Yarrow IS anthelmintic in sheep- toxic to calves

a study on sheep and yarrow for parasites


//www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=1208505

Anthelmintic efficacy of Achillea millifolium against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Tariq KA, Chishti MZ, Ahmad F, Shawl AS.
Post Graduate Department of Zoology, The University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190 006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Achillea millifolium Linn., commonly called 'Pehl-ghasa', is used by farmers in traditional animal health care as a vermifuge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of crude aqueous extracts and crude ethanolic extracts of entire A. millifolium against the gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. The worm motility inhibition assay was used for in vitro studies and faecal egg count reduction assay was used for in vivo studies. In vitro studies revealed significant anthelmintic effects of aqueous extracts and ethanolic extracts on live Haemonchus contortus worms (P < 0.05) as evident from their paralysis and/or death at 8 h post exposure. Aqueous extracts of A. millifolium resulted in a mean worm motility inhibition of 94.44%, while ethanolic extracts resulted in mean worm motility inhibition of 88.88%. The mean mortality index of aqueous extracts was 0.95 while for ethanolic extracts it was 0.9. The lethal concentration 50 was 0.05 mg ml- 1 for aqueous extracts and 0.11 mg ml- 1 for ethanolic extracts. The in vivo anthelmintic activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of A. millifolium demonstrated a maximum (88.40%) nematode egg count reduction in sheep treated with aqueous extracts at 2 g kg- 1 body weight on day 15 after treatment. Ethanolic extracts resulted in a maximum of 76.53% reduction in faecal egg counts on day 15 after treatment with 2 g kg- 1 body weight. Thus, the aqueous extracts exhibited greater anthelmintic activity under both in vitro and in vivo conditions, and could be due to the presence of water-soluble active principle/s in A. millifolium. It is concluded that the entire plant of A. millifolium possesses significant anthelmintic activity and could be a potential alternative for treating cases of helminth infections in ruminants.
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However, I found in other information about the use of natural plants on ruminants for killing parasites, Yarrow is toxic to calves. Humans? Don't know, but there are plants listed here that say they are also poisonous to the animals, even though they kill parasites- lupine for example.

- Yarrow (Achilea millefolium), which is highly toxic to calves;

This was very interesting information about what plants can be used though:

http://goatconnection.com/articles/publish/article_55.shtml


BOTANICAL DEWORMERS
Several plants have anthelminthic properties, and were in fact a part of the traditional husbandry before synthetic dewormers were commonly adopted. In Québec, for instance, it was common practice to feed evergreen branches (pine, spruce or fir branches) to sheep. Although based on conventional wisdom, veterinary research zeroed in on deworming plants, also called anthelminthic plants, particularly before the Second World War in Western countries then, subsequently, mainly in Eastern countries and India. There is reliable data available on the effects of several plants or plant extracts on certain parasites, enabling us to know the limits of these substances.

Allopathy versus homeopathy

Several of the dewormer plants mentioned below may cause side effects in animals. The most powerful natural dewormers are often potential poisons. It is therefore important to follow the indicated dosages. A way to avoid side effects is to administer these plants in the form of homeopathic preparations. The advantage of homeopathic remedies is that they do not require a fasting period beforehand and laxative diet after the treatment.

Garlic

Garlic is a common plant dewormer that is easy to find. It is known to be active against, among others, Ascaris, Enterobius and, of particular interest for ruminants, against lungworm in general1. It must be used, however, as prevention (prophylaxis) rather than as treatment or with other products. In fact, garlic does not prevent the production of eggs but prevents the eggs of certain parasites from developing into larvae5. In the ninth century, in Persia, Avicenne recommended the use of garlic as an additive rather than as a dewormer alone. Garlic is incorporated into certain commercial homeopathic or allopathic dewormers, but always with other plant-derived substances. The numerous therapeutic properties of garlic come mainly from its high sulphur content.

Garlic can be administered in several ways:

Fresh: Fresh minced garlic proved to be clearly more efficient than garlic extracts for controlling internal parasites in carp30. Using fresh garlic is ideal although not necessarily the most practical on a day-to-day basis. The leaves and bulbs may also be used. If the animals do not want to eat the leaves whole, they may be cut into small pieces, mixed with molasses and bran, and shaped into small balls. The bulbs may be grated and mashed with molasses or honey and flour. Garlic may also be planted directly in the pastures in such way that the animals have access to it as needed.
Powder: The most practical way to administer garlic is undoubtedly to add powdered garlic to animal feed. Powdered garlic can be bought at a reasonable cost in bulk from major food manufacturers (e.g. McCormick, Quest International, Griffith Laboratories, etc.).
Pills: This is a method that is useful only for very small herds. Two or three pills of four grains is the required daily dosage for one sheep.
Juice: British herbalist Grieve16 suggested using garlic juice or garlic milk as a dewormer. Garlic milk is made by boiling bulbs mashed in milk. Some researchers recommend, however, not boiling garlic as this reduces its effectiveness against parasite eggs and larvae.
Mother tincture: Garlic mother tincture is given in dosages of 20 drops/day/10 kg of live weight.
In the case of dairy animals, it is preferable to feed them garlic during or immediately after milking so that the milk does not pick up the taste.

