A new study reveals what we suspected. “No one has ever done an experiment of this size under representative conditions comparing antibiotic-free production to production strategies utilizing judicious use of antibiotics,” says researcher Scott Dee, DVM. Dr. Dee and the team from Pipestone Applied Research report a new study confirms antibiotic-free production strategies leave pigs at considerable risk of exposure to disease and responsible use of antibiotics can significantly improve animal health.
Source: PORK, March/April, 2019. Link#1. Digital version. Link#2 Magazine version.
“Antibiotic reduction is a race to the bottom. It’s not a good practice and it will result in the inability to use antibiotics responsibly to treat sick animals,” Dee says. “We believe we can control resistance better through responsible use – proper diagnosis and doing everything possible to reduce pathogen load through proper sanitation and proper care of animals. Medications are just a part of it.”
INSIGHTS: Its good to see animal health professionals stepping up to scientifically prove what we know is true. The good news is that through studies like this, we can adjust production methods to optimize effectiveness all around. Note the comment about the the impact on caregivers.
The antibiotic free group of pigs put a high toll on caregivers” – Lucina Galina Pantoja, DVM