Homeopathy is a system of medicine that involves treating the individual with highly diluted substances with the aim of triggering the body's own natural system of healing.
As someone who endeavours to live a natural toxic-free lifestyle as much as possible, I find homeopathy and other holistic therapies to be extremely valuable in my rats first aid and remedial care.
Homeopathy is based on the energetic principle that 'like' treats 'like'. So, for example, if an animal had ingested a poison, it is actually a small amount of that poison that acts as an antidote.
In homeopathy, the individual personality traits and constitution are all very important considerations when the homeopath/carer is diagnosing or choosing a suitable remedy.
Having a detailed Materia Medica, which is like a homeopathic dictionary, helps with matching the key characteristics of the patient with the remedy that is just right for them.
It is useful to have one of the Homeopathic First Aid Kits now available on the market. They contain around 36-42 remedies for common ailments, usually with a detailed booklet that helps you choose the right remedy.
Homeopathy comes in various 'potencies' that are based on the strength of the remedy needed. They can be in 6c, 12c, 30c, 200c and so on.
For my rats, I will usually start with 6c or 30c depending on the severity of the symptoms.
In general I usually administer 30c once daily for 3 days observing the effects before any repetition. If it is for an ongoing chronic case, then 6c several times per day may be required. Pills can be crushed in a little piece of pear or cherry and given to the rat but it's better if they eat the pill direct away from food.
It is worth mentioning that homeopathy can also be used as a preventative aid in maintaining health for the individual by matching the remedy to the characteristic 'profile' of your pet. Homeopathy used in this way may actually help keep certain imbalances in check and can help to boost immunity in general.
Some common useful remedies for rats are:-
Aconite - fears, fright, shock, as a tranquillizer for a distressed animal or prior to veterinary visits/nail cutting
Antimonium Tartaricum - rattling respiratory noises, difficulty breathing
Arnica - as a first aid in the case of injuries, pain and post-operative healing
Carbo Vegetalis - collapse, weakness, blue and lifeless, trapped wind
Hepar Sulph - boils and abcessess with pain and discharge.
Hypericum - nerve injury, post-operative pain
