Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antibiotic use in goats: role of experience and education of Missouri veterinarians.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2020
- Authors:
- Landfried, Lauren et al.
- Affiliation:
- Saint Louis University · United States
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how Missouri veterinarians use antibiotics when treating goats, especially since previous research found higher levels of antibiotic residues in goat meat from the state compared to the national average. The researchers surveyed 725 veterinarians and received responses from 178 of them. Most veterinarians said they prescribed antibiotics less than half the time, but those in Missouri tended to focus more on treating obvious illnesses like intestinal parasites rather than preventive care. While many veterinarians recognized the issue of antibiotic resistance, those outside Missouri felt more confident that their practices weren't contributing to the problem. The study suggests that Missouri veterinarians may have less experience and fewer opportunities for continuing education, which could impact their ability to build effective relationships with pet owners and provide proactive care.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In a previous study, we found that rates of antibiotic residues in goat carcasses in Missouri were three times the published national average, warranting further research in this area. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of goat veterinarians to determine attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics, recruiting 725 veterinarians listed on the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) website and 64 Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) veterinarians. RESULTS: We collected 189 responses (26.1%) from AASRP members (170 valid) and 8 (12.5%) from MVMA veterinarians totalling 178 responses. While the vast majority of all veterinarians indicated that they prescribed antibiotics less than half of the time, Missouri veterinarians indicated that they spent more time treating goats for overt disease like intestinal parasites and less time on proactive practices such as reproductive herd health management comparatively. While veterinarians agreed that antibiotic resistance was a growing concern, veterinarians outside of Missouri seemed more confident that their own prescription practices was not a contributor. Although nationally most veterinarians felt that attending continuing education classes was beneficial, 73.4% in other states attended classes on antibiotic use compared to only four of the nine Missouri veterinarians. CONCLUSION: Missouri veterinarians had less veterinary experience than veterinarians in other states, and this, in conjunction with low continuing education requirements in Missouri relative to most other states, may hinder development of more proactive and effective client-veterinary relationships.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32079665/