The University of Bristol said there should be 'greater openness' on the use of complementary and alternative medicines in dairy farming.
A new study has argued that there needs to be 'greater openness' regarding the use of alternative medicines in UK dairy farming.
The University of Bristol published research on February 26 which found that complementary alternative medicines (CAM), a term used to describe health care practices that are not considered standard medical care, have potential to 'strengthen farmer-vet relationships, which may prevent potential unintended harm to animals, reduce antibiotic use and improve herd health management'.
Researchers said CAM is used by some dairy farmers in the UK but there is limited evidence about their use and practices considered under the term which are adopted on-farm.
Practices such as distant healing, which involves 'healing' specific animals or herds with 'positive vibrations', and shop-bought products including Listerine, to manage bloat and dermatitis, were also considered in the research which involved 15 organic and nine conventional dairy farms.
However, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said it does not endorse practices where there is no scientific evidence or efficacy.
Additionally, the British Veterinary Association said it defines such practices as 'treatments that fall outside of mainstream veterinary care'.
While noting that most vets consider it to be counter to evidence-based practice, the study said it wanted to understand how it may be used in dairy herd health management and how that might influence antibiotic use in the future.
CAM was often seen as part of a wider ethos which encompassed a range of practices to manage animal health on dairy farms, rather than as one particular product, medicine or therapy, the study found.
Íæż½ã½ã' main motivation for using CAM was a desire to support the health of their animals when other approaches were not available or appropriate, according to the research.
Research scholars also revealed the practice formed part of a 'wider philosophy' regarding holistic farming more broadly with regards to land use and avoiding overuse of antibiotics.
Dr Kayleigh Crouch, lead author who conducted the research for her PhD at the University of Bristol, said: "This is the first study to explore CAM use on dairy farms in a UK context.
"It is important for vets and advisers to acknowledge and discuss what herd health management approaches are used and explored by farmers.
"More open discussion surrounding the use of specific CAM practices and products on dairy farms would support better collaboration between dairy farmers, vets and other advisers in support of animal health.
"This would enable further study and work towards co-produced herd health plans that are farm specific and acknowledge farmers' own goals and values."
Dr Crouch said further research in CAM use would be useful to gain a 'wider breadth of views and practices'.
"The discussion about CAM in the veterinary literature often focuses on homeopathy but this does not acknowledge the widely used products such as udder creams/oils or broader approaches such as animal observations or environmental enrichment, which some farmers consider CAM," she added.
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"This study suggests that it may be more helpful to refer to specific products and practices by name, rather than using the term CAM more broadly, to avoid any confusion or negative associations with the term CAM.
"It is also important to acknowledge the potentially positive impacts of these products and practices, for example where they support reduced use of antibiotics.
"Research should be conducted into how CAM practices contribute to the 'One Healt'h approach for antimicrobial resistance impact reduction and how they influence animal housing, management, and interactions to identify potential positive practices."
Professor David Barrett, of the University of Bristol, said there need to be greater transparency around all animal health related activities undertaken on a farm, including CAM.
"The veterinary profession constantly strives to optimise animal health and welfare through the application of evidence-based veterinary medicine and the pursuit of best practice," he added.
"Vets have a vital role to play in safeguarding both animal and public health, and through the 'One Health' approach, have significantly reduced antibiotic use in the dairy production chain in recent years.
"However, it has become apparent that many dairy producers are using CAM products and practices without consultation with their vets.
"While some of these practices might be considered simply good animal husbandry, others are controversial to those seeking an evidence base and, because of this, are not being openly discussed.
"This study does not seek to establish, or question, the efficacy of all the products and practices considered to be CAM by farmers, but to draw attention to the need for farmers, vets and others to work more closely together to ensure transparency around all the animal health related activities undertaken on a farm."
The study, 'What do complementary and alternative medicines mean to UK dairy farmers and how do they use them?' , was published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
