Antibiotics will soon require vet prescription
- Thread starter Matilda Belle
- Start date
IMHO, we only have ourselves to blame.
In light of the ever growing number of antibiotic resistant bacterial families and strains I think this move is warranted and a good one.
Overuse for an unknown purpose is rampant. I see it here nearly every day.
In light of the ever growing number of antibiotic resistant bacterial families and strains I think this move is warranted and a good one.
Overuse for an unknown purpose is rampant. I see it here nearly every day.
Antibiotics have always been “prescription only” over here for us in the UK.
I totally agree @ChickenCanoe that they are seriously overused making them inadequate against certain infections etc. Not just on animals either but also some doctors are very quick to prescribe them. They are really cracking down on it here well at least down at our local dr surgery. Posters all over saying they will not be giving them out for colds & flu etc & explaining the reasoning.
I totally agree @ChickenCanoe that they are seriously overused making them inadequate against certain infections etc. Not just on animals either but also some doctors are very quick to prescribe them. They are really cracking down on it here well at least down at our local dr surgery. Posters all over saying they will not be giving them out for colds & flu etc & explaining the reasoning.
I saw this coming. When you have highly influential folks on platforms like here and Facebook who preach the use of antibiotics for literally everything, then this is what you get for it.
I've spent a good long while telling people to leave the antibiotics behind, because chickens do not need them. They are meant to recover on their own from the many minor injuries so many people jump to antibiotics to treat.
You get what you give, honestly.
I saw to heck with it, let them restrict the access.
I've spent a good long while telling people to leave the antibiotics behind, because chickens do not need them. They are meant to recover on their own from the many minor injuries so many people jump to antibiotics to treat.
You get what you give, honestly.
I saw to heck with it, let them restrict the access.
What this is going to hurt are flock owners who do not have access to veterinary care for their birds due to local vets not taking care of 'exotic' animals such as chickens, ducks and turkeys.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a retired medical professional and am very much aware of the importance of regulating unscrupulous use of antibiotics in both the animals we eat and in our own bodies. But. Not everything is black and white. There is an area of gray that cannot be ignored and I and my flock are in that area. No veterinary care for avian breeds closer than almost 100 miles away. My flock depends on me for their care if they are hurt or sick. I do not use antibiotics indiscriminately but I know that the option to treat my birds if the need arises is being taken away from me.
Our local farm vet treats ostriches and emus. Guess it's time to carry out my threat to strap stilts to my chickens legs, pluck their neck and head feathers and call them a new breed of ostrich if they get sick.
In the mean time, time to stock up on fish antibiotics.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a retired medical professional and am very much aware of the importance of regulating unscrupulous use of antibiotics in both the animals we eat and in our own bodies. But. Not everything is black and white. There is an area of gray that cannot be ignored and I and my flock are in that area. No veterinary care for avian breeds closer than almost 100 miles away. My flock depends on me for their care if they are hurt or sick. I do not use antibiotics indiscriminately but I know that the option to treat my birds if the need arises is being taken away from me.
Our local farm vet treats ostriches and emus. Guess it's time to carry out my threat to strap stilts to my chickens legs, pluck their neck and head feathers and call them a new breed of ostrich if they get sick.
In the mean time, time to stock up on fish antibiotics.
The problem starts with the chicken owner not following biosecurity protocols. Injuries are one thing, but how many threads are posted regarding respiratory diseases or fungal infections in their flock? Just read the examples in the Emergency section where someone unknowingly or knowingly brings sick birds into their otherwise clean flock.
We read all the time where Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) is like nothing more than a common cold and treated as such, which is terrible misinformation.
Birds should be immediately culled upon diagnosis of MG no matter if it's mild strain or severe strain. Folks dont know what this disease does internally to birds besides making them sick whether they see symptoms or not. Antibiotics only mask respiratory disease symptoms, birds are never cured.
