Wholistic Dry Cow Treatment
By
Gudula Beythien HD(RHom.), DVH
Doctor of Veterinary Homeopathy and Heilkunst



I’m often asked how to dry off a cow without using antibiotics, and I answer with a question, “How was it done before antibiotics took over our barns?”

 

Cows were slowly weaned off the milking to reduce stimulation to the udder, and hence the amount of milk produced. This is still valid today; the cows didn't change, our thinking changed!

 

A cow, at the end of lactation and without mastitis, can be easily milked every other milking for a week, and then for three milkings every second day, without any increase in the somatic cell count. The production is greatly diminished so that the cow doesn’t feel pressure or discomfort in her udder.

 

The farmer has a few options on how to proceed from there. A sealant may be necessary to protect the teat from bacteria in cows whose teats are damaged in any way, and he can give a homeopathic remedy to support the drying off phase by actually decreasing milk production. This combination approach works well for cows with no prior mastitis problems.

 

But what about the cows that still give 20 litres and have to go dry? And what about the cows who always have a high cell count? The cow that gives 20 litres will take longer to dry off, and the cow with a high somatic cell count will need homeopathic treatment before and during the dry period.

 

Of course, the main concern during the dry period is the chance of bacteria entering the organism and causing mastitis. Here the farmer has to understand that bacteria are opportunistic organisms, and will only be able to take advantage if the cow's health is challenged in some way. This includes not only environmental cleanliness, but the stress levels of the animal as well. Stress can come from being crowded, disturbed light and dark cycles (which do not resemble the season) and from inadequate nutrition, especially minerals.

 

The care the farmer gives a cow during the drying off period will depend on how much effort he wants to put into the process. Antibiotics are easy and fast to use, but were designed to save lives and that is how they should be used, in emergency situations only. And though drying a cow off naturally takes longer and needs a different management approach, in the end you have an animal that was not unnecessarily drugged. 

You can reach Gudula by e-mail at chbauer@magma.ca