As people’s living standards rise, there is an increasing emphasis on food safety, leading to significant restrictions on the use of antibiotics. However, the complex farming environment in our country still necessitates the use of medications to prevent diseases. The concept in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) that “the best physician treats the unillness, while the inferior physician treats the already ill” aligns perfectly with the current principle of “prevention first, with treatment as a secondary measure.” Consequently, TCVM has gained recognition among more pig farmers.Currently, the two main types of TCVM available on the market are Traditional Chinese Veterinary Powder and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Extracts. The powders have the advantages of mature formulations and lower prices, while the extracts offer therapeutic guarantees and are convenient for use in water.Traditional Chinese Veterinary PowderTraditional Chinese Veterinary Powder refers to formulations based on existing classic prescriptions (such as Qingwen Baidu San, Jingfang Baidu San, Fuzheng Jiedu San, Yin Qiao San, etc.), which are combined and then crushed and packaged for production.This medication is based on established formulas, eliminating the need for new research and development costs. Additionally, some Chinese herbs are cultivated extensively, making them relatively inexpensive, which is why Traditional Chinese Veterinary Powders are generally low in cost.Using a certain brand’s advertisement for Liuwei Dihuang Wan as an analogy, “Good materials lead to good medicine,” Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes the use of authentic medicinal materials (those produced in specific natural conditions and ecological environments). The same applies to TCVM. For example, the well-known herb Astragalus (Huangqi) varies in total solid content depending on its origin. Laboratory analyses show that the highest solid content comes from Huangqi produced in Gansu, followed by that from Inner Mongolia. The Huangqi from these two regions is also referred to as “Tieqi,” indicating that Gansu and Inner Mongolia are the best production areas for Huangqi, which is a reflection of authentic medicinal sources.Typically, when farmers administer medication to pigs, they often use a ratio of 1 kilogram of powder to 1 ton of feed, which is actually a very non-standard method of medication. For instance, the daily dosage of Qingwen Baidu San mixed into pig feed is 50-100g, while an adult pregnant sow’s daily feed intake is about 3 kilograms. This means that at least 50g of Qingwen Baidu San must be included in 3 kilograms of feed to achieve an effective drug concentration, which translates to needing 16.7 to 33.3 kilograms in 1 ton of feed. Therefore, pig farmers must pay close attention to the dosage when using Traditional Chinese Veterinary Powders; for example, when treating pig diseases with Qingwen Baidu San, at least 10 kilograms must be added to 1 ton of feed.With the development of Chinese medicine and TCVM, there is now a variant of powder on the market— Traditional Chinese Veterinary Ultra-fine PowderTraditional Chinese Veterinary Ultra-fine Powder emerged in the 1990s and is considered one of the important directions for the modernization of Chinese medicine. According to the requirements of the national Chinese medicine standards, ultra-fine powder must reach around 200 mesh, meaning the particle size should be controlled to about 70 microns. By ultra-fine grinding the herbal materials, the cell walls of the plants are broken, releasing the active components within the cells, reducing the dosage of herbal materials needed, and increasing their utilization rate.However, the ultra-fine grinding technology for TCVM is currently most mature in fields such as food, cosmetics, and the processing of precious herbal materials. Therefore, many products on the market that claim to be ultra-fine or nano-level grinding often deceive pig farmers under the guise of high technology, so farmers should be cautious in distinguishing these products.
Traditional Chinese Veterinary ExtractsTraditional Chinese Veterinary Extracts are produced under standardized processing conditions and meet certain quality standards. A significant difference between herbal extracts and herbal powders is that the formulations of herbal extracts are relatively simple. For example, Huangqi polysaccharide powder contains only Huangqi polysaccharides, while Yinhuang soluble powder contains only extracts from Jin Yin Hua (Honeysuckle) and Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), and Shuang Huang Lian soluble powder contains only extracts from Jin Yin Hua, Huang Qin, and Lian Qiao (Forsythia). In contrast, Qingwen Baidu San contains as many as 14 different herbal materials.Moreover, herbal extracts often use water to extract the active components, which are then dried and processed. Therefore, herbal extracts can be mixed into feed or administered in drinking water. Additionally, sweeteners and other auxiliary components can be added to mask the bitterness of the veterinary herbs. However, the analysis of the effective components in TCVM and the extraction into formulations require significant upfront research and development costs, as well as higher processing costs, which is why their prices are generally higher than those of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Powders.How to Choose Between Traditional Chinese Veterinary Powders and ExtractsConsidering the advantages and disadvantages of both powders and extracts, for preventive health medications, pig farmers may opt for the relatively inexpensive Traditional Chinese Veterinary Powders.However, the quality of these medications can vary significantly, so farmers should verify the authenticity of the medications through the national drug testing system. If the medication is intended for treatment or if the administration method is limited to drinking water, farmers should choose herbal extracts with clearer components and higher solubility in water.Basic Principles of TCVM Medication and UsageTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and herbal medicine, as treasures of the Chinese nation, have existed for thousands of years. Thousands of years of experience have proven that TCM and herbal medicine are effective in preventing and treating diseases, and the same applies to TCVM. This is the foundational condition for the existence and development of TCVM. So, where can TCVM demonstrate its advantages in the prevention and control of animal epidemics? The answer can be found in the theory of treating the unillness (preventing disease before it occurs) in TCVM, which clearly shows that TCVM has advantages in preventive health care. The “Huangdi Neijing” states: “The sage does not treat the already ill but treats the unillness; does not treat the already chaotic but treats the unchaotic. This is the principle. To treat a disease after it has occurred is like digging a well when thirsty or forging a tool after a fight; is it not too late?” Therefore, the basic principles of TCVM medication and usage can be summarized as follows:1. In the research and application of formulations, the basic principle of prevention being more important than treatment must be adhered to.2. Help the body restore balance in its self-stabilizing system. The internal systems of animals are in a state of balance with nature; breaking this balance can lead to discomfort and illness. Using herbal medicine to regulate this balance can relieve pain, as acupuncture exemplifies.3. Use dialectical medication, seek the root of the disease, and achieve great results with minimal effort.4. The use of herbal medicine must be guided by TCVM theory, and the same applies to medication production. Authentic medicinal materials must be used; the properties and efficacy of veterinary materials vary significantly depending on their origin. A company that wishes to excel and develop in TCVM must establish its own GMP medicinal material cultivation base.5. The compatibility of herbal formulations must follow the principles of medicinal properties, compatibility prohibitions, and the roles of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy. The extraction process must be designed according to the components and effects of the herbs, avoiding contradictory designs. For example, Huang Lian and Huang Qin cannot be extracted together, as the berberine from Huang Lian and the baicalin from Huang Qin cannot be extracted simultaneously.6. When producing medications, different animals and different herbal materials must be treated with different processing principles. For instance, ultra-fine powder formulations may be used for ruminants like cattle and sheep, while herbal extraction processes are preferable for monogastric animals like pigs.7. Design palatability and administration routes according to different animals.(This article is for reference only; please use medications under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian.)
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