Download dairy “moos”letter - Medford Veterinary Clinic

FARM HEALTH NEWSLETTER
MEDFORD VETERINARY CLINIC
June 2013
Medford office 715-748-2341
Dr. R.L. Shiffler
Dr. H.H. Hildebrandt
Dr. J.M. Osen
Colby office 715-223-2858
Dr. M. Ortengren
Dr. C.A. Miller
Dr. B.M. Grandaw
www.medfordvet.com
Dr. H.J. Grandaw
Dr. M.R. Moodie
Dr. A.L. Ahles
Serving the dairy industry by providing prevention, treatment, and promoting efficiency – since 1958
New Colby Clinic
We have opened the new building at our
Colby Clinic location! It’s at the same site and
same phone numbers with expanded hours. We
hope this building will allow us to serve our
clients in a better and more efficient manner.
Bloodwork in Colby
We are now offering blood work to be run
in Colby for cows and horses. This is especially
useful in down cows with suspected milk fever.
Be sure to pull a blood sample BEFORE you treat
her and we can run it if the cow doesn’t respond.
Keep the blood sample refrigerated. We can then
check calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels
to ensure proper treatment. We can also check for
signs of severe muscle damage, liver and kidney
function, and several other health parameters in
cows with difficult to diagnose diseases. Be sure
to keep blood tubes on hand and you can bring
these into the Colby or Medford office to be run
right away.
These are some common questions about
proper drug usage:
1. Can non-prescription antibiotics (ex. Penicillin
and Sulfadimethoxine) be used illegally?
YES! If these drugs are used off-label in
any way, they then become either prescription use
or illegal. Penicillin is labeled at 1cc/100lb, and
treatment doses are usually higher than that. It is
then “Extra-label” drug usage and requires a
VCPR. Sulfadi is a drug which is illegal if used
off label in any way, including a higher dose or
unlabeled disease (treating mastitis).
2. Can I use a drug like LS50, labeled for poultry
in cattle?
No. This is both extra-label and “drug
compounding”. Compounding is illegal, and there
is a zero tolerance for any milk or meat residue.
3. If it is a pain to give a drug like Banamine IV
as it is labeled, can I give it in the muscle?
No. Using a drug off label for “ease of
administration” is prohibited. This instance also
increases the meat and milk withholding times.
Proper Drug Usage
The topic of proper drug usage in dairies is
becoming more important than ever as drug
policies are becoming stricter and milk and
slaughter plants are increasing residue testing.
Proper drug use is important to ensure that we will
continue to be able to use these drugs and to
assure the public of a safe and wholesome food
supply. Always be sure to follow drug labels for
dose, duration of treatment, route of
administration, the type and age of animal, and for
the labeled disease. If any of the conditions are
different from the label, it is either “Extra-label”
usage which requires a valid VCPR (VeterinarianClient-Patient-Relationship) and veterinary
oversight, or possibly “Illegal” usage.
4. If a lactating cow has a really bad pneumonia,
could I use a drug like Nuflor or Draxxin, labeled
for younger heifers?
No. It may be possible for a vet to
prescribe this as legal “extra-label” use, but this
would be a rare situation.
If you ever have any questions about
proper drug usage, or want to make sure you are
doing things correctly, give us a call and we can
go over these issues together.