Ashburn Farm Animal Hospital

Veterinary Homeopathy

The term “homeopathy” is often used interchangeably with the term “holistic”. These terms do not have the same meaning. Homeopathy is actually a modality of holistic medicine.

The definition of Holistic (or Integrative) Veterinary Medicine is the examination and diagnosis of an animal, considering all aspects of the animal's life and employing all of the practitioner's senses, as well as the combination of conventional and alternative (or complementary) modalities of treatment. When a holistic veterinarian sees a pet, besides giving it a comprehensive physical examination, he/she wants to find out all about its behaviors, distant medical and dietary history, and its environment including diet, emotional stresses, and other factors.

Homeopathy, a form of holistic medicine, works on the principle of "Similia Similibus Curentur", or "like cures like." When a large dose of a toxic substance is swallowed, it can produce death, but when a homeopathic, diluted, minute dose of the substance is given, it can save the poisoned animal.

Homeopathic remedies are made from plants, minerals, drugs, viruses, bacteria or animal substances. These remedies do not mask or suppress symptoms; they treat the deepest constitutional causes of the illness. Homeopathic remedies contain vibrational energy essences that match the patterns present in the diseased state within the ailing patient.

Dr. Grasso is currently studying homeopathy and will complete her course requirements next winter.