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NEEM IN ANIMAL HEALTH

For centuries Neem has been used in India provide health cover to livestock in various forms. It has also very widely been used as animal feed. Ancient Sanskrit literature indicates that Neem applications were used by Nakul and Sahadeva in the epic of Mahabharata as well as afterwards in a large number of indigenous prescriptions and formulations.
Almost every part of the tree is bitter and finds application in indigenous medicine. Records exist that Neem has been used in a large number of ailments in animals ranging from systemic disorders to infections and injuries.

JENKIN'S STORY

When we picked up Jenkins, his system as completely overloaded with toxins and his systems were shutting down. He could arely walk, and he had no life in his eyes. I truly elieve he would have died within the next few days. The poor guy would raise his leg for 30 seconds and only get a drop. His poop was about the size of a quarter and looked like charcoal. He was missing most of his coat. His skin was beet red and oozing, tight and hot. The best description I can give is that he was like a sausage in a frying pan before the oil pops out.

The first thing we did for Jenkins was wash him with Organix's Neem Shampoo. Because we wanted intense immediate relief, we added an extra ounce of Organix's Neem Oil to the shampoo. We let this sit on his skin for ten minutes before rinsing. Once he was dried off, we coated his skin with more neem oil. We repeated this every day for the first week. By the end of the third day, we could see a great improvement.

We also began immediately detoxifying him with Nature's Way Aloe Vera Detox and Organix's Neem Leaf Capsules, one capsule in his food twice daily. We also started him on a basic raw diet to figure out what foods he was allergic to. We started with brown rice, raw chicken, peas and carrots. This mix worked very well for him.

We have had our set backs with the allergies. Jenkins broke out in hives with flaxseed, pumpkin and garlic. Each time he breaks out, it takes about a week with the detoxifier and 2 of Organix's Neem Leaf Capsules daily to get his skin back to normal.

You should see Jenkins today! Now three months later, he jumps and plays with his sisters (2, two year old Shih-tzus), his skin is a healthy pink color, and his hair is starting to fill back in. His diet is VERY limited. He can have beef and chicken and most vegetables. He occasionally shares an apple or banana with me, and eats grapes and baby carrots for treats. I have taken him off the rice and I am slowing trying to find another filler for his diet. Jenkins still gets one neem leaf capsule split between two meals every day. I believe this helps with the fleas (he has none) and keeps his digestive system on track. Jenkins gets a bath usually twice a week with Organix's Neem Shampoo as well.

- Vicky Parsons, NeemTreeFarms

 

NEEM AS ANIMAL FEED

Leaves:
Neem leaves contain appreciable amount of protein, minerals and carotene and adequate amount of trace minerals except zinc. These may be helpful in alleviating the copper deficiency when feeding straw and dry fodder.

Goat & Camel:
Goat and Camel relish lopped Neem leaves and quite often these are fed as sole feed to them in winter season when tree is not needed for shed. However, systematic studies are not available on Neem feeding by these animals. Keeping in view these animals have the capability to thrive in hot and dry areas, there is considerable scope of rearing them on Neem leaves.

Cattle and buffaloes:
The Neem leaves have appreciable quantity of digestable crude protein (DCP) and total digestable nutrients (TDN). Cattle can be fed twigs and leaves in small quantities when mixed with other feeds.

Poultry:
Neem oil can be used in poultry rations. The fatty acid composition of oil indicates that it is a rich source of long chain fatty acids. It contains azadirachtin, meliantriol and salannin. Neem oil can be used in poultry rations.

De-Oiled Neem Seed Cake in Animal Feed
This can considerably reduce the shortage of protein supplements in high producing animals. Seeds from Neem yield sufficient oil and the residual cake is the major by-product. Neem cake consists of all essential and non-essential amino acids including sulphur containing amino acids but with negligible quantities of valine and trytophan. The cake contains sulphur 1.07-1.36% which is more than other cakes. The N content varies from 2-3%. The cake has high crude protein, ether extract and fibre contents. Neem seed cake is a very good source of animal protein ( up to 40% ) . The keeping quallity is good and it is not easily spoiled on storage nor is it attacked by fungi. The processed cake can be employed as a good poultry feed. Since the cake is bitter, it acts as a good appetizer. It is also a wormicide.

