Application of Ethnoveterinary practices & Veterinary Homeopathy in treatment of mastitis in Dairy cattle
Dr. Anandita Srivastava
PhD, Scholar, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry,
DUVASU, Mathura-281001, U.P.
Email- anandisri30@gmail.com
Contact no.- 9468885648
Abstract:
In cattle population India stood second in the world ranking. Cattle uplift the economic range majorly by milch and draught purposes. Therefore, livestock diseases are a major threat to sustainable livelihoods of rural belongings. Specifically, in milch type of cattle there is always threat regarding their udder health and milk production. Mastitis is an inflammatory consequence to infectious agents causing visibly abnormal milk viz. colour, fibrin clots and flakes. As the extent of the inflammation increases, changes in the udder like- swelling, heat, pain, redness may also be note down. On basis of severity, it can be mild or moderate or severe. If the onset is very rapid, it denotes acute or severe mastitis. Thus, this condition can be treated by any mode of medication therapy includes- allopathy, homeopathy or ayurvedic system. Now-a-days people are preferring the Ethno Veterinary mode of treatment due to its no side effect and eco-friendly nature. Therefore, the application of indigenous knowledge to treat animal diseases is known as ethno-veterinary medicine.
Keywords: Cattle, Mastitis, Ethno Veterinary medicine, Homeopathy, Infectious agent.
Livestock imparts a crucial action in the economy of our country. Livestock sector contribute up to 80% of agricultural GDP in developing countries. Insight Indian perspective livestock sector contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total agriculture GDP. There is about 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their living. Livestock subsidized 16% to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households. India has massive livestock resources Generally, in our country farmers mostly relay on the allopathy mode of treatment for their livestock due to its high efficacy in less time. But instead of this some farmers have indigenous methods to treat diseases using medicinal plant compounds, manipulative techniques and herd management socio-cultural procedures.
Application of Ethno-veterinary medicine:
Ethno-veterinary medicine can be defined as a native animal healthcare system that comprises the traditional beliefs, knowledge, skills, methods and practices of a given society. It comprises the traditional management of veterinary diseases, their remedies, and the spiritual elements associated with the curative procedures. The modality involved in the production of ethnoveterinary medicines varies according to the active ingredients to be extracted, the route of administration and the medical intent (prophylaxis or therapeutics). Livestock owners and ranchero formulate infusions, decoctions, powders, drops, fumes, pastes and ointments from medicinal plant, animal, mineral and other inorganic constituents. These could be managed topically as drenches, through smoke, vaccinations or suppositories, vapours or massages or intra-nasally. Ethno-veterinary medicine is often unavailable due to either staffing problems in agriculture extension services or because synthetic drugs are expensive. It is perceived as simple, eco-friendly, contextually appropriate and culture-based. Ethno-veterinary medicine therefore plays an important role in the animal health care system.
Mastitis in dairy cow:
Mastitis is an infectious illness resulting in an inflammatory reaction in the udder tissues/mammary gland of the cow. When the bacteria gain entry into the udder through the teat canal, they find nutrients in the udder and multiply exponentially at very high rate. Their metabolic by products cause poisoning of the udder tissues resulting into an inflammation. It is an endemic disease and the most common in dairy cattle having specific feature like high milk production cows and old aged cows. Mastitis can be characterized by various degrees of severity ranging from a mild pyrexia, dysagalactia, anorexia with no gross changes in the secretion (milk) but an increase in somatic cells in the milk, to a moderate disease with an increase in inflammatory cells and major changes like- pus, blood, discolouration, presence of clots and flakes and large number of leucocytes in the milk. It may be accompanied by cardinal signs of inflammation like swelling, redness, and painfulness. Mastitis may progress to a severe disease with all of the above changes in the milk and systemic signs including high fever, depression, and off-feed and occasionally even death in the most severe cases. Therefore, this disease reduces milk production and milk quality.
Etiological agents:
- Infectious pathogens: Bacteria, mycoplasmas, viral and fungal.
2.Injury in udder or teats while milking
3. Bad Hygiene through the contaminated milker’s hands, bedding and wash cloths, infection enters the teat canal.
- Poor supervision
Mastitis can be further subdivided into two categories based on the source of infections:
- a) Contagious mastitis: cow to cow transmission during the milking process
- b) Environmental infections causing mastitis: it can be attained from pathogens present in the environment of the cow.
