As a veterinarian trained in the West, I've been trained to use antibiotics for bacterial infections, not homeopathic remedies, nothing freshly grown and picked from the earth.
I believe I am diligent about the prescription of antibiotics... a pill-pusher I am not, unless of course pills need to be pushed.
If a dog, cat, or human being, has a bacterial infection (pneumonia, for example), the infection itself stimulates the body's immune system (because the bacteria are antigens - unrecognized by the body's immune system), while the stress of the entire infection on the body can eventually weaken the immune system. Immunity does not always deal with an infection by itself, especially with serious infections. Antibiotics, when properly prescribed, will kill bacteria, render them unable to multiply, or make them more susceptible to the body's natural immune defenses. Antibiotics are nothing but synergistic allies with the body's immune system. This doesn't mean that physicians should have carte-blanche when faced with treating infections in patients. Pros and cons need to be heavily weighed so that 1) the patient has the greatest chance of recovering and 2) the greatest care is given so that drug resistance does not occur (too late for many types of infections, unfortunately).
If an overwhelming bacterial infection kills the organism, well then, there's no immune system left now, is there?
Pneumonia-causing bacteria.
When used judiciously, these will deal with those above.
