Ethno-veterinary treatment of buffalo in Arid region of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Traditional animal healthcare practices, also called ethnoveterinary medicine, provide low cost alternatives in situation where western type drugs and veterinary services are not available or are too expensive. These practices were developed and practiced through trial and error methods and deliberate experimentation and is therefore, less documented and not uni+versally recognized and for these reasons, it has no place in mainstream veterinary medicine. The majority raise buffalo or buffaloes. The present study was carried out in the purposively selected arid region of Rajasthan. A multistage stratified random sampling design was used to select the districts, blocks, villages and sample households. A sample of 240 households was selected for the present study. Data were collected personally through a well structured and pre-tested interview schedule. Keeping these facts in view, the present study was conducted with the specific objectives to document the consultation and vaccination pattern followed by the buffalo farmers of the region for the treatment of their sick animals as well as their isolation. It was found that majority of the households (66.25%) were initially providing self medication using traditional practices and in cases of severity of disease/ailment, village quack was consulted. Vaccination of buffalo was followed in only 48.75% of the selected households. In addition, only 36 households (31.25%) the sick animals were isolated from the herd. A variety of traditional practices were observed being followed for treatment of various ailments and diseases of the buffalo with the use of locally available material, herbs, etc.