Medicinal Plants for Livestock and other Animals

Discussion in 'Breeding, Raising, Feeding and Caring for Animals' started by Michaelangelica, Dec 29, 2010.

  1. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    This is an interesting website
    https://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal/index.html
    My own experience is limited but i have seen Russian comfrey used as a stock food for NZ Racehorses and Dairy Cows.
    Rarely do Australian farmers have enough water for it (now might be an exception?)
    https://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal/comf.html

    A friend helped a cow with 'stuck' afterbirth with wild raspberry leaves (in molasses). it seemed to work extremely well.

    Another friend, very organic, who fed her chooks on heaps of Comfrey leaves was visited, by the Government heavies that concern themselves with such things, and told not to use so much "yellow dye" as her bright yellow egg yokes were obviously chemically induced!

    Many herbalist get into herbalism by not being able to afford vet bills!

    Bairacli Levy's books seem to be an exceptionally good resource
    Bairacli Levy, Juliette de. 1991. The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable, 4th ed. Faber and Faber, NY.

    Anyone got any first hand experiences of remedies that work?
     
  2. Fernando Pessoa

    Fernando Pessoa Junior Member

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    Bump and bookmark thanks MA thats looking like some good reading.:y::y::y:
     
  3. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    I'll get my partner, who is a wizard with animals to get in this discussion. ( I would have said "witch" but was afraid of the consequences)
     
  4. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    'witch' is good; I am trying to convince mine to buy a lottery ticket. she says 'that's not how it works" (!?)

    Ethnoveterinary medicines used for ruminants in British Columbia, Canada.
    Lans C., Turner N., Khan T., Brauer G., Boepple W.
    Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine 2007 3 (11)
    Cited by: 13
    MEDLINE
    Abstract

    View Full Text

    BACKGROUND: The use of medicinal plants is an option for livestock farmers who are not allowed to use allopathic drugs under certified organic programs or cannot afford to use allopathic drugs for minor health problems of livestock.

    METHODS: In 2003 we conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 participants obtained using a purposive sample. Medicinal plants are used to treat a range of conditions. A draft manual prepared from the data was then evaluated by participants at a participatory workshop.
    RESULTS: There are 128 plants used for ruminant health and diets, representing several plant families.

    The following plants are used for abscesses: Berberis aquifolium/Mahonia aquifolium Echinacea purpurea, Symphytum officinale, Bovista pila, Bovista plumbea, Achillea millefolium and Usnea longissima. Curcuma longa L.,
    Salix scouleriana and Salix lucida are used for caprine arthritis and caprine arthritis encephalitis.

    Euphrasia officinalis and Matricaria chamomilla are used for eye problems.

    Wounds and injuries are treated with Bovista spp., Usnea longissima, Calendula officinalis, Arnica sp., Malva sp., Prunella vulgaris, Echinacea purpurea,
    Berberis aquifolium/Mahonia aquifolium, Achillea millefolium, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Hypericum perforatum, Lavandula officinalis, Symphytum officinale and Curcuma longa.

    Syzygium aromaticum and Pseudotsuga menziesii are used for coccidiosis.

    The following plants are used for diarrhea and scours: Plantago major, Calendula officinalis, Urtica dioica, Symphytum officinale, Pinus ponderosa, Potentilla pacifica, Althaea officinalis, Anethum graveolens, Salix alba and Ulmus fulva.

    Mastitis is treated with Achillea millefolium, Arctium lappa, Salix alba, Teucrium scorodonia and Galium aparine.
    Anethum graveolens and Rubus sp., are given for increased milk production.
    Taraxacum officinale, Zea mays, and Symphytum officinale are used for udder edema.

    Ketosis is treated with Gaultheria shallon, Vaccinium sp., and Symphytum officinale. Hedera helix and Alchemilla vulgaris are fed for retained placenta.
    CONCLUSION: Some of the plants showing high levels of validity were Hedera helix for retained placenta
    & Euphrasia officinalis for eye problems.

    Plants with high validity for wounds and injuries included Hypericum perforatum, Malva parviflora and Prunella vulgaris.

    Treatments with high validity against endoparasites included those with Juniperus communis and Pinus ponderosa. Anxiety and pain are well treated with Melissa officinalis and Nepeta caesarea.
     
