The circle of color in your dog’s eye, called the iris, can be used as a looking glass into the holistic health of your dog. Through the science of Iridology, practitioners can use the iris to help assess your dog’s current condition, their genetic predisposition to disease and any future health issues that could be of concern.
What is Iridology?
Your dog’s iris is complex and contains large amounts of fibers that are connected to every nerve, muscle and organ throughout their body by way of the brain and spinal cord. Through its complexity, you can see how each of your dog’s systems are affecting one another.
Iridology analyses subtle changes in the iris that manifest as pigment discolorations, eyespots, lines and textures. As a practice, by studying subtle changes in the iris, iridologists can tell you about your dog’s tissues, systemic health and toxic load as well as his inherent strengths and weaknesses.
Iridology teaches that imbalances in the body cause rings, spots, and other pigment changes that directly correlate to your dog’s organs and tissues, as well as toxins, chemicals, medications and heavy metals that may be present. A skilled practitioner focuses on the cause of your dog’s condition, not specifically the illness or its symptoms. They can help you discover physiological imbalances before symptoms start to occur, which can give you the time you may need to adjust your dog’s diet, supplementation and environment before symptoms of chronic or degenerative illness present themselves. Iridology can also help determine whether a current treatment is working.
The iridology assessment
After an iridologist identifies which abnormalities are seen in your dog’s iris and at what place in the iris these spots and lines occur, they compare their placement with a set of iris charts. Just like reflexology and the foot, iridology charts divide the iris into left and right sides. The iris is then broken down into different zones that relate to specific areas of the body. The top of the eye is related to the region of the head and upper body like the brain, chest, neck and heart. The center of the eye is connected to the digestive organs and stomach. The lower half of the iris represents the legs, reproductive organs, hips, and tail regions.
Iridology avoids definitive diagnosis and because of this, it meets with strong opposition within the evidence based medical community. What most people don’t understand is that iridology is not intended to stand alone. It is a complement to natural veterinary medicine, holistic care and nutrition. Evidence based medicine is also opposed to homeopathy, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and chiropractic care.
Consulting an iridologist
If you cannot see a practitioner in person, all you need is a cooperative pup, a camera with at least five megapixels, and a flash. You can easily work with an iridologist on the Internet or phone after you send them appropriate photos of your dog’s eyes and complete a detailed history questionnaire. Based on the outcome of the assessment, the iridologist will recommend the next step to take, which could include seeking veterinary care, making dietary changes or giving preventative herbs and supplements.
Many iridologists who specialize in studying the human iris also consult for dogs, cats and horses. Make sure you seek someone with extensive knowledge and experience. Don’t be afraid to work with someone in countries like Germany, England, Sweden, and Austria where iridology is a respected science.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy are all sciences that take into consideration the subtle energies that are at play throughout the body, the interconnectedness of our bodies’ nerves and tissues and the changes that take place before disease starts to become chronic and degenerative. Iridology should not be a substitute for quality, holistic veterinary care, but being able to find imbalances and knowing whether we can restore strength and vitality to our dog’s body through iridology is a preventative health care approach that everyone can get excited about.
