Hirudotherapy in veterinary medicine.
Abstract: The saliva of medicinal leeches, e.g., Hirudo medicinalis and Hirudo verbana commonly used in hirudotherapy, contains more than 100 bioactive substances with various therapeutic effects, including anticoagulant, vasodilator, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic properties. Recently, leeches have been used very successfully in veterinary medicine to treat many diseases of animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. The most common indications for the use of leeches are hip and elbow dysplasia, acute and chronic arthritis, diseases associated with inflammation of tendons, ligaments, and fascia, diseases of the vertebrae and the treatment of scars. Leech therapy is a painless procedure which takes an average of 30 to 120 minutes, the time being dependent on the size of the animal. All leeches used in medical procedures should originate only from certified biofarms. The maintenance of sterile conditions for the culture, transport and storage of medical leeches is very important to protect animals from microbial infections. Hirudotherapy is successfully used in veterinary medicine, especially when traditional treatment is not effective, the effects of treatment are too slow, or after surgery, when the tissues may be threatened by venous congestion.
Publication Date: 2014-08-15 PubMed ID: 25115059
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigates the promising medicinal use of leeches, also known as hirudotherapy, in veterinary medicine. Various therapeutic benefits are derived from the leeches’ saliva, which is proving particularly effective in treating numerous animal diseases.
Medicinal properties of leech saliva
- The study highlights the potential of leech saliva, noting that it comprises over 100 bioactive substances with beneficial therapeutic properties.
- The bioactive substances present function as anticoagulants, vasodilators, thrombolytics, anti-inflammatories, and anaesthetics.
Hirudotherapy application in veterinary medicine
- The paper verifies the successful use of leeches in treating many animal diseases, with primary focus on dogs, cats, and horses.
- Insight is provided on the common health issues treated using leeches. These conditions include hip and elbow dysplasia, different forms of arthritis, tendon, ligament and fascia inflammations, spinal problems, and scar treatment.
Leech therapy process and duration
- Leech therapy is described as a painless procedure taking between 30 to 120 minutes, duration dependent on the animal’s size.
- Unlike human perception, the procedure does not cause discomfort to the animals, and this makes it a preferred therapeutic option.
Source and maintenance of leeches
- Critical emphasis is placed on the procurement and upkeep of leeches for medical purposes.
- These creatures should only be sourced from certified biofarms to ensure safety and effectiveness.
- Besides, maintaining sterile conditions for catering, transporting, and storing these leeches is paramount in preventing microbial infections in animals.
Advantages of Hirudotherapy
- Hirudotherapy is considered a reliable therapeutic option in veterinary medicine, particularly when conventional treatment methods prove effective.
- The beneficial effects of leech therapy are deemed superior, as they operate at a comparatively faster rate.
- The study also points out the importance of hirudotherapy post-surgery, where venous congestion poses a threat to tissues.
Cite This Article
APA
Sobczak N, Kantyka M.
(2014).
Hirudotherapy in veterinary medicine.
Ann Parasitol, 60(2), 89-92.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Leeches / physiology
- Leeching / veterinary
- Veterinary Medicine / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Liao J, Gao M, Ding Y, Bi Q, Huang D, Luo X, Yang P, Li Y, Huang Y, Yao C, Zhang J, Wei W, Li Z, Guo DA. Characterization of the natural peptidome of four leeches by integrated proteogenomics and pseudotargeted peptidomics.. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023 Jun;415(14):2795-2807.
- Choi C, Linder T, Kirby A, Rosenkrantz W, Mueller M. Use of a tilapia skin xenograft for management of a large bite wound in a dog.. Can Vet J 2021 Oct;62(10):1071-1076.
- Lu Z, Shi P, You H, Liu Y, Chen S. Transcriptomic analysis of the salivary gland of medicinal leech Hirudo nipponia.. PLoS One 2018;13(10):e0205875.
- Cooper EL, Mologne N. Exploiting leech saliva to treat osteoarthritis: A provocative perspective.. J Tradit Complement Med 2017 Jul;7(3):367-369.
- Dong H, Ren JX, Wang JJ, Ding LS, Zhao JJ, Liu SY, Gao HM. Chinese Medicinal Leech: Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities.. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2016;2016:7895935.
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