Environmental Veterinary Medicine: General Aspects

The primary concern of the veterinary profession is the service it can render to mankind. The significance of veterinary medical services is measured by the availability of food which is supplied efficiently, the emotional and psychological improvement of others through the enjoyment of companion animals, and improvement of the public health by control of diseases of man which may result from contact with animals

Evaluation of diatomaceous earth as an adjunct to sheep parasite control in organic farming

Diatomaceous earth (DE) has been touted as a natural and effective way to control gastrointestinal (Gl) parasites in sheep. In this study, grazing lambs were fed DE at 5 and 10 percent of a supplemental ration for periods from 66 to 117 days. Weight gains, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, fecal egg/gram counts, and abomasal Gl larval counts were not different in controls vs. DE-fed lambs, although there was a trend toward lower fecal egg/gram counts in DE-treated lambs. DE by itself was not shown to be an effective parasite control agent, but could be used as part of a parasite control program

Botanicals as part of an integral value-added pork production system

Selected herbs are known to naturally possess antibacterial and other characteristics that could be useful in animal protein production. Inclusion of these herbs in animal feeds as alternative growth promotion and efficiency stimulants may be able to address some of the current concerns about the possibility of significant antibiotic-resistant bacteria development that stems from drugs currently used at subtherapeutic levels in animal production. Several herbs were tested for their ability to aid animal growth rates and feed efficiency without giving rise to antibiotic-resistant microbes