3 Reasons Why Veterinarians Will Be Overseeing Antibiotic Use On Farms By 2016

Be it dairy or meat, we care about the products you eat.

1. Because we're not just passionate - we're smart too. Our extensive veterinary medical education gives us the expertise to use antibiotics appropriately and responsibly.

Responsible use of antibiotics requires understanding the risks of antibiotic resistance and therefore using antibiotics as prescribed and according to label. It includes the following steps with the involvement of a veterinary professional:

•Diagnosis of an illness or infection

•Selection of the most appropriate antibiotic for the animal and the bacterial disease

•Use of the correct dose, duration of treatment and the correct route of administration

•Use according to the product labeling in livestock, adherence to the withholding period following completion of treatment

2. Because good health isn't just good luck. Veterinarians are committed to preserving animal welfare and public health.

Animals deserve to be treated humanely, and antibiotics have a role in assuring animal health and welfare. That’s why farmers, ranchers, and the food producers who raise animals work closely with veterinarians—like me—to develop a comprehensive herd health program, which includes many elements from proper housing to vaccination to the use of necessary antibiotics.

3. Because the FDA says veterinary involvement is essential to protect both animal and human health.

According to recently established FDA regulations, veterinarians will have to authorize all uses of medically important antibiotics in food animals. Producers will work closely with veterinarians to ensure herd health issues are addressed appropriately.

Here's the deal. There's a ton of information out there about our food and it can be confusing for people to ascertain truth from hype when it comes to what they're putting on the dinner table.

Antibiotic medicines are a precious resource. By using them responsibly today, we will work to help protect their efficacy tomorrow. That's why it's so important that veterinary professionals are involved in decisions about the use of antibiotic medicines in animals for the health of the animal, to assure the safety of the food supply, and to reduce the risk of resistance.