Homeopathic Medicine for Rats
This article is based on information is from Marg
Smith, who, with the help of Shirley Casey, her homeopathic teacher, has had phenomenal
results using homeopathy with the wildlife she has rehabilitated.
Homeopathic medicine has been used successfully for 200 years.
Homeopathic remedies work quite differently from the medicines we are
used to. In homeopathic medicine, the remedies are made from tiny
quantities of substances that when given in larger amounts will cause specific
symptoms. You choose the homeopathic remedy that most closely matches the
kinds of symptoms you are observing. The amount of a homeopathic remedy given
is not enough to directly change the physiology of the body. Instead it
acts somewhat like a vaccination to teach the body how to counteract the
disease on its own. As Marg said, the purpose
of a homeopathic remedy is “to start the car.” Marg’s
teacher, Shirley, explained that the “car” is a metaphor for the body’s healing
system. Once the healing system is started by the correct homeopathic remedy,
the body keeps it running. Typically only one or two doses are necessary
if it is the correct remedy. One of the main principles of homeopathic
medicine is that of the minimum dose.
When a homeopathic remedy is made, they take a certain amount of the original
substance and mix it into a certain amount of purified water or alcohol.
Then the bottle is strongly pounded or shaken (called succussion)
to mix it. This mixture is then diluted 100 times, taking 1 drop of the
mixture and adding it to 100 drops of purified water or alcohol. The
concentration of this mixture is called 1C. This mixture is succussed and then diluted 100 times again creating a 2C
concentration. This procedure is followed until the desired strength of the
remedy is obtained. Small globules made from sugar are then saturated
with the liquid dilution and the little pellets are what you buy. Some
pellets are about the size of a bb, and others are like a grain of sand.
There are also combination homeopathic remedies that come in the form of
a liquid or tablet, but the pure forms come as pellets.
The most common strength used in humans is 30C. Another, less common,
strength is 200C. A much more powerful strength is 1M which is used with
severe, acute illness. The amazing thing about homeopathic remedies is that the
more dilute they are, the stronger they are. In fact, in most homeopathic
remedies, the original substance has been diluted so much it can no longer be
detected chemically. The theory is that the molecules in the water take
on the energy signature of the substance. This is right out of quantum
mechanics!
Some people don’t believe in homeopathic medicine, thinking that when it works
it is only in the person’s head (the placebo effect), but homeopathic remedies
have been proven to work in animals, infants and in unconscious people. The key
for it to work is choosing the correct remedy based on the symptoms. A few
remedies are almost foolproof, such as the ones recommended below for surgery,
but choosing most remedies is an art that takes dedicated study. Homeopathic
doctors spend many years learning how to select the correct remedy that will
address the part of the body’s healing system that has “stalled.”
You can only give one
homeopathic remedy at a time. You must wait at least 10-15 minutes before
giving another remedy. It is also best
if the patient not take anything else by mouth for at least 10-15 minutes
before and after giving a homeopathic remedy.
Preparing a Homeopathic Remedy
Here is how Marg taught me to give rats homeopathic
remedies. The key is to make sure anything the homeopathic pellets or
mixture touches is absolutely clean. Any dirt or oils will ruin them and any
strong smells, like cigarette smoke, bleach, coffee, or tea tree oil, will also
deactivate them. You cannot touch the remedy with your hand. Store
remedies in a cool, dark place in a room that doesn’t have a microwave oven.
Different homeopathic
remedies will also interfere with each other. Only open one remedy at a time.
Before using any equipment, it must be soaked in boiling water until it cools
to cancel out any energy signatures on them.
You need a small ceramic dish. Get a sponge soapy with dish soap. Under warm
running water, wash the surface of the dish and rinse in the water really well.
Be very careful not to touch the washed surfaces with your hand during or after
washing them as that will contaminate them and ruin the remedy. Shake all the
water off and put it inside another container.
Take a small syringes (1 cc or insulin syringe) and
wash it with the soapy sponge and warm water. Squeeze the sponge so the soapy
water goes inside the syringe. Wash the plunger well with the sponge.
Again, do not touch the working end of the plunger or the tip of the syringe
with your fingers. Rinse them very well with the warm water, shake all the
water out and place them on the dish. Pour boiling water over the syringes and
dish and let the water cool to room temperature.
Carefully lift the dish,
shake off excess water and place on the counter, being careful not to touch the
top of the dish. Carefully pick up the syringes so you don’t touch the tips of
the syringes or the plungers put them together.
Place one on a clean piece of plastic wrap and cover. Fill one syringe
with warm water by holding the tip under the stream of water from the faucet
and drawing the water in. Squirt this water into the dish and rest the
syringe on the dish. Do not touch the tip of the syringe to any other object.
Remedies for Surgery
The two remedies I recommend for surgery to remove a
large mammary tumor are aconite 1M and arnica 30 c. Aconite is for shock and arnica is for tissue
damage. When preparing the equipment, prepare 2 dishes and 2 syringes. Remember
to only have one remedy open at a time.
Prepare the first
remedy. If the homeopathic remedy you
are using is the tiny pinhead pellets, shake about 10-15 into the dish, being
very careful not to touch them. If any bounce out, they are ruined and
must be discarded. If you are using a remedy made of the larger pellets,
shake out 3. Let them sit in the water for at least 60 seconds. Then you
draw the water back up into the syringe. It is now ready to dose your
rat. Wrap this syringe carefully in fresh plastic wrap to keep it clean. Be sure the tip of the syringe is covered. Be
sure the first remedy bottle is closed before you open the second one.
Prepare the second remedy in
the same way.
It is best to give the arnica
twice, once about 15-30 minutes before the surgery, and one afterwards. You only need to put a few drops of the
remedy in the rat’s mouth. After giving
the arnica before the surgery, wrap the syringe back up in the plastic wrap for
later use. If you are using aconite for
shock, as soon as the rat wakes up after the surgery, give the dose of
aconite. 15 minutes later give a second
dose of arnica.
If you can only do one
remedy, do the aconite. With a large
tumor, the biggest danger after the surgery is shock.
This article is meant to be only an introduction to homeopathic medicine.
If you are interested in learning more I encourage you to find a local
expert to learn from, and to invest in some good books.
Aconite is for sudden onset, like the first sneeze of a cold.
Its main use with animals is for shock accompanied by fear, so it addresses
some physical, but more of the emotional component. It is a very
short-acting remedy...about 30 minutes max, and is a great post-surgical remedy
if shock is a possibility. Give it as soon as the rat comes out of anesthetic.
Aconite is given only once ... never twice.
Arnica is for physical (not emotional) trauma, pain and shock, whether
these happened in the past or just happened, so it’s the first choice for
surgery. It generally is given at a lower potency (usually 30c) about
15-20 minutes before the surgery and then at a higher potency (usually 1m)
about 15 minutes after the surgery. Arnica also is great for head trauma
and, I’ve just learned is specific for mammary tumors.
Bellis is specific for deep trauma to the
pelvis or abdomen and works like Arnica in these areas. It is good instead of
arnica for spays and neuters and any tumor removal which involves the
penetration of the abdomen or any abdominal organ (the testicles are included
here). Bellis helps with pain and promotes healing
like Arnica, but is less specific for shock.
Rat of the Week | News | Rat Info | Adopt a Rat
Reviews | Rat Books | Merchandise | Special Events
Meet the Ratlady
| Links | Home
Rat Fan Club
Copyright 1999-2013