Let’s see some of the bacteria causing mastitis in details-
Mastitis by streptococci: In dairy herds where good hygiene and management are poorly practised; streptococci may show a morbidity rate of 25%. It is less common in well-managed herds, but can still cause a high loss of production, though rarely resulting in the death of the animal. There is a primary fever which may persist for 24 hours, but this systemic reaction is invariably mild, and is associated mainly with Streptococcus agalacticae. Streptococcus dysgalacticae and Streptococcus uberis produce a more acute syndrome with severe swelling of quarters and abnormality of milk. Systemic reaction is usually moderate, although an occasional per-acute infection may yield a very high fever.
Mastitis caused by Staphylococci: There is frequently a per-acute form appearing a few days after parturition, and this can be highly fatal, the quarter becoming swollen and purple, and systemic involvement rapid. The chronic form of this type is characterised by a slowly developing induration of udder tissue with watery secretion, leading eventually to atrophy of the quarter. A form in between the per-acute and the chronic may yield secretion of a purulent nature containing many thick clots.
Mastitis caused by E. Coli: Per-acute involvement is fairly common and can lead to loss of function of affected quarters and in many cases to death. The secretion is thin and yellow, and contains small bran-like flakes. Temperature may be very high indicating a severe systemic involvement.
Mastitis caused by Corynebacterium pyogenes: This is usually called summer mastitis because of its appearance while the summer seasons among non-lactating animals. Summer mastitis always commences acutely with severe systemic reaction in the body. The quarter or quarters involved there are frequently more than one become indurated, yielding a thick cheese-like secretion which is foul odour. Less severe cases show a purulent discharge. The udder may later show abscesses which burst through the outer skin yielding a creamy pus with occasional sloughing of tissue. The corynebacteria are well-known for the invasive toxins they produce and it is this toxin which produces the systemic symptoms.
Preventive measures regarding mastitis:
1.Tackle the problem on herd basis rather than individual.
2.Prior deciding the infectious agent one must not always be sure that it will be one of the common types as we have discussed earlier.
3.Must be aware of different pathogens causing the illness and possibly employ the appropriate nosode.
4.Find the root cause of mastitis and fix it out in which category the disease is spreading in the herd than apply nosode or oral vaccine against the organism of concerned.
5.Insight of herd medication generally employ the nosode in the 30th potency and have it prepared in liquid form and for drinking water add a 5ml vial per month to the main water tank.
6.The non-lactating animals during the summer months and consequently are at risk to Cor. Pyogenes infection, all such animals should be given a monthly dose of nosode.
The Role Homeopathy in Veterinary
Homeopathy offers the possibility to cure disease rapidly, gently, permanently and economically in animals. It has demonstrated its effectiveness in the prevention of disease for about 200 years and offers efficient alternatives to vaccines which have caused much suffering in humans and animals. Homeopathy and herbs can play a very large part in the successful rearing of our animals. Homeopathy is essentially a natural healing process, providing remedies to assist the patient to regain health by stimulating the body’s natural forces of recovery. Veterinary homeopathy is often called in where all conventional options have been exhausted. However, now days the scenario is changing, that many people seek homeopathy as a first-line treatment, preferring not to follow the route of surgery and modern drug medicines.
Cure of disease in homeopathy are applicable for acute, several chronic and malignant diseases. The treatment of such diseases is cost effective and there are no side effects as well. Due to these reasons homeopathy in India is a rapidly growing system as is being practised in many countries. Homeopathy is based on system ‘what can cause can cure’- “Similia Similibus Curantur”. It has been used in animals past 190 years. Organic farmers rely upon homeopathic medicine as an effective, safe medicine which does not give rise to drug residues in meat, milk or eggs. Among its other benefits of especial importance in farmed animals, is the fact that it cannot provoke antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations. They are safe for animals of all ages from neonates to old age. Even pregnant animals can take the remedies safely. Homeopathic remedies use minute amounts of substances to act as a trigger to the body and stimulate its immune system.
Treatment by Ethno-veterinary practices (Homeopathy)
The mode of treatment can be grouped into two ways
- Acute form: This form is frequently accompanying with parturition and lactation as well as in less severe form at drying off. The onset is generally at once and the condition can be diagnosed by swelling of the gland and changes in milk appearance. The swelling of udder may range from slight oedema to a hot painful enlargement.
- Chronic form. In chronic stage of mastitis, feverish indices are usually absent, although exacerbations can occur. The gland displays fibrous induration in the region of the
milk cistern and the milk itself shows small clots and flakes.
