The long-awaited summer holiday is finally here, bringing with it a little extra free time to spend in the company of your dog or cat. It is therefore handy to have at your fingertips a guide to homeopathic remedies and natural products for every need, especially if you want to continue caring for your four-legged friend with gentle medicines that are nonetheless reliably effective. As Dr Laura Cutullo, homeopathic veterinary surgeon and flower therapist, explains: "First and foremost, it is always a good idea to have at home or in your holiday bag a packet of sterile gauze, some cotton wool, a self-adhesive bandage, adhesive tape, tweezers (excellent for removing ticks or other insects embedded in the coat or skin), a nail clipper and a few syringes to use with or without a needle for dissolving and administering homeopathic remedies."

Homeopathic remedies to take on holiday…

If your animal is already receiving homeopathic treatment, obtain their remedy of choice and bring it with you to use as the first option in the event of illness. Below is a brief list of homeopathic medicines with their respective indications for use. The remedies listed should be administered to the animal in a very small amount of water, away from mealtimes, once a day, 3 to 5 granules at a time. Administration should stop as soon as the symptoms ease. In acute cases, the dose can be repeated every hour for 3 or 4 times until improvement is seen, then continued once a day for 3 to 5 days.

• Arnica 30ch and 200ch: used in cases of trauma with haematoma, dislocations, muscle pain and lameness
• Apis 30ch: to be used in cases of localised swelling (particularly weal-type swelling) on the muzzle or paws, of allergic or non-allergic origin
• Coccolus 30ch: for nausea due to car, sea or air sickness
• Pulsatilla 30ch: ideal for ear infections, especially painful ones
• Colocynthis 30ch: for abdominal colic of any kind
• Nux Vomica 30ch: ideal for vomiting caused by hyperacidity and diarrhoea from spoiled, toxic or blowfly-contaminated food. Also used in cases of lizard ingestion
• Podophyllum 30ch: to be used when diarrhoea is very liquid and projectile
• Ipeca 30ch: to be used in cases of vomiting brought on by persistent coughing fits
• Cantharis 30ch: in cases of cystitis attacks with drop-by-drop or bloody urination, painful and with frequent urge

…and flower therapy and herbal remedies

Among the four-legged flower therapy remedies not to be forgotten on holiday is undoubtedly the Rescue Solution (Rescue Remedy), made up of five Bach flowers (Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, Impatiens, Cherry Plum and Clematis). "Rescue," warns Dr Cutullo, "can be administered neat or diluted with a little water, even every minute, 3 or 4 drops at a time. It provides immediate relief in the event of insect stings, and is extremely useful in cases of convulsions or any psychological or physical emergency affecting our little friends." On the herbal side, meanwhile, a good travel companion can be Activated Vegetable Charcoal, useful for all types of poisoning or intoxication. It comes in tablets that can be crushed and mixed into a small amount of water, or given whole in a mouthful of food (1 to 4 tablets a day depending on the animal's size). "On holiday," Dr Laura Cutullo continues, "another indispensable companion can be calendula, used in cream form as a soothing, healing and disinfecting agent for the skin and gums. Another good product is Aloe Gel, perfect for all types of wounds or abrasions." Whatever you pack, do not forget to include your own vet's phone number and, where applicable, the contact details of their locums. A single phone call can make all the difference in resolving worries and problems arising from nothing more than a change of surroundings or climate.