 As I opened my new book, I made a very conscious decision to put myself in the mind of someone who had zero experience with homeopathy, and it appears that was the exact right thing to do with this book. Dr. Ethan Holbrook tells us right away (on page 3) what this book is all about: This book is a practical guide to using homeopathy for common pet ailments. It is written for pet owners — people who love their animals and want to be active, informed participants in their health — not for veterinary professionals or homeopathic practitioners. Like all homeopathy books for “newbies,” Dr. Holbrook then includes a few short pages explaining “Like Cures Like” and “The Minimum Dose” and how to choose the correct potency.
Chapter 3 explains how to observe the pet in order to learn what to really look for. Yes, your pet is not his usual self, but as with all things homeopathy, there is more to it than just “limping, scratching, vomiting, or hiding.” There are clues which can help lead you to the best remedy for your pet’s discomfort. He then gets into the technicalities of homeopathic remedies: what to buy, where to buy them and how to administer them. He then jumps right into the nitty gritty: Skin & Coat Issues; Digestive Troubles; Respiratory and Ear Issues; Behavioral & Emotional Health; Joint & Mobility; Minor Injuries & First Aid; Eye & Dental Health. Each chapter has a nice chart to sum up common remedies for each condition as well as the all-important “When to Call Your Vet” guidelines. I paid particular attention to the “Joint & Mobility” section because this is where my beloved Rufus suffered most. In fact, I just learned Rufus wasn’t alone and “that over 80% of dogs over the age of eight show radiographic signs of osteoarthritis, even if they are not yet showing symptoms.” The book then guides your attention to pertinent questions about the onset and history, the location and the homeopathic-relevant “Pain Characteristics.” Dr. Holbrook spends a few pages breaking down the major remedies and what to look for. In the joint & mobility case, Rhus tox, Bryonia and Arnica are listed first, followed by a little chart differentiating Rhus tox and Bryonia. He then continues to break down further remedies: 9 in total for this chapter. Following the materia medica, he describes specific conditions: Arthritis (Chronic Osteoarthritis); Hip Dysplasia; Cruciate Ligament Injury; Elbow Dysplasia; Spondylosis and Tendon and Ligament Injuries. The end of each chapter describes how to build a support plan or maintenance routine. In the Joint & Mobility section, there are common sense suggestions, like providing orthopedic bedding and exercise as well as a list of supplements to consider, followed by how best to use the homeopathic remedies. Chapter 11 returns to more guidance on the prescribing process and how to monitor the remedy response as well as when to switch and when to escalate. Next is a walk-through of an example case with a page dedicated to keeping simple records — a piece of the puzzle we so frequently forget to do (but is so very important!) Case studies are then followed by a chapter on Safety, Ethics & Limits, including good guidelines of what homeopathy can do and what homeopathy is not able to do; what constitutes an emergency and how to work with your veterinarian. Honestly, this is a very thorough book and I would absolutely suggest this to any pet owner interested in helping their pets naturally. I only scratched the surface of what is included in these 200+ easy to read and follow pages. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this book or the author — I stumbled upon it and it impressed me enough that I thought I needed to bring it to your attention!
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 Twice this week I have watched Calendula tea do some lovely things.
The first person had a literal scratch on their throat which was very painful. The second person had a very sore throat due to days of coughing. Both of these people drank some Calendula tea and both of them were very pleased they did. As I mentioned in A Calendula Quickie… for inner bits… (and, bites!), I have used Calendula when I have had a sore in my mouth but I had never tried it for a sore throat. Dr. Robin Murphy mentions it in his complaints following throat surgery rubrics and when there is a “lacerating” sensation to the throat. Knerr shows it in a few throat rubrics beyond injuries: swallowing painful, and, bitter mucus (a one remedy rubric); Luke Norland’s Synoptic Guide shows Calendula has an affinity to the mouth and throat (along with 366 other remedies). Schroyens mentions it as one of 117 remedies for a “tickling” cough, but it also shows up in 52 other throat rubrics. I now get it. It now makes sense to me why I hadn’t considered it until just the other day for a sore throat — one person had an actual injury to their throat; a couple days later, another person had sort of an injury to their throat — it was “injured” and sore from coughing. Those two cases back-to-back enabled me to make this a-ha connection. Here are a few links of how to use Calendula tea: a nice list*; Get Well Soon book* mentions using it in tincture form mixed into a gargle concoction for sore throats; this place offers a recipe for an herbal tea recipe* and this tea company* has a nice write up on the herb itself; and, this site* tells you how to make your own Calendula tea from the marigolds in your garden. So, ahem — (clearing my throat a little bit to cover my slight embarrassment for not making this connection earlier), if a sore throat comes your way, try either a little herbal calendula tea or some homeopathic Calendula, either in it’s pellet form directly, or a few pellets or as a tincture dropped into some water or into your own tea of choice. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company — I’m just sharing interesting information as I find it.  Fall must be approaching. It doesn’t feel like it here in the desert southwest; we are still seemingly in the throes of straight summer with temperatures remaining 10+ degrees above average. In fact, it almost feels like we have hit the breaks on moving toward fall and reversed into actual summer. You see, we had a relatively humid summer. (See "12 Angry Homeopathic Remedies” if you care to know a bit more about our summer this year.) And, today, September 10th, 2026 (and 11th, I didn’t quite get everything finished yesterday), we finally have our normal sky — cloudless and bright blue. Boy, have I missed seeing that! A New Mexico 9% humidity sky. 😍 Even though we have been humid (for New Mexico), we have had no rain worth mentioning. Our trees are dying 😫. Rivers are just beds of stones. The monsoons never developed this year. Despite this lingering heat, autumnal bugs are beginning their march into town. The internet tells me October is the month where things really get going. However, this morning I saw in my email that Stanford University-run WastewaterSCAN program indicates that SARS-CoV-2 is currently “high” nationwide, with a significant upward trend in the last 3 weeks. I checked the WastewaterSCAN Dashboard and New Mexico doesn’t appear. However, a Today show article claims it is increasing nationwide. Cold, Flu, Covid, the Crud, the Suds** — whatever seasonal ailment is getting you, homeopathy is a good place to start. It’s important to remember that homeopathy doesn’t care the name of what ails you — homeopathy is (for the most part) only interested in your symptoms. With that, let’s look at a few remedies to have handy. As Benjamin Franklin taught us, an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure! All of these homeopathic remedies work really well when taken at the first sign of any symptoms. Repeat every few hours, or, follow the manufacturer’s direction.
So far this month, I’m seeing a bunch of throat stuff and huge fatigue, in addition to milder cold-like symptoms and one person with some stomach issues thrown in for good measure. For what it’s worth, Gelsemium has been helpful for a couple of people I have encountered. Why Gelsemium? Gelsemium symptoms (keynotes from Morrison are bolded):
When the stomach plays a larger role, consider Arsenicum album. A quick comparison between Gelsemium and Arsenicum for cold/flu symptoms:  These early days of flu/cold-like symptoms mark the beginning of what could be a long season of yuckiness. Homeopathy may just be able to set things right before they are able to take hold.
Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company — I just like their stuff! **Spongebob Squarepants gets the suds — Good stuff! |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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