Wormwood

Wormwood, as its name suggests, is an excellent dewormer. Many Wormwood species have deworming properties.

- Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is effective against Protostrongylus, Dictyocaulus and Bunostomum. Sheep, goats and fowl readily consume it10.

- Common Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) must be used with caution as it may be dangerous if used regularly or excessively. The dried and crushed flowers may be used or steeped in cold water. De Baïracli-Levy9 suggests the following recipe for dewormer balls: four teaspoons of cayenne pepper powder, two teaspoons of powdered common Wormwood mixed with honey and flour.

- Eurasian wormwood (Artemisia cina) is a desert plant that is used to make santonin and the homeopathic remedy Cina, which are used as dewormers. Santonin is extracted from the dried buds of the plant. The buds are then treated with liquid lime and dried again. Santonin acts against most parasites except Echinococcus. It must be used with caution, however, because even in small doses it causes side effects, particularly eye problems. Homeopathic Cina may be acquired as mother tincture, administered in 2 to 3 drops/10 kg, morning and evening for 3 weeks, or in granules in different dilutions. Consult a homeopathic veterinarian for more information.

- The dried, powdered shoots of Artemisia herba-alba wormwood (a species common to North Africa) administered in dosages of 10 to 30 g per goat proved highly effective against Haemonchus contortus17.

- Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) also has deworming properties. Several wormwood species grow wild in North America. It might be a good idea to let these plants grow along pastures where the animals can eat them as needed.

Wild ginger

Wild ginger or snakeroot (Asarum canadense) grows in wooded areas. This plant is very similar to European wild ginger which was used as an anthelminthic purge for cattle and horses. The dosage per animal is 20 to 30 g of the aerial parts of snakeroot mixed with wet bran. Wild ginger also has antibacterial properties. If planning to use this plant, remember that wild ginger, as well as wild garlic, require several years to reproduce.

Goosefoot

Chenopodium ambrosioides or goosefoot is a widely used dewormer plant. In Brazil, the plant is fed directly to pigs to deworm them. The powdered seeds serve as a dewormer and insecticide. The Japanese make a dewormer tea with the leaves. Oil from the goosefoot, although highly efficient, is extremely toxic. Human consumption has often led to strong side effects (nausea, headaches) and even death in some cases. It is better to use less hazardous substances than goosefoot oil.

Conifers

Conifers, like garlic, are undoubtedly more indicated in prophylactic form, that is, in small quantities in daily food, rather than as a curative treatment. In Russia, Ascaris infestations in pigs were reduced by giving them 1 to 2 kg of pine needles each day for 2 to 4 weeks39 and mixtures of conifer needle powder and sulphur or vitamins were also used successfully against internal parasites.

In practical terms, it is easier to use pitch, also called turpentine, extracted from pine and various other conifers. Turpentine spirits are a byproduct of Turpentine distillation. Cabaret6 prescribes 50 to 100 ml of spirits produced from Turpentine distillation with a triple volume of castor oil against ruminant liver fluke and horse strongyles. A mixture of linseed oil (edible and not the variety found in hardware stores) and turpentine spirits constitutes a powerful dewormer, but which must be used with caution. If turpentine enters the respiratory system it may cause the spasmodic closure of the mouth. It is therefore preferable to use rolled oats to soak up the turpentine before feeding it to animals. For one lamb, 10 to 15 drops of turpentine spirits are mixed with an ounce of linseed oil and a pinch of ground ginger; for an adult sheep, 80 drops in two ounces of linseed oil.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis) has deworming properties, notably against liver fluke. Sheep enjoy juniper berries and deer graze on the plant. It might be interesting to allow restricted access to woodlands where the animals can find conifers to eat if they wish.

Crucifers (mustard family)

White or black mustard seeds in the amount of 2 ounces per lamb is a safe dewormer, and it is recommended allowing the herd access to mustard in the pasture or elsewhere. In India, some cattle farmers use mustard oil against parasites in the amount of 100 to 150 g per day for one week. Mustard oil is more of a laxative than a dewormer, which is nevertheless useful in eliminating some parasites.

The following crucifers are dewormers and may be added to animal feed: radishes, raw grated turnips or horseradish, nasturtium seeds.

