Animal Studies

Claims are regularly made in the media and by various “authorities” that there’s no evidence for homeopathy. Whether this declaration is made through simple ignorance, stupidity or with the deliberate intent to deceive, would make an excellent topic for investigation. Either way, the assertion that there’s no evidence for homeopathy is plainly and clearly wrong. On our research pages you will find abstracts from over 200 human, animal, plant and in-vitro scientific studies that attest the reality that there is indeed evidence for homeopathy, and lots of it. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a selection of the available research.

On the Research Evidence Base List contains over 5,000 homeopathy research evidence base references with links to each.

We would like to thank Robert Medhurst, Iris Bell M.D., Ph.D., and Peter Gold for their exceptional work is assembling this knowledge base.

Please note
In addition to the papers listed below, there is a significant body of animal research that shows positive results for homeopathy. However HINT considers research which involves the harming of animals to be unethical and we have therefore chosen not to include those (64+ papers) on our website

Animal studies

1. Aboiutboul R. Snake remedies and eosinophilic granuloma complex in cats. Homeopathy, 2006 January, 95, 1, 15-19. An Israeli veterinary clinic compiled case records involving Eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC) in cats taken over an 8 year period. 20 cases of the condition were seen during this period and details of 15 of these cases were recorded. EGC is a syndrome characterised by lesions affecting the skin and the oral cavity. Conventional treatment is mainly symptomatic and may have undesirable side effects. The cases recorded involved the use of homeopathic snake remedies (the most frequently used being Lachesis) and in all 15 cases, reactions were mostly quick, leading to significant improvements, including complete recoveries.

2. Chaudhuri S, Varshney JP Clinical management of babesiosis in dogs with homeopathic Crotalus horridus 200C. 2007 Apr;96(2):90-4. Babesiosis is a protozoal disease suffered by dogs. It’s associated with infestation by Babesia gibsoni and is normally transmitted by ticks. In this clinical case comparison the effects of Crotalus horridus 200C on dogs suffering from this condition were compared with the effects of the standard pharmaceutical treatment, diminazine aceturate. At 18 days after the medications were given results were assessed and on the clinical scores for the various symptoms produced by the dogs in response to the protozoa, it was found that Crotalus horridus 200C provided the same level of clinical recovery from the illness as did diminazine aceturate.

3. Neumann S, Stolt P, Braun G, Hellmann K, Reinhart E. Effectiveness of the homeopathic preparation Zeel compared with Carprofen in dogs with osteoarthritis. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2011 Jan-Feb;47(1):12-20. Workers from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Germany’s University of Goettingen carried out this study to determine what effects, if any, could be produced by a combination of homeopathically prepared materials to relieve the effects of osteoarthritis in dogs, compared the effects of Carprofen, a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. 68 dogs suffering from clinically determined osteoarthritis were assigned to receive either the homeopathic combination, or Carprofen for 56 days. Assessments were made by treating veterinarians and owners at baseline, at 28 days and 56 days, of lameness, stiffness of movements, and pain on palpation. After accumulating and analysing the results it was shown that the interventions were equal in their effectiveness.

4. Hielm-Björkman A, Tulamo RM, Salonen H, Raekallio M. Evaluating complementary therapies for canine osteoarthritis–Part II: a homeopathic combination preparation (Zeel). Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Dec;6(4):465-71. In an extension to previous work done in this area, researchers at Finland’s University of Helsinki used a randomized, double-controlled and double-blinded clinical trial model to compare the effects of a combination of homeopathically prepared materials with that of placebo for the relief of the symptoms of osteoarthritis suffered by dogs. 44 dogs were randomly assigned to receive either the homeopathic combination or one of two control substances for 8 weeks. Regular observations made of mobility, force plate variables, chronic pain index and pain and locomotion via visual analogue scales (VASs) as well as the intake of extra non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. On analysis of the results, a significant association was found between the homeopathic combination and a reduction in 4 of the 6 variables measured, and these were the variables predominantly associated with chronic orthopaedic pain.

