Prudent Drug Use on Dairies
by John Kirk, DVM, MPVM
Veterinary Medicine Extension, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis

A primary goal for dairymen is to produce safe and wholesome milk and meat for human consumption. Preventive measures should be routinely practiced to attain this goal as they will reduce the incidence of disease in calves and cows. Despite reliance on preventive programs, some animals will require antibiotic treatment for disease. Here are some suggestions for the use of antibiotics that will reduce the risk of residues in milk and meat as well as decreasing the risk for development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

1. Consult you veterinarian for help in designing management, immunization, housing and nutritional programs to reduce the incidence of disease and the need for antibiotic treatments.

2. Develop a close relationship with your veterinarian regarding the use of antibiotics in your animals. This would include the areas of dispensing and issuance of prescriptions.

3. With your herd veterinarian, develop a training program for your dairy workers that are responsible for treatment of animals with antibiotics. Limit the number of workers who treat animals to the minimum necessary to protect the health of your animals.

4. Based on veterinary diagnoses supported by physical examinations, necropsies and laboratory testing, determine with your veterinarian which pathogens are causing disease on your dairy.

5. Design written treatment protocols with your veterinarian for the primary conditions seen in your dairy herd based on the isolated pathogens, dosages and routes of administration that are likely to be successful. Be as specific as possible in the protocol as to the condition to be treated, the drug to use, the dosage of antibiotic to give, and where in the animal to give the drug.

6. Continually monitor the responses to antibiotic treatment to detect changes in treatment outcomes, antibiotic sensitivity and drug usage. Use written or computerized records to keep tract of animals, treatments, dates, and withdrawal times.

7. With the advise of your veterinarian, avoid the use of newer generation antibiotics that are also used in human medicine whenever possible while protecting the health and production of your animals.

8. Use antibiotics labeled for the specific animal condition that you are treating and follow the label instructions for dose, route, frequency and duration.

9. Use antibiotics in an extra-label fashion only on the advise of your herd veterinarian.

Responsible use of antibiotics under the direction of your herd veterinarian will reduce the pain and suffering of your animals while protecting their economic livelihood without compromising the safety and wholesomeness of the milk and meat sold off your dairy. At the same time, it will decrease the risk of developing antibiotic resistant bacteria that may attack animals and humans. Over the long term, this will insure the continued availability of antibiotics for use on your dairy. For more information on prudent drug use guidelines, ask your veterinarian for a copy of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners', Prudent Drug Use Guidelines. These guidelines are also available in Spanish.