To med or not to med, that is the question...

Have been contemplating these days as to whether I should give in to my vet's recommendation on giving allopathic medications to the kids.

Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to challenge my vet's professional expertise nor am I mistrusting his judgements. I have absolute confidence that he is well qualified to treat my kids, and have no hesitation in giving them any required medication if they are sick.

If they are sick, that is.

If you ever got a chance to read "Death by Modern Medicine", you would understand exactly where my dilemma lies. I have always been a strong advocate of natural or what we call traditional medicine, as I believe that everything we need to live from, and heal with, is in abundance in nature - we just have to know where to look for them. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed (and proven in many cases) that in an area habited by certain poisonous snakes, one can always find the plant that contains the antedote for these snakes. It's just so simple and natural. When something bad is created, something good will be created along with it, so balance is always maintained. The Laws of Nature, if you would call it.

I have always endeared to providing the best natural care for the kids. As a result, Tinsel and Kimba have been given a wholesome natural diet, and cared for by some of the best vets in Vancouver that were trained both in allopathic and homeopathic veterinarian medicine. When given the choice, natural or homeopathic remedies would be used instead of going straight for the drug cabinet. Vaccinations are given only as required, with bi-annual Titre blood tests to ensure adequate levels of antibodies are present in their bodies. Everything is as close to what nature would have provided for them as possible, and they seemed healthy enough to make me proud.

But with the move to Hong Kong, I have to look into a totally different climate from Vancouver - and a larger array of parasites to worry about.

I have been dosing the kids down with my own homemade insect repellent made from a concoction of essential oils, and so far it seemed to be working fine. However, we are being reminded to use Heartworm and Tick prevention again when we saw Tinsel's vet last week, and it makes me feel like I am throwing my kids out into the battleground without an armour, or worse yet, naked.

But how can I possibly give them a dose of poison every month (or a shot of poison once a year) when I know that the poison is going to circulate in their bloodstream for the duration of the dose? I know many of you will tell me that I am being overly paranoid because the dosage is so low that it will only harm the insects and is completely safe for the host. But hey, that's what they've claimed for so many other drugs that we humans are taking too!

*sigh*

To med or not to med, that still remains a question....

-AM