does anyone treat their dog with alternative medicines?

I have a friend that used Acupuncture and adjustments over Western medicine to treat a back injury. The dog is doing great now.

As most of the illnesses with my hounds have been acute (needing immediate attention/treatment) I've not been into homoeopathy. However, when my hound was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma - tumour in his mouth - last October, as the Practice I go to has a vet who specialises in homoeopathy, we decided to give this a whirl. She put him on a very complicated routine, all of which were meant to boost his immune system, to help him fight the cancer. Not a cure, but hopefully an extension of good quality life. Whether it worked or not I'm not entirely sure because after a couple of months, I decided to stop the treatment. He's still with us, one year + on, but there has been a recent deterioration in his condition, and other tumours both in his mouth, and one on his pharynx.

As for nosodes, personally I prefer to use conventional vaccination, with puppies*. And although I think more kennels will accept dogs treated alternatively for vaccinations/boosters, there are still lots who won't, so this is worth checking if you will be using Boarding Kennels.

Add * I do not booster every year beyond the first year as boostering yearly has always bothered me. And I stop boostering completely after age 7. I don't board my hounds however, as we don't take holidays!!! So the need for annual boostering, for Boarding Kennels, doesn't apply to my lot.

I do and I do so because they work and there are no side effects as there are with traditional meds and treatments. The biggest is flea and tick treatment. I have never and will never use the harsh chemicals which are neuro toxins. I have never had fleas, knock on wood. I also use some natural meds for his allergies, and other issues. Like Yucca is a great anti inflammatory and antibacterial. I have a traditional vet along with a holistic vet. Many of the treatment my dog has received through the holistic vet worked with no side effects. The treatments my traditional vet used for the same conditions did not work and they had horrible side effects. My holistic vet also knows more as far an nutrition goes and really got his diet healthy and improved him through a Raw Diet. My dog also gets acupuncture. It really relaxes him and he moves a lot better after his treatments. My rule of thumb is if I can not get it on my skin nor can my dog, if I can not eat it or at least the ingredients have to be as good as mine. There are many other things I do like. I titer test, so my dogs never get re-vaccinated but I ensure antigens are always where they should be. My dogs get detoxed every often with Milk Thistle and i also have used thuja. I avoid traditional antibiotics but use natural things like Yucca, Calendula etc. Lots of herbs, vitamins, etc.

This is a big question, it would take forever to explain about all of the homeopathic remedies that I use for my dogs. I don't give them conventional injections/shots for parvo etc., and I don't use chemical flea treatment. I have about seventy different homeopathic remedies and I use them when appropriate.

Before I bought my puppies, the breeder gave them their first shots (injections to prevent Parvo virus etc.,) I have read so much about the dangers of annual shots that I opted out many years ago. Instead I use homeopathic nosodes every month. It’s like giving them one twelfth of the doze that they are given annually by the vet. Homeopathy is cheap and its kind.

I don’t need to do this as a cost saving exercise; I am simply frightened about giving chemicals to my dogs.

There are lots of treatments for killing and preventing fleas, they are full of nasty chemicals and they are expensive. I make up a solution for my dogs which prevents fleas, although it is also said to kill fleas I have no experience of this because my dogs have never had fleas. Also ticks die on arrival. .

Use a few drops of Citricidal and essential oils of Citronella, Tea Tree and Lavender. Add this to half a pint of vinegar or water and sponge a small amount onto your dog’s coat. I use this every week.

EDIT. The question is about homeopathy. It would appear, that the answerers do not understand the question.

Edit to Hollie. I have never had the choice.I have always bought my puppies from reputable breeders who feel oblidged to vaccinate puppies. Those who don't vaccinate are usually BYB's and their dogs could have health problems. Because of what I have read, if I had the option I would use homepathic treatment and avoid nasty chemcals.

There are now some veterinarians who use homeopathic medicine on animals. It is a matter of some controversy amongst the profession.

Practitioners of homeopathy can only treat animals under the direction of a veterinary surgeon in the UK. The law is a bit more vague about treating your own animals, but not getting a vet to teat a sick animal might be a breach of the animal welfare legislation.

If you mean knowing that white willow bark is the same as aspirin, no there is nothing wrong with knowing where products came from or their alternatives. Comes in handy when reading labels.

If you mean using some witches brew to cure a tumor that needs to be removed, yes it is probably DEAD DOG wrong.

A little common sense goes a long ways.

Yes... I have just started using homeopathy on my 9 year old aussie. She had a small fatty tumor removed but it turned out to be a cancerous mast cell tumor.

I have done a ton of research for 2 weeks now AND I have decided to cook for her instead of giving her 'dog food' and I am adding Fish Oil & E... will be adding more supplements as I find out how and what I should be giving.

There are lots of resources online, I have been reading a bunch on the 'cancer diet for dogs'. Even my vet agreed dogfood has nothing but junk in it... although there are a few that are pretty good. Blue Buffalo comes to mind.

i keep arnica on hand for my horse in case of any injuries or when he over does it.

i have also used homeopathic remedies for a dog i had with uncontrolled ibd (under supervision of a holistic vet).

I stay away from Hokus Pokus. Oh... here come the TD's...