Antibiotic use in dairy animals is just to help the animal overcome illness.
Mark van der List, a vet with Boehringer-Ingelheim, says the challenge is to help them overcome the sickness without furthering resistance and allowing antibiotic residue into food products. He says it’s important to work with a veterinarian who knows your herd as well as they do. Other tips include following label directions carefully. Producers need to mark and separate all treated animals. Every employee should be easily able to identify any treated animals. Make sure to keep detailed records of all treatments given to each animal in the herd. It’s also important to remove all doubt by making the protocol for treating animals as airtight as possible.
“Dairy producers take the responsibility for antibiotic stewardship seriously,” van der List says. “While many already have strong measures in place, it’s always a good idea to fine-tune existing protocols.”
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