Traditional Veterinary Practices Research Articles

Assessing ethno-veterinary practices in Kashmir Himalayas: Traditional knowledge and its role in animal healthcare

This study was aimed at exploring the ethno-veterinary practices in the District of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory of India, by examining the traditional knowledge and its application in animal healthcare. The study included qualitative methods, such as interviews with local farmers (n=100) and traditional healers, as well as observation of their practices from February to April 2023. The results revealed a rich knowledge base among the local community regarding the use of medicinal plants for treating a range of animal ailments. 32 plants of pharmaceutical value representing 23 families have been assessed, with the Asteraceae family receiving the greatest attention. Eighty-eight percent of these ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species were herbs. Leaves of these plants were used most often (27%), followed by the entire plant (21%), seeds (21%), roots and fruits (9%), bulbs (6%), and stems and rhizomes (3%). Glycine max (0.91) and Allium sativum (UVi = 0.89) had the highest UVi values, whereas Oryza sativa (0.51), Allium sativum (0.49), and Zea mays (0.43) were the most cited and most often mentioned therapeutic plant species. Traditional veterinary practices were found to be deeply embedded in the local culture and were passed down through generations of farmers and traditional healers. These practices are still widely used today, in combination with modern veterinary medicine, to provide comprehensive care to livestock in the region. This study highlights the importance of preserving and promoting ethno-veterinary knowledge and practices as a valuable resource for animal healthcare in rural communities.

The use of ethnoveterinary medicine in treating cattle’s milking diseases

Ethnoveterinary medicines deal with the beliefs, knowledge, methods, practices, and skills of the people in maintaining the health of the animals. Ethnoveterinary medicine includes the use of medicinal plants or herbs to prevent and treat the diseases of livestock. The practice of the traditional system is very common in areas where the availability of modern veterinary medicines is rare. For decades the use of antibiotics is preferred for treating mastitis, but the use of such drugs is associated with human health concern. So, an alternative approach of using herbal drugs for treating bovine mastitis is preferred. In the cattle business, herbal plants are utilized for the treatment of dairy cattle sicknesses. Ethnoveterinary medicines can offer many chances in the development of new drugs and hence additional research is required for proper analysis of medicinal plants to be used as ethnoveterinary medicines. The current review paper has explored many data on the uses of herbal plants in ethnoveterinary practices for treating mastitis of dairy lactating cows. This study provides scope in understanding the concepts of traditional veterinary practices and the potential of herbal plant-based crude drugs.

Traditional veterinary practices associated with cattle healthcare in Marwar region of Rajasthan

The aim of the present study was to document ethnoveterinary plants and their formulation techniques in an unexplored region of India and to select candidate medicinal plants with high consensus factor and fidelity value for further in vitro investigation. Informants (55) were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 50 plants belonging to 35 families were used to treat cattle ailments in study area. Mostly whole plant and leaves (36 and 30%) were used in recipes formulation mostly in the form of decoction. Almost all plant parts were being used for medicinal purposes but whole plant (36%) was the most frequently used plant part followed by leaves (30%) and roots, fruits, seeds and others (8% each), respectively. Local farmers used these ethnomedicines to treat their cow. Gastrointestinal infections were found more common and majority of the plants were used against cow ailments. Recovery time of majority of the recipes was three to four days. Aged farmers and nomads had more traditional knowledge as compared to younger ones. Plants with high plants values could be further investigated in vitro for the search of some novel bioactive compounds and young generation should be educated regarding ethnoveterinary practices.

Winter feeding of elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and its effects on disease dynamics.

Providing food to wildlife during periods when natural food is limited results in aggregations that may facilitate disease transmission. This is exemplified in western Wyoming where institutional feeding over the past century has aimed to mitigate wildlife–livestock conflict and minimize winter mortality of elk (Cervus canadensis). Here we review research across 23 winter feedgrounds where the most studied disease is brucellosis, caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus. Traditional veterinary practices (vaccination, test-and-slaughter) have thus far been unable to control this disease in elk, which can spill over to cattle. Current disease-reduction efforts are being guided by ecological research on elk movement and density, reproduction, stress, co-infections and scavengers. Given the right tools, feedgrounds could provide opportunities for adaptive management of brucellosis through regular animal testing and population-level manipulations. Our analyses of several such manipulations highlight the value of a research–management partnership guided by hypothesis testing, despite the constraints of the sociopolitical environment. However, brucellosis is now spreading in unfed elk herds, while other diseases (e.g. chronic wasting disease) are of increasing concern at feedgrounds. Therefore experimental closures of feedgrounds, reduced feeding and lower elk populations merit consideration.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host–parasite dynamics in wildlife’.

