Katja Bleis M.D., Coesfeld, Germany
 
In pigs especially influenza comes off highly feverish. Some cases of flu and potential succeeding diseases are described:
 
At a farm with about 3000 fatteners 2 groups totalling 250 pigs got ill. Symptoms were fever (41°C), cough, aggravated, accelerated breathing, serous ocular and nasal discharge, restrained feed intake and an unwillingness to walk about. The stage of disease was different in individual pigs. Shortly before the outbreak of flu there had been a change of weather with a lot of cold wind.
 
As a homoeopathic therapy was requested for the pigs, all symptoms were collected and a choice of medicaments was made – the repertory Radar 9 programme for personal computer was used. For 3 days of therapy, Aconitum napellus and Belladonna were applied. Other homoeopathica out of the repertory are presented and eliminated by the lecturer. Two days after the beginning of the therapy nearly all fatteners were well again, though there was still a lot of nasal discharge and a few animals were still coughing. Another three days further on all but 3 pigs had recovered. Those three were emaciated, pale and cold at skin with a body temperature of 36.5 °C, they showed laboured breathing and stood head down without any motion in the stable. The repertory was used for those three as well, and they got Antimonium tartaricum for a few days with quite a good success.
 
As a result of this influenza, other groups at the farm got infected as well and were also successfully treated with Aconitum and Belladonna. The same homoeopathica were used in another outbreak of influenza two month later in 50 to 60 kg fatteners. After 2 days, two of three compartments were well again. In the third, many pigs showed signs of an infection with circovirus (PCV2). They were pale or grey in colour, skinny and breathing abdominally. 3 animals showed signs of PDNS (porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome) like skin lesions worse on hind limbs and flanks. The cough was dry, unproductive and worse in the morning. Nasal discharge was serous to purulent and some fatteners had watery, green-brown coloured diarrhoea. The animals from this compartment had been mixed from different groups and ages because of lack of space. Presumably, this sort of stress made the pigs of this group more susceptible to the infection than the ones from the other compartments. Diseases like the circovirus require other homoeopathica than flu – they have to be more penetrating as this virus has an influence on the total body. For therapy, Tuberculinum and Antimonium tartaricum was used. After two days the animals were eating the full amount again, their general condition was much better, but too much unproductive coughing could still be heard. Therefore all pigs were given Drosera rotundifolia for another 4 days, which finished the coughing. The 3 pigs with PDNS were still alive but miserable.
 
At other farms with outbreaks of influenza we often used Ferrum phosphoricum in addition to Aconitum and Belladonna when we had a more lingering illness and relatively young animals. In fatteners just before slaughter Lachesis mutus is a fine supplement, because it shows good results in heart and circulatory disturbance often found in feverish fattening pigs.
 
 
 
This article is available as .pdf-download.

By Veterinarian Jes R.Nissen, Denmark
 
After having heard the experiences by Dr. Christine Nowotzin ( D ) in treating Left side displaced abomasum ( LDA ) with homeopathy, I decided to try too.
In the beginning, I just wanted to see how it could work. My only criteria for inclusion was the diagnosis of LDA and that the farmer would accept to try.
There was no systematic data collection in the first 10 of 24 cases. In the last 14 cases 8-10 different parameters where registered.
 
Chosen treatment : Calcium I.V. 1-2 ml. of a mixture of Carbo vegetabilis, Arsenicum album and China orally, every 2-3 hours – 4-5 times.
 
The success criteria was, that the cow was fresh next day, no finding of LDA and that there was no return of the LDA with in 1-2 months after the treatment.
 
Result : 10 out of 24 treated cows got fresh. ( 3 out of the last 4 cows that got fresh, was only treated with homeopathy.
Even if the data collection only has been partly, the collected data draws a picture of a possible "success cow":
- LDA must be the main disease – often there is other findings ( e.g.uterus infection or mastitis ).
- If there is short time since calving, the cow must have been well functioning ( e.g. appetite,milk yield ).
- Body temperature > 38,7 C.
- Normal stomach activity.
- High level of Ketosis ( BHB ).
- Manure consistency normal to thin.
 
The findings shows that one can´t have a standard treatment to LDA – it is necessary to have a good anamnesis and a basic examination as foundation for the choice of treatment.
 
