Use of Homeopathy in Veterinary Practice
Monika Choudhary
MVSc Scholar, ARGO Division, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, Haryana
Introduction:
The homeopathic system of medicine is the second largest medical system in the world. Homeopathic medicines are prepared from a wide range of natural sources such as plants, chemicals, minerals, microbes, and animals. It is considered one of the safest methods of animal treatment (Day, 1999). It is a therapeutic method using preparations of substances whose effects when administered to healthy subjects correspond to the manifestations of the disorder (symptoms, clinical signs, pathological states) in the individual patient. The method was developed by Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) and is now practiced throughout the world (Swayne J, 2000). Its principle of work is rooted in two theories. First, that “like cures like” − that is, the disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people. Second, “the law of minimum dose” − which means that the lower the dosage, the more effective the medication. Its main aim is to reduce the use of conventional, synthetic veterinary medicinal products both as preventive measures and in the therapy of diseased animals. It allows the evolution of a farming system progressively less dependent on allopathic veterinary medicinal products. Homeopathy is particularly useful because there is no risk of a) Toxic side effects, b) Drug residues, so no withdrawal period, and c) Can help farmers reduce reliance on antibiotics. This chapter highlights the importance of homeopathy in treating various diseases in farm and pet animals.
| S.N | The merits of homeopathy in veterinary practices |
| 1. | It does not create another disease while curing one disease ( mostly found in allopathic). |
| 2. | It stimulates the power of resistance of the sick person to destroy the harmful action of natural diseases thus cure most naturally. |
| 3. | It is useful even when the diagnosis is doubtful, as drugs can be selected based on the totality of characteristic symptoms and successful treatment is possible. |
| 4. | A new or unknown disease can be correctly and successfully treated when the symptoms of the disease are known like in the case of cholera. |
| 5. | The homeopathic drug is given in the form of sweet pills, bolus, or powers, they are like animals. |
| 6. | The drug can be easily administered by mouth so it doesn’t require advanced skill and also maintains animal welfare (less painful than allopathic).
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| 7. | it cures diseases mildly, quickly, and permanently, with no side effects on another system (like allopathic treatment that leaves a long convalescent period even after the cure of acute disease). |
The management of economically important diseases in farm and pet animals with the help of homeopathic treatments:-
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD): It is one of the most contagious viral diseases of cloven-footed animals (Radostits et al., 2007). The disease is characterized by fever, salivation, lameness, vesicles, and ulcers in the mouth, feet, and teat of infected animals and causes high economic loss (Yang et al., 1999; Alexandersen et al., 2003). Animals were successfully treated with homeopathic medicines consisting of Sulphur 200C (Dr. Willmar Schwabe India Pvt Ltd, Noida, India) @ 20 drops orally once, Kalium iodatum 200C (Dr. Willmar Schwabe India Pvt Ltd, Noida, India) @ 20 drops orally twice a day for 3 days. Calendula mother tincture (Dr. Willmar Schwabe India Pvt Ltd, Noida, India) was diluted to 1:200 with distilled water for cleaning mouth and foot ulcers. A Calendula solution was prepared by diluting mother tincture (5 drops in 5 ml of distilled water) for dressing and topical application over the foot and mouth lesions.
2) Lumpy skin disease: is caused by the Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV), a virus of the Capri pox virus genus in the pox viridae family. It is characterized by fever, formation of lumps or nodules on the animal’s body, increased mucus secretion, loss of appetite, etc. Animals were successfully treated with homeopathic medicines consisting of Calcarea Flour in 1000CH potency, Kali Chlor in 200CH, and Agnus Castus in 1000CH potency to be prescribed where a single dose is to be given for a week. Homeopathic Prevention As LSD affects the lymph nodes primarily, ‘Scrophularia Nodosa’ in 30CH potency is to be prescribed for each cattle with a twice-daily dosage for a week (Phatak et al, 2007). All these medicines can be given in globules or dilutions along with the drinking water of the cattle.
