If you know a producer who rarely hires a veterinarian, please pass this column along because they can most benefit from the following examples.
Both producers and veterinarians have expressed apprehension about upcoming changes to antimicrobial regulations. The legislation has passed so it is best that we ready ourselves.
The veterinarian will need to establish a veterinary client patient relationship (VCPR) with your farm if one is not already established.
Most producers are already doing this and will see little change. The veterinary clinic already has a medical record of your herd with established protocols and prescribes and dispenses according to the rules.
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The minority of producers who seldom use a veterinarian except for obstetrical cases or prolapses and have bought most supplies and medications from sources other than a veterinarian will have to undergo much bigger changes.
Non-prescription products, such as dewormers, colostrum substitutes, electrolytes and some vaccines will still be available at outlets where they have always been, such as feed supply stores, co-ops and general supply stores but it’s a different story for antimicrobials and painkillers.
The two main injectable types of antimicrobials, penicillin and tetracycline, will not be available without a prescription on Dec. 1.
They have always been available at veterinary clinics, but did not previously require a prescription.
In my experience in clinical large animal practice, these two products have been used less and less in recent years. There have been more specific antibiotics used for things like respiratory disease.
Veterinarians and staff will also educate producers on matters such as proper injection technique, dosage or withdrawal times. There are also times when antimicrobials will not be used for cattle, such as with many cases of lameness, injuries or viral conditions.
Instead, non-antimicrobial products may be prescribed, which avoids the use of antimicrobials while still producing the desired outcome. Producers also have to keep drug withdrawal times in mind when administering painkillers.
A local veterinarian can gain an understanding of a producer’s herd and can establish vaccination and parasite management protocols.
Some clinics may also have books to illustrate common disease conditions and commonly used drugs and their withdrawal times.
The withdrawal times, species approved for, dosage and contra-indications are always listed on the labels. These are very important facts a veterinarian can help with.
I like dosage, route of administration and meat or milk withdrawal charts. Keep in mind if the dosage is exceeded or the weight is overestimated and more product is given, the withdrawal time will increase.
Products given at different dosages or for species not indicated on the label also require a prescription.
Unlike human medicine, the examination may apply to a group of cattle or if further diseases can be treated by the producer if there were previous cases of the same disease that season.
Producers may have already noticed that the scour bolus products, which contained antibiotic combinations as well as other things, have pretty much gone off the shelves.
A veterinarian can help by setting up preventive programs and by providing alternative treatments. Most scours cases are caused by viruses or protozoa, so most antibiotics are ineffective.
A veterinarian may prescribe things like electrolytes, probiotics or activated charcoal for scours cases.
The regulatory changes are designed to encourage a working relationship between producers and veterinarians.
Programs like the BSE program for autopsies of mature cows will get the veterinarian on your farm and the herd visit can be worked in to establish an initial VCPR.
Vets will bring producers up to date on the latest treatments for pain control, parasite control and vaccinations for the preventable diseases you might find on your farm.
Most clinics have facilities to accommodate a sick calf, cow or bull.
Veterinarians use each visit to discover preventive measures that might be used, such as nutrition or vaccinology parasite control.
Routine procedures such as pregnancy checking, breeding soundness exams, nutritional checks, growth promotion evaluations and stress-free handling all play a role in good herd management and will lead to better economic returns.
The beef code of practice illustrates good animal welfare practices and greater use of pain control. Producers should welcome this change and be proactive.
The new requirements are practices producers should be carrying out anyway and are essentially law.
The changes should lead to less reliance on antimicrobials and a more complete preventive approach to disease.
Low-stress livestock handling is also being taught and demonstrated as another method to reduce sickness and disease.
My guess is the Dec. 1 deadline on all antimicrobials requiring a prescription will make our cattle herds healthier in the long run.