  5. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    might need swale setup?

    it just survives in paddocks here
    worm wood artemesia is 60% efficacy against haemonchus contortus in sheep 'steven love nsw dpi'
    unsure weather resistance to actives is aproblem ill let you know in 10 years
    any plant taller than 5 cm is less likley to contain large amounts of worm larvae
    bos indicus cattle seem to medicate on robinia and gleditsia when at risk of bloat
    comfrey and lucerne contain b12
     
  6. SueUSA

    SueUSA Junior Member

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    When I was reading Pat Coleby's book on Natural Farming, she said her goats would eat plants that are usually considered toxic (like rhubarb leaves), but they seemed to eat just what they needed, as long as they had enough good forage.

    But it has to be there, available. The usual overkill theory is that many things are toxic in large amounts, so they should be eliminated from the pasture/forage completely. Animals existed for a long time on their own, eating what they needed, avoiding what they shouldn't.

    Acres U.S.A., a magazine on commercial-scale organic and sustainable farming, has several books on natural livestock care and remedies:

    Alternative Treatments for Ruminant Animals by Paul Dettloff, DVM

    Cure Your Own Cattle by Newman Turner

    Homeopathy for the Herd by E. Edgar Sheaffer, V.M.D.

    Homeopathy in Organic Livestock Production by Glen Dupree

    Natural Cattle Care,
    Natural Goat Care,
    Natural Horse Care,
    Natural Sheep Care books by Pat Coleby

    Treating Dairy Cows Naturally by Hubert J. Karreman

    Textbook of Veterinary Homeopathy by John Saxton and Peter Gregory

    The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable,
    and The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, by Juliette de Bairacli Levy

    Treatment of Cattle by Homeopathy by Dr. George Macleod

    Sue
     
  7. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Thanks Sue i had no idea there was so much written.

    It seems animals may have taught us what medicinal plants to use
    More athttps://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/1998/1/reallywildremedies.cfm
     
  8. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    honey

    We all sorta know honey is a good medical first aid kit But I never thought of using it on animals
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/honey-in-integrative-vete_b_834771.html
    Since honey is antibacterial it also makes the environment for healing more favorable and keeps bacteria from colonizing the area. This reduces scarring and infection rates and what is very exciting is that bacteria don't seem to develop resistance to honey so its effectiveness should last well into the future. This is very important as medical professionals in human and veterinary medicine work to find solutions that don't involve the use of antibiotics.
    In our practice we use honey for wound healing but most often I use it for dogs suffering from pollen allergies and some gastrointestinal issues. If we give dogs a kale shake (one-half to one-third leaf of organic kale blended with water or broth and fed daily for medium to large dogs) and one tsp of honey for larger dogs daily we see some dogs become less itchy in two to four weeks. In humans with hay fever this has long been known. It doesn't work for all cases but it can be amazing.

    One of my favorite stories involved a Sharpei dog that had severe chronic ear infections. The owner had long suffered from expensive, repetitive infections of the dog's skin and ears. His ears were so bad that the veterinarians on the case were considering surgery. Luckily, he responded in about 30 days to a teaspoon of local honey given orally each day. When the owner ran out of local honey the symptoms returned in about three weeks, so he had to take it for the rest of his life, but when he was on his honey his skin and ears were perfect.

    Your pet's immune system is organized very well for defense. About
     
  9. Ojo

    Ojo Junior Member

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  10. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    I'll second the Juliet de Bairacli Levy recommendation. Levy was a herbalist who wrote books post war on herbal medicine for humans and animals. She was a world reknowned afghan hound breeder and many people followed her dietary and herbal advice. She also wrote books on herbal medicine for cats, dogs, and farm animals. Her knowledge came from travelling and living in various parts of the world where she learnt directly from the gypsies and other old time folk who still held the direct knowledge of herbal remedies and animal health care. Her books can usually be picked up secondhand.

    Another book that's useful for understanding wild animals and medicine is Wild Health by Cindy Engel on how animals self medicate.

    My experience is that you can use herbs with animals in similar ways to humans. You need to adjust dosages, and there are different ways of administering but the general approach is similar.
     
  11. Terra

    Terra Moderator

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    Sheoak is very effective for sick horses
     
  12. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Casuarina?
    Sick in what way?
     
  13. adrians

    adrians Junior Member

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    righto then.

    I'm getting some sheep, and the only thing I know is the drench them once a year.