When people get a cold, they reach for the medicine cabinet. They do the same for birds when they get sick...thinking like a human, if the meds helped me, they'll help my birds.
BIRDS are a different ballgame, they arnt human and shouldnt be treated as such. They are never cured and survivors are carriers for life.
The bottomline; antibiotics are worthless when it comes to the majority of bird diseases. Sick birds are never cured from respiratory diseases and other types of diseases. There ARE exceptions, for example; Coccidiosis if caught early.
For cuts, scrapes and other injuries to prevent infection, antibiotics will be needed.
It boils down to biosecurity and common sense. I am pro antibiotic when they're needed. I've never had a respiratory disease in any of my flocks all these years, one case of a fungal issue which was treated successfully with Oxine. Yes, I practice strict biosecurity.
We read all the time where Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) is like nothing more than a common cold and treated as such, which is terrible misinformation.
Birds should be immediately culled upon diagnosis of MG no matter if it's mild strain or severe strain. Folks dont know what this disease does internally to birds besides making them sick whether they see symptoms or not. Antibiotics only mask respiratory disease symptoms, birds are never cured.
When people get a cold, they reach for the medicine cabinet. They do the same for birds when they get sick...thinking like a human, if the meds helped me, they'll help my birds.
BIRDS are a different ballgame, they arnt human and shouldnt be treated as such. They are never cured and survivors are carriers for life.
The bottomline; antibiotics are worthless when it comes to the majority of bird diseases. Sick birds are never cured from respiratory diseases and other types of diseases. There ARE exceptions, for example; Coccidiosis if caught early.
For cuts, scrapes and other injuries to prevent infection, antibiotics will be needed.
It boils down to biosecurity and common sense. I am pro antibiotic when they're needed. I've never had a respiratory disease in any of my flocks all these years, one case of a fungal issue which was treated successfully with Oxine. Yes, I practice strict biosecurity.
"We're from the government and we're here to help."
Most oral antibiotics were taken off the shelves a couple of years ago by order of the FDA, but that is news to me about future plans to take the injectable ones as well. Thanks for posting.
Been preaching against this for 40 years. Only time I've used them in the last few decades was for a serious tooth abscess.
Yup, without even knowing what the illness is...SMH.
Wonder how long it will be before the aquatic(fish) AB's are restricted?
Lots of good points made. There is a time and place for using antibiotics. I have used them in conjunction with an injury to a bird where there was the danger of infection and in the instance where an injury has caused an eye infection. I usually use them on the bird that is affected and not the whole flock.
Are people over using antibiotics? I'm not saying they aren't BUT out of desperation and in the light of there not being veterinary care available for poultry what is a person to do?
I'm very lucky to have a background in medicine. My husband is a retired eye doctor and he helps me tremendously when I have a sick or injured bird. There is a wealth of information on the internet concerning the use of the right antibiotic for the right condition and it's not hard to figure out the dose to use.
But what I'm saying is for the person who is not as lucky and blessed as I am, a person who has no veterinarian to turn to or medical background to fall back on, Back Yard Chickens is the place they turn to for advice when they have a sick or injured bird. We are all anxious and eager to help one another and let's face it. There are times when we all see photos of injured birds that are frankly ghastly. These birds are in need of antibiotics to cover their compromised immune systems to give them a fighting chance to recover and return to their duties as flock members.
So the owner of one of these birds is desperate for help. No vet, no hope but here. Without the ability to secure antibiotics such as Tylan to treat their birds, let's face it. That bird is going to die and that owner is going to have the heartbreaking duty of either watching it happen or putting their beloved pet down.
I sincerely do not believe that the problem with over use of antibiotics is centered on poultry hobby enthusiasts....unless the enthusiast is running a battery of laying hens (don't get me started on that subject) or has a flock of 10,000 Cornish Cross broilers destined for our dinner tables.
