A nosode is a homeopathic preparation used as an alternative to vaccination. It is usually made from the discharges or tissues of a sick animal or person. Through serial dilution and shaking, the resulting preparation would only contain the molecular imprint of proteins and other constituents of the disease agent. This remedy is dosed through the mouth making it more convenient to use in animals and causes no adverse effects. This remedy doesn’t produce antibodies but reduces the patient’s vulnerability to the dynamic stimulus of disease agents as postulated. Another advantage of nosodes as compared to conventional vaccines is that they could be given very early in life without any interference
Nosodes
August 7th, 2010Anthrax
May 30th, 2010Anthrax is a worldwide, severe, feverish disease of almost all warm-blooded animals, including man. The causative organism is a rod-shaped, gram-positive, nonmotile, spore-forming bacterium scientifically named Bacillus anthracis. These bacilli form spores once they are exposed to oxygen. These spores are resistant to extremes of temperature, chemical disinfectants and drying.
Q-Fever
May 27th, 2010Q-fever is a disease caused by a class of microorganisms called rickettsia specifically Coxiella burnetii. It is called Q-fever because the cause of the disease was unknown when it was first discovered in Queensland, Australia in 1935. Q in Q-fever means “query” which is another word for inquiry or question. This disease can cause abortion in farm animals like sheep, goats, and cattle. They can also infect people causing an influenza-like disease that may lead to chronic endocarditis.
Fleas
May 11th, 2010Fleas are small, laterally flattened, wingless insects that infest the hair coats of mammals or the plumage of birds. Species that infest dogs and cats are the cat flea whose scientific name is Ctenocephalides felis and the dog flea whose scientific name is Ctenocephalides canis. The most prevalent, however, is C. felis.
Figure 1. Cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) courtesy of wikipedia.
The Brown Dog Tick
April 14th, 2010Ticks are parasites which normally inhabit the skin of land dwelling animals. Like mites, they are also a member of the arachnid family because they share the same basic anatomy with spiders. They are blood-suckers and can transmit a variety of diseases some of which can also produce disease in people. The kennel tick or brown dog tick, scientific name Rhipicephalus sanguineus belongs to the Ixodidae family of ticks.
Stray Dog Cooling Himself
March 7th, 2010
I got this picture from an acquaintance and although I found it quite pitiful I also found it quite intriguing. It’s a picture of a stray dog cooling himself in the hot January sun here in the Philippines in an abandoned concrete hole filled with water. I’m reminded of the doggie day cares and hotels featured on animal planet and Hollywood insanely pampered dogs and I’m thinking that even third world dogs know how to improvise.
Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals
March 6th, 2010To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate, That Is The Question
February 28th, 2010The emergence of vaccine related illnesses and adverse reactions have put the practice of annual vaccinations and even first time vaccinations into question. Unlike humans, animals have been required to be revaccinated yearly. Whether this has scientific validity from the veterinary authorities is unclear.
Leptospirosis
February 8th, 2010Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection which affects humans, mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. It is called leptospirosis because the offending bacteria looks like a long, slender screw or spiral. It is transmitted by the urine of an infected animal. Read the rest of this entry »