“We need to do what is right for the pigs at all times,” stresses Matthew Turner, DVM at JBS USA, to his fellow veterinarians and pig caretakers as he delivered the Alex Hogg Memorial Lecture at the annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in Denver, Colo.
While the attention on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance are extremely important, it is also equally vital not to lose focus on the actual needs of the animal. “As we are talking about reducing antibiotic-use to control antibiotic resistance, we really need not forget the pig is what our role is. We need to make sure we advocate for the pig,” Turner states passionately.
Antibiotics are essential for animal welfare. Turner explains there are three reasons to use antimicrobials in food animal production: control, prevention and treatment of disease.
