Colleges focus on proven treatments

Demand for organic-minded veterinarians high, but programs few

By CAROL RYAN DUMAS

Capital Press

The shortage of large animal veterinarians has been well documented in recent years, but the number of veterinarians specializing in organic or holistic practices is quite lean.

The small number of organic veterinarians is reflective of the relatively small amount of organic production and the difficulty of adding holistic courses to already overflowing veterinary curriculums at universities, according to The Associated Press.

The American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association has almost 900 members, with most treating small companion animals. Of the 900, 198 treat equines and only 73 treat farm animals, including cattle, sheep, hogs, and goats, said Nancy Scanlan, a veterinarian and the association's executive director.

Veterinarians are becoming more accepting of integrating alternative medicine into conventional medicine, but university acceptance is mixed, Scanlan said.

Most of the state boards of veterinary medicine support organic alternatives, but the national board is opposed, she said.

There is a need for holistic veterinarians in sustainable agriculture, but that need is not being met, she said.

Few practitioners

"I can list on one hand the number of veterinarians that specialize in organic dairy production," said Cindy Daley, professor and director of the Organic Dairy Program at California State University-Chico.

Veterinarians versed in organic or holistic production would be useful, but it's not in their training and they are not equipped to understand the organic paradigm, she said.

"We need to mainstream it in veterinary schools," she said.

Organic dairy production is a matter of prevention, she said. It's about promoting a system of milk production that supports and enhances the cow's immune system to resist disease through optimal nutrition, low-stress management and grazing. It's also about soil health to grow nutritional forages that will provide nutritional feed, healthy animals and optimal production.

"There's so much about what I've learned in this organic program that can benefit conventional production," she said.

A few veterinary colleges offer courses in Eastern treatments, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, but the University of New Hampshire is the only other organic dairy program in a university setting, she said.

While most schools don't offer specific courses in organic care, educators say they emphasize management and care practices that can apply to all production methods.

"When we train veterinarians, we don't specifically train them as organic or 'unorganic' veterinarians," said Cyril Clarke, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University.

Students are trained in diseases and the appropriate management strategies to prevent and control diseases. In many cases management does not involve antibacterials or other chemicals not available to organic producers. And students are taught the rational and appropriate use of chemicals when they are needed, he said.

"Our basic philosophy is that good management practices are very, very important in creating an environment where animals are least likely to be sick," he said.

The University of Idaho doesn't offer courses in holistic treatment of livestock animals, said Jim England, professor at the University's Caine Veterinary Teaching Center.

"So much of it doesn't have scientific backup. The biggest problem is it isn't peer-reviewed scientific data," he said.

Claims of effective holistic treatment are mostly anecdotal, and treatment modalities for sick animals in organic production are limited. He doesn't anticipate much movement in courses on how to raise animals organically, but there is movement toward growing organic forage, he said.

Washington State University offers only one holistic elective, complimentary and alternative medicine, said George Barrington, a veterinarian and professor at WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine.

"We don't have any core curriculum devoted to that at this time," he said.

But several faculty members are certified in alternative therapies, mostly acupuncture, and there is a student club that is focused on alternative veterinary medicine.

"We're dealing with animal health and welfare. We're all here to learn as much as we can and keep an open mind ... but I do think it's important that it's evidence-based," he said.

The University of California-Davis only has one organic-related lecture, in its food-animal medicine course, and it's just a very brief introduction to that topic, said Patricia Bailey, UC-Davis science and agriculture writer.

Management key

While some organic producers have access to organic veterinarians, most use their local, conventional practitioner when needed. But they say it's not often that they need a veterinarian for illness. Producers rely on management to prevent illness.

Weaning and calving are the most critical times for organic beef producer Eric Parrot, who is rebuilding his herd of about 110 head south of Filer, Idaho.

Switching to organic livestock about 12 years ago, the operation has made changes to better ward off illness. Calving was pushed back to April's more favorable weather and no longer takes place in the corral.

