Nosodes.
What it is:- A nosode is a particular form of homeopathic remedy. It is prepared from the actual tissue, discharge, or causative organism recovered from the patient. This means that there is a "living" element to the remedy. Some nosodes are intended for use in a wide variety of individuals. For instance, all dogs afflicted with canine distemper could benefit from a canine distemper nosode. Many diseases are unique to an individual. These might include allergies, digestive upsets, or deep seated infections where the bacteria or virus can not be isolated. For these conditions, the nosode is custom prepared from samples taken from this individual.
Sometimes nosodes are used to prevent disease rather than treat it. Even well established homeopaths for humans are uncertain how well nosodes are at preventing versus aiding the elimination of, imbalances. In the United States, there are also legal issues to consider when using nosodes for prevention rather than standard vaccinations. (Don't despair; there is a way to get the best of both worlds!)
- What it is not:
- Nosodes are not vaccines in the usual sense. They are similar to medications called autogenous bacterins. Autogenous bacterins are prepared from tissue or bacterial samples from the patient but they are then processed much like a normal vaccine. That means that the sample is treated with chemicals, heat, or radiation to hopefully remove the infectious part of the disease before injecting the resulting chemical soup back into the patient.
The tissue sample that becomes a nosode is not treated with chemicals, heat, nor radiation. It is prepared in the true homeopathic protocol of dilution and succussion (see "Homeopathy" section). As a result, the nosode retains the ability to selectively assist the body in eliminate the disease without adding any by-products such as chemicals or mutated bacteria.
- If it's so good, why haven't I heard of it?
- If you have had the misfortune of becoming ill while traveling outside the United States, you may have been treated with a nosode. Since nosodes are often made in the Doctor's office on an individual need basis, there is no way the FDA could supervise or test each remedy. If the FDA and AMA do not regulate a therapy, they usually do not approve of it's use. The AVMA tends to follow the AMA in many of its philosophies.
Remember also that many practitioners of alternative therapies limit themselves to only one area of interest much like medical specialists. A herbologist does not necessarily study acupuncture while a chiropractor may have little understanding of homeopathy. Most homeopathic practitioners understand nosodes even if they do not have much occasion to use them.
- What will I see?
- The starting point in making nosodes is a sample of something characteristic of your pet's imbalance. If the most dominant sign is a nasal discharge, a small amount of the discharge is the basis for the remedy. The same applies for any material your pet can supply. Sometimes the condition is so wide spread that no one sample would seem representative. In this case, several samples can be blended together. Frequently, blood, skin, or fur is included in the sample since these tissues reflect many biologic effects of disease.
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What does my pet feel?
- Nosodes are given orally. They have no flavor nor odor. Your pet will only feel the effect of relief from taking the remedy.
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Why would I want this for my pet?
- Nosodes are often used when there are so many disease related imbalances that there is no particular organ system at which to direct treatment. Nosodes are also of value when previous treatments have clouded the real signs of the underlying cause of the imbalance. Since the samples used to create the nosode come directly from the patient, they include representative energies of all the reasons for your pet's current condition.