Veterinary Management: 2. Use of veterinary medicines

The UKROFS standards offer the following guidelines for use of therapeutic and prophylactic measures on organic livestock farms:

  1. Phytotherapeutic (e.g. plant extracts [excluding antibiotics], essences, etc.), homeopathic products (e.g. plant, animal or mineral substances) and trace elements and products listed in Part C, section 3 of Annex II of the EU Regulation 1804/99, shall be used in preference to chemically-synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products or antibiotics, provided that their therapeutic effect is effective for the species of animal, and the condition for which the treatment is intended;
  2. If the use of the above products should not prove, or is unlikely to be, effective in combating illness or injury, and treatment is essential to avoid suffering or distress to the animal, chemically-synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products or antibiotics may be used under the responsibility of a veterinary surgeon;
  3. The use of chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products or antibiotics for preventive treatments is prohibited. Where due to an identified disease risk the welfare of animals cannot be maintained by management practices alone, the inspection body may permit the strategic use of a chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicine (the strategic use of antibiotics is not permitted) in the context of the health plan.
  4. Vaccination is permitted in cases where there is a known disease risk. Single, two in one or four in one vaccines are preferred to more complex multiple vaccines unless such cover is specifically required. Vaccine choice and use should be agreed with the nominated veterinary surgeon to ensure adequate disease protection during the conversion phase with, where possible, progressive reductions in use as the organic unit becomes established.
  5. The use of substances to promote growth or production, (including antibiotics, coccidiostats and other artificial aids for growth promotion purposes) and the use of hormones or similar substances to control reproduction (e.g. induction or synchronisation of oestrus), or for other purposes, is prohibited. Nevertheless, hormones may be administered to an individual animal, as a form of therapeutic veterinary treatment.
  6. Veterinary treatments to animals, or treatments to buildings, equipment and facilities, which are compulsory under national or Community legislation shall be authorised, including the use of immunological veterinary medicinal products when a disease has been recognised as present in a specific area in which the production unit is located. 
  7. Animal treatment products involving the use of organophosphates are not permitted. If any of these compounds are used in compliance with statutory requirements, then the animals must be permanently marked at the time of treatment. Such animals must not be used for organic meat production. For livestock products, any animals so treated must be subject to the relevant conversion period, before these products can be subsequently marketed as organic, subject to the agreement of the inspection body.
  8. Whenever veterinary medicinal products are to be used the type of product must be recorded clearly, (including an indication of the active pharmacological substances involved) together with details of the diagnosis; the posology; the method of administration; the duration of the treatment, and the legal withdrawal period. This information is to be declared to the inspection body before the livestock or livestock products are marketed as organically produced. Livestock treated must be clearly identified, individually in the case of large animals; individually or by batch, in the case of poultry and small animals.
  9. With the exception of vaccinations, treatments for parasites and any compulsory eradication schemes established by Member States, where an animal or group of animals receives more than three courses of treatment with chemically-synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products or antibiotics within one year (or more than one course of treatment if their productive lifecycle is less than 1 year) the livestock concerned, or produce derived from them, may not be sold as organic, and the livestock must undergo the conversion periods laid down in standards, subject to the agreement of the inspection body. A course of treatment shall mean all necessary measures taken to restore the animal to health following a particular disease episode.

 

The OF&G further specify:

Veterinary medicines and antibiotics must not be used as a preventive medicine on a routine basis but should be used as a topical treatment to prevent distress in the event of illness or injury. Treatments such as dry cow therapy can only be used on individual animals where the alternative would be to cull the animal.

The use of all treatments given to livestock, including herbal, homeopathic and other veterinary treatments plus the posology (dosage) must be recorded in the Veterinary Treatments Record. This must include treatments given by a vet. The records must be declared to OF&G by being kept up-to-date and available for inspection at any time.

Diseases and parasites treatable by vaccine:

The use of a vaccine can be approved subject to there being a recognised risk on the holding or in the immediate area. To assess the risk, the level of occurrence of the diseases will be required for the holding and immediate area, the measures taken against them and against the transfer of these diseases to the livestock (biohazard measures) and the proposed vaccine.

Parasites – External/ Skin conditions:

Where this can be justified on the grounds of animal welfare, veterinary treatments, licensed for the purpose, can be used to treat the following conditions:

i) Biting flies, lice, ticks etc – synthetic pyrethroid insecticides such as Deltamethrin (Spot-on) or Cypermethrin as a topical treatment;

ii) Blowflies on sheep – Cyromazin ( Vetrazin) as a preventive measure;

iii) Scab on sheep - synthetic pyrethroid insecticide such as Flumethrin (Bayticol) as a dip or Avermectins such as Dectomax or Cydectin as an injection;

iv) Mange in cattle and pigs, warble flies - Ivermectin (Ivomec) as an injection;

v) Footrot – Copper & Zinc sulphate, Iodine, Benzalkonium chloride, footrot vaccine.

vi) Orf – Orf vaccine, Homoeopathic remedies;

vii) Poultry red mite – Amorphous silica (Decimite).

Parasites – Internal:

Where this can be justified on the grounds of animal welfare, the veterinary treatments, licensed for the purpose, can be used to treat the following internal parasites:

i) Lungworm (husk) – Husk vaccine, Dictol, Homoeopathic nosode;

ii) Intestinal worms – Apart from a permitted strategic drench of the ewes at lambing, worm control must be maintained by lower stocking rates, the use of safe and clean grazing, rotational grazing and, where possible mixed species grazing. Occasional treatments with an oral anthelmintic may be used only where these methods fail to control the problem. These include drenches such as Levicide (Levamisole), (White drenches such as Panacur, Morantel citrate (Exhelme);

iii) Pour-on treatments should be avoided if possible due to the concentrated nature of the chemical. The chemical families of drenches should be rotated to avoid resistance developing and always used on accordance with the instructions on the label. Ivermectin drenches should not be used for this purpose due to the harmful effects on the organisms, which break down the manure on the pasture. Ivermectin products should be kept in reserve as a treatment for intestinal parasites that have developed a resistant to the other anthelmintics in use.

iv) Fluke – where this cannot be controlled by husbandry practices such as by restricted grazing practices, an appropriate flukicide can be used.

