Responsible antibiotics use ensures safety

By Jennifer Latzke

Animal antibiotics have had a bad rap lately. Everyone, it seems, from Katie Couric to countless bloggers, has an opinion on the issue. And, in a society where most consumers don't understand basic agricultural tenets, headlines and special reports can be scarier than reality.

But it's important to note how those in livestock production use antibiotics to ensure the safety of the food supply. Specifically--how working with a veterinarian, following drug protocols, and taking pre-emptive actions can result in success.

The veterinarian's role

Dr. Lee Bob Harper is the managing veterinarian in the Feedlot Veterinary Operations group with Pfizer Animal Health. He consults with veterinarians, producers and livestock professionals about the effective and judicious use of antibiotics, or "anti-infectives," in livestock. Pfizer has taken a proactive approach to the issue of anti-infective use in food animals, he explained.

"One thing I want veterinary consultants and producers to remember is that according to market research conducted by Pfizer Animal Health, food consumers, regardless of their perceptions, are reasonable and sensible people," Harper said. "If they are given general information on how anti-infectives are used in food-producing animals, their confidence in the safety of the product increases tremendously."

NEWS

CROPS

LIVESTOCK

EDITOR

COLUMNS

MARKETS

RANGE

FAMILY