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Review
. 2016 Dec 17;179(24):628.
doi: 10.1136/vr.103779. Epub 2016 Dec 12.

Efficacy of homeopathy in livestock according to peer-reviewed publications from 1981 to 2014

C Doehring  1 , A Sundrum  1
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy of homeopathy in livestock according to peer-reviewed publications from 1981 to 2014

C Doehring et al. Vet Rec. .

Abstract

Homeopathy is widely used in livestock, especially in order to reduce the use of antibiotics, although it is often seen as controversial. A comprehensive literature review has been conducted to assess the efficacy of homeopathy in cattle, pigs and poultry. Only peer-reviewed publications dealing with homeopathic remedies, which could possibly replace or prevent the use of antibiotics in the case of infective diseases or growth promotion in livestock were included. Search results revealed a total number of 52 trials performed within 48 publications fulfilling the predefined criteria. Twenty-eight trials were in favour of homeopathy, with 26 trials showing a significantly higher efficacy in comparison to a control group, whereas 22 showed no medicinal effect. Cure rates for the treatments with antibiotics, homeopathy or placebo varied to a high degree, while the remedy used did not seem to make a big difference. Looking at all the studies, no study was repeated under comparable conditions. Consequently, the use of homeopathy currently cannot claim to have sufficient prognostic validity where efficacy is concerned. When striving for high therapeutic success in treatment, the potential of homeopathy in replacing or reducing antibiotics can only be validated if evidence of efficacy is confirmed by randomised controlled trials under modified conditions.

Keywords: Caprine athritis encephalitis virus (CAEV); Goats; Risk factors; Seroprevalence.

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Figures

FIG 1:
FIG 1:
Search process for publications based on the PRISMA guidelines
FIG 2:
FIG 2:
Distribution of the indications in relation to the use of homeopathy
FIG 3:
FIG 3:
Quality of diagnostic measures
FIG 4:
FIG 4:
Study design and result for efficacy of homeopathy in the studies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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