Cucurbits

The seeds of squash, pumpkins and many other vine crops contain a deworming compound called cucurbitacin that is more or less active depending on the parasite12. The seeds may be fed directly to animals as the Canadian pioneers once did, but it is better to extract the main ingredient using water, alcohol or ether, for an effect that is similar to that of pumpkin seeds. Aqueous extracts from squash seeds (dilution 1/50) are effective against Haemonchus contortus38.

Pumpkin seed dewormer24

- Shell and grind up the pumpkin seeds (or buy them at a grocery store).
- Mix 500 g of the seeds with three litres of water.
- Simmer (do not boil), while stirring, for 30 minutes.
- Let cool 30 minutes.
- Filter through a cloth, squeezing to remove as much juice as possible.
- Reduce over low heat to 150-200 ml.
- Make sure to remove oily scum.
- Refrigerate.
Fern

The rhizomes and young shoots (fiddleheads) of the male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) have deworming properties that have long been recognized in Europe, among others, against Tapeworms (Taenia). The North American equivalent of the male fern is the evergreen shield-fern (Dryopteris marginalis). Although in the past, ether extract of the male fern was widely used against the liver fluke in the British Isles, the male fern does not give satisfactory results in the case of the Dicrocoelium fluke in sheep14, nor against Echinococcus in dogs.

The success of fern is enhanced by using fresh material and mixing it with glycerine. The male fern must be used with caution because it is toxic in high doses. In humans, for instance, it can cause headaches and nausea; the maximum dose is 7 g per adult.

Lupine

A diet made up entirely of freshly cut, lightly salted, lupine is a good dewormer that works against a large number of intestinal worms in pigs, including Trichuris (100% efficient), Strongyloides (66% efficient), Ascaris (50% efficient)7. Lupine is equally efficient against Parascaris and Strongylus in horses. It is important not to give free access to lupine, otherwise symptoms of poisoning may occur.

Nuts

Several vegetable species produce nuts that have anthelminthic properties, but unfortunately it is mostly tropical species like areca and cashew shells that are used. The fresh sap of the hazelnut (Corylus) is highly effective against Ascaris22.

Umbelliferae

Carrot seeds (Daucus carota), either wild or cultivated, are dewormers, as are teas made with the roots. A mixture of anise, cumin and juniper seeds is effective against Dictyocaulus lungworm in calves. Fennel leaves and seeds are also used as dewormers; the oil is a dewormer but very toxic too. In a central Asian area of the former USSR, it is common practice to graze sheep infected with Haemonchus in pastures where there are giant fennel (Ferula gigantea) and other Ferula species42. The worms are eliminated after two or three days and the plant is grazed for roughly 20 days. In many parts of North America, carrots and wild parsnips that grow abundantly along fields and roads could probably be used in the same way.

Pyrethrum

Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium) is commonly used as an insecticide in agriculture. It also has anthelminthic properties. As a dewormer, it is administered in powder form in animal feed. It may be safely used for warm-blooded animals, unless it is injected. In this case, it must be mixed with oil and the necessary precautions taken.

Pyrethrum is 100% effective against ascarids in chickens, in the amount of 200 mg/bird using 0.8% pyrethrum32. A complete cure was obtained against Ascaris in chickens, by giving them pyrethrum powder (concentration unknown), using 2% of the ration for 7 days44. Pyrethrum is also useful against strongyles in horses, in the amount of 3.5 mg/kg of live weight35. For more information on the veterinary uses of pyrethrum, see Urbain and Guillot41.

Although a Mediterranean plant, pyrethrum may be cultivated easily in many places. For more information on pyrethrum culture, see the Agro-Bio synthesis entitled "Home Production of Pyrethrum", available at EAP.

Tobacco

Tobacco and its derivatives (nicotine, nicotine sulphate) have been used as dewormers, particularly for fowl. With other farm animals, the mortal dose is practically the same for the worms as for the animals themselves!

Tansy

Tansy seeds (Tanacetum vulgare) are used against Nematodirus in sheep27. The oil from the flowers is also anthelminthic. An aqueous extract of tansy flowers and leaves is 100% effective in eliminating Ascaris from young horses and dogs, in the amount of 0.5ml/kg live weight in two doses administered one day apart and preceded by a one-day fast19. One kilo of leaves and flowers produces about one litre of extract. Cows and sheep consume fresh tansy easily, but goats, horses and pigs are not really fond of it.

