Homeopathy is a holistic and effective system of healing that assists the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. In homeopathy tiny doses of natural substances are used to stimulate the body’s own healing powers.

Homeopathic principles have been used in medicine since ancient times but were rediscovered by the German physician Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700’s.

Homeopathy was one of the most used healing systems in North America during the second half of the last century. In the early 1900’s, 15-20% of all doctors in North America were homeopaths. Due to powerful social and political forces, the homeopathic movement was overshadowed by the growing pharmaceutical industry. Today, we see an increase in the usage of homeopathic medicine as is provides a safe alternative to conventional medicine and has no harmful side effects.

Homeopathy works on a level of molecular energy sometimes referred to as the “vital force”, chi or prana. Disease can be seen as an imbalance in the energy of our body and the homeopathic remedy acts as a stimulant to this energy which can then overcome disease and re-establish balance in the system. The basic tenet is to accept that a sick individual is more than a broken watch.

A truly holistic approach, homeopathy is concerned with the treatment of the whole person or animal, as an individual, rather than the treatment of the specific disease. For this reason, homeopathy can be helpful in any illness – whether its origin is physical, mental or emotional. All aspects of the individual are taken into account as the homeopathic veterinarian examines the totality of the individual’s symptoms and how he/she responds to stress. Of interest to the homeopath will be the individual’s reaction to the external world, to different kinds of emotional and physical stress, to temperature changes, etc. A certain amount of observation will be required by the human caretaker in order to provide the characteristic symptoms which will help in selecting the most effective homeopathic medicine. The most interesting symptoms to the homeopath are often the symptoms that your conventional doctor or veterinarian is least interested in.

This description used by permission from Dr. Shulamit Krakauer