need for rabies, which is best protected against with two vaccines, if you deem your risk is moderate to high for exposure where/how you live.
Hi, below is my Parvo nosode schedule I gave to my pup from the time she was 7.5 weeks old. (She was born May 30, 2021
I bought parvo Nosodes from a very reliable source (one of your homeopathic colleagues) and administered them per their directions. I kept my Nosodes (& still do) in a protective emf bag.
For the first 11.5 months I was very careful where I took my pup. I still took her out but wasn’t careless, like dog parks etc. She had her first heat at 9.5-10 mos. Has always been fed a raw diet.
We went on a camping trip when she was almost a year old. I thought she was old enough to start taking her places. Long story short- she contracted parvo on that trip. She was in the hospital for 6 days.
Thankfully she came through the Parvo and is a healthy adult dog.
BUT: she got sick with Parvo even though I faithfully followed my homeopathic advice and schedule using the Parvo Nosodes
(My homeopathic vet told me it was highly unusual that she got Parvo)
Parvo nosode schedule
7/21/21 Wednesday @ 6:11am
(1/2 dropper)
7/22/21 Thursday @ 6:12am
7/23/21 Friday @ 6:08am
7/24/21 Saturday @ 6:02am
7/25/21 Sunday @ 6:45am
7/26/21 Monday @ 6:07am
7/27/21 Tuesday @ 6:07am
7/28/21 Wednesday @ 6:04am
8/4/21 Wednesday @ 7:00am
extra dose 8/9/21 Monday 5:55am
Extra dose 8/10/21 Tuesday 5:57am
8/11/21 Wednesday @ 6:00am
8/18/21 Wednesday @ 6:12am
8/25/21 Wednesday @ 8:12am
9/1/21 Wednesday @ 6:20am
Extra Incase exposure
9/8/21 Wednesday @ 5:45am
Extra Incase of exposure
9/09/21 Thursday @ 6:16am
Extra Incase of exposure
9/22/21 Wednesday @ 7:40am
10/04/21 Sunday @ 6:00pm (ish) precaution of exposure
10/14/21 Thursday @ 4:51 (Incase of exposure on Monday/11th)
10/17/21 Sunday @ 6:45am (Incase of exposure)
11/1/21 Monday @ 8:56am
11/10/21 Wednesday @ 8:28am
12/01/21 ? Not sure
12/14/21 Tuesday @ 7:20am
1/05/2022 Wednesday @ 6:14am
1/17/2022 Monday @ 8:15pm
*Giving extra due to Paxie at Vets office
1/26/22 Wednesday @ 7:20pm
1/27/22 Thursday @ 8ishpm
1/28/22 Friday @ 8ish pm
2/16/22 Wednesday @ 8:36am
3/2/22 Wednesday @ 7:10am
3/16/22 Wednesday @ 6:52am
3/30/22 Wednesday @ 6:23am
4/30/22 Saturday @ 7:15am
Gave Parvo Nosodes 7:00am 5/6/2022
Because she was sick (she tested positive for Parvo)
*Any thoughts on why the Parvo Nosodes didn’t protect my pup?
Sure: no clue where your nosodes originated, how they were prepared and stored, etc.
My “homeopathic colleague” is an unknown, and I’ve seen a non-vet woman with a hodge podge website selling nosodes that I’d avoid like the plague. She can’t even string sentences together, so I’d have a hard time trusting her to handle nosodes properly.
No one using the nosodes I sell, following my protocol, has had a parvo break, to my knowledge. Buyer beware, as in all things.
I am still learning, but one guess I have would be that you sheltered your pup from developing a natural immunity while young. If I understand correctly, the nosodes should be used (and of course Dr. Falconer mentioned preparation and quality of the nosodes is very important) as a support while the puppy is given intentional controlled natural exposure (in dog parks for example) starting around twelve weeks. The goal here is to allow the puppy to develop a natural lifetime immunity (not from the nosodes, but from controlled regular exposure), so you do not have to be dependent on nosodes. They can be used for support in the future, but hopefully puppy has already developed natural life-time immunity by 9 months. Is this correct, Dr. Falconer?
Melody, you’ve outlined the BEST immune practice for pups, yes.
Thank you so much for responding to Dr. Dodds Facebook post. As a holistic vet, I have been recommending your distemper/parvo nosode protocol and my heart sank when I saw her Facebook post. I knew where this was heading and didn’t want my clients to feel I steered them in the wrong direction. Fortunately not one of my clients have asked about her post 🙂 but now I have your well thought out response to share.
Many Blessings
Thanks, Jennifer, I hope this helps your clients. All the best in your practice.
WF
Thank you for sharing this article with me Dr. Jen. x Dixie started her Parvo nosodes from Dr. Falconer today, and next week she will start Distemper, thanks to your recommendation and sorting this out for me. Much gratitude to you both.
and yet again we, the pet parents, who are appointed to be the voice of our animals are left to muddle through the black hole of division amongst “professionals”….. so tired 😫
Dr. Wil, I am SO happy and grateful you weighed in on this “hot topic”. I bought your course and nosode kit years ago.
I read her post and became so upset knowing you and Dr. Todd Cooney (for two) have had great success using nosodes (notably parvo nosode) in practice. Frustrated by her hubris and censorship for any other conclusion. I’ll have to chalk up her poor study and consequent [wrong] results to ignorance. Why is she threatened by something so effective as Homeopathic Nosodes? I’m left wondering why she would do this and who’s paying for her research. Nosodes deserve proper accolades and guidance from a trained and skilled homeopath.
Nosodes worked perfectly on my puppy (who just turned one and sailed through her first heat cycle). I followed Dr. Will’s protocol to the “T” and her titers were great afterwards. Hazel came to me at 8 weeks old with one puppy shot already administered and she was ITCHY!!! Non-stop scratching. I didn’t know what to do. My homeopathic vet turned her around with one dose of a remedy. I was so happy to have nosodes as an alternative, for subsequent shots would not have worked out well for her.
Titers are not a byproduct of nosode use, just FYI. While they protect well (used properly, as I mentioned), they are not physical, so they don’t protect by titer creation (antibodies). I suspect you either did Natural Exposure or perhaps this pup, while on nosodes, just got out and got exposed to the virus. In the end, that’s how titers are best achieved anyway: a resistant pup developing antibodies from living in the real world.
And kudos to your homeopathic vet for being able to treat that itchiness so effectively with a remedy!
Yes, my pup got both natural exposure as directed in a busy neighborhood dog park, plus she was out every day on walks – sniffing, meeting & greeting. Most well-socialized dog we have ever owned.
Excellent! Strong immunity, likely lifelong. She was exposed in a controlled fashion, while under the influence of nosodes. No vaccine on the planet can create what your pup has received. Great work, Laura!