Calving is done in the dry, sagebrush desert, so there's less concern of scours from organisms that might be surviving in the corral and cows dropping calves in the same spot.

Weaning provides a prime opportunity for pneumonia, and Parrot makes sure calves get a ration of grass and alfalfa hay.

"Something about grass hay keeps their respiratory system a little cleaner," he said.

Corrals are kept dry with bedding and some ground is elevated to help with drainage. He also keeps a constant flow of clean water, provides the best feed possible and offers different feeds so the cattle can choose what they want. He supplements the feed with minerals at certain times of the year and makes salt available.

The operation also vaccinates at branding, breeds for easy calving and maintains a closed herd, raising its own animals.

Parrot uses a local veterinarian to test yearling heifers for brucellosis and bulls for trichomoniasis. He will call out a vet for such things as a calf getting stuck in barbed wire, but he hasn't used a veterinarian to treat illness in six or seven years, he said.

Organic beef producer Nate Jones of King Hill, Idaho, also uses a veterinarian for brucellosis and trichomoniasis testing, but doesn't have much need for veterinary care.

When he was finishing cattle, foot rot was the biggest problem, but even then it wasn't much, he said.

"If I have a problem that needs taking care of, I use a conventional vet," he said.

He runs 100 mother cows and their calves on grass for nine months of the year, feeds the animals his own organic hay, and retains his heifers in a closed system. In addition to nutritious feed, he also uses a natural product for parasite control.

His animals are healthy, and he doesn't have many problems with illness, he said.

"I think they're healthy because of the way we run them," he said.

Organic dairy producer Christa Lucero of Richfield, Idaho, sells the farm's milk to Organic Dairy, which has two organic veterinarians on staff. She can call them if she has any concerns, and she does use a local conventional veterinarian to check for pregnancies.

The conventional dairy switched to organic in 2006, and now has a lot less illness in its 250-head operation, she said.

"There's no comparison," she said.

She watches her cows closely, but they also get exercise every day and are in a natural environment.

"They're not pushed, not stressed, so we don't see a lot of illness," she said.

Organic feed also makes a big difference. Pesticides in feed and genetically modified feed disrupt a cow's immune system, she said.

Cows that are fed properly, in a natural environment and not stressed will heal themselves if allowed, she said.

On the rare occasion any of the organic producers do need to have an animal treated with a drug, they tag it and sell it out of the herd, they said.

Veterinarian Ofer Inbar, Lucero's local veterinarian, said in addition to pregnancy checking, he might be called to the dairy to pull a calf, perform a C-section or diagnose a condition.

Comparing the amount of illness on organic and conventional dairies is like comparing apples to oranges, he said.

Organic dairies are usually smaller and are able to give a higher level of care. They are also not pushing cows to produce more milk with high-energy feed, which can cause digestive problems.

"Cows are not pushed as hard. They're not stressed and are able to go out on pasture. It's an easier life," he said.

Cows don't have to be sick, and they will heal if given the chance, he said.

He likes the way Lucero and her husband, Edwin, run their operation and the level of animal care on their dairy, but he doesn't think it takes any special training to be a veterinarian for an organic operation. It's more of a philosophical outlook, he said.

"I don't know if you can train for that on a scientific basis," he said.

Vet school survey

Survey of veterinary schools on educational programs in complimentary and alternative veterinarian medicine

Surveyed: 41

Response: 34; 26 U.S; 2 Canada; 3 Australia and New Zealand; 3 Europe

Offered: 16

Required: 1

Not offered: 18, but many addressed topics in other courses

Plan to offer: 4

Conclusions

- It is an important topic that should be addressed in veterinary education, but opinions varied as to the appropriate framework.

- Inclusion in curriculum must be evidence-based.

- Students should be aware of complimentary and alternative medicine due to strong public interest and so practitioners can address clients' questions.

Source: Washington State University, 2008-2010