HOMOEOPATHY We use homoeopathy extensively in much of our work, aiming to treat the whole animal, not just the specific condition. The homoeopath makes a detailed examination of all the physical, emotional and mental symptoms of the patient and selects a remedy that most closely matches those symptoms. Homoeopathy is based on the Law of Similars, which states that any substance which can cause symptoms to appear in a healthy person or animal, can restore to health an individual showing similar symptoms, when they appear as a deviation from normal for that individual. There are about 2000 homoeopathic remedies which are prepared from a wide variety of minerals and animal and vegetable products, using a sophisticated process of dilution and potentisation. Selection of the most appropriate remedy can take some time. A full consultation will take at least half an hour, with a follow up typically 2-4 weeks later, to allow the remedy plenty of time in which to trigger the body's natural healing processes. During this time, there may be some reactions noted, which may include discharges or the recurrence of old symptoms. This is taken to be a good sign, that the body is now dealing with the healing process. Be patient. The deep healing that is possible with homoeopathy is not generally achieved overnight

ACUPUNCTURE Acupuncture has been an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 3000 years. Stimulation of one or a number of acupuncture points with either needles, pressure or a laser is used to influence the meridian system of the body. In TCM terms this can be used to correct disharmony and to affect the Qi or energy patterns of the body. In practice, acupuncture can be a very effective way of managing painful conditions such as osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disease as well as fever, nerve paralysis, constipation, liver, urogenital and respiratory disorders

OSTEOPATHY Problems in the framework of the body also disturb the circulation, the nerves and can affect any aspect of health. Animals are exposed to physical injury, illness or emotional trauma in the same ways as people. When the body finds it difficult to cope with these accumulated stresses, a wide variety of symptoms can start to show. Osteopathy employs a whole variety of manipulative techniques from joint articulation to cranio-sacral therapy, in order to restore balance to the musculo-skeletal system of the body so that healing can take place. In our experience, even the most anxious of our patients soon relax and need little encouragement to let us treat them. We use osteopathy to treat animals at the Hyde Park Veterinary Centre because it can be a very powerful healing tool for a wide range of conditions such as back & neck pain, lameness, arthritis & hip dysplasia, old age mobility problems, respiratory and digestive disorders and during recovery after an accident or surgery.

HERBS Plants and herbs have been used in the treatment of human and animal sickness and injury for many thousands of years, in almost every culture of the world. The art and science of phytotherapy (herbal medicine) has undergone a resurgence and is now an integral part of the rising interest in natural medicine. Extracts of plants known to have healing effects have formed the basis of much of modern pharmacy - Aspirin and Digitalis are good examples - but there are times when this process of extraction and purification or synthesisation may diminish the overall therapeutic benefit or give rise to unwanted side effects. We use whole herbs or simple herbal preparations such as valerian, cranberry or milkthistle for the treatment of our patients when this is appropriate.