There is where the misuse and overuse of antibiotics is centered not in the back yard or farm yard flock owner. Yet I will bet real money that those big number producers have NO trouble getting a vet to order whatever antibiotic they want that will push their flocks of thousands to produce either more meat or more eggs.
It's like that with any farmer/producer who is raising animals to feed a hungry population. If you have a multi thousand dollar bull and a herd of 200 grass fed black angus steers destined for the dinner table, you (meaning the farmer) cannot afford to take a hit on loosing those animals to illness should it happen.
But to routinely give steers antibiotics and hormones to enhance their ability to produce meat is frankly where the problem lies.
Some time ago I read a study that pulled meat samples from different stores and tested them. ALL contained therapeutic levels of antibiotics and hormones.
And the birds and meat producing animals are probably healthy to start with.
I'm sorry for the rant. As I stated earlier, there is a distinct gray line with this argument. I'm just trying to point out what that grey line is.
What are people going to do? Where are they going to turn for help? We are still going to have to depend on BYC for help and stockpile a few left over antibiotics when the kids or themselves are sick to fall back on when needed.
I'm sure that statement made some gasp but hey, ya do what you have to do.
Are people over using antibiotics? I'm not saying they aren't BUT out of desperation and in the light of there not being veterinary care available for poultry what is a person to do?
I'm very lucky to have a background in medicine. My husband is a retired eye doctor and he helps me tremendously when I have a sick or injured bird. There is a wealth of information on the internet concerning the use of the right antibiotic for the right condition and it's not hard to figure out the dose to use.
But what I'm saying is for the person who is not as lucky and blessed as I am, a person who has no veterinarian to turn to or medical background to fall back on, Back Yard Chickens is the place they turn to for advice when they have a sick or injured bird. We are all anxious and eager to help one another and let's face it. There are times when we all see photos of injured birds that are frankly ghastly. These birds are in need of antibiotics to cover their compromised immune systems to give them a fighting chance to recover and return to their duties as flock members.
So the owner of one of these birds is desperate for help. No vet, no hope but here. Without the ability to secure antibiotics such as Tylan to treat their birds, let's face it. That bird is going to die and that owner is going to have the heartbreaking duty of either watching it happen or putting their beloved pet down.
I sincerely do not believe that the problem with over use of antibiotics is centered on poultry hobby enthusiasts....unless the enthusiast is running a battery of laying hens (don't get me started on that subject) or has a flock of 10,000 Cornish Cross broilers destined for our dinner tables.
There is where the misuse and overuse of antibiotics is centered not in the back yard or farm yard flock owner. Yet I will bet real money that those big number producers have NO trouble getting a vet to order whatever antibiotic they want that will push their flocks of thousands to produce either more meat or more eggs.
It's like that with any farmer/producer who is raising animals to feed a hungry population. If you have a multi thousand dollar bull and a herd of 200 grass fed black angus steers destined for the dinner table, you (meaning the farmer) cannot afford to take a hit on loosing those animals to illness should it happen.
But to routinely give steers antibiotics and hormones to enhance their ability to produce meat is frankly where the problem lies.
Some time ago I read a study that pulled meat samples from different stores and tested them. ALL contained therapeutic levels of antibiotics and hormones.
And the birds and meat producing animals are probably healthy to start with.
I'm sorry for the rant. As I stated earlier, there is a distinct gray line with this argument. I'm just trying to point out what that grey line is.
What are people going to do? Where are they going to turn for help? We are still going to have to depend on BYC for help and stockpile a few left over antibiotics when the kids or themselves are sick to fall back on when needed.
I'm sure that statement made some gasp but hey, ya do what you have to do.
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
Should I put in a skylight for my coop?
- Latest: ChickweedChick
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
Checking-In On Peeps - Post Here To Say Hello!- Started by Nifty-Chicken
- Replies: 1K
-
-
-
-
Can I get some help from someone with careless neighbours who own dogs.- Started by RiDaGeckoGuy
- Replies: 102
-
