The Top Ten Detoxification Tools For Livestock By Will Winter, DVM

 ALBANY, Minnesota

1) ANTIOXIDANTS. These are  mostly found in living leaves, fruits,  vegetables and other fresh greens. The  term “aging” refers to becoming oxidized, primarily from exposure to Free  Radicals (toxins, pollution, stress, and  other exposures). Anti-oxidants are the  only true antidote to aging. They are  measured in Oxidation Reduction Units,  (ORAC units).  

Common antioxidants include  Vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, selenium, manganese,  and zeaxanthin (the color in leaves and  fruit). This is why we want livestock to  be consuming as much fresh greens  and vegetation as possible for as many  days of the year as possible. 

2) ESSENTIAL MINERALS. This  is one of the most powerful tools to  fight poisoning and toxins and includes  iodine and selenium. Paying for high  quality minerals is one of the best  investments you can make for your livestock. 

3) ORGANIC SEA KELP. Ocean  vegetation is a sponge that can soak  up and concentrate minerals from the  salt water. These also contain complex organic phytonutrients such as pectins  and alginates that neutralize toxins. I  give kelp free-choice year-round and  find it impossible to synthesize or  replace. My all-in-one mineral mixes  are 20% high-iodine Thorvin Kelp. 

4) DETOX CLAY. These are not  “river bank clay” but geothermic  (from previous volcanic activity) that  will remove toxins from the body via  chelation. In nature, especially with  migrating herds, they will seek natural  sources of these clays, most-commonly in mineral licks. The best commercial products include Redmond’s  Conditioner and Desert Dynamin;  both products are mined from natural  deposits then finely pulverized for maximum consumption. They consist mostly of montmorillinite along with some  bentonite, offering a large surface area  which can bind toxic chemicals and  buffer the pH from the wrong dietary  sources or from rations that are too hot  in protein.  

Starch diets generate more d-lactic  acid and therefore more acidosis pollution. The sugars found in leaves and  grassy plants actually turn into acetic  acid which, due to its comparatively  weak molarity, makes the body more  desirably alkaline. Free choice detox  clay provides a safety net. Livestock could go months and months with zero  consumption, then suddenly attack it  ravenously if they are exposed to toxins  or stress. Dairy cows that are either  eating moldy hay or that are on high  “funny protein” diets (urea or high-nitrogen rations) can consume over a pound of clay a day. These clays have  saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals! 

5) ACTIVATED CHARCOAL BIOCHAR or HUMATES. These rich  sources of pure carbon are the most  powerful sponges of whatever surrounds them, capturing and holding  poisons until they are excreted. The  product PDQ RESCUE consists primarily of this form of activated charcoal.  When mixed with water at 4 oz per 100  gallons it turns the water black as ink.  The charcoal is mixed with water-soluble kelp, vitamin C, and chelating  minerals to make the perfect detoxification mixture. It is given to any sick or  stressed animals in order to help eliminate toxins from germs as well as all  those endotoxins secreted by the body. 

6) SPICES. Yes, spices. All spices  originated from medicinal qualities  and are often geographically precise.  The Craftsmin mineral mixes from  Grassfarmer Supply offer the Spice  Pack, which in addition to everything  else in the mineral and vitamin world  contains clinically adequate quantities  of the organic herbs cinnamin, cayenne and ginger. These are some of  the strongest liver tonics and they are  also excellent at stimulating blood flow,  which brings rich nutrients and removes excess toxins that may have accumulated in the uterus, udder, testicles, feet,  brain, ovaries, and other body parts.  When consumed on a regular basis,  these tasty herbal medicines create  excellent health and immunity. 

7) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR . This  is the master healing compound for all  animals. It breaks down food for better  forage utilization, stimulates the rumen  digestion and removes parasites, and  detoxifies. To work effectively it must  be made from whole fruit, unpasteurized and unfiltered. It’s not just the 6%  acetic acid but it’s also the powerful  enzymes and the biology that do most  of the detoxification work.  

Typically 1 oz per 200# body weight  is all that is required to serve as both an antioxidant and detoxification agent.  When ACV is poured or sprayed on hay  as it is being baled, at a rate of at least  three gallons per ton of hay, it serves  as an anti-fungal agent such that we  can bale 25% moisture “dry” hay and  not get any heat nor any significant mold. During above-freezing weather,  putting ACV directly into the water  offers many benefits: it increases palatibility, cleans the water, and they  get all the benefits. 

8) WATER. Lots of good clean fresh  water. When animals only have polluted water to drink they cannot expel  the toxins fast enough. Both bile (the  detoxification flushing agent) and urine  are made from water. Healthy manure  also requires adequate water. Stray voltage can impede water  consumption as well as toxicity or  pollution. Other impediments are locating water tanks too far away, not full  enough, too dirty or poorly designed. Animals tend to drink in an alpha-dominant pattern meaning that some of the  less-dominant animals may not get a  drink. 

9) PROBIOTICS. Numbering in the  hundreds of trillions, these microbes  suffer due to chemical farming: soil,  plants, and gut. All good mineral supplements contain probiotics. In nature,  everything is covered with them, but  today their scarcity is real and they  should be replaced. 

10) SUNSHINE, FRESH AIR,  EXERCISE, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT.  This should be obvious, but too often it’s ignored. All feedlot and confinement situations violate this simple rule. We  can’t circulate our blood properly if we  don’t move our bodies. Blood circulation is essential for detoxification. The  goal here is, as much as possible, to  mimic how animals live in nature. 

HEALTHY, WEALTHY & WISE 

In the long run, it makes absolute  sense to protect our livestock from the  chance of being exposed to potentially  dangerous pollution and poison. This is  one of the most powerful principles of  herd management and human health  that we can live by. Providing livestock  with the essential ingredients for  health as well as giving them protection from pollution and poison is called:  Thinking Ahead. It’s like hanging fire  extinguishers in the barn, the truck and  the house. Even if you never need them,  you still win. ■ 

Will Winter is a retired veterinarian,  holistic herd health consultant and  livestock nutritionist as well as traveling teacher focusing on sustainable  livestock production and traditional  nutrition. He is the inspector for the  American Grassfed Association (AGA).  Reach him at willwinterdvm@gmail.com  or practicallivestocksolutions.com