Your Future Veterinary Practice

For more than 30 years, veterinary medicine has thrived in a seller's market as a safe profession in which a prestige product was offered to a relatively unsophisticated consumer. That is now changing. Traditional veterinary practices worked hard to keep clients from seeing themselves as customers and from seeing their patient care as a competition-based service. The underlying reason for this rested in the practitioner's and the profession's self-perception. Most veterinarians view their work as a field of practice -a professional occupation rather than a small business in a specialized industry. Then came the discounters and volume-based practices: pay and spay, shoot and scoot, bait and switch. Now the profession is beginning to realize that the veterinary practice is a small business, and that a reasonable net income must be planned into each program. A veterinary practice can no longer “rob Peter to pay Paul” just by selling things and adding gimmicks. The “now” is the time for the veterinary healthcare delivery team!

Participatory Epidemiology of Ethnoveterinary Practices Fulani Pastoralists Used to Manage Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia and Other Cattle Ailments in Niger State, Nigeria.

Ethnoveterinary practices are locally available and affordable to Fulani pastoralists in Niger State, Nigeria, to whom conventional veterinary services are often not readily available and are relatively expensive. This study was designed to identify and document medicinal plant and nonplant materials used by this group in the management of cattle diseases. Participatory rural appraisal tools of checklist, semistructured interview, probing, transect, and triangulations were used to assess Fulani pastoralists existing knowledge on traditional veterinary practices in nine pastoral communities spread across the state. Fifty medicinal materials and seven traditional preventive practices are in use against CBPP and other cattle disease conditions. Of these, 38 (76.0%) are medicinal plants and 12 (24.0%) are nonplant materials (edible earth materials and minerals). Family Fabaceae was most commonly mentioned while leaves were the most common parts used. Most of these materials are administered by drenching with few others mixed with feed. Proportions of plant parts used include leaves (47.4%), barks (31.6%), roots (10.6%), and 2.6% of each of rhizomes, fruits, seeds, and whole plants. Of recently used ingredients are kerosene and spent engine oil. Further research into the active ingredients of ethnoveterinary materials and dosages is necessary to guide their usage.

In vivo Anthelmintic Activity of Terminalia glaucescens (Combretaceae) Extracts against Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Sheep

Background: Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are a major threat to sheep productivity and endanger animal welfare worldwide particularly in developing countries. They cause loss of production through mortality, weight loss, reduced milk, meat and wool production. Thus, parasitism is an important limiting factor or constraint in livestock production. Aim: To evaluate the anthelmintic activity of organic and aqueous extracts of stem bark of Terminalia glaucescens against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep using varieties of in vivo tests. Materials and Methods: Thirty (30) West African Dwarf Djallonke sheep acquired natural infection with gastrointestinal nematodes of both sexes, aged 6-10 months old and weighing between 9-13kg, use in bioassay were distributed into 5 groups (n=6). Two experiments using methanol (Groups A to E) and hot water extracts ( Groups A’ to E’) were simultaneously carried out. Groups A & A’ received 1.25% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and distilled water 1ml/10 kg bwt respectively, Groups B & B’ received Albendazole at 6.25mg/kg bwt, Groups C & C’, D & D’ and E & E’ received doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg bwt of each extract. Sheep were subjected to different treatment with single dose of synthetic drug and double doses of plant extracts. Results: Methanol extract for all the doses tested was active in vivo on the adults of GIN, and reduced significantly (p<0.05) the faecal egg count (FEC) and total warm count (TWC) of the nematodes. The dose rate 500mg/kg showed the highest nematicidal activity of 77, 6% FEC and 73, 5% TWC reduction 14 days post-treatment. For hot water extract, these numbers were 65, 3% and 62, 1% for FEC and TWC respectively at the same dose for the same period of treatment. Conclusion: These results suggest the possible use of this medicinal plant in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep and justify their use in traditional veterinary practices; hence a toxicological study of the extract of this plant is required.

