Dogs are often called Man’s Best Friend but just like us they suffer from unpleasant health problems and mental-emotional distress. The following story of Molly, a mixed breed dog who lacked confidence and suffered from severe eczema, is one such example. Fortunately, homeopathy was able to help.

When Molly first came to our clinic she was a mess; large areas of bare and scaly skin covered her back and hind-quarters, and her once glossy coat was dry, rough, and tangled with fur-balls. She was constantly scratching, and in spite of frequent baths, she smelt so badly she was hard to be near.

Molly’s owners said she had always been a nervous dog, and that they had to be careful of how they spoke to her. On the one occasion when they had raised their voices to her, she had crawled under their veranda and wet herself with fright. 

Just recently, Molly had lost her life partner, a male dog whom she had adored. Heartbroken, her behaviour and appearance went into further decline. She hid under the house, avoided her human family and became increasingly submissive, anxious, and snappy. She had even started to whimper in her sleep.

Though Molly ate well, she was losing weight.  

Based on these symptoms, I prescribed the homeopathic remedy Psorinum. You can read more about it at the end of this story. Within a week Molly’s behaviour had improved dramatically. She wanted the company of her family and even came inside the house when invited – something she would not previously do.  

Molly’s confidence was also improving but most dramatic of all, her missing hair had almost fully regrown within three weeks. She no longer smelt and to everyone’s surprise, she had begun to bark – something that she had never, ever done before! Molly’s turnaround was shaping into a real success story.

At the beginning of Molly’s treatment, I had taken a brief film clip so that as time progressed I could remind myself of what she had first looked like. Six weeks later, at her next appointment, I filmed her again. 

To see the difference in Molly between her two appointments, you can watch her “before and after” clips at the below link. (Note: My photography could have been more professional, but I was not expecting to one day be placing Molly on the Internet. The background noise in the first part of the clip is from cicadas - insects that “sing” noisily in the gum trees surrounding the Clinic during summer.)

As you can see, her hair is fully regrown and her confidence is improving.

Based on this response, I advised Molly’s owners to give her another dose of Psorinum if improvements stalled or when any of her old symptoms started to return. I also gave them the good news that they could look forward to reducing her doses and finally stopping homeopathic treatment altogether once Molly had returned to full health.  

For many months, Molly did fantastically well with an occasional dose of the remedy but, approximately six months later, her owners realised that it was no longer helping. They brought Molly back to the Clinic for an assessment. At this time she was prescribed Baryta carbonica, a remedy that matched her newly emerging symptoms of jitteriness with other dogs and a voracious appetite for warm food, and one often used to finish the good work Psorinum begins. 

I’m pleased to report that three weeks later her owners phoned to tell me that Mollie had bounced back to perfect health. 

Today, Molly has changed from an itchy, smelly, and unhappy dog to one brimming with confidence and enjoying life with her family. She has a shiny coat and is full of energy. She even greets visitors to the home, something that was unheard of before. 

But without homeopathy, Molly’s story could have been very different. Steroid treatments and 'washes' would only have palliated and possibly suppressed her skin problems; they would not have had the ability to correct the underlying imbalance that was the true cause of Molly’s problems. If used for long-term control, they would have further weakened her health. In addition, they certainly could not have improved her lack of confidence or anxiety. 

In comparison, the homeopathic approach was able to stimulate Molly’s body to safely heal itself. As a result, all her health problems - physical, mental, and emotional - were corrected rather than just palliated or suppressed. Molly is now a much happier and healthier dog. This is the fullness of homeopathy.

What You Should Know About the Homeopathic Treatment of Eczema. 

Before racing off to buy homeopathics for your pets, or your own eczema, there are some things you should know. Homeopathy has dozens of remedies for the treatment of eczema in both humans and animals, but each has to be prescribed according to the ‘symptom complex’ of the case. One remedy cannot be used in place of another. 

While eczema may appear to be a superficial complaint, it is really a deep-seated chronic problem that responds best to constitutional prescribing and management. For this, you are advised to see a qualified homeopath. 

Home prescribing by caring pet owners, unfamiliar with homeopathy, may not produce the desired results. Please be aware that the incorrect remedy, while not toxic, or even unnecessary repetitions of the correct remedy, can cause eczema flare-ups for your pet. 

Some Common Remedies for Eczema

Arsenicum album: Nervous, restless dogs who like frequent, small drinks. Dry, scaly, itchy skin. Itch often worsens after midnight.

Psorinum: Underconfident, unhappy dogs who feel the cold. Irritated, dirty looking skin prone to infection. Offensive smell. 

Rhus toxicodendron: Restless dogs who may also suffer from arthritis or stiffness that improves with movement. Redness of affected area, sometimes with swelling or blisters. Severe itching. 

Sulphur: Generally robust, energetic dogs who feel the heat. Red, dry, rough and itchy skin. Symptoms worsened by warmth and washing. May have morning diarrhoea. 

Important Tips

Before looking at any treatment for your dog’s eczema, first return him or her to a raw and whole-food diet. A large number of canine eczemas are caused by inappropriate ingredients in commercially prepared dog foods. This one step, of giving your pet a more natural diet, can relieve a lot of suffering. 

Not sure how to feed your dog a raw and whole-food diet? We will email you a free instruction sheet prepared by Australian vet, Claire Middle. Just send a blank email to:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For more information on caring for your animal companions with homeopathy, subscribe to the Homeopathy Plus! newsletter which carries regular feature articles on this topic.