5. Klocke P, Ivemeyer S, Butler G, Maeschli A, Heil F. A randomized controlled trial to compare the use of homeopathy and internal Teat Sealers for the prevention of mastitis in organically farmed dairy cows during the dry period and 100 days post-calving. 2010 Apr;99(2):90-8. Mastitis in organically farmed dairy cows is a major issue since, by definition, organically farmed animals cannot be given antibiotics. To deal with this, Swiss scientists from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Frick sought to come up with a solution using a herd specific homeopathic mixture in cows affected by mastitis. 102 cows were randomly assigned to receive teat sealing via Orbeseal, a sterile, non-antibiotic inflammatory infusion in the form of a viscous paste, the homeopathic mixture or no treatment. All cows were checked for clinical mastitis and somatic cell count for the first 100 days post-calving (milk from cows infected with mastitis generally have higher total bacteria counts and somatic cell counts than milk from uninfected cows). On analysis it was shown that the herd-specific homeopathic was effective in increasing the number of animals with normal milk secretion compared to untreated controls.

6. Gazim ZC, Ferreira FBP, da Silva AV, Bolognese KC, Merlin E, Messa V, de Jesus RA, Coutinho CA, da Silva LCM. Efficiency of tick biotherapic on the control of infestation by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in Dutch dairy cows. Int J High Dilution Res. 2010; 9(33):156-164. This Brazilian work was done to investigate alternatives to conventional pesticides for the management of the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) in cattle. To do this, 34 Dutch dairy cows infested with Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus were given either mineral salt alone or mineral salt impregnated with a 12C homoepathic preparation of the organism daily for 6 months, then a 30C preparation every second day for a further 22 months. At this point, engorged female ticks were collected from both groups, counted and weighed. In vitro tests were carried out to assess mass of ticks; egg mass; egg-hatching rate; and reproductive efficiency. After comparing these results from both groups it was shown that the use of the homeopathically prepared tick was associated with a significant decrease in the mass of engorged females, deposition and hatching rate of eggs, and a decrease of the reproductive efficiency of these ticks.

7. Silva NL, Moletta JL, Minho AP, Filippsen LF. Use of biotherapic in the control of natural infestation by Boophilus microplus: pilot study. Int J High Dilution Research, 7, 22, 36-38, (2008). Scientists at the Agronomic Institute of Parana in Brazil conducted this research to assess the effects of a combination of 12C homeopathically potentised parasites on infestation in cattle by the cattle tick Boophilus microplus. This mixture included a 12C homeopathic potency of Boophilus microplus. 27 tick infested cattle were randomly assigned to receive the homeopathic mixture, or a standard veterinary drug-based dip used for this condition, or were given no treatment. The cattle were assessed for ticks at baseline and then every 14 days. On analysis of these assessments it was found that the homeopathically potentised mixture provided the same level of relief from ticks as the standard drug-based dip.

8. Zacharias F, Guimarães JE, Araújo RR, Almeida MA, Ayres MC, Bavia ME, Mendonça-Lima FW. Effect of homeopathic medicines on helminth parasitism and resistance of Haemonchus contortus infected sheep. 2008 Jul;97(3):145-51. This Brazilian study reports the findings of a group investigating the effects of 3 homeopathically potentised substances on sheep infected with the Barber’s Pole worm (Haemonchus contortus), a pathogenic nematode common to sheep. 20 sheep were randomly assigned to receive Doramectin, a commonly used antihelminthic; homeopathically prepared Ferrum phos, Arsenicum album and Calc carb; or no treatment. Faecal and blood samples were taken 18, 38 and 68 days from baseline and these checked for evidence of the parasite. On assessment of these results an association was found between the use of the homeopathic preparations and a reduction in the presence of the parasites, leading to an improvement in vital function and weight gain. In addition, the homeopathic option was also found to be more economical than the standard antihelminthic method of management.

9. Camerlink I, Ellinger L, Bakker EJ, Lantinga EA. Homeopathy as replacement to antibiotics in the case of Escherichia coli diarrhoea in neonatal piglets. Homeopathy, Volume 99, Issue 1, January 2010, 57-62. This work, performed by a team primarily from the Wageningen University in The Netherlands, concerns the design and outcomes of the homeopathic treatment of piglets suffering from diarrhoea associated with E. coli. 52 sows in their last month of gestation were given either placebo or a homeopathically potentised preparation of E. coli twice weekly for that month. These sows subsequently gave birth to 525 piglets; 265 from the placebo sow group and 260 from the homeopathic E. coli group and all were monitored for E. coli diarrhoea. On analysis of the results from the observations made of both groups, it was found that the piglets from the placebo group had a diarrhoeal incidence that was 6 times higher than the piglets from the homeopathic group.