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I'm not in both worlds now but used to work in medical research
(immunopharmacology) before I discovered homeopathy. Also - as part
of homeopathy training, as I saw it, I worked from a conventional
veterinary clinic for two years - a sort of self-imposed internship
in Veterinary homeopathy was what I had in mind - plus the hope of
doing a little "conversion" while I was there.
The vet who hired me listed me as "veterinary assistant" and I did
everything from assisting in surgery and redesigning the fee
schedule, to nursing sick cats and assisting with necropsies and
setting up the computer records, and playing pharmacist.
I introduced alternatives gradually, first as a Bach practitioner,
and then by adding just Arnica to the general practice for surgeries
and later other remedies, one at a time as the effectiveness of each
was proved to the vet's satisfaction (though he never directly
admitted that to me - his wife ensured the remedy use mostly, as I'd
suggested a remedy to her, which resulted in removal of her back
brace after ten yrs of daily wearing after a car accident.)
The vet needed remedy introduction "by remedy" not by simillimum -
so I had to work within those restrictions and decide where to use
the currently approved remedies - but he liked the results and
increased esteem to him as a vet, enough to apply to be listed as an
alternative veterinary clinic.
It was an interesting experience: Meantime he'd walk the passageways
mumbling about witchcraft....and increase the rules to separate me
from the clients, who were asking fro me more than he liked.
For example they HAD to first have a consult with him (and pay $52
for it for 15 mins) before they could get one with me, and pay $25
for that, of which I got $12, for one hour). They did it anyway as
they saw the results.
My greatest failure there was in trying to get rid of the daily
"declaw" surgeries that made me cringe every morning. (Clients are
not allowed at the clinic early when they remove the bandages and the
cats scream. And they are not told about the 50% failure rate due to
random claw regrowth inside paw pads, or the arthritis later due to
imbalanced feet etc.) It's the main reason I redesigned the entire
financial side of the business - so he could skip the declaws and
charge instead for cat training and books on it too, or even just
skip the declaws but raise other prices $2 per consult to not need
the declaw surgeries for income towards the new boat and landscaped
yard he wanted. (The sign on the door still reads "We mend God's
creatures.") He liked the changes but considered them extra profit
and continued the declaws. I did not take part ion a declaw surgery
personally but there was little I could do for these poor mutilated
creatures, and just being present with this highly paid and barbaric
cruelty as routine, was very hard to take.
My greatest success there was really an arnica one. The death rate
from shock during surgery went to nil, even in old cats.
Despite all that up and down stuff, I learned a great deal of useful
information and recommend a similar stint to all my students. One
learns what kinds of issues are common or urgent (VERY relevant to
know), especially for the area, and what allopathic approach is used
for each currently, so as to think ahead what issues one might have
to deal with as a homeopath. Since this clinic is right outside an
airforce base and pets of military personnel have no travel
restrictions, we do see anything and everything here - as there is no
restriction on incoming diseases with military pets from anywhere.
The missing element in allopathic/homeopathic co-habitation of
office, is the lack of open-mindedness.
Where it occurs, there can be wonderful collaboration between
homeopath and allopath (as I see with a few clients' vets, who work
with me and the client, especially if they have no allopathy answers)
but it is very rare. The major benefits of such a collaboration are
to provide the best of both worlds - lab tests, diagnostics, surgery
and multiple useful procedures - combined with good homeopathy,
nutrition etc.
Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."
