9 Practicing medicine on O/A operations

In this section, we will discuss traditional and non-traditional veterinary services on organic and alternative (O/A) operations and important considerations when working with these farms. We also present alternative medical terminology and briefly introduce different treatment options that might be used on these farms.

Opportunities

Many O/A producers operate economically viable small farms that could benefit from veterinary, extension, and other animal health involvement. Some of the services needed are outside traditional livestock practice. Increasing your understanding of the service needs options can strengthen your relationship with O/A ranchers and farmers. Delivering new services can build relationships and build revenue. The information introduced below will be elaborated upon in future chapters of this continuing education series on organic and alternative livestock health.

Traditional service offerings

Listed below are services that veterinarians likely already provide to livestock operations. O/A operations also require these services, though perhaps to a lesser degree than conventional farms. There are benefits to working with O/A operations, but the manner or type of service offered may differ. For example, due to the restricted options for therapeutics such as antibiotics, the role of the veterinarian on an O/A farm may focus more on consultation rather than disease diagnosis and treatment.

Non-traditional service offerings

Listed below are some non-traditional services that veterinarians can provide to O/A livestock farmers. Importantly, farmers need to be reminded that an animal can be culled due to mastitis, lameness, infertility, and occasionally due to using prohibited substances. With the “requirement to treat with all means necessary”, when to revert to an antibiotic during an active case is always an individual animal issue where veterinary input can be invaluable.

Treatments on O/A farms

There are two very important caveats about livestock treatment on O/A farms. The first and most important thing to know about treatment on USDA certified organic operations is the National Organic Program (NOP) requirement to treat with all means necessary. “The producer of an organic livestock operation must not withhold medical treatment from a sick animal to preserve its organic status. All appropriate medications must be used to restore an animal to health when methods acceptable to organic production fail. Livestock treated with a prohibited substance must then be clearly identified and cannot be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced” (7 CFR 205.238(c)(7), USDA NOP). This is where much of the challenge to veterinarians and producers comes in. The loss of organic status for an animal is very serious (especially on small farms that do not have ready replacements) and can lead to waiting too long to treat with conventional therapies. Animals that lose organic status because they have been given a prohibited substance must be recorded. The certifying agency is notified. The animal must be clearly marked, separated from the production string, and sold/removed once the withdrawal times have passed.

Secondly, regarding the various treatments discussed below – information on non-traditional  medicine treatments termed Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is given to provide background and knowledge of what veterinarians will encounter when visiting organic and alternative farms. This might be your first introduction to some of these treatments, or you and your family may already use them as they are included in the arsenal of human medicine as well. Some of these products/treatments work better than others (similar to conventional medicines). The use of some of these products goes back hundreds of years, e.g., the use of botanicals, homeopathy, and acupuncture. As such, they might be the precursors of pharmaceuticals used currently on conventional farms (especially botanicals). Alternative treatments have varying levels of evidence-based scientific validation.

Some practitioners working with O/A producers (or as livestock owners themselves) have experienced the positive benefits of CAVM and have become ardent believers in the utility of these approaches. Others may only wish to use conventional FDA-approved drugs. This information is not meant to encourage or discourage the use of alternative treatments, but to provide you with information to be able to meet O/A producers where they are and work with them in a way that respects their knowledge and experience. The ultimate shared goal is optimum health and welfare of the animals. This may also serve to introduce you to treatment modalities you may wish to learn more about and possibly add to your toolbox.

The terminology jungle

There are many different ways to talk about non-conventional health approaches and medicine. Below are some definitions to keep in mind as you read through these pages from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH):

Complementary – When a non-mainstream approach is used together with conventional medicine.

Alternative medicine – When a non-mainstream approach is used in place of conventional medicine.

Integrative – When conventional and complementary approaches are used together to care for the whole individual in a coordinated way. (In human medicine, “integrative” refers to bringing together different approaches that emphasize the whole person and not just one organ system. For example, 2 or more interventions such as conventional medicine, lifestyle changes, physical rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and complementary health approaches in various combinations).

NIH researchers are currently exploring the potential benefits of integrative health in various situations, including pain management for military personnel and veterans, relief from symptoms in cancer patients and survivors, and programs to promote healthy behaviors. We provide these NIH definitions to help you navigate the terminology when researching non-conventional treatments.

Natural treatments

Before World War II, we relied on natural treatments for humans and animals before the pharmaceutical industry and synthesized drugs became prevalent. Since then, we have discovered the mechanisms of action of many of these known effective products from nature. These products usually have few side effects and rarely result in resistance to natural antibacterial agents. They include:

Vitamins and minerals (Vit B, C, E, A&D, selenium).

Fluids

Electrolytes – calcium, saline, etc.

Dextrose

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)

Topicals – iodine and alcohol (disinfectant), mineral oil, glycerin (teat dip)

Natural farmer treatments

Butter for frothy (pasture) bloat – oil as a surfactant

Sugar for retained placenta

Garlic

Whey products –usually from colostrum, include a protein fraction with immunoglobulins and peptides.

Cytokines – peptides that stimulate immune function, are stable to digestion, and absorbable. There are many commercial preparations available. Labeled for oral use, sometimes given parenterally. Precursors to recent conventional products.

Aloe Products – Aloe vera is the juice of a desert plant. It can offset the cortisol effect by stimulating increased immune function when cortisol is present. Aloe vera has great healing effects on skin and epidural tissue. Aloe vera comes in pellets for feeding, liquified for drenching, jelly, liniment, and sprays for topical use. Safe and natural, aloe vera is economical and useful for organic dairy management.  It has to be certified organic and not diluted and should contain 4000 to 5000 mucopolysaccharides per liter (Padgham, 2006).