Let’s check out some names of the drugs with their relevant potencies and dose rate along with indication of administration in case of mastitis in cattle from the following mentioned table-
| S. No. | Name of drug with potency | Dose rate | Indication |
| 1. | Belladonna 30 | One dose every two hours 4 to 5 times till relief | Udder is hot, painful, and oedematous. |
| 2. | Belladonna 200 | B.I.D for 2 days. | Udder is hot, painful, and oedematous. |
| 3. | Bryonia 30 or 200 | One dose every 3 hrs, till relief | Udder is hard, painful, hot and animal is disinclined to move. |
| 4. | Urticaria urens 30 | One dose every 1 hr till relief | Udder is hard, painful, oedematous with allergic reactions and milk let down problems, dysagalactia. |
| 5. | Homeopathic Combination: (Belladonna +Bryonia + Urtica aa 30) |
1 dose once in 2 hrs till temperature comes to normal | Above all indications are diagnosed. |
| 6. | Phytolocca 200 | One dose 2 hourly 4-5 times for 2-3 days | Udder is hot, flakes/clots present in milk and refuse to allow the calf for suckling or milking. |
| 7. | Conium 200 | B.I.D. for 2 – 7 days | Udder is very hard, severe pain with yellowish and cheesy milk. |
| 8. | Merc sol 200 | B.I.D. for 2 days | Udder is hard and milk is watery or serosanguinous in appearance (Foot and Mouth affections). |
| 9. | Silicea 6x | T.I.D for 1 week to 10 days | Udder indurated; milk cheesy in consistence with yellow clots. |
| 10. | Biochemical Preparation 1 | ||
| Kali mur 6x+ Calc Flur 6x | B.I.D. for 1 week to 10 days | Presence of clots in milk. | |
| 11. | Biochemical Preparation 2 | ||
| Silicea 6x+ Calc Sulph 6x | Q.I.D for 1 week | Udder is hard and clots in milk. | |
| 12. | Homeopathic Combination 1: For intra mammary use | ||
| Calundula Q + Belladonna 30+ Dulcamara Q + Echinaea 30 aa 1 ml Made upto 20 ml with distilled water |
10 ml B.I.D. intra mammary injection for 2 to 3 days. Massage the udder to disperse the medicine uniformly | Inflammation of the udder with loss of appetite, fever congestion and injury. |
|
| 13. | Homeopathic Combination 2: For External use only | ||
| Phytolocca decandra 30 + Calendula officinalis Q + Apis mel 30 + Belladonna 30 aa 1 ml Made up to 20 ml with glycerine. |
B.I.D. for 2 – 4 days | Indicated in fissures, wounds, ulcers, congestions, hematomas, inflammations, contusions etc. |
|
| 14. | Homeopathic Combination 3: For internal use | ||
| Phytolocca 200 + Calc. Fluor 200 + Silicea 30 + Belladonna 30 + Arnica 30 + Conium 30 + Ipeca 30 aa 0.5 ml. Made up to 30 ml vimeral. |
B.I.D. for 2 – 4 days | In acute, subacute and chronic mastitis. | |
| 15 | Silicea 1M + Calc. Sulph 200 | Q.I.D for 2 –7 days. | Mastitis without anorexia, udder is hard and with clots. |
| 16. | Kali Mur 30 | Q.I.D for 2 to 5 days | Mastitis without anorexia, hardness of udder and white or gray or cream colour clots. |
| 17. | Ferrum Phos 6x | Q.I.D for 2 to 5 days | Mastitis without anorexia, blood in milk with or without bad smell. |
| 18. | Apis Mellifica 6c | one every three hours for four doses. | freshly calved heifers showing oedema of udder and surrounding tissues. The mammary vein is usually engorged in these cases. |
| 19. | Aconite 6x | one every half-hour for six doses. | all acute cases, especially those which develop suddenly, possibly after exposure to cold, dry winds. It will allay tension and restlessness. |
| 20. | Bellis Perennis 6c | one T.I.D. daily for four days. | If the injuries are more deep than superficial, e.g., damage from teat cups which has gone on for a few days. |
| 21. | Hepar Sulphuris 6x | one every three hours for four doses. Once the udder has been cleared of purulent material, a dose or two of a higher potency should be given to complete the cure |
Low potency of Hepar will help promote suppuration and clearing of the udder contents in cases of C. Pyogenes or summer mastitis infection |
Therefore, it is important that livestock farmers should exchange their ideas and beliefs on traditional knowledge with present veterinarians in order to augment productive capacity of herds and improve sustainable rural standards along with their livelihoods. There must be awareness too for conserving the precious forests, herbs, shrubs etc. it can be ruled out by extension programmes offered by Government and NGOs to conserve the habitats of flora and fauna and to protect the forest. Thus, there must be more research needed to explore untapped sources of ethno-veterinary knowledge.
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