Choosing the correct antibiotic isn’t something you can learn in a day; it requires thorough research. It is essential to educate yourself about various diseases and their specific treatments or always have your local veterinarian’s contact details readily available.
Thapelo Kgosi Ramokala, aka King, animal health specialist at Beefmaster Group, says that you first need to identify the disease or condition and determine if antibiotics are necessary.
“Familiarise yourself with common diseases, especially those prevalent in your area. Next, select the most effective antibiotic for the diagnosed disease. For example, Gall sickness or anaplasmosis can be treated with tetracycline, which is available at local veterinarians or co-ops,” he says.
Why not every antibiotic is created equal according to Thapelo:
“Microorganisms vary widely, and different antibiotics target them in specific ways. For instance, some antibiotics attack the cell walls of bacteria, which are crucial for their survival, while others inhibit their growth. The method used depends on the type of bacteria being targeted. Antibiotics are designed differently from one another to effectively target various bacterial groups. This doesn’t mean one antibiotic is better than another; rather, they are specialised to address different bacterial infections.”
There are many types of antibiotics available that have been developed to treat different types of diseases such as tickborne diseases, diarrhoea particularly in young ruminants as well as respiratory tract infections, to name a few conditions.
Thapelo says that a poor antibiotic approach is treating animals without consulting a state or local veterinarian. “Remember, the wrong diagnosis can lead to death or treatment failure.
Furthermore, using broad-spectrum antibiotics without a proper diagnosis from a veterinarian can result in antimicrobial resistance, where microbes mutate to resist or tolerate the effects of an antibiotic.”
Another problematic area is administering antibiotics at the wrong dosage. “These products are administered according to weight and the route advised by the manufacturer. For instance, it is crucial to know whether the product should be administered intramuscularly, intravenously, or subcutaneously,” Thapelo says.
There are three scenarios where antibiotics can be given to cattle:
- The first is therapeutic use for specific treatment of a diseased animal.
- The second is control or metaphylactic use which is the treatment of a group of animals to reduce or lower an expected level of disease.
- The third scenario is to treat clinically sick animals and control the spread of disease to others who may be in close contact and already infected. This can be done on an individual animal basis or a pen basis.
The more these drugs are used in agriculture or in health care, the less effective they become. That is why so many retail and restaurant companies are looking to source meat and poultry from producers that have adopted antibiotic policies that protect public health.
Vaccines are used to prevent diseases in animals. Vaccines strengthen the immune system so that infections are less likely to occur, and should they occur the clinical symptoms are milder. Antibiotics on the other hand are used to treat an infection that has resulted in an animal/s becoming clinically ill.
“One needs to consult with your local/state veterinarian to work out a herd health program that includes a vaccination program that suits your area. This will also help the veterinarian to know which antibiotics to use when necessary. At Beefmaster Group we believe that the prevention of disease is better than having to cure it,” added Thapelo.