The use of Neem in veterinary medicine in India dates back to the times of the epic Mahabharata (300 B.C). According to scholars, two of the five Pandava brothers Nakul and Sahadev, who practiced veterinary medicine, used Neem to treat ailing and wounded horses and elephants by applying poultices prepared from Neem leaves and Neem oil for healing the wounds etc., during the battle of Mahabharata. Ancient Sanskrit literature indicates Neem applications as feed and in a large number of prescriptions and formulations to provide health cover to livestock in various forms. Various Neem preparations were standardized in the form of oils, liniments, powders and liquids. Ayurvedic scholars recommend the use of Neem oil as antipyretic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, analgestic, antihistaminic, anthelmintic and as an acaricide.

Neem has been traditionally used against various livestock insects such as maggots, hornflies, blow-flies and biting flies. Neem is also useful for controlling some bacteria of veterinary importance and against intestinal worms in animals. Patnaik, (1993) highlights the livestock friendly medicinal role of neem in the following: “the tree (neem) is revered by Indian herdsmen as a gentle but effective veterinary poultice, a virtue confirmed by the 16th century Portuguese botanist and traveler, Garciada Orta in his “Coloquios”.

'Notes on the Bazaar and Indigenous Drugs Useful in the Treatment of Animals' published in 1929, lists the Veterinary applications of Neem in detail. It notes that "leaves, bark and oil expressed from the seeds are generally used. Internally the preparations of the Neem tree are a good bitter tonic, antiperiodic and astringent and are used in combination with other drugs having similar properties. They are best administered in the form of a decoction. They are most useful in fever and debility. Externally, the leaves are used in varied forms, such as raw crushed mass, poultice and wash. The bruised leaves, mixed with charcoal or lime, form a good application to wounds, ulcers, pustular eruptions, such as epizootic aphtha, etc. The decoction of the leaves forms a valuable antiseptic and healing lotion to foul sores and ulcers. The leaves boiled with tamarind leaves are applied as a poultice to inflammatory swellings. The oil is applied to wounds as an antiseptic dressing. It is highly efficacious in parasitic diseases, cutaneous affections of all kinds and erysipelas, etc., as it contains sulphur in organic combination. It is also useful in removing maggots from the wounds. The oil is obtained from most of the bazaars". The approx. dosages are also mentioned:

Doses - Bark - Doses - Oil -
Horse ... ... 1-2 oz. Horse ... ... 2-4 dr.
Cattle ... ... 2-3 oz Cattle ... ... 4-6 dr.
Sheep ... ... 1/4 - 1/2 oz Sheep ... ... 1-2 dr.
Dog ... ... 1/4 - 1 dr.

Further the Notes contain details on usage, which indicate the widespread acceptance of Neem in Animal Health in India during the early twentieth century.

Neem bark (Margosa), bruised ... 1 oz ... 87 (Drug No.)
Water ... ... .... ... 1 pint.
Boil for 20 minutes and strain (DECOCTION). To be given twice daily. A bitter tonic, antiperiodic, and astringent. Doses - Horse and cattle 1/2 - 1 pint; Dog 1-2 oz.

Neem bark (Margosa), bruised ... 1 oz. ... 87 (Drug No.)
Cinnamon (Dalchinni), bruised ... 4 dr. ... 37 (Drug No.)
Cloves (Laung), bruised ... 2 dr. ... 38 (Drug No.)
Water ... ... ... ... 1 pint.
Boil for 20 minutes and strain. Given when cold twice daily. A good tonic in debility after an attack of fever. Dose - Horse and Cattle 1/2 - 1 pint; Dog - 1 oz.

Neem or Margosa Oil ... ... 8 oz. ... 87 (Drug No.)
Turpentine (Gandhi-tel) ... ... 4 oz. ... 104 (Drug No.)
Valuable antiseptic application to wounds and ulcers.

Neem or Margosa Oil ... ... 1 pint. ... 87 (Drug No.)
Sulphur (Gundak) ... ... 1 oz. ... 99 (Drug No.)
Mix well. A good liniment for chronic rheumatism. To be well rubbed into the affected part.

In the past few years researchers have been studying ancient prescriptions like Neem with tools of modern bio-chemistry. In a recent trial at an University in Bangalore, (1) it has been observed that alcohol based Neem leaf extract showed promising results in vitro trials as compared to other herbs.

Neem leaves and its extracts are being used as immuno stimulants in poultry flocks. In the poultry industry, use of neem leaves is also made to prevent aflatoxicosis caused by Aspergillus flavus, which originates from oil cakes or maize, which are not dried properly and used as an ingredient of the feed. Use of neem cake as a protein substitute has an economical advantage in those countries where it is abundant.

Sources:
http://www.neemfoundation.org