Every day more pet owners who are dealing with canine cancer are hoosing alternative methods of healing. If you want to take a holistic approach towards your dog’s healing, don’t be shy to explore homeopathic medicine. In fact, homeopathy is the most widely practiced form of alternative medicine in the United States.
If you have never heard of homeopathy, this information may initially seem like a rather unusual way to deal with canine cancer. You may be wondering about the background of this type of treatment. The good news is that homeopathy has been practiced for hundreds of years.
Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician in the 1800s, is considered the “father of homeopathy.” He espoused the belief that a disease is more than just its symptoms and that it had its roots in both physical as well as spiritual causes. In fact, Hahnemann rejected many extreme measures that were popular at that time like purging and bloodletting in favor of homeopathy. His first experiments with using Peruvian bark to treat malaria. In 1810, he published “Organon of Medicine.” This famous work explained the basic principles of homeopathy.
In 1828, Dr. John Franklin became the first homeopathic doctor in the United States. Popularity quickly rose and by 1900, there were already 15,000 people practicing this form of medicine. Today, there are a wide variety of veterinarians who practice homeopathy who will be very helpful in prescribing remedies for canine cancer.
So what should you expect when you bring in your dog for homeopathy? The doctor should examine your dog and also ask you a lot of questions about your dog and the manifestations of the canine caner. You will be asked to recall various observations that you have had about your pet’s behavior. The physician will be most interested in the most unusual symptoms.
Obviously. the best way to find a homeopathic veterinarian is to get a referral. Ask around, as it is very likely that one of your friends or family members has had an experience with a homeopath. Don’t be afraid to ask your regular veterinarian if he or she can refer a homeopathic physician. Many doctors will tell you that homeopathy is a waste of time, however, other traditional veterinarians will encourage this kind of treatment for canine cancer. After all, most veterinary schools instruct doctors about homeopathy.
When it comes time to give your dog the homeopathic medicine, remember that the remedies must be taken apart from food. In fact, you need to give homeopathic remedies at least one hour before or after eating. With many medicines, pet owners are accustomed to just inserting pills inside of treats. However, you will have to find another method when it comes to treating canine cancer with homeopathy for your dog cancer.
If this is your first time using homeopathy, be aware that symptoms can get worse. This reaction is actually part of the healing process. You may see “discharges” like diarrhea or eye problems. Don’t immediately give up on a homeopathic remedy before it has had a chance to work.
Posts tagged ‘Doctor’
If you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma from your physician, you may be reeling from this bad news. However, you have many very important decisions to make right now; the more information you have, the better your choices will be. Here are some questions you can ask your doctor to learn more about your options.
1. Is the Diagnosis Confirmed? An accurate mesothelioma diagnosis requires a variety of tests. If you have only undergone a chest X-ray, lung function testing, and a CT or MRI scan, the diagnosis has not yet been fully verified. Clarify with your doctor if his/her diagnosis is preliminary and what facts and test results it is based on. To be sure that the cancer is actually mesothelioma and not a different disease, your oncologist must order a biopsy. Even after this step, further tests are usually required to determine how far the disease has advanced.
2. How Long Do I Have? This is one of the scariest questions to ask your doctor. Bear in mind that the answer will depend on how far your cancer has spread. Other factors that can impact a mesothelioma prognosis include how old you are, whether you are/were a smoker, and if you have any other health conditions. Although the life expectancy for most patients diagnosed with this disease is not lengthy, there are still many individuals who survive more than five years. Your doctor will likely give you an estimate; but this is only a guess based on available statistics. Your outcome may be different.
3. What Treatments Are Available? Currently, life-prolonging therapies are the options offered for treating mesothelioma. This illness is usually diagnosed too late for the condition to be reversed. Keeping you alive and improving your quality of life are the main goals of treatment. Therapies to remove the cancer or stop its spread include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Palliative care (to reduce the pain caused by your symptoms) may include various procedures that drain fluid from the lungs. New treatments are constantly under development.
4. What Should I and My Family Know? A mesothelioma diagnosis is a huge blow to you and to those who love you. Friends and family members may not know much about this disease or how they can best assist you in coping with your illness. Ask your doctor for resources such as booklets about the disease and contact information for local support groups that offer assistance to families going through this tough time.
5. How Did I Get This Disease? Establishing what triggered your cancer may be very important in determining if a former employer or a manufacturer of a dangerous product is at fault for your illness. If so, you may decide to consult a lawyer about filing a mesothelioma lawsuit. Sometimes the exact cause of this cancer cannot be ascertained because the exposure happened decades ago. However, your doctor can help you review your life history to see if there were any hazards such as exposure to asbestos in your home or at work that may be at the root of your disease.
In the United States, the average age at which patients receive a mesothelioma diagnosis is about 65. Because the disease has a long latency period, it usually isn’t caught until it is quite advanced. Clinical trials are ongoing to find better treatments for this fatal form of cancer.
Pap smears are tests of a sample of cells that are taken from a female’s cervix. A pap smear is used to look for a change in the cells that show cancer or conditions that may become cancer. Bear in mind that cervical cancer can be cured when it is detected early by your gynecologist doctor. So, when should women get pap smears done? Pap screen testing should start when women reach the age of 21 and every two years after that for women who are between the ages of 21 and 29. For women who are 30 years old or older, who have had 3 consecutive normal test results, testing can be administered every 3 years. Are pap smear tests painful? Pap smear tests are not painful, but the exam may be a little uncomfortable for some women. Remember that you should never get a pap smear when you are on your period. Instead, you should wait 10 to 20 days after the first day of your period. If your doctor informed you that your test results are abnormal, that does not mean that you have cervical cancer; there may be a small problem with your cervix. However, sometimes abnormal cells develop into cancer. Usually, these unhealthy cells go away on their own. If you treat these unhealthy cells, you may prevent cervical cancer. After you get a pap smear done, it will take about 3 weeks before you receive the test results. If you have not heard from your physician’s office after a few weeks, call them to see if they have your results. Women with risk factors such as having HIV or a weakened immune system due to organ transplant, chemotherapy, or chronic steroid use should be screened more often. Bear in mind that when cervical cancer is present, a common symptom is abnormal bleeding. Bleeding can start and stop between menstrual periods or it may start after douching or having sexual intercourse. Vaginal discharge may also be present. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should consult with a doctor. Remember that pain is never an early warning sign of cervical cancer. If you need to get a pap smear testing, you will need to find a viable gynecologist doctor. You can find a good one by visiting websites that review them online. Before you choose a gynecologist doctor, make a list of such doctors in your area and contact them. Make appointments to meet with them in person and ask questions. Find out what their office hours are, if they accept your health insurance plan, etc. If you do enough research, you will find the best one for your needs.