 
 

By Dr.med.vet. Nicole Herout, Austria
 

Summary

In 3 different cattle cases I´d like to show you the change in the performance and veterinarian costs, as a result of homeopathic treatment of single animals or the entire herd.
These 3 farms used me as homeopathic adviser vet, in addition to the local vet
 
The 3 cases :
Farm A : Milk producing farm with very high SCC, aggressive mastitis and big problems with the calves (diarrhoea and lung infection ).
Farm B : Organic meat production with Limousine cattle. Para TB pos. herd. Big problems with almost all the newborn calves within the first days if life. They get aggressive lung infection and often diarrhoea – too many die. We assumed that the reason for the calf problems, was an immunity suppression in the mother cows.
Farm C : Fattening bull production (80 animals). The animals was heavily affected by Trychophyton ( Ringworm ) and aggressive lung infection.
 
In spite of only few farm visits in all 3 cases, all show big changes in the data under the influence of the homeopathic treatment. The reactions of the herds to the prophylactic measures in all 3 cases, show more stabile animals, less aggressive course of the disease and fewer dead animals. It is obvious that this result has a positive influence on the farm data. It is also very interesting that all the animals show a better reaction to the conventional therapy.
 
The findings shows that one can´t have a standard treatment to LDA – it is necessary to have a good anamnesis and a basic examination as foundation for the choice of treatment.
 
 
 

Veterinarian Jes R.Nissen, Denmark in cooperation with Dr. Christine Nowotzin
 
This infectious leg disease in cattle, that over the last years have spread to many – in some areas to all loose housing systems ( it is also seen in organic herds ), has become a big problem for cattel farming. This not only has become a problem in Denmark, but all over the world.
Therefore a lot of research has been made, to try to find the reason for this problem. Until now nobody has succeeded in showing if this problems comes from bacteria, virus or both ?
One thing has been shown – the bacteria Treponema comes up again and again, but until now nobody has been able to make this disease artificial with this bacteria !
That means, that until now internationally no explanation has come up, to clarify this problem.
 
In Danish studies it has been shown, that there is a clear genetic difference in the susceptibility,
Holstein-Frisian (HF) are most susceptible. HF are 3 times more susceptible than Red Danish Milkcows (RDM) and 10 times more susceptible than Jersey!
 
Internationally the problem has been known for many years (the Americans for more than 30-40 years). It has been tried to treat this disease in very many different ways, but unfortunately with only little effect. Clean floors and boxes gives cleaner limbs, witch give results, but not enough. Cleaning of the claws with water or footbaths with saltwater has been working in mild cases.
Copper sulfate in footbaths some effect, depending on the size of the problem.
Unfortunately the only efficient treatment has been footbath with some types of Antibiotics.
This has lead to the international advise, to treat this disease with antibiotics in footbath!
This is not legal in Denmark, so we have a problem!
The advise in Denmark, ask for optimal claw environment, optimal feeding, leading to healthy claws and intensive claw trimming. In early treatments the wounds can bee treated with antiseptic dressing and a bandage.
 
On this background it is not so strange that it is tried to treat the problem with Alternative treatments.
When I last year heard a lecture by the German veterinarian and homeopath Christine Nowotzin, where she had some suggestions to try to handle this problem with homeopathy. I therefore took contact to her, to discuss this issue and on basis of this I decided to try her strategy.
I have now, in close cooperation with her, been going through the data and the findings in a farm with this problem in high degree.
Together with the farmer I have evaluated the development on the farm, on background of the reaction that the cows has been showing in the barn and the visible findings at the clawtrimming.
 
There are several conditions in the strategy of Christine Nowotzin, that deviate from the classical way of homeopathy. She is working a lot with, getting a clear picture of a possible reason for the disease, the development of the disease – in this also the tissue and organ changes. Therefore it is very central to get a clear picture of the feeding, environment and general health on the farm now.
 
It is central in this treating strategy, that the whole group of animal are treated –this is secured through the drinking water. The treatment was carried out, by treating 3 times with 12 hours in between with a 1-4 week interval.
As described above, we did not succeed in controlling DD – until now!
 
We have been treating with several remedies : Pyrogenium, Silicea, Acidum carbolicum, Carbo vegetabilis and Luesinum.
The background for the changes, is first and foremost that we are looking for the remedy with the best effect in the longest period. Additionally the findings on the farm have changed, and that is also taken in account.
 
At several of the treatments, we already have seen clear improvements in the herd after 2-3 days!
In the end of April 06, there again was clear problems in the whole herd – many of the animals was lame and had visible findings!
We therefore decided to treat on the 24-25 of April – with Luesinum.
On May the 2 ( about 1 week later)the claws was trimmed ( about 100 cows) – it looked well – 12 Animals got a bandage – 8 because of Interdigital hyperplasiaand 4 because of DD. 10-15 cows had findings that lokked like inactive DD.
When it last year was worst, 50-60 % of the cows had lamness and visible findings of DD.