3) Bovine mastitis: it is the inflammation of the mammary gland and udder tissue due to microorganism infection or any kind of trauma. The homeopathic medicines consisting of Phytolacca 200c, Calcarea fluorica 200c, Silicea 30c, Belladonna 30c, Bryonia 30c, Arnica 30c, Conium 30c, and Ipecacuanha 30c are to be prescribed for treatment. Boericke (1969) has prescribed Phytolacca / poka root (200X German Tincture) for mastitis & galactorrhoea. It is a useful remedy in case of hard, swollen, and stony udder accompanied by curdled milk in the acute stage and small clots in the chronic stage, It was given orally as 10 drops two times a day for 4 consecutive days. Kumar (2020) used homeopathic remedies to treat fibrosis in cows containing Conium maculatum 200c, Carboanimalis 200c, and Silicea 200c. Carboanimalis is one of the long-acting medicines used in inflammation. Day (1992) reported that Silicea stimulates the expulsion of foreign bodies from tissues in chronic low-grade inflammations.
4) True anoestrus: Anoestrus cows were treated with a homeopathic complex of Calcarea phosphorica 30c, Aletris farinosa 30c, Pulsatilla 30c, Aurum muriaticum natronatum 30c, Sepia 30c and Phosphorus 30c in equal proportion, 15 pills twice daily orally for 10 days, ( R. Rajkumar et al., 2006).
5) Induction of labor in animals: Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa [formerly Cimicifuga racemosa]), alone or in combination with other medicinal herbs (blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) as “mother’s cordial”, has a long traditional use and is frequently used as a uterine stimulant and labor-inducing aid.
6) Wounds and skin disease: In the traditional medicine system, Aloe vera, ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort, and honey are reported to be used for treating wounds, scars, skin damage, and ulcers. Additionally, other plant extracts such as tea tree oil, oak bark, and Calendula officinalis (Commonly known as Pot marigold ) extract have also been used for their effects on wound healing. In the ayurvedic system of medicine, it seems like Calendula officinalis possesses scar-easing and emollient properties by significantly raising the amount of collagen metabolism, and wound angiogenesis in wound areas.
Management of important pet diseases with the help of homeopathic treatments:
1)Acute gastroenteritis: A syndrome characterized by the sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation. An array of homeopathic drugs namely Antimonium crudum, Arsenium album, China, Colocynthis, Cuprum metal, Ferrum phos, Mercurius corrosives, Nux vomica, and Veratrum album were mainly used in homeopathic preparations. Ipeca cuanha, in all diseases with constant and continual nausea with profuse saliva, vomiting of white, glary mucus in large quantities without relief, stomach feels related as if hanging down, clutching, squeezing, griping, as from a hand, each finger sharply pressing into intestines; worse from motion. Nux vomica, in all diseases with nausea, vomiting, irritability, and impatient temperament, suffer from want of exercise with gastric and abdominal complaints (Jain, 2004).
2) Anaemia: it is a pathophysiological condition in which the reduction of packed cell volumes, (measured by hematocrit), erythrocyte or hemoglobin concentration, or both in circulating blood is below the normal range. It is characterized by General Weakness, Fatigue, Pallor of skin and mucous membranes, Dyspnea, etc. Different homeopathic medicines like Ferrum phophoricum, Ferrum metallicum, arsenic album, pulsatilla nigricans, natrum muriaticum, etc. Used in preparations that show great efficacy on anemia. These herbals help in increasing hemoglobin levels, reducing the paleness of skin, treating hematemesis, epistasis, and hemorrhages, and also improving general health status.
References
- Day, C. (1999). Veterinary homeopathy: principles and practices. In: Scheon AM, Wyne SG editors. Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine. Principles and practices. St. Luis: Mushy pp 485-513.
- Swayne J. International Dictionary of Homeopathy.Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
- Ernst E. Homeopathy, past present future. Br J Clin Pharmacol.
- Alexandersen S, Mowat N. Foot-and-mouth disease: Host range and pathogenesis. Foot and Mouth Disease Virus; 2003.
- Boericke, W.(1991). Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica. 9th Edition, B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd. New Delhi, India, pp 197 & 584.
- Phatak, S. R. (2007). Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines, B. Jain Publishers, Revised Edition; 2007.
- Egan, J. (1995): Evaluation of a homeopathic treatment for subclinical mastitis. Veterinary Record137, 48.
- Rajkumar et al., 2006. Effect of a Homeopathic complex on oestrus induction and hormonal profile in anoestrus cows. Homeopathy, 95(3):131-5.
- Jain J.P. Highlights of Homeopathic Materia Medica Including Therapeutic Index. 2nd ed. India: B. Jain Publisher Pvt. Ltd.;2004.
