ETHNOVETERINARY MEDICINE

An Answer to Today’s and Tomorrow’s Animal Health Problems

And

APPLICATION OF ETHNOVETERINARY MEDICINE IN GOAT, BEEF AND

POULTRY PRODUCTION

Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre

By E Mazhawidza
 Introduction
Introduction to EVK

Ethnoveterinary knowledge (EVK) – have been in use since dawn of history. Before the
invention of modern commercial medicines in the area of animal husbandry people
were using EVK. Even today some people are still using the EVK. Some of the reasons
listed below are being attached to the use of EVK.

 Commercial acaricides in tick control are very expensive

 Herbs – they are cheaper and easy to use
 EVK also supports the organic movement
 Need for sustainable animal health care systems
 Improve livestock performance & reproduction
 Promote efficient use of acaricidal plants - correct application Rates
 Wider adoption after documenting of indigenous knowledge systems on the use
of EVK

Many people have now understood the evolution of EVK, application and management
and are eager for adoption. Hence the intention of this module guideline to sustainable
animal health care systems through the provision and implementation of EVK to meet
emerging needs of local and international concerns access to basic, cheaper and
effective animal health care systems for poverty eradication and improved standards of
living.

EVK proposed encourages participation of members of the community to sincerely

foster sustainable animal health care system and empowerment through effective
production capacity building based on local resources and minimum external inputs.

Nature of the problem for EVK intervention

The devastating effects of inadequate farming inputs for livestock management, despite
favorable savanna are in some our regions have depleted the capacity of the farmers to
produce.

The impact of these inadequate animal health care drugs had a huge impact on the
resource poor subsistence farmers who have abandoned their traditional farming
system. Experience suggests that many rural and marginalized areas are resource poor
and their areas are trivial, currently hastened by improper use of animal heath care
systems and unavailability of animal medicines. EVK provide a solution.

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Promotion modern medicines in animal health acre systems has led to loss of heirloom
indigenous knowledge, which together with traditional farming systems used to ensure
food security even in times of drought.

Most farmers who solely depend on commercial medicines are in danger since there are
sometimes not available on the market. So the reintroduction of EVK is advantageous
especially when commercial medicines became scarce, leading to ridiculous increase in
price and become very expensive. In addition, the use of commercial medicines to
control ticks, pests and diseases disrupts the natural relationships between predators and
prey and they are causing a great threat to both terrestrial and aquatic life.

Activities

Can you outline the Pros and cons of both EVK and conventional medicine?

List the important steps for encouraging the use of indigenous knowledge systems in
animal health & production

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 Unit 2

Ethnoveterinary Medicine Defined

Definitions of EVK

Many authors have defined EVK medicine and listed below are the some of the definitions:

1. Mukandiwa 2008 defined EVK as Utilization of folk beliefs, Knowledge, skills, methods, and
practices pertaining to health of animal

2. Matthias 2008 defined EVK as Traditional practice used by animal keepers all over the world to
keep their animal health and production control and treat diseases

3. It is the knowledge that relates to farm based strategies of animal care of non-industrialized
livestock and agricultural systems.

4. It is the fusion of traditional and western information on environment, marketing, animal health
nutrition, diseases copying management practices.

5. It is that knowledge that is experimental, magical, mystical and tradition in animal health care.

6. It is the sum of local knowledge based both past and present.

EVK discovered

How people discovered EVM?

 Ingenuity and curiosity
 Gradual process of trial and error methods
 Zoopharmacognosy for example the case of snakes curing each other
 Communicating & interacting with visitors
 Observation, ‘visions’ and ritual communal gatherings

Advantages of EVK
 Most of the staff used are locally available
 They are organic in nature hence biodegradable
 Most of the are easily accessible
 Inexpensive
 Safe to use.

