Homeopathy
A number of case studies exist to demonstrate the effectiveness of homeopathy:
A small research study at the University of Bristol’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Science looked at the homeopathic treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs (an itchy, chronic skin disease). 20 dogs were recruited to the study from a referral sample seen in the veterinary dermatology clinic at the University of Bristol, with the dogs entering the study having positive reactions to multiple non-seasonal allergens. Some dogs continued to receive conventional drugs whilst all dogs were prescribed individualised homeopathic medicines by the vet. After two months the owners of 15 of the dogs reported no improvement, whilst the owners of the other 5 dogs reported pruritus scores that were at least 50% improved, with one of the five dogs improved by 100% and needing no further treatment. The 4 dogs that responded well in the first phase were then put forward into a blinded randomised trial in which they received their homeopathic prescription at some times and a placebo at other times – 3 of these dogs completed this phase of the study and all improved more with the active remedy, and owners were able to distinguish correctly which pill was which.
A kennel in Oxfordshire experienced a kennel cough outbreak and Dr Chris Day was invited to control the outbreak. OF 40 dogs in the kennel, 18 had been vaccinated against kennel cough, 22 had not. All vaccinated dogs had developed a cough, whereas only 19 of the 22 unvaccinated dogs had developed a cough. A kennel cough nosode was given to all the dogs who subsequently entered the infected boarding premises – one dose on entry and twice daily for three days. 214 dogs entered the kennel during the rest of the summer, all of whom received the nosodes – 64 had been conventionally vaccinated, 150 had received no vaccination prior to entry. 3 of the 64 vaccinated dogs and 1 of the 150 non-vaccinated dogs contracted kennel cough.
John Saxton MRCVS VetMGHom has presented a paper describing the use of the canine distemper nosode in disease control. There was a boarding kennel that dealt solely with stray dogs under contract to the local police authority – obviously the vaccine status of any dog arriving was unknown. All animals not claimed or rehomed were destroyed on the 8th day after arrival. When the dogs arrived at the kennel they were screened by experienced, but lay, staff. Any with no obvious signs of disease or injury were admitted directly into the kennels, the rest were placed in an isolation block for a vet to later examine. However, a high incidence of canine distemper arose in the kennels, so it was decided to use the canine distemper nosode. Of the dogs that were kept in the kennels for 8 days, 11.67% showed clinical signs of distemper on the 5th day (prior to the introduction of the nosode). This dropped to 4.36% after the nosode was introduced. If the entire population of the kennel is included, including those dogs that did not stay the full 8 days, the incidence of distemper dropped from 8.05% to 2.81% after the introduction of the nosodes.
The incidence of distemper arose unexpectedly in the 8th and 11th months of the trial. Investigation revealed that one of the kennel staff had left the homeopathic nosodes in direct sunlight for several hours prior to administration – when this was rectified, the number of incidences of distemper dropped once again.