Antimicrobials, also known as antibiotics, have been used as feed supplements to enhance growth and feed efficiency of food animals (1). These antimicrobials are also used to treat, control or even prevent diseases that are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria (2). This is because they belong this a family of drugs that do not cause significant harm to patients, but they are able to kill or inhibit growth of harmful microorganisms (3). It is believed that antimicrobials pose a hazard to human health through both residues and resistance (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). By adhering to drug withdrawal periods, as well as prudent use of antimicrobials, the use of these drugs can be decreased (1, 2, 4, 5, 6). Antimicrobials can be administered through a
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Due to modern industrial farms having animals in large densities, experiencing constant stress, as well as often living in their own waste this inhibits the animal’s immune system to fight infection (2). By improving animal housing, not only would farmers positively influence their animals’ welfare, they would also be able to reduce the amount of antibiotics that would need to be given to the animal to compensate for the improved living conditions (2, 3). Through prudent use of antibiotics, only using them when disease is obvious on the farm, a farmer can decrease excessive and unnecessary use of antimicrobials (2, 3, 5). By adhering to withdrawal periods, farmers can avoid residues appearing in the meat when they do need to use antimicrobials to treat infection (1, 2, 4, 5, 6). These withdrawal periods to ensure residues do not occur in meat place a large amount of responsibility on the livestock producer and the veterinarian overseeing the animal’s treatment (5). Through these steps, a farmer can effectively decrease their use of antimicrobials on their farm as well, improve the welfare of the animals that they produce, and ensure that residues do not appear in products of their farm (1, 2, 3, 5,
Due to modern industrial farms having animals in large densities, experiencing constant stress, as well as often living in their own waste this inhibits the animal’s immune system to fight infection (2). By improving animal housing, not only would farmers positively influence their animals’ welfare, they would also be able to reduce the amount of antibiotics that would need to be given to the animal to compensate for the improved living conditions (2, 3). Through prudent use of antibiotics, only using them when disease is obvious on the farm, a farmer can decrease excessive and unnecessary use of antimicrobials (2, 3, 5). By adhering to withdrawal periods, farmers can avoid residues appearing in the meat when they do need to use antimicrobials to treat infection (1, 2, 4, 5, 6). These withdrawal periods to ensure residues do not occur in meat place a large amount of responsibility on the livestock producer and the veterinarian overseeing the animal’s treatment (5). Through these steps, a farmer can effectively decrease their use of antimicrobials on their farm as well, improve the welfare of the animals that they produce, and ensure that residues do not appear in products of their farm (1, 2, 3, 5,