Materials and Methods for on-farm trial

 Not morally & ethically accepted
 Unknown health and safety to animals & people
 Unstable, difficult to manufacture
 Seasonality

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  Interferes with biodiversity. How?
 Little or no documentation
 Knowledge entrusted to a few special individuals
 Little known about efficacy & inclusion level

EVK versus Orthodox medicine

 Orthodox: morally and ethically accepted, approved and true opinion or way of thinking and or
doing things in life (Webester’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913)
 EVK is not new but why is it less popular than mainstream veterinary medicine?
 Failed to compete because of economic and biological considerations

Advantages of Orthodox medicine

 Well documented & widely accepted
 Works well with countries with strong economies

Disadvantages
 Inhibitory cost and unavailability
 Requirement of foreign currency
 Disposal problems
 Development of pest resistance
 Residual effect in products

Factors affecting adoption of EVK

 Alternatives
 Recognition of value of EVK
 Characteristics of local system
 Economic value of animals kept
 Available information on efficacy
 Type of livestock diseases & problems
 State laws & integration into orthodox vet
 Thought to be primitive & witchery
 Inferiority complex among locals
 Old fashioned & lack information on how to use i
 Hard to standardize & prepare. Why?

Factors affecting adoption of EVK

 Toxic problems and poisoning reported
 Seasonality
 Not enough experienced people available
 Curiosity to use advertised new commercial drugs
 Confusion between superstitious beliefs & EVM
 Discouragement by western missionaries who demonized the practice

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Way Forward
Carry out research on EVK to understand the science, validate procedures
Document & avail the information. How?
Differentiate between herbal medicines, ritual medicines & witchcraft
Need an integrated approach between orthodox vet medicine & EVK
Unit 3
EVK Database
EVK Database table

Remedy Target animal Diseases

EN : Bitter apple AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Ticks: take fruits and pound
SN : Nhundurwa TO: Eyes them with water them and
NN : intume apply in the affected eye.
BN : For ticks smear the remedy
at infected area
EN : African AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Ticks: take unripe fruits and
SN : Matamba TO: reproductive organs mix with water for 24 hours
NN : Umhlali Skin for ticks and then spray.
BN : Strychnos pungens Fertility: mix roots and
leaves and made animal to
drink can cure fertility
disorders

EN : Tomatoe AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Take leaves and pound

SN : Matomato TO: Eyes them with warm water and
NN : Amatimati apply to the affected eye
BN : Lycorperscon
esiculentum
EN : AN: Poultry Crush leaves and add water
SN : Mufandichimuka TO: internal make poultry drink. It can
NN : Mafavuke cure Coccidiosis
BN :
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Take Inner core of dried
SN : Muvhevha pigs fruit and crush it and apply
NN : TO: external wounds to septic wounds
BN : Kegelia africanum
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Take Inner core of dried
SN : Muzhozho pigs fruit and crush it and apply
NN : TO: Internal to septic wounds
BN :
EN : duiker berry AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Crush leaves and add water
SN : Mutsonzvowa pigs and animal can drink very
NN : umqobampunzi TO: Internal effective de-wormer
BN : pseudolachnostlis
EN : Banana AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Banana pills can be used for

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SN : Mabhanana pigs wounds
NN : ibhanana TO: External , bites Banana roots can also be
BN : used against snake bites
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Crush fresh fruits and add
SN : Gusha TO: Internal water and let the animals
NN : drink for treatment against
BN : Sesenum anguistifolis Newcastle diseases
EN : AN: Rabits, Mbira Feed fresh leaves of
SN : Gomarara TO: Reproductive Loranthus Spp to rabbits
NN : igumalala
BN : Loranthus Spp
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Add fresh roots to water
SN : Magaka enyoka Rabbits, Mbira and apply against snake
NN : ukudla kwenyoka TO: Bites bites
BN : Amaranthus nesia
EN : Casturd apple AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Add fresh roots to water
SN : Muroro Rabbits, Mbira and apply against snake
NN : TO: Bites bites
BN : Anono squamosa
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Crush fresh stem and leaves
SN : Murenja Rabbits, Mbira and apply to birth canal
NN : TO: Bites effective for delayed
BN : casias spp parturition
EN : Baobab AN: Bovine, goats, sheep The fruits can be fed to
SN : Muuyu TO: internal animals and can increase
NN : umkhomo milk flow
BN : Adansonia digitata
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, The bark can be used to
SN : Batanai Rabbits, Mbira bandage the fracture
NN : babophlum spp TO: Fracture
BN : ansellia gigantea
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Split the stem and bandage
SN : Mushamba Rabbits, Mbira the fracture two halves
NN : TO: Fracture parallel to each other on the
BN : lanea discoder fracture
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Feed the animal with the
SN : Ivhu remazimgizi Rabbits, Mbira soil for delayed parturition
NN : idlu yomuzemuze TO: Fracture

EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Used to drive away flees.

