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Last week's topic: antibiotic use.

We asked whether or not antibiotics used for humans should be allowed to be used to treat animals, too.

Here's what some of you had to say...


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Antibiotics should be limited to therapeutic use; adding them to feed solely for the sake of weight gain improvement should not be allowed. The farm animal antibiotic feed additive/weight gain enhancement question begins with high population density operations such as high density feedlots and confinement hog or poultry feeding operations. Low density or range-feeding operations have little or no need for intensive antibiotic use. The question ends with consumer demand for meat, however, as does the issue of feedlot runoff pollution of rivers. Skip the meat, limit the side effects. We have met the enemy and we're it.

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Why should farmers treat animals with antibiotics at all? Not the kind of treatment when the animal is sick but the kind of massive over- treatment which happens today?

To maximize the return on each animal? Reduce possible future treatment costs? What good is making cows so healthy when the market for whom they are intended sickens? Doh! Think we're missing something? By the way, how much sooner are children maturing this year because of all the garbage put into animals? Think that's related? Luckily the government has our best interests at heart.

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No way!

Besides being healthier and more humane, organic milk, for example, tastes better. We can fly people to the moon...we can find a way to make not using antibiotics in livestock a feasible, economical standard.

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socialism vs. capitalism? (sounds like it!)

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yes.

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We are already becoming immune to certain antibiotics. And scientists are having to come up with new and improved antibiotics. I really don't believe adding them to animals feed is a good idea.

We will become immune that much quicker in my opinion. We don't need antibiotics if we aren't ill. Antibiotics won't be as effective if we are already ingesting them in our food.

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Yes, farmers should have the ability to judiciously treat animals with "human" antibiotics since so few have been developed specifically for animals. Development of resistance to antimicrobial substances such as antibiotics is a natural reaction by microorganisms and must be countered by development of new and different antimicrobials, not the banning of antibiotic use.

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Only with strict guidelines. Cows treated for mastitis should be pulled from production until the antibiotic is no longer present in the milk. rBGH should be banned because of its possible links to cancer. Additionally, Bovine growth hormone increases the need for antibiotic use compounding the problem. Full disclosure labeling is essential to protect us from unnatural if not toxic products masquerading as food.

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The FDA has been very generous at placing the blame for misuse of antibiotics upon the veterinary profession.The AVMA has gone along with them to a large entent,the latest hot topic being discussed is the judiciuos use of antibiotics in food animals,with the idea this is the absolute responsibility of the veterinary profession.The reality of this is,the veterinary profession has absolutely no input or control of what is used or sold and how items are misused.Facts show that over 90% of all drugs used in food animals are used without veterinary supervisioin.

The drug manufacturers have an ideal situtatioon at present,they sell and have no responsibility for anyting after the sale.Their only interest is sales and bottom line profit.This market has become so competitive and cut throat,look at any trade publication and almost all the full color ads are for either vaccines or antibiotics designed for food animals.

Compare the sales of antibiotics designed for animals we eat and for humans.If you need an antibiotic it requires a physician to prescribe it listing the dosage.If an antibiotic is needed for a food animal you can go to the feed or farm supply store purchase any and all and use them however you desire dosage and legality not with standing.Then raise a fuss when consumers question this concept.

Until the FDA starts to take the responsibility and do their job controlling this nothing will ever change.Both the FDA and AVMA have side stepped this issue and chose to place ther blame on the veterinary profession,I am one veterinarian that is tired for tsaking the blame for something that is completely out of my hands.

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