Role of plants in traditional livestock production

Plants have been used from ancient time to sustain local livestock production in various aspects.Historically, traditional veterinary practices were mainly based on the "He/a Vedakama" in whichplants played a vital role. Phyto-based traditional veterinary practices dated back to beyond the periodof King Ravana. This "phyto-based" system sustained the local livestock production over a period ofmany ceturies to date and same remedies are presently used extensively and effectively in ruralIivestock production systems. According to the chronicles and traditional knowledge based information,the cattle can suffer from 16400 and the buffalo from 4448 different ailments. In traditional veterinarypractices the most important group diseases are known as "Veppu" and "Adappan", In this categorythere are more than 4000 different diseases. Majority of these diseases are cured with phyto-basedmedicinal system. When obtaining plant parts for treatment selection criteria for the plant is veryimportant. Usually "panch a pangu" is used in preparations. Collection of plant aprts are done byauspicious time and by specific persons. According to a extensive study conducted during the lastthree years, it was revealed, 74% of the surveyed livestock farmers practice "phyto-based" treatmentsin livestock medicine. Many plant species are used for different cattle ailments. 38 plant species areused to treat wounds, ulcers, cuts and boils. Some of these medicinal recipes are even recommended in local traditional veterinary chronicles which are centuries old. 28 plants species are used to treatailments of the eye including pathogenic infections to physical damages. 22 plant species have beenidentified to which has been used to treat respiratory disorders and 18 plant species for the preparationof recipes to treat bone fractures and breakages in cattle and buffalo. 18 plant species were recognizedthat are used for snake bites and 17 for intestinal worm treatments. In treating throat and mouthdiseases, 27 plant species are used and for sprains and swellings 17 species are used. Foot and hoofdiseases are one of the major ailments in cattle and buffalo and 16 plant species are used in treatingsuch ailments. For the medical preparations for the ear infections, 15 plant species are used and fortreatments for the urinary system, 12 plant species are used. Mastitis is a serious udder problem inlactating cows and 16 plant species are in the medicinal preparations. Reproduction associated problemsincluding dystokia, and abortions. proven treatments are made by using 14 plant species. 15 plantspecies are used to treat external parasitic diseases. This paper will discuss details of the plant species,their parts used, aspects to consider in obtaining of plant parts and preparation of different recipes.

Anthelmintic and cytotoxic activities of extracts of Markhamia obtusifolia Sprague (Bignoniaceae)

The anthelmintic activity of Markhamia obtusifolia Sprague (Bignoniaceae) leaf extracts was evaluated against the ruminant gastrointestinal nematode parasite Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Nematoda: Strongylida) using the in vitro egg hatch test. Also, the cytotoxic activity of aqueous extracts of M. obtusifolia was evaluated in cell line cytotoxicity assays. The results indicated that the effective concentration (EC50) for the water extract of M. obtusifolia leaves (0.46mg/mL; Confidence Interval [CI] 0.3–0.5mg/mL) was significantly lower than the EC50 for the acetone extract of M. obtusifolia (0.8mg/mL; CI 0.7–1mg/mL). Aqueous extracts were twice as potent as the acetone extracts. The EC90 (0.2mg/mL; CI 0.1–0.02) for thiabendazole (positive control) was significantly lower than the EC90 for the water extract of M. obtusifolia (10.7mg/mL; CI 8.3–13.7mg/mL). In the cytotoxicity bioassay, the lethal concentration (LC50) for the aqueous extract of M. obtusifolia was 0.476mg/mL, which was relatively high (low toxicity) in comparison to the highly toxic berberine (LC50=9.80μg/mL). The current study showed that M. obtusifolia plant extracts possess anthelmintic activity and are relatively non-cytotoxic, thus providing support for their use in traditional veterinary practices.

An account of the botanical anthelmintics used in traditional veterinary practices in Sahiwal district of Punjab, Pakistan

Aim of the study The present study was aimed at documentation of botanical anthelmintics used in the traditional veterinary practices in Sahiwal district of Punjab, Pakistan. Materials and methods In rapid rural appraisal, 331 traditional veterinary healers (TVH) were identified as key respondents in the study area followed by participatory rural appraisal for data collection using a well-structured questionnaire. Information was collected through interviews, focused group discussions and field visits over a period of 2 years. Results A total of 49 traditional recipes, with 41 plant species representing 39 genera and 27 families, were recorded for the treatment of helminthosis in animals. Most frequently used plants (≥5 times) were Brassica campestris L. and Mallotus philippinensis (Lam.) Muell.-Arg. and most frequently used families (≥5 times) were Brassicaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae. Most frequently used part of the plant was leaves ( n = 10) followed in order by seeds ( n = 9), whole fruit ( n = 5), aerial parts and whole plant ( n = 4), fruit ( n = 3), bulb ( n = 2) and bark, rhizome, stem, stem plus root and twigs ( n = 1). Five recipes out of 49 (10.2%) contained more than one plant species and rest 44 (89.8%) contained single plant species. Conclusions Twenty out of 41 plants (48.78%) are reported for the first time for their traditional use as anthelmintics in Pakistan. Further studies on pharmacokinetics using scientific procedures may prove these plants as promising candidates for their future use as anthelmintics.

