Homeopathy, as with other alternative modalities, recognizes the difference between symptom and disease. It also stresses the importance of maintaining a state of homeostasis within the body. A symptom is not a disease but a sign or signalment of disease. In Western Medicine the goal is often to alleviate a specific symptom. This works in that the animal may feel better, but it does not necessarily change the underlying cause of the problem.
Many homeopathic practitioners feel that symptoms are adaptive responses to physiologic stress.
It is felt that symptoms are inherent defenses of the body, and eliminating them without addressing the source of the problem can suppress the body's healing responses. Thus instead of treating, controlling or suppressing symptoms, therapies that augment and even mimic the body's defense symptoms are utilized. Homeopathic medicine is based on the principle of similars . Symptoms or syndromes that can be induced by a substance are the same as those it may resolve when given in carefully prepared, tiny doses to those that suffer from similar syndromes or symptoms. In Western Medicine employs the principle of similars in immunization and allergy hyposensitization.