SN : Rutapatsikidzi Rabbits, Mbira The herb attract flees and
NN : TO: External leave the animal
BN : Aneilema locii
EN : Ash AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Split the stem and bandage
SN : Dota Rabbits, Mbira the fracture two halves
NN : umlotha TO: Fracture parallel to each other on the

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 fracture
EN : hissing tree AN: Poultry a Bark can crushed and mixed
SN : Muchakata TO: External with water for Coccidiosis
NN : umkhuna
BN : Parinari curatillifolia

EN : Wild fig tree AN: Poultry a Bark can crushed and mixed
SN : Murovamhuru TO: Internal with water for Coccidiosis
NN : umkhiwa
BN : Ficus spp

EN : AN: Poultry a Intestinal problems

SN : Rusungwe TO: Internal Coccidiosis
NN :
BN : Sakostema viminale

EN : AN: Poultry a Prophylactic measure

SN : Musosoti TO: Internal against Coccidiosis
NN :
BN :

EN : Ash AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Split the stem and bandage
SN : Dota Rabbits, Mbira the fracture two halves
NN : umlotha TO: Fracture parallel to each other on the
fracture
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep, Mix the remedy with water
SN : Chin’ai TO: Internal and made animal to drink
NN : isingayi effective against blotting
and lantana poisoning.
EN : blood tree AN: Bovine, goats, sheep The bark can be used for
SN : Mubvamaropa TO: Internal delayed parturition
NN : umvagazi
BN : pterocarpus angolensis

EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep The leaves are pounded and

SN : Muvengahonye TO: Internal mixed with water add the
NN : remedy to the wound
BN :

EN : Aloe vera AN: Poultry Extract the juice and use it

SN : Gavakava TO: Internal treat Coccidiosis
NN : inhlaba
BN :aloe wildii

EN : Nastatium AN: Bovine, goats, sheep Feed the animal with the
SN : TO: Internal fruits or crush the fruits and

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NN : let the animal drink the
BN : remedy used as a dewormer
and ad also as an antibiotic
EN : AN: Bovine, goats, sheep It has accarcidal properties.
SN : Zumbani TO: External The leaves can be pounded
NN : and add water the remedy
BN : Lipia javanica can be applied to tick
infected areas.
EN : AN: Poultry
SN : Murumanyama TO: Internal
NN :
BN :

EN : Snail shell AN: Bovine, goats, sheep

SN : demhe rehozhwa TO: Eye
NN : ugebhezi lomnenke

EN : pod mahogany AN: Poultry

SN : Mukanba TO: Internal
NN : umkamba
BN : Afzelia quanzenesis

EN : AN: Poultry
SN : Mudyamhembwe TO: Internal
NN :
BN :

Other Practices

 Lippia javanica (zumbani) leaves, Unripe Strychnos spinosa fruit (damba), Solanum
panduriforme (nhundurwa) – all in tick control
 Physical removal of ticks or piercing them
 Avoid infested paddocks
 Burn livestock pastures
 Wash animals with plant derived infusion, ointments, dust – tobacco
 Burn cattle manure mixed with water
 Vinegar & lemon juice – drive chicken lice
 Banana leaves and garlic extract – pig ectoparasites

Food for thought

 Who should use EVK
 What should be done since these plants are multi-functional

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 Who controls sustainable harvesting
 Why is it that EVM is not widely used in Zimbabwe
 Is there role for intellectual property rights on use of EVM?
 How to promote the use of EVM and documentation? What are the implications on sustainable
use of common property resources

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