For George Kinsella, a vet in Waterford, a pet's personality and proclivities are as vital as its symptoms for accurate diagnosis and treatment, writes Carol Duffy

A colourful Waterford vet with a remarkable insight to animal behaviour and how owners relate to their pets is convincing a growing band of animal lovers and farmers to try homeopathy and other alternative medicines when their pets or farm animals are unwell.

While used to dealing with cynical queries, George Kinsella insists he has had considerable success in treating many of his four-legged patients using homeopathic remedies.

He says conventional animal medicine is based on what he terms the law of opposites. "If the pet is vomiting, vets give anti-vomit medication; diarrhoea is treated with an anti-diarrhoeal while pain is tackled with an anti-inflammatory.

"Instead, we follow the dictum 'similia similibus curentur' meaning 'treat like with like'. If an animal is vomiting I give them a remedy that in its raw state produces vomiting, but in a diseased animal it will help the body overcome the disease and fight it off. Homeopathy treatment applies the theory that ailments stem from underlying problems and that by treating the cause of the illness, you can cure the patient."

While his own speciality is treating animals, Kinsella says the fundamental principles of homeopathy work on any patient, "regardless of whether they are a cat, dog, horse or human".

"I look at the whole picture; I don't just look at a sore knee, itchy skin or eczema. I do all the conventional practices, I do my X-rays, urine analyses, ultra sound scans - all the proper exploratory techniques - because I want to know what is wrong, but I also look at cause and effect. "What caused the condition and why does the animal have this particular illness? There is a reason for everything."

Fascinated by homeopathy since he attended a talk on the subject in Somerset 17 years ago, Kinsella spent three years studying in England and is now a Veterinary Member of the Faculty of Homeopathy. While he is the only vet in his three-strong practice to use homeopathy, he says there is no conflict with his more traditional-minded colleagues.

Whatever their views of homeopathy in treating humans, Waterford pet owners are queuing up to try the alternative approach. Indeed, the demand is so strong that Kinsella is relocating to larger, custom-built premises in the city.

"There will be hot and cold pads, a 'bar' with water to observe animal drinking patterns and a CCTV recording facility so veterinary students can observe the consulting techniques from an adjacent room.

"This would be primarily a conventional practice. However, I specialise in a therapeutic approach with homeopathy, which looks at the mental state of animals as much as their physical state. A lot of the time their physical state can be explained by their mental state.

"If an animal is sent to kennels when its owner is away, nine times out of 10 that is when they will pick up fleas. Do you know why? They are grieving that their owners have gone. If I just prescribe an anti-flea preparation and don't look at the cause then I am not being a total vet in my opinion. You must look underneath the surface to find out what actually causes the animal's problem and a lot of the time it is grief."

Citing the example of a coughing dog, Kinsella says: "When I treat that animal homeopathically, I check does it like cold or heat. When does it cough worst, what time of day and what sort of discharge is present? If there is phlegm, what colour is it? Is it dry or wet cough, is there eye or nasal discharge?

"I would also assess the animal's personality. Is it shy, gentle, aggressive, submissive or domineering, and does it get jealous? I look at the mental as well as physical condition. If thirsty, does the dog drink large quantities or sip small amounts and does it have a ravenous appetite? Is it thin or overweight? What type of bed does it sleep in? These are all specifics and the answers lead to the remedies." Kinsella uses information technology to track the 3,000 or so remedies to choose from when treating an animal homeopathically.

"There are too many to remember, so they are on a computer database, and I tap in the symptoms. However, you must get a sense from the animal and observe it. I use everything at my disposal to select the correct remedy based on the animal's mental and physical state." The vet cites owners' knowledge of their pets as one of his greatest diagnostic tools.

"The way people understand their animals is unreal. They often understand them better than they understand their own children. If I ask them about Fido, they say he loves company and he just goes berserk when they go away or he never stops barking. That's because he has a mind aversion, he has a desire for company and hates to be alone.

"Some animals are very happy to be on their own, while others love company and yet may also like to be on their own at times. The emotional aspects of animal behaviour are very definite. Look at the jealousy a dog can show when another dog is given affection by its owner. They can become aggressive and may actually attack the other dog; that's how jealous they can get."

While initially reluctant to discuss his fees, Kinsella stressed that the cost of homeopathic consultations is in line with the normal charges for a visit to the vet.

"The price varies. A standard consultation lasting 10 to 15 minutes would cost about €30. Generally I would spend an hour with an animal suffering a chronic problem and this would probably cost around €100. This accounts for the hour, as well as analysing the data afterwards. However, the money is not a big issue when people are trying to find a solution to their pet's particular problem."

Kinsella is also treasurer of the Irish Society of Veterinary Homeopathy, which has 35 members using homeopathic remedies. In a bid to boost this number, the Oxford-based Homeopathic Professionals Teaching Group is offering a three-year course to animal and human health professionals in Ireland who are interested in receiving qualifications that would allow them to practice homeopathy.

The first module was taught over four days recently at the Grace Dieu Retreat Centre in Waterford, and was attended by 17 vets, two doctors, a dentist and a state registered nurse. There are also eight people already signed up to join next year's course.

Kinsella is anxious that homeopathy should not be pigeon-holed as alternative healing. "There is no alternative in the medicine. It is my therapeutic approach that is different. Conventional medicine is too often mechanical with every patient looked on as a problematic machine.

"However, the difference between a machine and a living being is that if a human or animal are cut and bruised they can heal themselves whereas a machine must be replaced or repaired.

"Homeopathy tunes into what might be called the auto-healing process by giving patients a stimulus that prompts the body to auto-heal in a safe way with no side effects. It recognises the law of nature and the essential difference between a machine and a living being."