    If you were me what would you plant? It might simply be planted amonst a forage area I'm establishing.. rows of pigeon pea and arrowroot to begin with..
     
  14. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Medicinal Plants for Livestock
    Established by the Animal Science Department of Cornell University in the USA, this site focuses on medicinal plants for livestock and discusses topics such as their safety and efficacy.
    www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal
     
  15. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Organic parasite control for poultry and rabbits in British Columbia, Canada

    Organic parasite control for poultry and rabbits in British Columbia, Canada
    Interesting free article courtesy of the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
    https://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/21
    Abstract

    Plants used for treating endo- and ectoparasites of rabbits and poultry in British Columbia included
    • Arctium lappa (burdock),
    • Artemisia sp. (wormwood),
    • Chenopodium album (lambsquarters) and C. ambrosioides (epazote),
    • Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle),
    • Juniperus spp. (juniper),
    • Mentha piperita (peppermint),
    • Nicotiana sp. (tobacco),
    • Papaver somniferum (opium poppy),
    • Rubus spp. (blackberry and raspberry relatives),
    • Symphytum officinale (comfrey),
    • Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion),
    • Thuja plicata (western redcedar) and
    • Urtica dioica (stinging nettle).
     
  16. Don Hansford

    Don Hansford Junior Member

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    Pretty old post, but I'd be planting comfrey, mugwort, southernwood, and tansy for starters. Put it where it will grow through a fence into their paddock, and they'll eat it as they need it.

    Add garlic to the dog and cat food for worms

    Put a piece (about 3 or 4 inches) of copper pipe in the dogs water dish (worms, fleas & general health issues)

    Plant tansy around kennels to keep fleas down.

    Diatomaceous Earth is the best thing around for fleas & ticks or lice on pets & chooks.

    I had a dog years ago that got his shoulder and chest ripped open. You could look half way around his ribcage under the skin. Packed it full of raw honey and stitched him up with a bag needle and some baling twine. A couple of months later you could barely see the scar.
     
  17. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Honey still great for wounds!
    I noticed "medicinal" honey at the markets the other day. Twice the price of 'ordinary' honey.

    Apparently, at least for humans, the odd maggot keeps the wound clean in an emergency too!
     
  18. Don Hansford

    Don Hansford Junior Member

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    Yep, "medicinal honey" and "cleaning vinegar" must have been thought up by the same marketing mind :)

    I have a story about maggots, too! (Seems I have lots of stories about lots of things, doesn't it?)

    WARNING: Some readers may find the following rather gruesome!

    My older sisters' husbands' grandfather was at Pozieres in World War One. During one of their many fruitless attacks on the enemy, he was shot in the side of the head, removing a chunk of the skull and leaving part of the brain exposed, and left behind in No Mans Land. It was six days before he was picked up by a night patrol and brought back to the lines. The doctors later told him that most casualties with untreated wounds contracted gangrene and either died or needed massive amputations (bit of a problem with a head wound, what!). The only thing that stopped him from getting gangrene were the maggots laid in his wound, that were eating the rotting flesh before it went gangrenous. Although he healed well, and lived to his eighties, his brain would sometimes "forget" he was holding something in his left hand, and it would simply fall out. He said all he had to do was remember to always hold his beer right-handed, anything else wasn't a real problem!. Up until his dying day, he never knowingly killed a fly.
     
  19. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Nice story Don.

    My father buried his own platoon in the jungles of Borneo. He was never right in the head again. Grandad was on the big guns in WW1; deaf as a post in his old age; used to play war songs for free beer at the pub. He must have been good; he was usually brought home by his 'friends', the police, (who of course in those days always had to call into pubs at 10pm to check that they were, in fact, closed), much to my eternal alter boy embarrassment. I missed out on Vietnam, and thus did not follow the family tradition , otherwise I would have been even more crazy than I am now.

    I read of an Alaskan doctor packing a bad leg wound with maggots before his patient had to be sledded out for days before he got to a hospital for 'emergency' treatment. When the hospital got the guy they were outraged and tried to have the good Doc struck off; which of course they didn't manage.
    I am told that you do need the 'right' sort of maggot that only eats dead and rotting flesh keeping the rest of the wound clean
     
  20. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    does anyone have any chenopodium ambrosiodes (jesuits tea)

    :y: this plant has the potential to become a weed:clap:

    did the horses win>?
    top work MA!
     

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