Other plants

Blackberries, raspberries, and young ash and elder shoots are also other plant species with deworming properties that should be accessible in pastures. According to Cabaret6, beech creosote is used against lungworm in ruminants. The following plants, which grow naturally or may be cultivated in most of North America, are listed by Duke11 as having deworming properties:

- Yarrow (Achilea millefolium), which is highly toxic to calves;
- Sweet flag or calamus (Acorus calamus);
- Agrimony (Agrimonia);
- Roots or root infusions of Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum);
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis);
- Hemp (Cannabis saliva);
- Blue cohosh (Caulopyllum thalictroides);
- Lady slipper root extract (Cypripedium calceolus);
- Sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale);
- Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana);
- Common knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare);
- Rue (Ruta graveolens);
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis);
- Savory (Satureja montana);
- Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora);
- Skunk cabbage or skunk weed (Symplocarpus foetidus);
- Nettle (Urtica dioica) seeds and roots;
- Valerian (Valeriana officinalis);
- Verbena (Verbena officinalis);
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor).
A large number of tropical plants, and even some types of marine algae, also are reputed to have deworming properties.

Mixes

The commercial "natural" dewormer preparations, whether they are allopathic or homeopathic, are often mixes of different types of vegetation. The purpose of these mixes is to expand the range of action and, in some cases, they act, synergistically. Often, both tropical plants and those from temperate climates are included. Homeopathic laboratories each offer their own mixes, also called complexes. A list of major homeopathic laboratories is presented in the Useful Addresses section.

OTHER DEWORMERS
Diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth is made from the remains of fossilized marine algae called diatoms. The product is mined and reduced to powder form. This powder acts as tiny pieces of glass that tear the shells of insects and other arthropods. Many farmers add diatomaceous earth to the rations of their animals, among others, because it contains minerals and is relatively inexpensive.

Some claim that diatomaceous earth acts as a dewormer when added on a regular basis in the amount of 2% of the ration. Scientific tests on the subject are limited however and opinions of farmers are contradictory. Moreover, diatomaceous earth has no effect on lungworm and is not very appetizing. It may also be a lung irritant. Given that the level of dust is already quite high in barns, diatomaceous earth does not seem appropriate when the animals are fed indoors. The main motivation for adding diatomaceous earth to rations should not be to control internal parasites. If it is to be used, it is important to use non-calcined diatomaceous earth and without additives for insecticide use. See the Useful Addresses section for the address of a supplier of diatomaceous earth for animal use.

Surfactants

Many American farmers use Shaklee's Basic H surfactant as cattle dewormer with success. However, the company does not endorse this use of the product. Also, the organic certification standards do not always allow its use because the exact nature of the product is a trade secret, although we know it is based on two soybeans enzymes. Grazier Joel Salatin from Virginia gives the product to his cattle through water at a rate of 1 cup of Basic H per 100 American gallons of water (a quarter cup into 100 litres) . He confines the animals for two days to make sure all the animals get it. Treatment is repeated 6 times a year, and costs less than 50 cents per head.

Copper sulphate

Copper sulphate, a mineral substance that already meets organic farming specifications for plant production, has a strong deworming action against certain parasites, particularly Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus axei, which affect the abomasum. Copper sulphate is administered in a 1% solution in water, in the amount of 50 ml per lamb or 100 ml per adult sheep, and 30 ml/22.5 kg of live weight for calves to a maximum of 100 ml. This dewormer may be administered with a funnel and flexible tube. Treatment is given in the morning before the animals have eaten, followed by castor oil one half hour later. It is important not to feed animals for two hours following treatment because of poisoning risks.

Others

Peroxide and charcoal also have deworming properties according to some practitioners and salesmen. There is insufficient scientific data however to support these claims.

CONCLUSION
As to conclude, the following points can be highlighted from this review on alternative internal parasites control:

- parasite control starts with good knowledge of the parasites and how they affect livestock.
- Susceptibility and resistance to internal parasites in animals is affected by several factors including the season, the age of the animals, nutrition, and pasture management.
- Fecal counts are worthwhile to detect the types and number of parasites affecting the herd or an individual. These should be done in critical periods such as spring and fall.
- As prevention, animals should not be allowed to graze when pastures are wet. Young animals should preferably be put in new pastures where parasite levels are low. Manure should be composted and soil drainage improved where needed.
- Deworming can be done when the animals are put out to pasture and again three weeks later. Deworming with natural products should be preceded and followed by a fasting period except in the case of homeopathic remedies.
- Garlic and conifers are good as prophylactic dewormers for regular use. Powdered garlic is easily obtained in bulk.
- More potent botanical dewormers include wormwoods, snakeroot, cucurbits, umbelliferae and tansy. Goosefoot, fern, lupine and tobacco have serious side-effects that discourage their use.
- Homeopathic remedies are easy to use, do not require fasting and can be found easily. Combinations of different homeopathic remedies offered by homeopathic laboratories have a good range of action against parasites.
- Other products used as dewormers are diatomaceous earth, charcoal, peroxide and surfactants such as Shaklee's Basic H. There is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of these products as dewormers, but many farmers use them and swear to their validity.
Alternatives to the utilization of synthetic dewormers exist to control internal parasites in ruminants. As is often the case in organic farming, we should aim not to eliminate these pests but to learn to coexist with them.

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