Hya all :)

I have always followed the protocol of NOT touching the teeny homeo. pilules,is this absolutely necessary!

The reason i ask is because it is very awkward to dose with the bottle without touching the pills,i ALWAYS end up spilling heaps on the floor,i would hide them in food but one of my dogs who needs them is wise to this trick :rolleyes: and there are some that have to be taken away from food!

Does anyone know what negative affect touching them has? I know it reduces their potency somehow,but how, and is this true?

I guess the bottom line is can i give them by hand?

Your replies and help are much appreciated :)

Hi Rose,

Not familiar with the particular pills you're referring to but have had to use surgical gloves to administer other types of meds which for some reason (can't recall the specifics) had to be given by hand and put straight down the dog's throat while avoiding contact with the skin ;)  My vet just gave me about four pairs to switch between.

HTH, Teri

Excellent idea Teri :)  I never thought of using gloves,DUH!!  I believe it is the salt on our skin that reduces the effectiveness of the pilules???

You're probably right about the salt - sounds familiar :P

Teri

I was always told that the active ingredient is on the outside of the pills and to dispense them into the cap of the container, then as quickly as possible into the mouth of the patient to avoid removing any of the active ingredient.

Although I know that ideally you shouldn't touch them, in practice they do still work even if they have been touched.  My first girl was a nightmare to get them down and I often had to resort to giving them from my hand, sometimes almost ramming them down her throat and they still did the job.  I also often put one in her water dish and that worked too.

This girl is very obliging and takes them from a little dish, but last week we were out, ran for a bus, and her paw ended up under my foot.  She was limping and holding the paw up, I had Arnica with me, but nothing to put it on apart from my hand.  She took them from my hand and within 10 or 15 minutes was fine!

Ideally they shouldn't be given with food either, but they still work if given with food:-)

My feeling is you do the best you can in the circumstances you find yourself in.

The way I have been told to give any homeopathic pills is to crush it between 2 teaspoons (I shake one from the bottle onto the spoon) and then to giv as close to the front of the mouth  to give as much contact with the mucous membranes as possible.    And to give half hour before or after food.

Thanks guys, you all have been a great help :)
I've heard the same, digger,that the active ingredients are on the outside,so as long as they manage to stay in their mouth for 10 seconds or so(before they spit em' out :rolleyes: ) then they get the benefits.

The homoeopathic GP (a qualified practitioner) at our doctors' surgery says that not touching the tablets is nonsense, and equivalent to turning round three times and saying 'abracadabra' before you swallow them. If it makes you feel better, then go for it.

Hope this helps.
:)