 

The Soil Association further specify:

Complementary and natural therapies should be used where:

  1. these methods have been shown to be effective; or
  2. under professional veterinary guidance; and in particular
  3. when conventional therapies are not available or suitable.

The following complementary treatments may be used where appropriate:

  1. homeopathic nosodes and remedies;
  2. naturopathy;
  3. acupuncture;
  4. herbal - unlicensed herbal preparations should only be used as a tonic or for the treatment of individual animal or a small proportion of the flock or herd on a trial basis.

Antibiotics

  • should only be used under the advice of the nominated veterinary surgeon where effective alternative treatments are not available and where they are considered the best method of reducing suffering, saving life or restoring an animal to health.
  • Prohibited: prophylactic use of antibiotics on a herd or flock basis.

Growth promoters and hormones:

- permitted:

    1. natural prostaglandin and corticosteroid administered by a veterinary surgeon in the rare case of the need to induce parturition for veterinary reasons.
    2. Hormone treatments for specific disorders where no alternative and effective treatment is available to restore the animals to full health.

- prohibited:

    1. all growth promoters and hormones for heat synchronisation. Production stimulation (including bovine somatotropin) and suppression of natural controls

Internal parasitic worms

  • control should be achieved by livestock management
  • in the case of a breakdown, proposals improving the control by non-veterinary means should be prepared and adequate monitoring of the efficacy of the proposed controls should be established, i.e. by the use of worm counts
  • recommended:
    1. breeding of resistant stock
    2. grazing management and pasture rotation
    3. control of lungworm by allowing suckled calves to develop natural immunity by grazing grass wit their dams
    4. control of Nematodirus in sheep by not grazing lambs on the same pasture in consecutive years

- permitted:

    1. anthelmintic use therapeutically to treat animals with clinical symptoms
    2. the use of oral husk vaccine before turning out weaned calves in case of a known farm problem

- restricted (permission needs to be sought from the Soil Association):

    1. anthelmintic use on routine basis for a specified period of time as a part of a disease reduction plan as detailed in a health plan and agreed with a nominated veterinary surgeon

-prohibited:

    1. pour-on worming treatments
    2. products that leave residues in the faeces which interfere with the normal breakdown of the dung or damage the flora or fauna (Ivermectin based products)

External parasites

-permitted:

    1. deltamethrin - for fly control
    2. deltamethrin for fly control in sheep
    3. iodoform-based products for treatment of fly strike

-restricted:

    1. Ivermectin can be used as a pour-on treatment for warble fly control only when enforced as a statutory measure to control an outbreak.
    2. Moxydectin can be used for the treatment of mange
    3. Ivermectin may only be used for the treatment of mange in very restricted cases
    4. Anthelmintics for all ewes at lambing time are permitted where animals are showing signs of carrying an unacceptable worm burden (justification with a plan to reduce the need for future use needs to be submitted to Certification Dept prior to use)

-prohibited

    1. organophosphorus and organochlorine (gamma HCH) compounds
    2. if the product in 1) are used as part of a statutory measure the treated animals must be permanently marked and must not be used for organic meat production (dairy cows can be converted back to organic milk production)

Grass staggers

-permitted

    1. dusting of pastures with calcined magnesite
    2. dietary or liquid magnesium supplements

Milk fever

-permitted

    1. calcium borogluconate
    2. magnesium and phosphorus salts
    3. vitamin D used judiciously to prevent the condition

Foot problems

-permitted:

    1. zinc sulphate
    2. copper sulphate
    3. iodine

-prohibited

    1. formaldehyde footbaths
    2. footrot vaccine

Navel ill

- permitted: iodine used at birth to prevent infection

Bloat

-permitted:

    1. vegetable oils
    2. poloxalene

Mastitis

-recommended:

    1. frequent stripping of the affected quarter
    2. cold water treatments
    3. licensed herbal udder creams

-permitted:

    1. homeopathy, including nosodes for prevention
    2. antibiotics in clinical cases where no other remedy would be effective

-prohibited:

    1. antibiotic dry cow therapy on the whole herd or flock basis

Scour in young stock

-recommended:

    1. outdoor calving and lambing
    2. well ventilated housing and clean bedding
    3. colostrum from dam within 6 hours of birth
    4. sterile utensils
    5. clean/safe grazing system

-permitted:

    1. oral re-hydration therapy
    2. treatment of individual cases with veterinary medicinal products

-prohibited

    1. routine use of antibiotics and anthelmintics

Orf in sheep

-recommended - homeopathic remedies for control

Anaemia in pigs

-permitted: ferrous sulphate crystals

-restricted: iron injections are permitted where it can be shown that the soil is iron deficient in a free range system

-prohibited: prophylactic use of iron injections

 

 

Part C, section 3 of Annex II of the EU Regulation 1804/99: List of materials of mineral origin allowed in organic livestock production.

Sodium: unrefined seal salt, coarse rock salt, sodium sulphate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride.

Calcium: lithotamnion and maerl, shells of aquatic animals, including cuttlefish bones, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate.

Phosphorus: bone dicalcium phosphate precipitate, defluorinated dicalcium phosphate, defluorinated monocalcium phosphate.

Magnesium: anhydrous magnesia, magnesium sulphate, magnesium chloride, magnesium carbonate.

Sulphur: sodium sulphate.

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