Ethno-medical and veterinary uses of <i>Tephrosia vogelii</i> hook. F.: a review

All parts of Tephrosia vogelii Hook. f. (Fabaceae) is used in tropical Africa for numerous ethno-medical and traditional veterinary practices. The leaf is ichthyotoxic and has been used as insecticide, rodenticide and anthelminthic. It has also been used as abortifacient and to induce menses. The leaf macerate is purgative and emetic, while the sap is used to treat diarrhoea. The leaf-sap and root scrapings are used as ear and tooth ache remedies, respectively. Extracts from the roots have been used as molluscicide. The plant extracts have also been used in the treatment of tuberculosis, typhoid fever and localized fungal infections. The biological activities are due mainly to rotenoids isolated from the plant. In conclusion, T. vogelii has a great potential in the therapy and prophylaxis of animal and human diseases. Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 28 (3) 2007 pp. 24-39

Plant resources used for traditional ethnoveterinary phytotherapy in Sardinia (Italy)

The diffusion of herbal remedies for therapies on domestic animals in Sardinia (Italy) was investigated by means of expeditions in the regional territory. The monitoring of knowledge related to plant species utilised in the past for traditional veterinary practices, favoured the recovery of ancient local traditions related to veterinary ethnobotany. Forty two species with several properties have been recorded and compared to uses on domestic animals in other Italian regions. Therapeutic uses of the same plant species for humans and animals in Sardinia have also been compared. The identification of plant species traditionally used for veterinary practices from the local flora could be also potentially useful for the isolation of natural extracts of phytotherapic interest to increase animal welfare and quality of animal productions in organic farming.

Traditional veterinary knowledge and practices in Northern Region of Ghana

Traditional veterinary knowledge and practices in Northern Region of Ghana

Traditional cattle-husbandry systems in Eritrea: cattle–man relationships

Through surveys and participatory rural appraisal methods, the study documents the traditional cattle-husbandry systems in both the mixed crop–livestock system in the highlands and the pastoral system in the lowlands in Eritrea. Herding, grazing, breeding strategies, heat detection, milking letdown, food habits, marketing, housing and traditional veterinary practices are described in each system. The pastoral system is based on large, mobile, predominantly female herds that go for long-range grazing and cattle are mainly kept for milk and milk products. In the highland farming communities, cattle are sedentary, relatively fewer, predominantly male and are mainly kept to provide energy for agricultural purposes.

Article I: Prevention and education regarding rabies in human beings

Summary Substantial changes in the epizootic characteristics of rabies have transpired in the United States during the past 50 years. Traditional veterinary practices and public health recommendations have effectively controlled rabies in dogs and prevented associated human fatalities; however, they have been unable to adequately address the problem of rabies in wildlife. Attributable in part to a renewed focus on emerging infectious diseases, a conference was held at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1993 to begin discussion focused on the reemergence of rabies and to formulate new suggestions for prevention and control of rabies in the United States. Three major working groups were formed from a national committee of professionals representing a broad array of biomedical disciplines. These groups concentrated on prevention of rabies in human beings, education, laboratory diagnosis of rabies, and rabies control in animals. The groups described the perceived minimum requirements to promote prevention and control of rabies in the United States into the next century. The following article describes the needs and recommendations identified by the prevention and education working group. Two other articles, scheduled for the Nov 15 and Dec 1, 1999 issues of JAVMA, will relay the needs and recommendations of the working groups on laboratory diagnosis of rabies and rabies in wildlife.

Ethiopian traditional veterinary practices and their possible contribution to animal production and management.

The wide variety of traditional veterinary practices maintained within different ethnic groups provides an indication of the potential usefulness of this neglected knowledge for the Ethiopian livestock husbandry. In Ethiopia, as in other countries, traditional veterinary medicine involves the work of bone-setters, midwives, religious healers and people who claim the ability to communicate with devils. The knowledge of pastoralists in the areas of tick control, recognition of toxic plants, traditional surgery and traditional vaccination methods is described. Efforts by a Chinese veterinary team to promote traditional Ethiopian veterinary practices have been encouraging. Further evaluation of traditional veterinary practices is recommended as a condition for the integration of these practices with those of modern veterinary medicine. It is also suggested that this evaluation be coordinated and encouraged by the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture in Ethiopia.