Re: News - Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? Steroid Injections for Cows Could Endanger Human Lives

Number 1, What is Rs10-12? Is it oxytocin? Oxytocin does increase the contractions of smooth muscles involved in biorthing. Also, oxytocin (the milk letdown hormone) is not transmitted to the consumers of the milk. It is simply replacing the hormone normally released from the pituitaty of the cow. It appears that the dairymen do not know that oxytocin is blocked by rough treatment of the cow and it takes time for it to be released. If the handlers are gentle and soothing to the cows, strip (premilk a bit to stimulate mil letdown and check for mastitis) the teats gently to begin the milking process that the cow will naturally release oxytocin and release the milk from the alveoli in the udder. Information regarding good milking procedures should be presented (and followed up for understanding and application) to help the milkers/dairymen advance in their program and save money by not needing to use oxytocin, at least not as often .

Number 2, Essential the whole world of dairymen remove calves from their dams soon after birth. When this is done, the farmer must feed the calf the all of the colostrum (first milk) within less than 6 hours after birth ( This is done to assure that the calf does indeed get the colostrum.) The colostrum provides the calf with the immunoglobulins necessary to help protect the calf before its own immune system is developed fully enough to establish its own immune competency. This is the most important thing a dairyman can do... feed as much colostrum as soon as he can get the calf to consume (if an espophageal tube cannot be used properly) to insure the health and survival of the calf.

I find the railings of the author on the impact of the steroids on human health to be without substance. That is unless the hormone is not Oxytocin. I am sympathetic to the authors concerns, but he and those in the different agencies need to enroll in Dairy Science 101 to learn more about what is going on in that industry.

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Re: News - Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? Steroid Injections for Cows Could Endanger Human Lives

Not only steroid but improper use of antibiotics also causes threat of human health, especially for children who take cows milk. Improper use of steroid and antibiotics should be prohibited to save human health. It is also important to follow the withdrawal period of any steroid and antibiotics while life saving is more important for cattle.

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Re: News - Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? Steroid Injections for Cows Could Endanger Human Lives

First the title needs to be changed to Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? as it wrongly mentions India. The comments given in the article are by Pakistani research workers.

It would be better to specify the steroidal injection being used. It appears the author seems to be focussing on oxytocin.

In future, it would be better to do a review of the articles sent by the publisher to avoid confusion. For example, the title gives a wrong description of Indian milk producers, at a time when they are looking forward to exporting their commodities by following HACCP strictly.

Kind regards.

Dr Shiva Kumar

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Re: News - Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? Steroid Injections for Cows Could Endanger Human Lives

We appreciate the correct comment of Dr Kumar. The country has now been changed to Pakistan (The mistake involved the press source). Thank you for the kind notification.

Note for Dr Watkins: Rs applies to Pakistan currency (rupees).

Thank you all for you participation!


ENGORMIX.COM

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Re: News - Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? Steroid Injections for Cows Could Endanger Human Lives

1. The comments Dr. Watkins is 100% correct there is no need of oxytocin injection for letdown of milk after weaning of calf because milk ejection reflex receptors are present on the skin of teat particularly on base of the teat. So on massaging or touching the teat animal start to letdown the milk.

2. There is very confusion that oxytocin should be used or not?. Because I think some researchers says that regular use of injection of oxytocin for letdown of milk have no any adverse effects on consumers. Recently the author (from IVRI, India) of a paper which is published in Pashudhan wrote that no any adverse effect of oxytocin on consumer.

Dr. Neelesh Sharma
R.S. Pura, Jammu

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Re: News - Pakistan - Dangerous Milk? Steroid Injections for Cows Could Endanger Human Lives

I want to make a correction here. We use oxytocin on buffalos, not cows. The reason behind it is that the buffalos take 3-4 minutes for milk letdown, that is not feasible in commercial dairies.

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