Trace and macro elements

Calcium, phosphorus, and other macro elements are vital to life. Kelp is high in trace minerals and a tool for supplying some deficient items (Padgham, 2006).

Botanicals

Botanicals are one of the oldest known medicines. Botanicals are the actual plant that can be ingested orally, used in a poultice, or brewed in a tea. They can be prepared as tinctures, essential oils, glycerites, syrups, decoctions, and dried extracts. New botanicals are being constantly developed for use (Padgham, 2006).

Essential oils have been used since the Middle Ages for their antiseptic (bactericidal, virucidal), fungicidal, antiparasitic, and insecticidal effects. Essential oils also have medicinal analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and local anesthetic properties. They have been used for food preservation and even embalmment.  Most essential oils are extracted by distillation from aromatic plants. The characteristics of essential oils remain unchanged, however more is presently known about their mechanisms of action.  have not changed since then, but now more is known about some of their mechanisms of action. In nature, essential oils protect plants from bacteria, viruses, etc., and also protect them from herbivores by making them less palatable. They also attract insects that help disperse pollen and seeds and repel others that might be undesirable. Essential oils are complex mixtures of molecules and, when combined, can have synergistic effects. Essential oils are usually applied topically (Baakkali et al., 2008). In animals, essential oils are often used as liniments for treating foot problems (Padgham, 2006). It’s important to use 100% therapeutic-grade essential oils. Quality and purity vary greatly between companies that produce essential oils.

Tinctures

Tinctures are alcohol or glycerin-based extracts of plants or minerals. The alcohol of glycerin absorbs beneficial molecules that have medicinal properties in a concentrated form. Garlic tincture is commonly used as an antibacterial. Willowbark and St. John’s Wort act as analgesics, comfrey heals bones, and arnica prevents bruising (Padgham, 2006).

Probiotics and Prebiotics

The normal bacteria in the G.I. tract make up the gut microbiome.  A healthy microbiome supplies nutrients to the host, aids in digestion, and helps with food conversion.  Antibiotic use is not the only thing that affects the health of gut microbes. Illness, injury, and stress can alter the normal bacterial population, pH, and digestive processes and contribute to further ill health and delayed healing (Schoen & Wynn,1998). Probiotics are living microbes that add good bacteria to the gut microbiome. Pre-biotics are not living organisms but are food for those gut microbes and help them multiply.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a medical system based on the idea that the body can heal itself. Tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants or minerals, stimulate the healing process. Homeopathy was developed in Germany in the 1700s and is more common in Europe than in the U.S.

The premise behind homeopathy is that like cures like. Thus, something that brings on symptoms in a healthy animal or person can treat an illness with similar symptoms when used in very small doses. It does this by triggering the body’s natural defenses. This is similar in principle to desensitization used for treating allergic conditions. Homeopathic remedies are often used in humans for allergies, migraines, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, allergic skin conditions, arthritis, and high blood pressure.  Research shows mixed results. The risks are few as the remedies are very diluted (WebMD Editorial Contributors). Because of the very small doses given, the possibility of residues is not a problem (Schoen & Wynn, 1998). The starting materials for remedies are herbs, roots, minerals, fungi, and animal products cut, ground, or crushed into small particles and placed in a solvent (Dettloff & Dettloff-Meyer, 2019).

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient form of medicine that encourages the body to heal itself. Fine, sterile needles are inserted through the skin and underlying tissues at specific locations, called points. Acupuncture stimulates the body to produce neurochemicals. Microtrauma occurs when the needle is placed into the tissue in a specific spot and stimulates a healing cascade through vessels and nerves. This activates cells that travel through the spinal cord, releasing healing factors and activating pain-blocking mechanisms. It also releases endorphins and hormonal chemicals. Acupressure can also be used by applying digital pressure to an acupuncture point.

Acupuncture has been used in beef cattle for reproductive issues (poor libido, decreased sperm production) and in beef cows for infertility and prolapse. Injuries, lameness, and wound healing are also common treatments. Acupuncture often requires several visits to see an effect. Certification courses take months; short day courses can introduce veterinarians to specific points and treatments to get them started (Schoen, 2001). Check out Beef Acupuncture Magazine to learn more.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care is a complementary approach to treatment and healing with the goal of assisting the body in healing itself. Chiropractic modalities have this in common with acupuncture and many of the other complementary treatments that have been used for centuries. Hippocrates practiced spinal manipulation and is often quoted by chiropractors as saying, “look well to the spine for causes of disease” (Wardell, 1992).

Chiropractic is one of the most commonly used forms of alternative treatment in humans and has gained popularity in animals since the early 20th century (Schoen & Wynn, 1998). The focus of chiropractic care is on the relationship of the spinal column to the nervous system and the role of the spinal column in biomechanics and movement. The basis of chiropractic is the subluxation which can be described as the decreased motion of the joints by slight changes in the position of the articulating facets that result in abnormal biomechanical and neurological function (Homewood 1979; A.C.B., 1986). The pathophysiology of subluxations includes compression of spinal nerve roots or the spinal cord, vertebrobasilar arterial insufficiency, somato-visceral dysfunction, and decreased mobility (Schoen, 2001). Chiropractic treatments attempt to restore normal position and movement of joints. Veterinary chiropractic research is limited. However, chiropractic care for animals has commonly been used for athletes (horses, dogs) as well as trauma, postoperative complications, excess weight, and conformation issues (all species, including livestock) (Schoen, 2001).