Title: Everyday Homeopathy For Animals
Author: Francis Hunter
Publisher Narayana Verlag, Germany
ISBN: 978-3-95582-249-1, 1ST Edition 2021
Paperback, 479 pages
Reviewer: Vatsala Sperling
A book on homeopathy for animals is always welcome for two reasons:
- The animals respond to homeopathy and their response is direct evidence for the fact that homeopathy is beyond placebo, and
- People all over the world are tending to rely increasingly on alternative and holistic care for their animals, just as they use alternative and holistic care for themselves.
This book by Francis Hunter, “Everyday homeopathy for animals” is a very timely offering for such seekers of alternative care. In a broad and sweeping move, this book covers a vast ground! The table of content mentions horses, ponies, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goat, pigs, dogs, cats, birds and poultry, chinchillas, ferrets, fish, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, rabbits, rats and mice, tortoises, and terrapins, and the various health conditions they might suffer from.
Francis Hunter acknowledges his teacher, Dr. David Gemmel, and Mrs. Irma Gemmel for helping him create a layout template for this book that mentions disease conditions on the left hand page, and on the right hand page, matching the different symptoms with the most appropriate remedy. The author considers it the most straightforward way for the readers to be directed to the most useful/indicated remedy.
The book begins with an ultra-brief introduction to homeopathy and its fundamental philosophy, and how to use this book. Then we go on to read about accidents, emergencies, and first aid for animals. The author is a professional veterinary doctor, and he assures in the very outset that giving homeopathic remedies for accidents and emergencies will not interfere with what treatment the veterinary doctor might wish to administer. Coming from veterinarian, Dr. Francis Hunter, this assurance means much.
Next, we learn about conditions that are common to most animals, for example, bleeding, broken bones, bruises, haematomas, burns and scalds, collapse, concussion, eyes and head injury, heatstroke, insect bites and stings, shock, sprains, and strains, as well as various types of wounds. For all these conditions the author has suggested highly indicated remedies.
Section on general conditions is a strong feature of this book. Overall, 78 different conditions are mentioned, ranging from abscesses to yawning. Reproduction and various disorders connected with this function are addressed in a chapter that includes care for the newborn.
Going further, this book is devoted to addressing conditions specific to various animal species, and in individual chapters, we get to read about what could possibly ail our horses, ponies, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goat, pigs, dogs, cats, birds and poultry, chinchillas, ferrets, fish, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, rabbits, rats and mice, tortoises, and terrapins, and how to address their problems with using homeopathic remedies.
Disease conditions and their suitable homeopathic remedies are presented in simple, straightforward manner and layout, and this information creates the bulk of this highly useful book.
The section on primary materia medica encourages us to be bold and start creating our very own starter kit with 29 remedies, and then gradually, as we get more proficient and confident, we are encouraged to add on another 53 remedies to our kit and we will be able to safely tend to our pets and domesticated animals when they could use homeopathic care for their wellness.
A materia medica section contains remedy source, a brief description of its uses, and the chief modalities. This section is useful without the intimidating effect that a regular materia medica can have on a general reader where each remedy can list hundreds of symptoms covered by a remedy.
The author has given a brief recommendation about how to stock up a first aid box with plaster, bandages, gauze dressing, medicated dressing pads, crepe bandages, rolls of cotton wool, half-curved surgical scissors, and surgical tweezers. Just like we tend to keep a first-aid box for our own use at home, we can keep a first-aid box for the animals in our care.
This first-aid box could be right next to the remedy chest that we can build with primary and secondary remedies, as well as various creams, lotions, drops, and even Rescue remedy.
In the very end, there are lists of suppliers for the remedies as well as various resources for finding a homeopathic veterinary doctor in UK, USA, New Zealand, and South Africa. Residents of other countries might have to do a bit of Googling on their own for locating local resources and suppliers. The book also includes a rich list for further reading and an index.
This is a clearly and passionately written and very practical book. If you have companion animals, or domesticated animals in your charge, or if your human clients consult with you from time to time regarding their animals, you would do very well with a copy of this book. At every turn of the page, you will find interesting information that you can directly apply, should a situation arise.
Stemming from Dr. Francis Hunter’s veterinary and homeopathic education and decades of practical experience, this book offers practical routes to solving problems instead of heaping on its readers truckloads of purely academic information that they will find difficult to use.
This book is also a great gift idea for our friends and family, who own animals but are sitting on the fence about how to and if at all to use homeopathy for their pets and domesticated animals. This book will surely give them the nudge they need to get going, and once they see how splendidly the animals respond to homeopathy, they will become more enthusiastic about using it further. A good book for professionals and laypersons alike.
